The Diva Cup: A Gamer Changer For Women

Hey All You People!  Hey All You People! Hey All You People Won’t You Listen to Meeeeee!!!!????

 

Ok, I definitely stole that line from SpongeBob, so extra points if you sang it just like in the Pretty Patties Episode.

 

ANYWAY.

 

This one is for the GIRLS.  Fellas, you might just want to go ahead and tap out now.

 

I am here today to tell you about something I have recently discovered.  I read about it online.  Then a friend at a bachelorette party told us about hers, and it STILL took me a year before I got up the courage to try one out.

 

One word.  Regret.  As in, I regret waiting so long to give it a chance.

 

A TOTAL GAME CHANGER

 

I mean, how did I not discover this until now?  Why have I suffered every month, 12 months of the year, year after year?

 

If you have, will have, or have ever had a period, you know what I am talking about.  The constant struggle with tampons and pads.  Is my tampon string showing?  Am I leaking?  When can I run to the bathroom to check on it?  If you have a day job like me (teacher) you know that maybe you can check on it once a work day if you’re lucky.

 

Most of us have an embarrassing story…or two.

 

How about that tampon string too?  Do you try to hold it out of the way when you pee?  Do you just change your tampon when you pee so that you don’t have to worry about a pee-soaked string?  (But those things are EXPENSIVE.  You don’t want to just waste them and throw them away like they’re nothing.)

Do you find that wearing a tampon restricts your pee flow, so it takes you mother-freaking-forever to pee?  (Is that just me?  Is there something wrong with me?)

 

What about TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome)?  Yep.  Do you read those tampon inserts?  Have you read the horror stories online?  Every time you use a tampon, you run the risk.  If you follow the directions and change tampons when you are supposed to, you’ll probably be OK, but still.  That is always in the back of my mind.  Especially when I wear tampons overnight.

 

Also, what materials are actually in those cotton-like swaps that you are inserting into your body for hours at a time, days in a row?  I’m not 100% sure, but if leaving one in for too long as it soaks up your period blood can cause TSS, then it might not be the BEST…

 

To top it all off, don’t you just LOVE spending money every month on boxes of tampons and pads and liners?  That s$@! is expensive!

 

 

What if there was a solution?

 

What if you could pay roughly $25 ONCE A YEAR?  No leaks.  No strings.  No sitting on an icky pad.  No worrying that your flow is too heavy for the tampon size you put in.

 

This is it my friends.  I thought it was too good to be true.  I have been using it for about three months now, and I’m here to tell you that this is the REAL DEAL (obviously, as long as you follow the directions for use on this one too).  Bad things happen when you don’t follow directions.  (Still trying to get my students to catch on to this whole reading the directions thing…)

 

I present to you….

 

THE DIVA CUP

 

Now, hear me out on this.  It is a silicone cup that you put in your vagina.  You can keep it in for up to 12 hours at a time.  You take it out.  Dump it out.  Wash it out.  Put it back in.  If you’re using it right, there will be no leaks.  No pee-soaked strings.  It doesn’t start to come out of your vagina if you have a bowel movement either (icky to talk about I know, but this is real life).

 

Fun Fact 1:  Did you know that you poop more when you’re on your period? (I googled that one..don’t ask haha.)

 

Fun Fact 2:  The cup holds one ounce of fluid.  A typical period produces two ounces of fluid.  I learned that little tidbit by reading through the directions/user guide on the Diva Cup insert.

 

Now, I understand, there is a certain level of fear associated with sticking this cup in your vagina.

 

At least there was for me.  “What if it gets lost in there?  What if i can’t get it out?”

 

Well, first of all, it’s a vagina…not a black hole.  Your vagina is only about three to four inches long anyway, so the cup cannot disappear inside you.  It WILL come out.  Gravity.  Also, your vajay will hold that baby snug in place.

 

You fold the cup up. (I prefer fold number two.)

Insert at a horizontal angle.  I know this seems weird, but honestly, as you start to insert it, your vagina just kind of grabs it and sucks it up in there creating a seal.  You are supposed to rotate the cup once to make sure that it has fully opened up and sealed.  Do not be alarmed if you hear a popping (the cup opening) and sealing sound like a suction cup…which is basically what the Diva Cup is.

 

To take it out, you wash your hands, stick your fingers up there, and grab the stem.  You need to break to seal to pull the cup out.  So, you grab the base of the cup, pinch/squeeze it, and gently wiggle it, then pull it out.

 

You can find the cup at Target, but Amazon is $10-15 CHEAPER.  There are also two different size cups.  One cup is for “Pre Childbirth” vaginas and the other size is for women who have given birth.  I have the “Pre Childbirth” size.  I have not birthed any children.  Therefore, I have only tried one size 🙂

 

DivaCup Model 1 Menstrual Cup

DivaCup Model 2 Menstrual Cup

 

The cup is also 100% silicone – no color, plastic, BPA or latex.

 

You do not need to take it out when you go to the bathroom.

 

Just do not forget that it is there!  Mine is so comfortable that sometimes I’m like, “OH YEAH!  Gotta take that baby out.”

 

The Real Test

 

Now that I am back to work, I tested mine out Thursday and Friday of last week.  Left it in for the whole school day + some. (Cuz let’s be honest…as teachers, our day starts well before the students get there and lasts until well after they leave.)  By the time I took it out, it had been 11 maybe 12 hours.  No leaks.  No issues.

 

There are other cups out there on the market.  I decided to start with the Diva Cup, and it works for me.  Maybe when it is time to replace the cup, I will do some research on other options, but I am a happy girl for now!

 

You may want to consider purchasing the Diva Wash as well for keeping your cup clean.  I just ordered* some, so it is on the way.  No comments yet about how the wash works.  The cup comes with a nice little pouch for storing, so you do not need to worry about that.

 

 

*Update* I ended up ordering the Pixie Wash, and I love it!  My cup is fresh and clean.  No stains.  No odor.  I am a happy girl!

 

 

I hope this post gave you a little laugh, and also maybe the realization that there ARE other options out there.  You don’t have to settle for pee-soaked tampon strings.  Do some experimenting and find the option that works best for YOU for your period.

 

Any questions or comments?  Drop me a line below.

 

Have you tried the Diva Cup or another alternative?  Share your experience below!

 

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Disclaimers:

This post is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.  If you have questions or concerns about the safety of the Diva Cup, you need to do your own research, which may include talking to a medical professional.  This post is also not meant to be a substitute for reading and following the directions that come on the insert.  Please read the entire user guide!  Make sure you clean your cup according to the directions and only leave it in for the recommended amount of time.  I have not had any issues with the use of my Diva Cup, but there is no guarantee on the results you may achieve with the use of yours.

This post also contains an affiliate link.  I may make a small percentage on the sale of the Diva Cup at no extra cost to you.  I only recommend products that I have used or currently use and ABSOLUTELY love.  Income earned from affiliate sales helps to offset the cost of maintaining this blog.  You do not have to purchase the cup through my link, but if you do, I would be grateful.