Menstrual Cup for Young Girls and Using the Cup Away from Home...

Sorry to be blunt but this sort of a pet peeve of mine.

Why do so many Moms want to control the way their daughters deal with their menstrual cycle?

Show her the options and how to use them safely and let her choose. It's her body and her personal choice. Unless she's really young and irresponsible then I don't understand you not wanting her to use tampons.

I believe, in almost all cases, if you're old enough to get you're period you're old enough to choose how you deal with it.

I can't imagine a teen going to school and using a cup. The clean out would have to be in the girls restroom and if you don't already know how bad girls can be, you have an awakening coming.

I don't know why you would no allow her to use tampons either. it is just the most sensible thing to do and it does not impact her virginity.

Most girls do use tampons pretty much from the get go. Even with tampons, it is not such an easy task to run to the restroom between classes, etc and change.

I know my daughter would never use a cup or cloth. Neither would I, but I have not had a cycle in 10 yrs, YEAH!

You can get more environmentally "clean" tampons if you wish. At least communicate with your daughter and give her an option. How embarrassing for a teen to be required to do something that adds to the puberty, hormone and other changes they are already going through.

Best wishes.

I can assure you that my daughter would choose death over using a cup. My guess is that many of her friends would feel the same way.

Tampons are a perfectly safe and fine way for a girl to handle her period. Keep an open mind, show her the options and then let her choose.

I use a cup as well. I've had to remove it in public whilst at work numerous times it is no big deal however I also keep wet wipes in my purse as it is so it's not so difficult. As you know it is not necessary to rinse it out with water each time it is taken out during a cycle so long as at the end of the cycle it is washed thoroughly. I don't find it difficult to use in public at all but I'm also an adult who is very comfortable with bodily fluids and issues that can/do arise from time to time. That is quite a bit different from a young girl just starting on her journey. Personally I'd give my daughter an option of what she wants to use. Once my daughter starts(soon)she needs to just let me know what she wants. I don't see why tampons are a no-go but to each their own. Talk this over with your daughter and see if it is something she would want to use though as you said you're still a ways off from this being an issue.

Did you ever use the cup when you were a young teen? Did you ever use the cup when you were a virgin? That hymen is over part of the entrance of the vagina, and getting a cup in there is going to be hard, AND painful. It's hard enough for a girl to get a tampon in there, which is why most girls start with the smaller tampons with a little vaseline on them to help them glide in easier past the hymen.

I can't imagine giving a cup to a young girl and expecting her to be able to insert it.

JMO...

Unless you have extremely heavy flow, you wouldn't need to deal with the cup in public, ever. You only need to empty it out every 12 hours. So for a student, empty and wash it in the morning and then again in the evening. Done and done.

My 12 year old DD has a menstrual cup, but had trouble figuring it out, so she has set it aside for now. She's a ballet dancer, so pads aren't an option. She uses tampons and that goes fine. (Although figuring those out at first was a tear-invoking drama and a half for her, let me tell you.) I will be happy when she finally figures out the cup, because tampons add up in terms of cost. Not to mention that the stupid dog is constantly raiding the bathroom garbage. GROSS. :-P

I adore my Diva Cup, but I do agree with K-bell. Educate your daughter on her options and let her choose.

I didn't choose the Diva for any crunchy reasons, but because it saves me a TON of money. I've been a Diva user for 4 years, which means I've saved about $900 not buying tampons. Not bad! :)

I've never used the cup, but I'm curious about the tampon issue.

If your fears are related to toxic shock syndrome (I'm 46 so I remember that), you can relax. The "ingredients" in tampons are different and do not, unless the user is an incredible level of lazy, lead to toxic shock. Back then, they made them RIDICULOUSLY absorbant, and it threw off the balance of the body when left in too long - which people did because they didn't know better. Now, even the "super" can only absorb so much, so leaving a tampon in overnight is about as long as you would be able to before the tampon was "full", and that length of time is not an issue re. toxic shock.

you can also find natural options for tampons if that's what you're looking for (and apparently they've been around for thousands of years in one form or another, which I didn't know till I googled):
http://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Generation-Chlorine-non-app...

I bought two cups, and kept one in my purse. If I had to empty while out and about, I simply put the spare in, rinsed out the one I had removed, and put it in my purse.

I love the Diva Cup, but have a heavy flow and have to empty it about every 4-5 hours most days. I just take a water bottle with me to use to rinse it. I've used it for about 8 years and can't even imagine how much money I've saved!

That being said, I probably wouldn't have liked it as a teen. Tampons were the way to go for me then.

Along with all of the other comments or questions, I am wondering if there would actually be time to remove/wash/insert/wash before getting to the next class.

My recollection is that there may or may not be enough stalls for all of the girls to use at one given break, but the mirrors and sinks are jammed with girls applying a layer of lipstick and combing their hair.

If that were the case, I guess 2 cups and a ziplock bag would be the answer and then HOPE no one comes across that purse to find the dirty cup.

Sounds like a lot to manage away from home.

If you do some research online, you will find that there are a variety of cups out there. In addition to the Diva, there is also the Luna Cup and some others. The reviews I read (a few years back when I was looking into this) said that many younger girls preferred the Luna because it's softer and easier to use. The Luna also comes in a smaller size specifically for teens/younger women.

As for what to do during the day, as others have said, most likely she'll make it all day. Obviously she'll want to use it at home only for a few cycles to be sure. If she needs to empty once in the middle of the day, just keep some tissues in her purse to wipe with.

"I wouldn't want her using tampons, so just trying to see what other options she might have..."

Sorry but that sounds kind of contradictory. It sounds like you want her only using the cup but why say your exploring other options...what other option is there besides pads & tampons? My question is why not use tampons? My mother forced me to wear pads. I/we had never heard of a Diva cup so in her mind, the only thing that we 'should' & 'could' use was pads. ICK! I hated using pads. My experience with them? Horrible nasty pads. Having my period has always been a burden for me. I never wanted kids so I never saw the need for having this period but nevertheless, here it is. Having to wear pads & leaking all over the place every month due to heavy flow, ruining my clothes, never being allowed to go to the bathroom when I needed to in school b/c we only had 5 mins between classes & the stalls were ALWAYS full and once we were in class, unless we were throwing up or had a doctor's note, we were not allowed to leave the room, not even for the bathroom...just a horrible experience. I couldn't play sports or swim or be a cheerleader or take dance or anything that required tampon useage. I just had a really horrible time during 'that week'.

I finally was able to use tampons in college when I was old enough to decide for myself and have been wondering what the big deal was all this time. I LOVE them. Never had a problem with them & wondered why I couldn't use them before. Yes, being a virgin will hurt or just be a little difficult to insert when first using a tampon but using the plastic applicator and a little Astrolide lubricant or KY can help. (Vasiline is not recommended due to it not being for 'lubrication purposes' as stated on the label) or maybe you can take her to a gynocologist and ask that the hyman be stretched to make insertion easier, as an option. I think she'd be happy using tampons or maybe she'll like the cup but let her decide that for herself. Like other posters here said, give her the options, educate her on all options & let her choose or try different methods.

Although I'm now an adult, I have to keep my tampon use a secret b/c in my mom's mind...who is VERY old fashioned by the way, using tampons or any type of inserted device took away your virginity & is also considered "dirty". Growing up, we were not allowed to discuss any type of feminine protection other than pads. That is what we were told we 'had' to use...nothing else & that was the end of it. We all know that this has nothing to do with losing your virginity but tell that to her.

So speaking from my perspective, who grew up with virtually no 'rights' b/c my parents would not allow me to make my own choices until adulthood, please let your daughter decide what she wants to do. I know that my 'pad & tampon experience' is not everyone's experience, your daughter does deserve to know what all is available & what can be used....Just like piercing a baby's or toddler's ears...they didn't ask for that....let them decide for themselves....just my two cents.

I would talk to the girl and see what she is comfortable with. I love my cup. As for public use, since it can be worn for 12 hours there often is no need to rinse it while out, but if you do have to it is okay to just dump it and wipe it out with a flushable moist towel, and then you can give it a proper wash once you are in a more private place.