Last month I went in to see my gynocologist with one sole purpose in mind- to ask about menstrual cups. I asked her what the safety protocol was. I asked her how to insert them, how to remove them etc. But I also asked her about why she had never suggested them as an option when I had first went in to see her when I was thirteen. I have several problems with my menstrual cycle and as soon as it is legal for me to do so I will be having a hysterectomy. In the meantime I have to carefully monitor how much I menstruate every month. This was a chore with pads and tampons. I would have to weigh each individual pad or tampon before and after I had used them. A menstrual cup would have saved me countless time and trouble. She admitted to me that it hadn't even occured to her about them. It was something that she knew existed but had rarely come across someone who actually uses them. So after getting her reassurence that the cup was a good option for me I went online and ordered one.
My cup came and I awaited my period to see what it was like to use one. My period came and I eargerly went and got the cup to use it. I folded it and tried to get it inside. This was more difficult to do than it was with tampons but after a few tries I got it in. When I went to remove it later, I had problems but I managed and soon realized how much easier this was. There was nothing to throw away, so I didn't have to worry about there being a trashcan. I simply emptied it and cleaned it out with toilet paper the way the pamphlet said. There is defintely a learning curve with using the cup but I caught on quickly and soon realized how much better this is. I don't have to worry about leaking, as it is big enough that it only needs to be changed twice a day. I don't have to worry about changing in a public restroom that is not necessarily clean. I feel more connected to my body and more in tune with what it is doing. The awful amount of pain that I am usually in has been reduced significantly. Most importantly though, I don't have to worry about TSS. Because of all the problems that I have with my period, I bleed a lot. Therefore, I have to use large tampons which increase the risk of TSS. I am always fearful that I am going to get it and die. I no longer have to worry about that. The menstrual cup is amazing. It makes dealing with my period so much easier. Its helpful and easy to use. I really wish more women would think about using them, especially ones who have problems with their periods or who bleed heavily
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I loved my Diva Cup.
I don't know your history, but have you ever considered a Mirena IUD? I have one and it has completely stopped my bleeding during my period. I still get the bloating and menstrual breakouts, but I haven't had any bleeding in six months.
I was kind of sad I didn't have to use my cup any more, but it has been wonderful not to have to worry about my period or about birth control any more.
the mirena is not a good fit for me. I have never had children and that makes the insertion process really difficult. My problems (uterine cancer being one of them) are compounded by the hormones not helped.
If you have uterine cancer, why hasn't your doctor already recommended you for hysterectomy? It's not illegal just because of age. If you are under 18 you might need your parents' consent, but that is not the same as being illegal.
okay, as I have posted on here before my state will not allow for a hysterectomy until I am twenty one under any circumstances. If a gynecologist touches me they will lose their license.
just to throw in my $.02, children is not a requirement to be a mirena candidate. that is an outdated concept.
i have never been pregnant, and ive had a mirena iud for about a year and a half (ill be 21 soon). the insertion felt like one quick period cramp - and then it was over. i havent bled a drop of blood since.
previously to my mirena, though, i was a proud owner of a divacup. and i still use my cloth pads for everyday discharge.
Second the starting yoga, it's the best thing I have ever done for my body. Period.
I do yoga, and it has helped a little with my periods, but it mostly has helped with the stress that I experience
by the way, I am the OP my username and the name that shows up for commenting are different for some reason
I'm considering trying the cup. I have recently gotten some reuseable pads but by the time they arrived my period had ended so I have to wait until my next period to try them.
My big worry is size. Diva Cup has 2 sizes. Size 1 being women under 30 who have never given birth. That fits me but upon further reading I found other brands make sizes for teenagers. While I'm not a teen anymore (I'll be 23 later this month) I've never had sex while most women my age have. So of course this makes me think I might need a smaller size than other women my age.
oooh, who does ones in more than two sizes? i've never seen it. the lack of sizes was one thing that made me hesitate in buying them, as i bleed very lightly and have a rather tight vagina. The small size fits ok, but it seems a bit unnecessary.
I'm sure everyones vagina isn't the same (or comes in just two tyes) and more variation would probably be a godd thing.
I too am a virgin and I am 18. The cup "b" of the mooncup is what I bought. If you google mooncup you can purchase it from east coast shopping, that is where I got mine. It fits just fine, and while removing it the first time is a bit painful, it gets better as you learn how to use it more. again, the cup was a better fit for me than pads or tampons because of having to measure my flow so carefully. But the website does say that it is a good fit for women who have lighter cycles as well because it means not having to waste the tampons from having to change them, as there is nothing to throw away.
I recommend checking out the menstrual cup community on livejournal. There are way more cups out there with different dimensions than just Diva or Mooncup. Anecdotally, a lot of people seem to have problems with the diva being too long for the vaginal canal even in the small size. It didn't work for me at all. The people on that forum are amazing resources for choosing the right cup.
http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/
Seconded. It's a fantastic site. Make sure to check the archives - they have instructions for figuring out where your cervix is and an incredibly complete measurement chart that goes over every cup I've ever heard of. I chose a Lunette, and I couldn't be happier with it.
The smallest cup is the MeLuna. It's also the cheapest.
I have the Keeper Cup and it comes in 2 sizes, one for those who have not given vaginal child birth and one for those who have. I've been using it for 3 years now and will never go back to tampons!
The Keeper Cup also makes one that is made without latex for those with allergies.
I bought my DivaCup in the smaller size when I was 20. I was a virgin, hymen intact and all, and while the first cycle was tough (it took me a while to get the hang of insertion), I don't think the cup was ever too big or felt uncomfortable once I managed to get it in correctly.
Still haven't had penetrative sex with a man. Still love my menstrual cup. Though I would recommend reading about the various models; when I get a new cup, there are a few reasons for trying something other than the Diva (I bought it because only the Diva and Keeper were available at my local store, and I preferred the silicon and the shorter stem).
Just to clarify, it isn't the absorbancy of the tampon which causes an increased risk to TSS, it is the amount of time left in the vagina.
TSS is a result of toxins produced by Staph. The longer a tampon is left in the vagina, the more time the Staph has to colonize the tampon and produce toxins.