Menstrual Cups

[Joyius]

I'll be getting a diva cup on the first. I've tried tampons before, so it shouldn't be too different, but just gotta insert horizontally!

[Ellain]

...with proper care they can last from ten to fifteen years! They practically pay for themselves! Wow!

I loved mine. Problem was, do did my cat. I don't know how he was able to keep getting at it, but he chewed it to shreds.

Luckily, I don't have to worry about my period for at least a few more months, 'til after I have the baby. Then I would have to switch sizes anyway!

The Diva Cup (which I use) holds 2 tablespoons. The average period is about that much from start to finish, so most people shouldn't have a problem with overflowing. Unless, of course, they do have mega flows.

[telecom_goddess]

Ummm no thanks. I'm of the mind that certain things should only be disposable. Anything period related fits the bill. It's like toilet paper that way.

And two tablespoons for a whole period? I wish....it seems like far more than that to me. I have to use every thing, including overnight pads to catch leaks on the heavy days. I've been heavy since I started at 13. Now I'm 46 and I'm so ready for it to go away.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm not certain, because the ratings on tampons are in grams and not a liquid measurement (), but I think I do about two tablespoons for each of the three "full bleed" days I have every month, which means I'm nearly 4 times the "average" period, and I didn't really think I was all that heavy, though I did figure I was a bit more than "average."

^-.-^

[houdini]

I got a mooncup for when I was travelling, and it was brilliant - pads and tampons are quite hard to get in rural China! Still using the same brand now and love it, but then my periods aren't too heavy and I'm not squeamish

[Silvercat]

I never could get mine to work. It always leaked. But my periods are so light (unless I'm on birth control ) that most days I only need to change the pad once a day.

[Kittish]

I've looked at the cups, and I think I'm going to give them a pass. My period is erratic as hell, in flow, duration AND timing. I spend about $7 on a package of pads, and that will last me anywhere from 4 months to a year, depending, which isn't too expensive for me to deal with. Tampons, or anything inserted, is right out of the question, sends my cramps straight off the 'fucking kill me now' end of the pain scale.

[Seshat]

I used to use about two packages of pads per period - at least one of which was the ultra-mega-super-ohmygod size. And I'd STILL leak or overflow. Ditto for tampons - ultramegasuper wasn't enough.

Yeah, mine are bad.

[Zaiida]

Actually, it's estimated you buy 100-300 dollars worth of pads a year, and you just throw it away anyways.

Damn my implanon has paid for itself then. Gone from $30-50 bucks a month in supplies to $6-8 every 2 months. I can buy 2 for 1 superlight 50 packs without hoarding super heavy pads and tampons everywhere.

Might look into menstral cups since I'm usually a light flow now. I loathe that icky feeling and mess. Thank god for wet wipes - that's what most of my pads savings go on. Also I'm pretty 'shallow' down there so it shouldn't be too hard to get in into place. *makes note for the next time I'm at the chemist*

[AccountingDrone]

TMI action

PCOS and other reproductive issues. I had a tubal ligation at 22, and I wish I had discovered the cup way freaking earlier than I did [I only had 3 years using the cups before the hysterectomy]

The deva cup holds one liquid ounce [i measured it.] I went through a supersized tampon and the largest capacity overnight pad available in about 1.5 to 2 hours. I regularly filled the cup in about the same time. Just to give one perspecitve, to be honest.

I would heartily recommend that you at least give the idea a try. If you don't want to spend $35US + shipping to try the deva cup, you can give the throw away single use type a try, though they are not shotglass like cups but more the disc-like diaphragm format. Instead inserts slightly differently and feels different from the deva cup/moon cup. [I will comment that I bought a box to keep one in my purse because thanks to the PCOs and hormonal issues I could pop a period on no notice whatsoever, and on no particular schedule. *sigh*] I might even have a couple left knocking around in a box under the sink - though I tried to dispose of all menstrual related stuff around the house with extreme prejudice, there was fire involved

Really, give them a try. They are mindblowingly wonderful compared to tampons, though I will admit that I wore panty shields just in case, I never had a leak happen as long as I managed to get to a bathroom to empty and reinsert. [and I noticed that the cramps got less, I seriously think there is something about the dry material of a tampon that seems to make manipulating/wearing a tampon trigger a worsening of cramps. ]

[Dasota]

I am sooo happy someone posted this. Shark week started yesterday for me, and I have been so fed up with tampons, though they are the better than pads to me.

EW TMI to follow:

I seem to keep having issues with bits of my lining coming off in (to me) big pieces that don't get caught by the tampon, and hopefully when I get the money, I can change over to one of these so I can not have to worry as much about something not being caught as it's leaving me.

[Joyius]

I am sooo happy someone posted this. Shark week started yesterday for me, and I have been so fed up with tampons, though they are the better than pads to me.

EW TMI to follow:

I seem to keep having issues with bits of my lining coming off in (to me) big pieces that don't get caught by the tampon, and hopefully when I get the money, I can change over to one of these so I can not have to worry as much about something not being caught as it's leaving me.

That's the fun thing, with the cup, you can monitor your flow, and ask your doctor if you see something that worries you :3. I'm glad you're considering these.

[Joyius]

Just got my cup! I'm actually excited to start my period to see how it works!

[fireheart]

I don't consider myself squeamish but... I don't really have any desire to get it all over my hands either.
however of course, i understand why others would make this choice.

Pretty much the same reason why I refuse to try one. (normally I'm good with blood)

You can get pads at the dollar store. They are one of those items, like toothpaste or shampoo, that people pay far more for than they have to.

For me, the "dollar store" type pads, unless they're the parallel packaged ones, tend to make me feel like I'm wearing a nappy. I usually get the ultrathin ones and personally, I LOVE the Dry-Max ones.

i have the contraceptive rod thing in my arm, and while it stopped my periods for a few months they came back again, albeit much lighter than before. light enough for me to sideeye the use of pads, but heavy enough that i really can't go without; hence my love of the cup. the cost of the cup itself was around the same as a few months worth of pads, now the thing is paying for itself

took some getting used to, it is kind of gross but i got used to it. and i'd always found the idea of pads kind of gross too so either way hehe

My periods are also a lot lighter due to the rod. I will go through a pack of pads maybe every 2-3 months as opposed to every month.

Ummm no thanks. I'm of the mind that certain things should only be disposable. Anything period related fits the bill. It's like toilet paper that way.

Same here.

Personally, I only use tampons if/when I'm down at the pool doing a training session. Even then I only use the mini ones if I can, since I don't bleed enough to warrant using anything heavier.

[Eireann]

I also had problems with leaks. And the SMELL! Maybe it's that particular cup; I don't know, but no matter what I did to clean and deodorize it, the smell came back. Far too embarrassing.