[Rubi]

Try generating the movement more for your torso than just your neck; you can get more momentum to get your hair moving. I don’t know a better way to describe it (plus I’m just not an expert in any way) so hopefully someone else will come by with some advice.

[Rubi]

No probs, Veena. It’s been fun to help. Good luck next month! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Rubi]

Out researching a completely different topic on the net tonight, I ran across a post from someone saying that their DivaCup had pulled out their IUD. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif
I have no clue the validity of this statement, but if you have an IUD, you might want to ask your Dr. about the DivaCup.

Mindy

Both the Diva Cup and Instead Softcups recommend that ladies using IUDs not use their products. I hadn’t thought that IUDs and cups would be too much of a problem, but apparently it’s true. From the DivaCup Web site:

"The DivaCup is not suggested for use with an Intrauterine Device (IUD). It is possible for the IUD to become dislodged, displaced or removed when the menstrual cup is removed by inadvertently pulling on the IUD string. As with all gynecological concerns, please consult with your physician." https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_surprised.gif

[Rubi]

Rubi,
Yeah, when I insert it it’s all the way in, pointed towards the tail bone, and spins with ease. I DID just do some online searches, and I found a forum about menstrual cups. I found a thread where a girl was having the same problems as I did, and she tried inserting it with a different fold than the usual "C" fold. She said it started working much better for her. So…I’ll have to give that a try when my cycle comes back around (in a week or so). I’ll let you all know if it works for me (since I’m sure you’re just DYING to know https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif ). Here’s the link to that forum in case any of you are interested in some more detailed reading on the topic. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_ugeek.gif
http://menstrualcups.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I’m so glad you found a (potential) solution! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Thanks for the link; I had no idea there were sites dedicated to the wonders of menstrual cups. I really would be curious to hear whether or not this works out for you. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif I had never thought of trying different folds.

[Rubi]

wow such an informative thread! i may try these as well.. i too am not really a tampon person unless im going somewhere and i KNOW ill be there for a while and what im doing.. other than that i wear pads and i have a heavy flow.. so by the time im done.. the pads have like rubbed on me so much that it hurts kinda like a diaper rash LOL

sounds very interesting

For sure try a cup! If it works well for you, you’ll never go back to getting rubbed to death every month. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Rubi]

LOL Spinny. That would be hilarious. I can just imagine how my friends would DIE if I asked them for help with that. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

You might as well give it another whirl if you still have your cup. Considering how much you wanted the cup to work for you, you probably indeed followed the directions perfectly, but here’s some pointers just in case:

Make sure you point the top/rim/opening of the cup towards your backside and also make sure that the cup will spin easily after it is in its final position. If it doesn’t spin as well it probably hasn’t fully opened (or the direction of insertion is a little off) so you can use a finger to encourage some airflow and the cup will usually pop open. If it isn’t opened up properly it can and will leak, the severity of which depending on how deflated it is.

If you do all that and the cup still gives you issues I guess it just isn’t meant to be.

[Rubi]

wow rubi, so nice of you to answer all the questions! Big thank you!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
ps. so cute how this thread is full of the "embarrassed" smileys, lol.

Awww, thanks Azriel. I do what I can. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

P.S.
https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif

[Rubi]

so since we are being very open with this discussion…I got a coupld of questions…

1. does it fit in somewhat like a diaphragm?? (Couldn’t be fitted for one..see below hehe)
2. how do you know if it’s in right?
3. What if you have a tilted uterus? which causes the vajajy to be extra long? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif lol as in…even if you wanted you couldn’t find or reach your cervix???

I find these interesting and would be willing to give it a shot…but don’t know if it would work out…

btw..i ran by walmart at lunch time and they have the Instead softcup brand…I opened a box (dont’ worry they were individually wrapped and sealed) and yikes!! those have like a 2.5" diameter…and they aren’t very flexy…that kinda scared me! lol https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_tongue.gif

1. The DivaCup is different than a diaphragm, so I bet you wouldn’t have any problems. I’m including a pic of it at the bottom. The first two boxes of the picture are different ways to fold it based on whichever is more comfortable (it comes unfolded when inserted) and the third picture is the one I want you to see; that’s where it should sit inside you. My understanding is that the Instead Softcups are much more like a diaphragm, except that they have room to hold liquid. I haven’t used one, so I can’t say one way or another if it might be a good option for you.

2. You can tell the diva cup is in correctly if when you grip it with your thumb and index finger at the base and try to spin it. If it spins easily it is in right. Make sure you insert it so it is pointed towards your back/behind, rather than pointed sort of upward towards your insides.

3. According to the DivaCup Web site, "Yes, The DivaCup can be worn for women with a tipped or tilted uterus. Since it is worn lower in the vaginal canal it does not interfere with the position of the uterus." Yay! I went to SoftCups’ Web site and unfortunately they do not mention whether or not we tilted ladies can use it. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[Rubi]

Don’t mean to be the party pooper, but I HATED the Divacup!!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumbdown.gif
I bought one about a year ago for all the reasons listed here, and I was so excited! I’ve had 2 kids, so I bought the one that’s a little larger (made for women over 30 and women who’ve had children). It absolutely would NOT stay in place. I tried over and over again for months to try and make the stinkin’ thing work for me, but my body rejected it every single time. I read the directions a million times, tried inserting it all kinds of different ways when the direction way repeatedly did not work, and it still would slip out after about 45 minutes EVERY time, making a mess in the process! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif
It’s obviously one of those products that works great for some bodies and not for others, me being one of the unfortunate "others". Don’t know if it has anything to do with me having kids. It does say something about doing Kegal exercises if you find it’s slipping, but after years of doing those religiously after I had children, if it won’t stay now, it ain’t ever gonna stay. So really the question is, are you willing to spend the $$ (ranges from $25-$35) to find out which of those 2 women you are?
In theory it’s GREAT, don’t get me wrong! I really wish it had of worked for me.

That’s no fun; I’ve never heard of anyone having that much trouble keeping it in. I guess it isn’t for everyone. I’m glad you posted though; this thread was getting one-sided; it’s good for more, differing opinions to weigh in.

With that said, I would argue that spending that $25-35 to find out whether or not it will work is a worthwhile gamble. The average woman spends 150-200 dollars (US) annually on tampons and/or pads, which is a far greater expense. The economic climate is kind of tough right now, so anything that can save $100+ every year is a big help.

That got a little convoluted so bottomline of what I was trying to say: It’s probably not for everyone. There are plenty of reasons you may not want to try it, but expense shouldn’t be one of them. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif

[Rubi]

Laaast question, I think!
Er, I live with guys, so if they find anything to do with the particular female cycle, all three of them get all silly and flail around the house. So…when you clean it…where do you put the blood? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif
Also, I’m in Canada, so do you know anywhere I can get it around here? I don’t have any SUPER AWESOME big stores, so I’m just curious if there’s somewhere special I might have to go, or go online, or something…or if it’s just a US thing…. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

As long as you don’t leave the cup bag lying out in the open between periods I bet they’d never even notice. They may not even know or care what it is if they do see it.

As for where to put the blood… I suppose there’s more than one way to do it, but personally what I do at home is pour it out in the toilet or sink and then wash it really good in the sink before putting it back in. You could probably even take care of it while you’re in the shower if you wanted; just aim for the drain.

The Diva Cup is actually made in Kitchener, Ontario! So I’m 100% sure you’ll be able to get it in Canada. Go to this Web site http://www.divacup.com/en/search/ and enter your postal code and they will help you find a place to buy it. Otherwise you can get it at Drugstore.com (if they ship to Canada; I’m not sure if they do or not).

[Rubi]

I don’t really get periods at the moment (thanks to implanon! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif) but the wholw cup idea intruiges me, but i’m not totally convinced. The thing I like about pads/tampons is that after 3/4 hours you change them and its all fresh! 12 hours seems like a long time to leave stuff down there… (I know it sounds totally gross, but I felt I had to ask!)

Also, does it not take ages to trust it! I think i’d be really paranoid!

I thought about getting an implant; they sound so convenient. As for cups… you can take it out every 3-4 hours if you want to, but you don’t have to. Whatever you’re comfortable with is the right choice; it’s YOUR body. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif Now that I think of it I do agree that there’s always that nice "clean slate" feeling after reinserting my cup, but I still usually wait til I’m closer to 12 hours anyway.

I guess 12 hours is kind of a long time, but these cups have the FDA go-ahead so I don’t think there’s any medical need to empty it more frequently than that. Only if you just want to.

The first time I used it I didn’t trust it not to "slip out" or to not leak so I was very paranoid. But the cup lived up to my every desire and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. Yay!

Fortunately for you, you don’t even have to think about any form of menstrual control right now. You lucky thing!

[Rubi]

One other question…is it one per period? Or do you reuse them for a bit? ‘Cause I know you can take them out and clean them, but I wasn’t sure if you can just keep them for a bit…

The Diva Cup can be washed and reused and put away until next month for an entire year. If and when you buy it, it will come with a cute little purple bag to store it in between uses. Way back when I got mine they said you could keep it up to ten years, but they’ve since changed their tune. I don’t know why. I guess it’s not profitable to sell a product your customer only needs to buy maybe 4 or 5 times during the course of her life. But whether you replace it yearly or longer, it is indeed reusable.

However, the Instead Softcups (completely different type of cup) can be thrown away after each use or washed and reused until the end of the week and then disposed of.

[Rubi]

That sounds cool! I also had another question…but it’s kind of…personal https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
How far up does it go? I had this problem when I was looking at alternate methods of birth control, too (because I didn’t want to keep taking the pill!) and some of the more "convenient" ones actually go all the way up there…and there’s no way for me to get them out! My fingers aren’t long enough! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif
But it DOES seem like a pretty good method for controlling these things. My sister got a tampon "lost" once, and it was a huge hassle for her, and very uncomfortable…I’ve never worn one, not ever. I’ve always just used pads…mostly because I knew tampons could get lost up there.
Thanks for letting me know! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Oh my goodness! Your poor sister! I would be so traumatized. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_pale.gif

The base of the cup will stay right at the opening of your vagina and the stem will even stick out ever so slightly (I cut the stem of mine off just because I can). The stem and the base of the cup have little ridges on them that make it very easy to grip (though you can’t feel them "down there" when it’s in) and to remove. Even if the cup were to become inserted too high up, I think you could still grab it with your fingertips (fingernails even!) and pull on the ridges until it comes out. I think the cup is long enough so that even if the tip top of it went up as far as possible the base of it would still be within reach. Unlike a cotton tampon, the silicone cup will mostly retain its shape inside you, so no chance of it scrunching up or flipping sideways or anything, making it unreachable.

During my years using the cup I’ve never had any issues with it moving upward. I have short, baby fingers though so I can relate to your concerns.

I hope this was helpful to you. I’m the world’s biggest cup fan so I have no problem answering your questions. Keep them coming if you have any. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif

[Rubi]

This might seem like a really crazy question…but does it ever get "lost" up there? And what if you have a really heavy flow? How do you check it? Is it comfortable?
See, I’m picturing something more like a drinking cup https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

I had these same questions when I was looking into getting a cup. It never ever gets lost. The same way it has little tiny holes that keep it from sliding down and out, it is prevented from sliding upward and becoming more difficult to remove. It turns out that it’s anatomically impossible for the cup to truly become "lost." Thank god.

Just like tampons, there’s no way to check to see if it’s getting too full without completely removing it. I went ahead and looked this up in DivaCup.com and I found the following information:
"The DivaCup holds one ounce (30 ml). The entire average monthly flow is approximately 1 to 1.4 ounces (30-40 ml). By monitoring the fullness of the cup over a couple of periods, you will quickly learn how often to empty it according to your specific needs. Most women find that the cup is not even half full after 12 hours. For those with heavier flows, the cup is simply emptied more often."

This information makes perfect sense to me because even after a marathon 15-hour slumber I found I wasn’t even close to having a problem. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif

It’s completely comfortable. I have, on occasion, completely forgot I was having my period. I can’t feel it after I put it in and leave the bathroom. However, I will mention that the first few times using it I was clumsy with the insertion of the cup and had to redo it a few times and ended up ever so slightly sore down there. But that’s just because I was clumsy and nervous; I bet most women have no such problems. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cool.gif

[Rubi]

I agree with Charley in that if you have a good class around you should try to get involved with it.

If you don’t have anyone around the area who teaches pole I think it’s ok to go it alone, but I imagine you do have to be careful and, with regard to safety, it’s not a bad idea to look for video instruction with real teachers such as Veena’s online lessons or the Art of Pole DVDs. (I don’t teach pole or know anything advanced so keep that in mind when you weigh the value of my opinions).

It’s true that sometimes the ladies on YouTube do wonderful amazing moves, but they aren’t necessarily done correctly in a way that will minimize risk.

I hope your pole comes soon! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif