I first heard about the Diva Cup a couple of years ago and I immediately judged it. The idea of inserting a bizarre-looking contraption I’d never heard of in my vagina wasn’t very appealing to me, especially since using tampons and pads were the mainstream (and what I thought where the only) options for dealing with your period. I quickly dismissed the menstrual cup, thinking only hippie/granola/environmentally-conscious women were using it.

Michelle_Beland_Diva CupEight months ago, at 24 years old, I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer.  Since then, I’ve been focusing a lot on my health and embracing a healthier, cleaner, greener lifestyle. I am very conscious of what I put in and on my body, from everyday food to cosmetics which contain chemical ingredients and potential carcinogens. I had been thinking about switching to the menstrual cup because it seemed a more natural way of dealing with my period, but was afraid to do so. I wasn’t sure how it worked, how to insert it and if it would hurt. I kept asking my BFF to try it before me to see if it was worth it or not!

Last week I started my period and went to the pharmacy to buy my “period supplies”, where I saw the Diva Cup among all the tampons and pads. “Enough is enough” I thought to myself, “time to face the “beast” and get this over with”. So I bought a Diva Cup and left my usual supplies behind.

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By Jennifer, from Indiana (Age 32, 2 children) I used the Diva Cup for the first time a week ago and was very pleased. There was a learning curve in getting it placed properly and I had to trim the stem.  If it was not positioned just right, I felt quite a bit of rectal pressure similar to the pressure I felt in the latter part of my pregnancy. Also, a few times it seemed to work its way down a little where I could feel it. Some adjusting remedied both of those. I did feel this after wearing it overnight but it was time to take out anyway. I am not sure if this is a common issue with DC users. Of course, it may just be the shape of my body. Since having my first child, tampons are extremely uncomfortable with similar problems. I still have to get used to the emptying and cleaning. But my flow is light enough that I only need to empty 2x per day, even on my heaviest day. One of these times can be in the shower. So this is a plus! READ MORE… »

Camping with a menstrual cup, scary or sensible?

Expecting to start my period the day we were scheduled to leave for our camping trip I was “prepared” and decided to bring my DivaCup with me. I’ve never enjoyed the inconvenience my period has caused during a camping trip, the extra concern of being somewhere I could change my tampon or the early morning wake up calls from aunt flo. There’s nothing like waking up with that startling feeling of needing to rush to the bathroom, to be challenged with crawling out of the sleeping bag, bundling up in warm clothes, climbing out of the tent, to only have to walk who knows how far to the nearest bathroom in fear of a LEAK!

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