Hi,

I have had a Mooncup ( am in the UK so assume it is a UK one!) for a few years given to me my a friend on my birthday and yesterday was finally inspired to try it as I came on. After washing, trimming and folding it up got it in and thought. At last, no more money to Tampax, Bodyform etc... and better to environment. Brilliant.

Then tried to get it out. And again, again and again. I have tried squatting, relaxing, bearing down, still on the toilet, eventually forefinger, middle and thumb trying to get hold of the thing. Even after bearing down I can feel the end of the tube bit I trimmed but can't get hold and get it out. Tried for a while again and still no joy. Even had a cup of tea, a nights sleep and  a mid morning snooze. It is so far up there!!!

I am not sure if it is suctioned or not. HELPPPPP.

Bearing down I an get in to come down some as when I put my fingers in I cannot feel it, but not enough to grab hold of the little bugger. Am thinking if I can't squeeze this down enough def couldn't give birth!!!

Has anyone has to wait for gravity to help? How long did it take? AM bit worried about having to go to Doc's, (don't really want to ask boyfirend for help) or that it is coming up to 22hrs in. Plus am leaking (quelle surprise) so having to use pad.

I do hope I can get some advice. Off to try again as I had read several posts and a little reassured that people eventually get it out.

Thanks

Hello all of you!!
I'm new to this community, but not entirely new to cups in general. One of my friends convinced me to try the (small) diva, and while I was very intrigued by the concept, I was kind of uncomfortable to have it inside me. It popped open rather painfully, and the suction was so strong that removal was a b*tch.
Now, after a few months of returning to pads/tampons, I am wanting to give the lady cup a try. I have a fairly short canal (I think it's actually very short) and am rather narrow as well, so the lady cup seems to be a good fit. I am also glad that it's more squishy, because I'm hoping it'll mean easier insertion/removal.
One other thing to note, before I get into my questions, is that I am blind. I wouldn't feel it necessary to mention this, but it makes a difference in a) my not being able to see the diagrams outlining various folding methods; b) I am so, so, so paranoid of leaving blood on the inside of the toilet during removal (I share a bathroom with a guy--I am in university!!). Any thoughts on how to avoid this?

1. I am in Canada, and am wondering where to purchase the lady cup from. Have other Canadians here (if there are any) ordered from ebay? does the cup-maker ship to Canada? (I believe the lady cup company is based in Germany or the CR or something?). I am looking for speedy, discrete delivery to Canada.

2. I've heard that since the lady cup is kind of squishy, it often stays folded after insertion. Is there any way to avoid this? if so, can you please describe (in as much detail as possible) the folding method that works best for this? I'm sorry I'm asking for such a detailed discription--but obviously pictures won't help LOL.

3. I tend to suffer from relatively painful abdominal cramps whileI'm on my period, and have thus always hated inserting anything into my vag because it seemed to make the cramping worse (almost as if it was pushing into my servix which in turn felt as though it was plowing into my other internal organs-ouch!). Do those of you who have the lady cup find that it makes stomach cramping worse? better? no effect?

4. When the lady cup is correctly inserted in you, can you tell it's there? I could always feel the diva cup in me, even after trimming the stem (remember, I have a short vag apparently).

5. What method do you find is best (and least painful) to remove the cup? I think I have really psyched myself up because of the difficulty and pain involved in removing the diva cup.

Thank you so much in advance for reading/replying. I've browsed through past posts, and realize that these questions are probably asked so often--but I know that everyone has their own concerns and we all feel better when our own questions are addressed. This seems like an absolutely fantastic community though, and I am so glad to be a member!!

I got my period today, and tried a menstrual cup for the first time (small Lunette).  Insertion was easy -- the cup went in on the 2nd try using the 7-fold.   (I tried the C-fold the first time, and it was TOO WIDE.)  Unfortunately, I am leaking and I don't understand why.  It seemed like the cup was fully opened with a decent seal.  So, why am I leaking? 

I've read posts that discuss finding your cervix.  I found mine, and tried to position the cup underneath it.  But, it's hard because I can't see what I'm doing, and THE CUP RIDES UP!  It does not stay low in my vagina.  Do I need to angle the cup differently?  What should I do to solve the leakage problem? 

*****************
Removal Hurts
*****************

Another thing is that removal hurts.  Inserting 2 fingers along with the cup is a very tight fit, and I'm fighting against the cup riding back up while I'm trying to remove it.  The rim is very wide coming out, and it hurts.  I've tried pinching the cup, but everything is very slippery and it's difficult to get a good grasp.  While removing, I accidentally dropped the cup onto a wad of toilet paper in the toilet.  (Everything is so slippery!)  I boiled the cup and hope that got rid of any potential germs.  

Overall, I'm feeling very frustrated right now.  How do I solve the leakage problem?  Is this normal? 

Hi everyone.  I just got my first cup in the mail today and was really eager to try a test run, as my period will be starting soon. I have two questions.

1.  I was bracing myself for the worst, but I managed to get it in using the C-fold after about 3 tries.  It was rubbing sort of funny, so I took it out and looked up some other folds.  I tried the origami fold, which worked great, much easier to get in.  But here's my problem-I kept scratching myself with my nails while inserting the cup.  Has anyone else had this problem?  My nails aren't super long, but they definitely protrude over the tops of my fingers.  Is this something that gets better over time as I get better at maneuvering my cup around or am I just going to have to clip my nails once a month?

2. I wore my cup around the house for a couple of hours just to see how it felt, and when I took it out there was some brown discharge pooled in the bottom.  It kind of freaked me out a little bit.  I normally have some discharge during your average day, but it's always the garden variety clearish-white kind.  My period is still several days off, and I know I don't have an STD (I was tested a couple of months ago).  I guess maybe my vagina just wasn't happy with me poking and prodding it for a while or it might be period related.  I suppose I'm really just looking for reassurance here.  :)

Thanks everyone!

First off: I'm 20, have not given birth, and technically sexually active (assuming penis-shaped objects count...haha).

( cut for babbling )

Basically, my vag is cutting off the entrance and it's hard to get the cup out. Oh, and pushing isn't working like it used to because I can't seem to isolate the right muscles. BM pushing was working, but now it's only working for, well, BMs...

So, any ideas what's going on? I might be tense, I have to remind myself to breathe. I hold my breath when pushing, which is why I gave up on the pushing. But on my dry run I could just push a little and it would pop out enough for me to grab it. Even when i was breathing and feeling pretty relaxed, I had the same problem. Help?

And yes, even after that incident, I popped it right back in. So now I'm having the same problem...

Hi everyone,

I used my Diva Cup for the first time last weekend. It was towards the end of my cycle and I've only inserted/removed it once so far. I've looked at the entries in here that are tagged Removal, but I couldn't find the answer to my particular question.

My issue with removal isn't breaking the suction - it's being able to get to the stem!  When I went to remove it the first time, I had a lot of difficulty just being able to grasp the stem/base without accidentally pushing it further up. It was slippery and a good 1-2 inches up there. I beared down, squatted, etc. I did the BM pushing movements which eventually did the trick, but I was exhausted from all the pushing afterwards. 

Any tips for how to get the cup to move down when your fingers just can't quite reach it?

Another question - the one time I had it in, after about my hour, I started getting a little lightheaded, my stomach felt knotted and my legs felt tingly and weak. And my cramps were bad. I was out at the time, and when I came home and managed to remove it, I was much better. Is this just my body getting used to it?

Appreciate any feedback/advice. Thanks! :)

I am so glad I found this forum, it has so much good info. I just got a Diva Cup(model 2, I'm 33 and have had 3 c-sections) and Insteads and used them both with varying success yesterday and today. I have a pretty heavy flow on day 1-2 which I think caused some of the issues yesterday. I usually wear Super Plus ob tampons and change them every 3 hrs. on Day 1. So I thought I'd be able to wear the Diva longer than that but yesterday after 2 hrs. I went to the bathroom to pee and while peeing I saw a few drops of blood fall into the toilet so I decided to check the cup. It was filled to the upper line-15ml I think. Is that normal?  That was my pattern for the rest of the day- every 2-3 hrs I'd go check for leaks/spotting and there was always at least a drop or two of blood on the toilet paper or usually more (sometimes I'd pee first and sometimes not) so I'd remove and it was always filled above the bottom line and usually closer to the top line(and that was with quite a bit of spillage going on). I am fairly sure I was getting the placement ok- couldn't feel it inside, could turn the cup or run a finger around and it was fully open and seemed sealed well, found my cervix and aimed that way-it seemed to be inside the cup.  I was concerned that I was wearing it too low after seeing how many people talked about wearing it higher but I can't get it in any farther! I trimmed the stem a bit and it doesn't poke me or bother me but if I look with a mirror I can see the stem right inside my opening. I can push the cup out pretty easily with my muscles but doing kegels and wiggling, shoving does nothing to make it go farther in. It doesn't hurt to push it but it just won't go anywhere. Does this mean I just have a shorter canal than some people?
    Is it possible to remove a half full or more Diva cup without a huge mess? I have to pinch/fold the cup when I'm removing it for comfort(first time it popped out at full size and yowza it hurt!) and the blood just gushes out. Not a big deal at home but no way could I do this in a public restroom. 
    I had similar removal issues with the Instead but even worse. I was peeing and all of a sudden-gush. I quickly removed it but the baggie was flattened and practically empty. How can you keep the bag from being squeezed/flattened when you remove it? I was keeping it level and steady but it still made a mess. And does urinating cause your muscles to bear down enough to break the seal on a Diva(hence the leakage I experienced) or pop an Instead out of place?  I did not have any spotting on my pantyliner at all yesterday or today so I don't think I was having true leakage issues. Today my flow has lessened and I've had less problems but I would like to know if this all sounds like normal heavy flow issues that will always happen or if it sounds like I was doing something wrong? Thanks for any comments/advice.

Al those wasted years! Buying tampons and pads, blowing what little money I had each month, believing it was a necessity. If only I had known sooner!

I am the proud owner of a Diva cup, and I couldn't be happier. Before getting my period, I did a dry run, and I won't lie- it was a terrible, terrible day. Put it down to my tampon use and how I was angling it wrong, on how not relaxed I was, it felt like I was impaling myself with something massive, and taking it out was worse; like gouging out my insides.

I put the cup away and resolved to attempt again when I was on my period.

Lo and Behold, my problems vanished when the time came- inserting it was easy, getting the cup to form a seal was easier, and I had absolutely no leaks! Even better, my cramps went away from some reason, and my period seems...  not as severe as before!

My only problem is... removal. No matter what I do, pinch the bottom of the cup, remove slowly at an angle, wiggling it, everything, I find the pain (although I wouldn't know) comparable to childbirth; the rim of the cup is wide open and it hurts like hell. It's a hell I can definitely live with; no more of the nails-clawing-at-my-insides feeling with the tampons, no more pads bunching up and smelling, no more late night dashes to the store.

But it would be nice if could take out my Diva Cup with minimal pain.

Any suggestions, anyone?

Hey there!

I've been using the Mooncup for a while now, so I figured it was time to post a little recap :)

*General*
First of all, I am very happy with my small Mooncup UK. Since I am 24 w/o children, and am not sexually active right now, I had decided to go for a small/slender cup. The lower capacity compared to other cups did not bother me, since I have a medium-light flow. So after 9 happy periods I can safely say I this cup works great for me.

Hi, everyone! I've joined this community because I've just bought a Mooncup (UK). Until recently, I was taking the pill continuously due to extremely painful periods (I don't need birth control), but since I'd been taking it since I was fifteen, I decided to stop and see if the pain was still present. Luckily, my first post-pill period was completely pain-free, so that was that. However, the cost of disposable menstrual products for that one period was enough to drive my inner Mr Scrooge bonkers (to say nothing of the environmental cost), so I looked for reusable alternatives and came across the various brands of menstrual cup. My Mooncup arrived a couple of days ago, and since my period is due tomorrow, I decided to do a dry run today. I think my experiences getting it in and out might be useful to other users, so I'm posting those below.

( cut for length )

I'm going to try it again today, so any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

so, i just got my pretty pink (it was worth the extra $5) ladycup, and put it in (easy!) and wore it for a full day (couldn't feel anything!!! amazing!) as a test run . . . it seemed sealed, all was well, but it was a test run (i don't have my period right now) . . . .

if it works as well as it seems it's going to, i plan to tell every girlfriend i have about cups! why don't more people use them????

of course, my only slight fear/question is:

i bought some pads (which i haven't used for years) to wear the first days i use the cup while i have my period, in case of leaks. when/if they leak, do they leak like a tampon or do they, well, dump out all of the blood? if so, would a pad be able to absorb it all? i can't imagine that they could leak that much, it would be tragic and hugely embarrassing . . . just want to check so i know what to plan for.

also, what do you do if you need to change it in a bathroom stall? how does that work?

also, cleaning - you have to boil it post-period, correct? (for the silicone) . . . but during, can you wash with soap and water?

thanks! again, i think i'm going to love the cup, seems amazing thus far!

ps - thanks for everyone who applied to my post with advice about which kind of cup to get - i read a lot of posts and settled on ladycup in a size small - i'm 33, no children, thin, with light flow. it seems to fit well. i bought directly from ladycup - may be a bit more $, but they offer free exchanges if you accidentally bought the  wrong size . . . .

Good morning,
i've been reading this commuinty for some time and have checked the tags and not found this particular question so here goes :)

i'm on my second cycle wth my Mooncup.During my first cycle days 1-3 i had a lot of leakage because i was apparently placing the cup far too low. i have a tilted Uterus and low placement didn't give me the seal i needed. i figured this out and pushed the cup up further late on day 3 and had no leaks at all for the rest of my cycle (YAY!!)

This cycle i've done well and had no leaks, until i tried agan to place it lower for easier removal...(will not do this again).

The problems i'm currently having are with removal. Breaking the seal isdifficult i've pushed in the side of the cup.i've bared down and tried to push in the upper lip (often i can't reach it) i'm wondering if i should open up the holes a bit (they seem awfully tiny).

i also experience cramping worse since using the cup. Normally my cramps are vague and two advil on day one are all thats required. Now the cramping lasts all day on days 1-2. What about the cup causes cramping?

Another question (which may sound odd) is does the suction of the cup place a suction on the cervix? Can the cup cause issues like prolapse? In my head i'm picturing a constant vacuum on the cervix caused by the cup and wondering if that will weaken those muscles and ligaments that hold the cervix in place somehow.

Even with all of that said, i'm loving the cup and have converted one other woman and have another friend seriously considering it!!

I bought my moon cup a few months ago, had issues using the instructions I was given, and had mostly given up until I was referred to this LJ community. Other folds? Sweet!

So this morning when my period showed up, I decided I would give my cup another go. And what do you know- second try with punch down and it's in, no problem! However, I noticed a little leakage and decided I should try taking it out once before going to work, just so I know I can do it, and then I could try reinserting for a better position.

Well- seems like my vagina likes to suck the thing up, because despite having not trimmed the stem, it was way up there. I checked on here for removal tips, and while I was able to bear down and reach the base, I couldn't get the suction to break. Period. I tried reaching all the way up, I tried pinching the base, etc, etc. And now I'm a little scared, because when I go to work today I won't be home for 12 hours or so, and I put it in almost 2 hours ago. And the first day of my period is generally pretty heavy, so I will definitely need to empty it during the day today. I have access to a private bathroom at work- any tips for me to try later in the day? I have to go to work, so I'm just going to try to figure this out later in the day...

I used to be a lurker on this community but haven't even had the time to be that for a while, however, I wanted to pop back on here to say how pleased I am to have my Mooncup and to pass on a tip/thought.

I recently found myself having to use tampons for a few days as I was without my Mooncup (I may possibly have boiled it dry by mistake!) and what a nightmare - they were useless! I was changing them every 2 hours at least and between those times, I was constantly wary of leaks - I wouldn't consider myself a particularly heavy flow person. And then there's what to do with the used tampon/applicator; I'd forgotten about having to decide if you can throw it down the loo (let's face it we all do/did it!) or if you need to put it in the (usually not very) sanitary disposal bin. And that's without having to think about all the other hassles with tampons like actually remembering to carry some around with you!

I was overjoyed to be back using my Mooncup yesterday evening. I'm back to only having to worry about it twice a day and my (and my office's) drains are once again 'safe'!

One quick tip/thought - I'm 32 and have given birth twice vaginally (although admittedly both times pretty quickly and with very tiny babies) but I am finding the smaller B-size cup far more comfortable than the larger A-size cup that I assumed I'd need by now. I certainly don't seem to be having any leaking issues. I just say this in case anyone else thinks that they should probably be on the larger one but it feels a bit uncomfortable, don't assume that the smaller one would be too small based on their age or how many babies they've given birth to.

Oh - one last thing seeing as I'm here... be warned that Mooncups *can* dislodge coils - mine did and I thought I was being fairly careful. Of course, it might not have been the Mooncup but the suction was pretty strong at times so I think it may well have been that.

I just got a lady cup (small) after using the small divacup for about 5 years. Holy crap, the lady cup is SO MUCH more comfortable! Whoa. The divacup was just too long for me, and I suspect either too large or too stiff, because it was always making me feel like I had to pee. Haven't had that problem with the ladycup so far, although I've only used it for a day.

Anyway, I'm super happy with the comfort aspect, but I'm having a heck of a time with removal! It is so slippery, and since the bottom doesn't have a little stiff part to grab on to, its really tough. Plus it seems to be suctioned so much more than the divacup. (I'm actually a little worried about my IUD for that reason, but we'll see how it goes.)

Any tips?

Okay, so I'm on my very first period with my Diva Cup. Insertion is a snap, pain is either super minimal, or not there at all. However, removal is another matter all together. Because it's bigger coming out than going it, it really, really hurts when I pull it out! It feels almost like I'm about to tear something. And I know I'm breaking the seal because I can hear it, and folding it a little not only doesn't help, but seems to exacerbate the problem. I still really like it, but if it keeps being so painful to remove, I might have to give up. So if anyone has any tips or tricks, I would be very grateful. Also, one slightly squicky question, but why does the blood seem thicker when using the cup? I've always used tampons, and when I removed those a little blood always came out, and it seemed fairly thin. With the cup, the blood seems much more viscous. Any ideas on that?

New to the diva cup, still getting a hang of the thing.

I already trimmed the stem a bit, but I'm still having it poke out. I'm afraid of trimming it again so soon after getting it, but I've read a lot of people raving about turning the cup inside out.

The question is, I'm still struggling to remove the cup when it's right side out, but how do you remove the damn thing if it's inside out? I tried to remove it when it was inside out, and I swear I wrestled that thing in my vag for a solid ten minutes, only to have the cup spill everywhere.

Are there any helpful tips on removal when your diva cup is inside out?

I received my Lady Cup (size small) yesterday evening. I finished my period recently, and with the way my cycle has been going since I had my Implanon inserted I don't expect to be on my period for another two months. (Which I am more happy than sad about, even if it means I don't get to use my cup yet) I was worried that the flexibility of the cup I chose would make it difficult to get it to pop open, but I had very little problem with insertion. In fact, at first it popped open before I got it all the way in. Eventually I got the hang of inserting it so that it wouldn't pop too early. Sometimes I can't get it as high in me as I'd like, but I can deal with it. I'm not sure how high it needs to go, anyway. Mostly I'm trying to fit more of the stem inside me because I'm afraid to clip too much of it off because of my removal problems. If I can get better at removing it, where it sits in me won't be such a big deal. I think my vagina is shaped in such a way that it doesn't allow things to sit high inside it. I never got tampons next to the cervix like they were supposed to be, instead they sat right inside the opening and often poked out and made me uncomfortable.

The thing that is really bothersome is removal. It seems way too slippery in there to get a good grip on the cup to break the suction. It is hard to get my finger between the cup and the vagina without my vaginal walls getting in the way and being pinched. I don't have enough room to put one finger on either side of the cup when it's inside me. When I push on the side of the cup with one finger, the cup is so flexible (which makes it very comfortable) that it just squishes out of the way and fails to break the suction.

I only managed to remove it in a reasonable situation (with one leg on the toilet) once. The only way to reliably remove it is to lay on my stomach and reach around me instead of under. Then, I can tug on the stem (I have to pinch it, it's too slippery for the ridges to do much good) and pull the cup out enough so that I can break the suction with part of the cup outside me. If I don't act fast enough and pull out the cup quickly after the seal is broken, the cup will re-seal and go further up inside, and I will have to do it again.

My vagina is a little sore and dry from having fingers up there pinching and poking it, and the cup popping out. Even a smooth removal is a little uncomfortable because of the rim of the cup is a little wider than the opening of my vagina, but it won't be a big deal when I'm no longer practicing insertion and removal.

Since the suction is so fierce and hard to break my first thought would be that I needed a smaller cup, but it's my understanding that there's no smaller brand available. At least I'm confident I won't have any troubles with leaking, haha. It's possible considering the lightness of my period that I will be able to wait until I can get home and lie on my stomach to remove the cup, although that may be very messy and I'd really like to learn how to remove it properly.

I'd like to get most of this learning curve out of the way so that my period goes as smoothly as possible. If anyone else who's had this problem can share how they got over it, I'd be really grateful. Thanks. :)

Hey everyone, it's my first time posting here, maybe you can offer some ideas on what to expect with the cup. I've been reading all the posts and stuff and it's amazing how open this community is (by comparison, my family is so prude, the closest my mom's ever come to mentioning sex is that she couldn't use tampons until after she was married. I had to simply assume why.) Anyway, I have this thing about keeping my hands clean and rarely even use tampons because it's icky. I'm familiar with my vag, but it's the blood getting all over thats icky. Is this a problem that you guys find a lot with a cup? Like, is it always messy with every removal?

Ok, here's the deal. I got my Diva cup in the mail yesterday! And I was like OMG so excited! And decided to do a dry run. I tried sticking it in standing up, sitting on the toilet, and in the shower with one foot up on the wall... no dice. It wasn't going in. Then I decided to lay on my bed with my legs spread open and two feet pressed against the wall. Score! It went in!So I stuck it in and it felt ok... but oh man, let me tell you, removing it was a BITCH. I freaked out and almost cried.

But then! A mere two hours later, my period started and I was like OMG so excited again! I mean, it must have been fate right? So I immediatly assumed the position that had brought so much success earlier, and it didn't dissapoint! Taking it out was also a lot easier once I did a little research. So basically my first day went ok.

But then we get to today... not so good. I stuck it in this morning without any trouble. But then I had to go do research for a paper i'm writing. I was able to take the cup out without much fuss. However, I was unable to put it back in. Remember my trusty position? Kind of impossible in a public bathroom stall =/
What can I do?!?!! I desperatly tried to make due with the space I had... but alas! My poor girly bits weren't having it =(

I beg of you oh wise sisters of the cup! Bestow your knowledge on this pledge!

I am on day 5 of cycle two. Last night, I had some trouble, for the first time, getting the cup out. It had migrated so far up that I couldn't get a hold of it! I squatted, bore down, relaxed and everything. I ended up having to literally dig it out. Up to the second joint on both index finger and thumb, squeeze, twist and pull. And I spilled the contents all over my fingers. Rinse, reinsert, and go to bed. Only to have the same problem this morning with the variation of there was nothing to spill and I dropped it in the toilet. Luckily I can get by with a liner today since I will be tapering off and I was at home, so I just stuck it in the cupboard to boil later and left for work. I didn't get this drastic change in placement last month and I was wondering if others have. I seem to vaguely recall reading some posts about it. I had to cut all of the stem off because it sits so low at the beginning of my cycle and I am sure that is contributing to some of this difficulty.
And in addition to being sore from difficult removal, I think I have a yeast infection for the first time in a couple years, I think. *grumble*

i have only posted comments on this community so far but i thought it was time now to post an entry.
thanks to everyone here for sharing your experiences, it's really helpful to be able to read up info on here!

my name is Annina, i'm 25 years old, no virgin and have not had any children.
i found out about menstrual cups on a random lj userinfo of someone who had put a link there that said "i love my divacup" and it lead to the divacup site. i thought it was interesting but i was also a little chicken to try it out. after a while i went for it though, i had looked for a shop here in Sweden and found one online and got myself the Diva size 1 (smaller). i mainly went for that one because the onlineshop offered a 3-months-return guarantee. this is the shop by the way, in case anyone from Sweden is reading and wants to know.

i have used my divacup for two cycles now and i really like it now. at first i found it a little big for me and i was unsure if i should get a smaller cup, after seeing the size chart here i thought i should have gotten the small ladycup instead. but i wanted to give my diva a second chance and now after having used it for my second cycle i'm really getting the hang of how everything works, and i don't feel like i need a smaller cup.

i know there are pictures of the folds already in this community but i took my own ones showing how i fold my cup to insert and remove, here they are:

( under the cut )

Hey everyone,

I'm seriously considering buying a Diva Cup because of all of the great things I've read about them, but I guess I'm hesitant because of the few negative/neutral things I've read too. I was hoping I could post a few questions here so you guys could ease my mind a little :)

Question 1: Considering I'm a 19 year old virgin, have a somewhat heavy flow for the first couple of days of my period, and use the largest sized tampons, do you think I would have a lots of pain my first time using it?

Question 2: How do you REALLY use it? I mean, I've read the basics about how to get it in and out, but I've read so many stories about ladies having to "bear down hard" and lay down in the shower and on their beds every time they take their cups out or put them in... I don't think I'd be too comfortable doing that. I'm all for doing everything over a toilet, but any other way or place just seems kinda weird, especially if I'm in a situation like staying the night away from home. I'm also in college, so if I have empty it at school, I don't want to take a long time getting it in and out.

Question 3: How would you compare it to the convenience of a tampon? For example, with a tampon, all I have to do is open it up, put it in, toss the trash, and then after a few hours take it out with not much fuss or mess cause I have a little method to it. Its really quick and easy. Is there a quick and easy option with a Diva Cup?

I'm really hoping that I'm just overanalyzing everything, because I really want to be able to use a Diva Cup... they seem so much healthier and so much better for the environment.

I know this was a REALLY long post, so THANK YOU all for taking the time to read this!! I really do appreciate it :) :)

Well, folks, it just happened. I was removing my cup; it was slippery; I probably held it funny while trying to inspect how much it had collected over 12 hours, and it fell in the toilet (a toilet in my home, which yes, I do keep clean!!). This is probably TMI, but there was just water and blood in the toilet at that point, nothing else, but still. So gross. I'm guessing one's next step is to snap on a pad and go boil the thing, right? Or is it now totally taboo? Also I only have one set of pots/pans... oh ick!!!!

What have others done in a similar situation? Thanks in advance!

Ok, so I have been reading through the message board to try to help me decide if a menstrual cup is the thing for me.  But as I read I got concerned with not getting the cup in (think I can handle this) but getting it out.  I am a woman of size (polite way of saying overweight) and I know that sometimes I have a difficult time seating a tampon correctly becuase quite frankly my stomach gets in the way.  So I am looking for any comments that some dealing with this issue might have.  Also any suggestions for which cup might be the best.  40 years old - no children.  Thanks!