Beware, this is is a FULL DISCLOSURE review. If you do not know what a Diva Cup is, you may not want to read this post. If you are interested enough to find out, please go to www.divacup.com BEFORE reading this post.
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I never realized how abnormally heavy a period I have until I used the Diva Cup, but I have to say I like having more information :) I need to preface this review by saying that tampons have always leaked for me. ALWAYS. Very leaky. I would feel it and have to run to the bathroom. Sometimes even a panty liner would not be enough to prevent stained undies. Even with the fancy tampons that expanded out instead of long. No dice. Still leaking. Then, I didn’t have a regular period for 4 years thanks to pregnancy, then nursing, then pregnancy, then nursing! lol I did have lochia twice during that time, and 2 very light (although in retrospect, probably close to normal for most women) anovulatory periods in between pregnancies. By the time I ovulated and didn’t get pregnant, I had a Diva Cup.
They say that an average woman bleeds about 2oz per cycle. I am not one of those women. I bled more than 2oz the first day! Sure, this was my first cycle back, but even so… I have always been heavy. There was about a half-day learning curve with the cup, but after a few times, I got the hang of getting it in there correctly. It was comfortable, however there was 2 problems:
1) the blood that was further down than where I placed the cup would slowly ooze out. I found just a baby washcloth folded in half would be enough to keep my panties from staining.
2) If I went into a deep squat (like I do every single time I put a kid on the potty) the cup would shift. Then start to leak slightly. The only thing that would work would be to pull it out and reinsert it. This was especially bothersome at stores. There I would be bathrooms that are wet or otherwise too gross to sit down on the floor in front of the potty. Then I was in a bind. If I squatted, then I would have to either accept some leaking, or try and reinsert the cup with both kids there in the tiny stall.
I have waited to post this blog as I was in an ongoing communication with the Diva Cup company. I just got off the phone with a representative who advised me to go in a see a doctor during those days to assess my body changes. Since these problems only appeared the first couple days, she suggested that something naturally in my anatomy during the start of my period is preventing the Cup from sealing correctly.
After my flow went down to 1/2oz or less every 6-8 hours (an average woman’s flow) the Cup worked perfectly–exactly as advertised.
A friend of mine mentioned how she tried “The Keeper” once, but gave it up after just a day. So, being the interested consumer that I am, I had to go look up the differences between the cups.
The Keeper is made of latex, but they have in recent years put out a silocone cup to compete with the Diva Cup. It is called “The Moon Cup”. Otherwise, the cups are basically the same size, except the Keeper/Moon Cup has a longer stem at the bottom. However, the stem looks smooth. I really needed the ridges on the stem of the Diva Cup to get it back out. I even got to tying a cotton string tightly between the ridges to help me pull it out. This worked really well, although I would have to change the string every time or every other time I emptied the Cup.
The Diva Cup gives better instructions on inserting and removing their product. Since the cups are virtually identical, I would assume that they would go in the same way. However, by reading the Keeper’s instructions, it sounds like you push the cup vertically towards the cervix instead of horizontally towards the tail-bone. I can promise you that the horizontal installation works and the vertical installations doesn’t. So whatever cup you buy, read the instructions for the Diva Cup. They are more clear and work better.
Pluses of the Diva Cup:
1. First latex-free menstrual cup made
2. After a short learning period, very easy to remove, wash and reinsert (except when locked in a 2ftX4ft room with a 1.5 year old and a 3.5 year old.
3. Does not leak or require a panty liner for an average flow.
4. For an average flow, it only had to be emptied every 8 hours–so almost never in a public restroom.
5. On ultra-heavy flow days the Cup still leaked way less than I experience with tampons.
6. Much cleaner to use than either pad or tampons. No storing blood! It flushes clean away in the toilet :)
Minuses:
1. Still requires some protection, for me, on heavy flow days. Really, though, only a baby washcloth folded in half–no waterproof barrier.
2. I have to remember not to squat during heavy days, and figure out what to do instead at the wet, dirty floor public restrooms that the kids may need to potty in.
As you see, the pluses WAY outweigh the minuses. I will be using the Diva Cup again.
I am a stay at home mother to a toddler and an infant. I enjoy sewing and learning css. My greatest dream is for 70%-80% of women in the U.S. to recieve the safest prenatal and labor care available for low risk births--a midwife's care!
June 26th, 2009 at 6:03 am
This is interesting, something I have never tried. It sounds a lot like a diaphram used for birth control, which I have used.
I have the opposite with my body, very little bleeding. Which is all good because I never wear more than a pantyliner, until I wear a swim suit. That’s when I have problems. If I try wearing a tampon, even the smallest one they make, it gets stuck (to dry!) Well, not really stuck, but doesn’t remove easily. I think the Diva cup may be the answer for me.
Thanks for putting it all out there!
June 26th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Thanks for the review!
I’m fascinated by the idea of the cup, but am totally freaked out by the idea of emptying it in public. I love my cloth, so comfy. I don’t really want to change that. But the first couple of days of my period are so heavy that overnight I need both tampons and pads. And I HATE tampons, so a nicer option would be so appreciated. And if I just used it overnight, well, the whole removal in public thing wouldn’t be an issue, would it? And then, too, there’s the whole non-disposable plus to the cup. Hm, thanks for the info.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I only ever had to change it in public once. One of the heavy days kids had a playdate at a friend’s house–so not really in public. That was emptying every 3-4 hours. I found if I just remembered to empty right before we walked the door, I am almost never away from a home for 4 hours strait.
Other than that, the “normal” days I easily left it in for 8 hours (and could have gone longer). Before buying the Cup, I considered cloth. And while that had some advantages, not as many as the Cup. I love how clean the Cup is. I love not getting all bloody!
Kathy–interesting! I never knew there were people lighter than normal.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:50 am
That would be me, just a little different!
June 27th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
The Diva Cup is all the rage on my homeschool forum. Hundreds of ladies have switched to it, and/or cloth pads. Many, many of the women report that after a few cycles without tampons or commercial pads, their bleeding gets lighter.
I cut the stem off my DC, because it felt like it was pinching me right at the opening. Now, I’m much older than you (10 or 11 years?) and I’ve had 7 natural childbirths including one breech, and so I tend to be droopy in there anyway. I hadn’t been able to wear a tampon in years because of dryness (even when I’m bleeding it’s dry KWIM?) and droopiness . The cervix would be hanging lower than the tampon and miss it.
I have to get into a full squat to properly insert my DC, and I can’t fold it. I have to just get it wet, put it at the introitus and push it in there. It’s really supposed to sort of sit there at the introitus anyway, not way up high.
Also I couldn’t use the “size B” for over age 30/after pregnancy. I had to use the “size A” for younger women and those who have never been pregnant. Go figure.
My first few post-fertility cycles were very heavy. I’d have to empty the DC (and it would be full to the brim) after only 2-3 hours. Now, I have much lighter bleeding and only for 3 days on average. Even still, by the 3rd day I have irritation at my urethra. On the 3rd day, I’ve started using the Instead cups. They are disposable so not ideal, but the softer design works better for me as my hormone level goes crazy.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I saw that some people clip the stem. I can’t feel the stem at all and it was very difficult to get a hold of until I started tying the string to it.
I’ve never seen an Instead Cup. Although, reading the site, it is supposed to go around the cervix. That weirds me out a little. I would probably feel it all the time. I like how the DC just hangs out in the middle.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Update:
My difficulties with slipping, I’m pretty sure now, is related to the cup holes sucking in a little clot at the last minute. It would feel secure, but not quite be. Better at recognizing this now.
There are lots of other cups made in various European countries. A friend ordered one that looks to be about 1/4 the size of the Diva cup. Some of you light flow peeps should check that out!