DivaCup...

[SpunkySue]

I had no idea where to post this...so here it is! I saw an ad for the DivaCup in a magazine the other day and looked it up online to do a bit of research. It had rave reviews and almost sounds too good to be true...and we all know what that usually means. I'm just wondering if anyone here uses it, has used it in the past, likes/dislikes, etc. I have really heavy periods and dont know if this is something that would be feasible for me.
Thanks!
Sue!

[xPIXIEx]

I use the Diva Cup. Buying a new one before the next visit from Mother Nature. This time I'm getting some Lunapads to go along with it because I tend to be very heavy the first day, so that would probably be something you might want to look in to. I love it. There's a bit of a learning curve as far as getting it in right, but after you get over that it's great.

[Aleesha Sattva]

diva cups, keepers... all GREAT. not only are you saving the earth from all those pads and tampons... but you are saving heaps of money as well!!!

i've been using a keeper for about 16 years now...

[a1icia]

Use it, Love it, Couldn't Live without it!

[Katharina]

Hello Spunky,

I bought mine about a year ago. And it is really a big difference for me.
No more pain. I feel very good with it. :p

One little negative thing is, that i bought the big one and maybe the small one would have been better for me.

And you have to get used to it. But I think it is really worth it. ;)

Take care
Katharina

[coco]

overall excellent products, i have both the keeper and the diva cup. the keeper is FAR superior in terms of performance but it's natural rubber and so retains odour and can't be sterilized. not nice, in fact i haven't used it in years.
the diva cup is made of silicon so it's easy to clean and sterilize and doesn't hold odour BUT it's flimsy, doesn't spring open as easily after insertion, moves around much more freely than the keeper hence leaks easier. it's a pain in the butt to use in comparison but still a thousand times better than tampons or stinky rubber.

[lynnc72]

Used it for the last 3 cycles. No leaks. Love it.

I got the bigger one. There's certainly a learning curve to remove it. I wonder if the smaller one would be easier to remove for me.

[fruitandveggies]

I have a Mooncup. Love it! However, I do use pads (need to buy some Lunapads) when I just don't feel like having an object up there. But they are a great replacement for tampons.

[contessa20]

Oh my stars, I *heart* my Diva Cup. Truly and honestly it is the best thing since raw vegan cheezecake. :D

My friend Teri told me about the Diva last year and since I've never EVER been a tampon girl I thought I would hate the Diva. Instead, I absolutely love it and will never ever switch back to cloth pads I had been using for the previous 10 yrs.

For me it took about 2 cycles to really get used to it. At first I had it in wrong and THAT, my friend, was PAINFUL. Once I got it right though I couldn't feel anything (I've actually had moments where I had to go to the bathroom to check and see if I had it in because I couldn't remember and couldn't feel it). So far, after a year of using it for every cycle, I haven't had any leaks.

[Aleesha Sattva]

coco yours retained odor? really? i wash mine with soap after my cycle and then hang it in it's little bag upside down. it never smells bad... doesn't smell at all actually.

i love how raw foodists do things n-a-t-u-r-a-l-l-y

[dread head vegan]

i have one and i love it :D

[coco]

yup, stinky P.U. rubber keeper. maybe they have improved their product since I bought mine. i've have it for many years, though i haven't used it in many years, ha ha!

[GlimR]

Have it, use it, love it...that and made my own cloth pads to use also when that feels right.

[RawSar]

I have the DiveCup too.
It took awhile to get use to. Inserting it was very tricky and took some time.
I love it now.

[pixie_333]

Have it, use it, love it...that and made my own cloth pads to use also when that feels right.

pretty! haha

do you stuff it with anything or is it just cloth? and it doesn't soak through?

[GlimR]

Hey pixie~
They are multiple layers of flannel, terry cloth and a waterproof layer under the outside cotton layer.....about 6-8 layers in all. No, they don't leak thru and are very absorbent. There is a ton of info on the net about making your own.

[DejaVu]

Have been using the DivaCup for about a year and its the best discovery I've made in a long time. Love it!!! I recommended it to all my friends and will never go back to using pads or tampons. What I love most, it that there is no odor as with pads and tampons since there is no contact with oxygen, so no oxidization, no smell.

[appifanie]

i love my diva cup!

[Raw To Live]

Have any of you ladies had pain while using a tampon? Like as in worse cramps from using a tampon?

When I used to use tampons my cramps (which are already bad from endometriosis) were WAY worse the first two days of my cycle when wearing a tampon. A wiser, older lady at my highschool told me it was the tampons causing me such way worse cramps. I started not wearing tampons and the pain was better so I'm leaning towards the idea that the tampons did make the cramps worse. . . don't know why.

Anyhoo, I've been afraid to try the divacup for fear my cramps would be bad like they were w/ the tampons.

[soulstar]

Just another Diva Cup lover chiming in with a thumbs up.
It took a couple of cycles to get the hang of it, but as many have said, it is soo worth it.

[pixie_333]

Hey pixie~
They are multiple layers of flannel, terry cloth and a waterproof layer under the outside cotton layer.....about 6-8 layers in all. No, they don't leak thru and are very absorbent. There is a ton of info on the net about making your own.

ok thx!

sounds like a lot of work and expensive unless re-using again or recycling old shirts.. but also sounds neat to do. i might try it some day.

[GlimR]

It was a bit of work initially but they will last for years. I did use an old, very soft terry towel in some. Flannel is cheap. Anyway...diva cup is best but there are times when my flow is light, or at night a very soft flannel pad is very comfortable.

[SpunkySue]

Thanks to all of you that replied! I think Im going to purchase one and give it a go next cycle ;)
SpunkySue

[Gittel]

Do these cups work for very heavy flow as well?

Gittel

[VeganGypsie]

But do have some pads in case while you check out how it works for you. If you sometimes need pads in conjunction with regular tampons, you will need it with the diva cup or keeper too. i used the keeper until I lost my first one somewhere and had to get a new one. by then my local whole foods was carrying diva cups instead. I slightly preferred the keeper for the reasons mentioned above. My keeper acquired a slightly sweet smell, but that might be particular to my own fluids.

[Irish_Vegan_Girl]

Have it, I feel really clean when I use the divacup and it does take a couple tries to get used to but it's worth it and there is less mess - if any. I have only had a chance to use it twice though.

[Jazmyn]

I got my first DivaCup a year ago, and absolutely LOVE it!! It's so comfortable, and I love that I can do anything I want and not have to worry about leakage! I highly recommend it.

[NaiveJeanette]

I got my first DivaCup a year ago, and absolutely LOVE it!! It's so comfortable, and I love that I can do anything I want and not have to worry about leakage! I highly recommend it.

:o I don't think I do it right...mine seems to leak more a lot.. Not all of the time, but still a lot.. :confused:

[freak]

I bought a "Mooncup" about a year ago - I guess this is a UK version?

I had to stop using tampons because of thrush and using pads was not nice to me!!!

I love my Mooncup! I love that you don't have to change it so often, I love that it doesn't irritate me like the tampons, I love that there is no waste :D

No disadvantages at all now that I'm used to it! can sterilise it OK too...

[ReneeH]

Have it, use it, love it...that and made my own cloth pads to use also when that feels right.

Thanks for the photo of these!!! I've never heard of them!!! But, I will DEFINITELY give it a try!!!

What other "goodies" do you RAWbies have!!! ;) What a GREAT "SECRET" this is!!!!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diva_cup This is a GREAT photo of it, along with HOW to insert it...

[Theobroma]

I can't use the dixie cup!! I can't get it out by myself... I have to have someone help *dies of shame* so I have not used it since. I tried like 3 times.

The pads work great though. I have to get me a few more but their expensive.

However I did find a great DIY pad maker if you guys like making things yourself!


http://www.instructables.com/id/Cloth-pads/

[Stina]

Can you swim with it in?

[andreaxo]

I looove my Diva Cup! I'm so happy to see a thread on them. If you feel that the Diva Cup is too large there are many other brands to pick from, though some are impossible to find the states and need to be ordered online (for those of you in the states).

http://www.menstrualcups.org/
That website is a great resource for all things menstrual cup. Don't let the majority of the posts fool you, most of the time people only post if they are having problems, etc. The people who had no issues (which is a lot of people, including myself) don't really post often. I have a Diva Cup and a Lunette Selene and they are two of the best things I've ever bought myself.

[LotsaRaw]

For starters, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Mooncup.

Is staining/discoloration normal with the silicon cups? What has worked for you to remove this?

[Clare]

I love the Div cup. The first couple times taking it out weren't easy though. I about panicked. There is a tiny neck with ridges to yank on and my short nails kept slipping off but it gets easier. Swimming is no problem at all. You just wouldn't want to have to wash it in a public bathroom - duh - but you can keep it in all day so not an issue.

[Factoid]

I have the lunacup. It is good except for it moves up so far sometimes!! Espec if it is overnight (good thing about these is less bacteria so TSS risk is not really there). I used it exclusively last month but to get it out was a real pain at times :(
I also think they should be a bit more specific with the sizing. I can't imagine that all women over 30/ who have had a child need the bigger one. Just take an extreme case - a 30 yr old v petite woman who has never had a baby. I think mine is too big.

Has anybody else had probs/ trials getting the luna cup or other out sometimes/ it moving up?

[RawHeaven]

I had been using the keeper for a year but I found it leaked a lot. I switched to the diva cup last month and I just love it!

If you find it's riding up, you may either have to work on your kiegels (vaginal wall muscles) or practice with the insertion. They are not inserted like tampons. The cup doesn't have to be right under the cervix, but rather positioned between your muscles. You've got to insert it horizontally towards your tailbone. Give the cup a full 360 turn when it's in to create a good seal so that it doesn't leak. You might even hear a suction popping sound when you've got the seal. The little tail at the end of the cup should be about a 1/2 inch from the opening of your vagina. You may feel it for awhile, but soon you'll get used to it. I use Gladrags panty liners for back up during heavier flow days.

I will never go back to pads or tampons. Ever.

For the ladies who haven't given it a whirl yet:

Do it for yourself.

Do it for the environment.

[ljcoolj]

I've been using the Diva Cup for 4 years. Learned about it right here on this forum. I LOVE it and wouldn't dream of going without it.