Diva Cup / Instead Cup - tampon / pad alternative

I attempted the "Instead" version and thought it was horrible. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I suppose every woman is different.

Really? Why did you find it was horrible?

This is hilarious!! I have used the Instead cup Menstrual Cups, Period Products, Feminine & Menstruation Products - Instead Softcup since 1998. I didn't like it a first because I was worried it would leak. It took me at least 6 months to become comfortable with it. I love it now.

I used the Diva Cup (and some of the others... the Keeper and the moon cup) for awhile. I don't anymore, but that's a different story.

Usually you can feel it if it's not inserted properly. But if you are sure it's in correctly, then I'm sure you're ok.

The first few times I used it I could "feel" it... mostly because I was just so aware that I was using it (KWIM?), but after a couple of uses I didn't notice it anymore. Give your body a few days to get used to it. If it's uncomfortable or if you continue to feel it, then you might want to make sure you are definitely inserting it properly.

ew. i'm kinda grossed out by this. i just told dh about it and he was like "ew, you wash it and stick it back in? that's incredibly disgusting" then he had to go do something manly, like look at a car magazine.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Diva cup. I posted it in the Going Green thread. Lets see if I can explain it easier. It's a small silicone cup which you fold and insert right under your cervix. It helps if you kegel to tighten your muscles and do that and it pulls it up and keeps it in. You can keep it in so much longer than tampons. Then you squeeze the bottom and dump and then rinse off.

I hate tampons b/c it grosses me out to stick toilet paper type stuff with that chemical in it. Plus after you flush it it goes to the waste treatment and they SCRAPE all the nasty tampon stuff off the top. EW! When I'm in public if it's full and I NEED to take it out I do and wipe with toilet paper.

It's really not gross. I promise. I think it's a very green alternative. It's silicone or if you get the moonkeeper ( i think) it's rubber. And you don't throw it away for a long time. And theres one site that recycles them. But using all that paper to make so many tampons which are just like sposie diapers in landfills.

I do agree it takes a bit to get used too. It takes 2 or 3 cycles to get the hang of it. But tampons for me anyways are uncomfortable with the strings and TMI Alert make you very dry. Ugh. If the stem is too long and you can feel it just trim it down. I personally don't use the stem I squeeze the bottom. But I totally recommend for everyone!

ETA: ABout the DH thing. My DH thinks it's a great alternative to tampons. B/c tampons irritate me and he's with me on being green. Since you rinse and I boil mine after each period.

and it doesn't feel like it has to come out when you poop?

OK...I have to admit that I don't think a post on this forum has made me do so much searching and research OUTSIDE of the forum. I would actually be interested in trying it, mostly because I think pads and tampons are GROSS and smelly, and because my periods are very irregular in terms of flow so I feel like I am constantly running to the bathroom to make sure everything down there is still ok (sorry, that was kind of gross, wasn't it). Is this a Canada thing? I have never seen them in Michigan...anywhere. I live really close to Canada (I can actually see Canada from across the river where I live) and could drive there in about 20 or so minutes. Where do you buy one of these things?