The tale of the Diva Cup!

Deciding-

Okay! So here's the scoop. Firstly I am not EVERY woman and probably not so unique that I'm weird. But I am definately not one of those lucky women who can set my watch or solar calendar by my periods. Could be the 19th, could be the 26th, if it's a leap year it's anyone's guess. The most predictable thing for my cycle is the guarantee that on SOME night a month I will usually wake from a dead sleep feeling "Yucky" and race to the bathroom for a cold rinse session in the sink to save some poor stained garment!

Motivation 1

So there it is. My honest first motivation for even considering a menstrual cup. But I am infamously a procrastinator, so months after first seeing the Diva Cup advertisement in Vegetarian times (no I am not a vegetarian health nut or an environmentalist trying to save the planet one cow at a time, I just try to eat healthy occassionally-my commitment issues are a whole other BLOG!) I prowled the web for users of this intriguing little alternative. I read reviews, Blogs, etc. and discovered there are several of these little items available under different names. Just what I needed- more reasons to be undecided!

Motivation 2

Motivation #2 came into play here in the pages of the web. Saving $$! One of my favorite things to do, aside from being a procrastinator, I am also into severe penny pinching- but only when it's something for myself usually. So now I know that if I buy one of these menstrual cups it will last for years! Now I am no name brand junkie, I buy the store brands at the grocery and my family menus revolve around what meats are on special that week. But as a devoted tampon user since 12, I had tried the "store/bargain brands" of tampons and -NEVER AGAIN! After all, this is going to be a long term relationship between me and this little cup, so I should invest wisely. Besides, Loreal says I'm worth it!!

Now I did the math- back to procrastinating- I found five mostly mentioned cup brands- The Diva Cup, The Lunette Cup, The MiaCup, the Moon Cup, and the Instead (I'll talk about this one later, stick with me!), all ranging from $25-35 (without discount codes, coupons, etc-we'll get there too!). Now Playex's best can be had for about $5-7 a month. That means it would take approximately 6 months for this investment to break even. Hmm... Not bad! BUT what if I don't like it? What if it doesn't work? So.... I procrastinated.

Then I saw the Instead cup at the grocery store! Hmm. Maybe I try this out for about $10 bucks and if I like it I make the commitment to the reusable cup. Problem #1 with this, You get like 4 cups for 10-12 bucks. Not a bargain using 2 or more a day, even at half price that's almost $20 a period. Also, after doing my research I kinda got into the whole GREEN thing. These are NOT similar in design to the other brand cups (Diva, Lunette, or Moon) they are like disposable diaphrams. And good luck finding what they are definately made of- "materials that have been used for more than 20 years in the health care profession. Cleared by the FDA, it has undergone extensive laboratory and human clinical tials" it does reveal it's latex free. But they have their place! According to men (yes some men have actually posted on this and other cups!) they are the choice for clean (NOT SAFE!) sex during your period. With the other cups they have a stem for removal and this can be uncomfortable for both participants in sexual relations, though a couple of users have said they "snipped" the stem for this purpose. My recomendation, just use an Instead Softcup for this use and don't alter your product. I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A CONTRACEPTIVE!!

So- I procrastinated.

Motivation 3 (the BIG ONE as they say!)-

It's Christmas Eve, about 4 months since I became aware of the Cup. I've spent almost enough on tampons to pay for a cup at this time, and more if you add the cost of two pairs of PJ bottoms that could not be saved from permanant stains! It's one of the heavyist periods I'be had in a while (yes, unlike the AVERAGE woman, whatever that is, my flow fluctuates radically at times). After considerable product and toilet tissue flushing, our toilet revolted and backed up! Thanks to my ever loving hubby I was quickly informed this was my fault for flushing too many "things" down the toilet. Now I do not flush my applicators, but it'll be a cold day in hell when I start putting used tampons in a trash can in MY bathroom! That's just GROSS to me! So I pledged to buy a cup before my next period. Now which one?

After months of research here's my unbiased conclusions, my choice, and my experience-

Firstly, all of the "cups" are essentially the same, they are all silcone, they are all the same shape (think of the top of a fire hydrant inverted, links for each are at the bottom), they all come in two sizes though one (the Lunett) says one size is for under 20 virgins? Don't know the relavency of this as all my research had shown the cup does not effect virginity in ANY way. Also, I believe they all come with a little cloth bag to store them in between periods. Also if you are a real girlie girl, you may want to note that all are clear except the the MiaCup which comes in an opaque pink silicone. Every woman has different quirks and things that are particular to their decision process so please check out each product before ordering, but this is a quick guide for the most important things.

Secondly, all brands state they are "long lasting", years! Will not leak, and are comfortable to wear.

Thirdly, although in my opinion (I have not tried each cup only extensively researched and based this on other users honest correspondenses) all menstrual cups are made equal, they are not priced equally. So price made my final decision.

A little over three weeks ago, I bought the Diva Cup, from iHerb.com for $15.95 including shipping. See discount codes listed below for all products.

Here are a users FACTS!

You weren't born knowing how to insert a tampon, and it will take some practice to insert the cup correctly. Instructions are included as well as a bevy of folding instructions at each product site.

Yes the cup can leak. My experience was on day one, after inserting the cup several times, I had no leaks during the day, but a slight amount at night. Now the cup was overflowing by the time I removed it 9 hours after I inserted it before bed. As I said, my flows fluctuate HEAVILY at times. So if you are a new user whith very heavy flows, use a panty liner at bed time at least the first night. Could my cup possible be inserted improperly? Possibly but due to the amount in the cup, I think it was just over filled (But HEY this happens with any other method too - tampons, pads, etc. This wasn't BAD at all!).

On my daily usage, I have not had a leak or spot even after extensive physical activity, or 8 hours before emptying. Which makes me think it could be the angle at night and maybe I need to see my GYNO, things started moving in there when you're over 40.

One benefit I found intriquing on the testimonials and mentioned by several of my Sista's in correspondences was that it helped alleviate cramps. Right?! RIGHT- I usually have a miserable crampy day on the first day. I actually didn't even feel like I was on my period after inserting the cup!! Why I don't know, but I do know it's true!! BONUS!!

Also, I felt so good that when my hubby suggested we go out for cocktails I didn't hesitate, and then I realized, I don't have to worry about packing my bag with pads or tampons! After several hours out, I didn't have a leak or have to rush to the bathroom to make a "homemade pad" of toilet tissue (You know what I mean!!), and I REALLY forgot I was even on my period!

My second night with my cup, brought a clean, leak free morning. So I believe it was my flow the first night. Now all the cups claim they hold approximately 1/3 of the volume of an AVERAGE period over the entire term. I am not average!

Removal and insertion, as I said before, will take some practice, but on day two I was able to insert and remove with one hand, and no mess. That was amazing. I thought it would be really messy, but it's not. You will need to wash your hands before and after, but you should be anyway!!. Also, I found that my Summer's Eve wipes work great and safely for all cups if you need to clean it in the public loo! I have not had to do this yet, if you empty and clean it before you go out, you should be good for 8-9 hrs (again depending on your flow). But all of the cups do offer their own brand of cleaning wipes if you prefer. One thing to note, when emptying the cup (and here's the GROSS part) the clots and congealing blood in the cup will stick to the porcelain of the toilet bowl, so you will want to flush twice!! No big sacrifice, but a must know before you buy, and if you're only interest in this product is because of the Environmental impact-extra water usage.

Finally- I LOVE IT! Why did I wait so long!!! So bottom line is this blog is dedicated to all of you NOT average procrastinating sisters of mine. There are many other great blogs, and FAQs online regarding the cups, but what else do you need to know? It is worth it, it does work, it's not messy or yucky, and has many wonderful benefits as well as being GREEN and discreet.

Please, please, try the cup- You'll never regret it, and share your experiences with all your friends, and ME!

The Diva Cup- http://www.divacup.com/ Coupon code YEL606 at iherb.com for $15.95 Diva Cup including shipping, takes about 5 days.

The Lunette Cup- http://lunette.fi/en/index.php?id=48

The MoonCup- http://www.mooncup.co.uk/

The MiaCup- http://www.miacup.co.za/ go to http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/1205180.html for some other good cup chat and 5% discount code for MiaCup

Instead Softcup- http://www.softcup.com/ Not my choice for a regular product, but if you want a MALE approved method for Clean sex during your period this is it!!