I bought one after someone suggested it on Mama Source, and i am having quite a hard time with it. It leaks, and is giving me cramps. I heard once you get the hang of it, it's great... but i can't seem to get the hang of it, ha ha. Anyone have any tips that could help me out? It was rather pricey and it's not returnable...(obviously).
Thanks to everyone you gave advice. I DO have the right size, and i think I'm getting the hang of this thing now. It seems like its too high??.. But that's the only time it doesn't leak. Oh well, as long as its not leaky and im comfortable right?
Which one do you have? There are two. One for women who have never given birth and one for women who have. It does make a difference which one you get.
Good Luck!
E. P.
I used one for a few months before I got pregnant and once I got the hang of it, it worked great. Like the other mama said, you really need to make sure it's in the right way. Make sure you're not putting it in too far and once you get it in and twist it, run your finger around the edge to make sure it opened back up. It can be very frustrating in the beginning because it could seem like it takes forever to get it in right. Just stay relaxed and practice before you really need it.
I do have a friend though that tried it many times and just couldn't get it to pop open and gave up.
I've used one on and off for the last 8 years. On the whole I'm a fan. But even after so long I find it tricky to properly insert. Sometimes it pops in just right and it works like a charm. Other times I just can't place it properly and end up giving up. I've never heard of anyone having cramps from it before though.
I've come to use it more in the middle of my cycle as my flow is too heavy the first few days. You have to be sure that you've inserted it deep enough and that it has properly "popped" open, otherwise (if it's still slightly folded from insertion) it won't work. I keep going back to it because I don't like the mess of pads or the bleach in tampons. Don't give up!
Hi,
I use the keeper which I love (I think it is basically the same thing). I've been using in for over ten years. I couldn't use tampons on the first few days because it made my cramps worse, and the keeper has never worsened the cramps.
I usually wear a really small mini pad because I occasionally do still get a little bit of leaking, but I think you will get used to it. I did trim the stem and make sure you do the twist after you insert it.
Good luck.
after you put it in, did you twist it around one full rotation? if it still leaks maybe you have the wrong size?
Hi, I've never heard of it, could someone tell me what it is? Thanx
____@____.com
I love mine and really have not had any problems - but the first couple of months was definitely a learning curve for me. I'm wondering if yours is the right size for you. Also, Diva isn't the only show in town - there are a couple other brand that I know of: Moon Cup and Keeper. There is a TON of info on a Yahoogroup that is dedicated to menstrual cups...lots of helpful women and some very straight (and sometimes fairly graphic) talk about issues, problems, tips, etc. I think it is called something like Moonkeeper Divas.
Best of luck!
Yes, I love it. It was hard to get used to at first. It took me several months to get the hang of it. I cut off the extra stem as it seemed to irritate so that helped some. If I dont' get it positioned quite right it can feel uncomfortable but then I just reposition and it's ok. During the heavisiet days of bleeding it can leak a bit so I use a pantyliner as well. But you might be able to empty it more often if it's leaking a lot. I usually don't empty it until the end of the day. I comes in 2 sizes too if I remember right. Since you've had a child the larger size might be best to minimize leaking. Hang in there if you can and hopefully you will get better at using it. I did and it is really convenient now. Good luck!
S.
Hi J.,
I found the same thing the first time I used it. I purchased one about 6 months ago. The first month I tried it I took it out every time I went to the bathroom because I was afraid of leaks. Because I took it out so much I was in a lot of pain. The next month I didn't even try it. I then decided to try and insert it when I was not having my period just to see if I could figure it out. Then I wore a pad with it just to make sure I didn't get any leaks with my next period. Last month was the first month I felt really comfortable & only had to take out & reinsert at home (2 times a day I found worked for me before leaving for work & before bed) I was really happy I stuck with it as I have always had problems with pads & tampons and this will allow me to go swimming with my son in the summer time without worry. If you are cramping it may be that you are putting it in too far. It does tend to sit very low and you should not feel it if it is in correctly. If anyone else is looking for this product I suggest purchasing from OrganicPharmacy.org they were about 1/2 price at this site.
