Frank and explicit discussion of menstrual cycles in this section. Mens and uninterested womens, you may be excused.
I am in the middle of my second menstrual cycle since I got the Diva Cup I ordered, and at this point, I have to say that I wholeheartedly give it two thumbs up with a few caveats.
First off, it’s kind of awkward to insert. You have to hold it folded closed to insert, and I do that, but I’d say about one time out of five, it ::sproings:: open and I have to pull it out, rinse it off, and reinsert it.
Secondly, it’s a little uncomfortable to remove, because you can try to squeeze it closed to pull it out, but we’re talking about an area with fairly limited space in which to maneuver, so you (I) end up pulling it out mostly open, and it’s not the size of a baby or anything, but it can be uncomfortable.
Neither of those is enough to stop me from using it, because it is ten THOUSAND times better than tampons and roughly 63 MILLION times better than pads. I have not leaked one single time, and even on my heaviest flow days I only have to empty it once in the morning (I like to clean it out and leave it next to the sink for after-shower insertion; yes, I could wash it out in the shower. I choose not to.) and once at bedtime.
I think I have a fairly average flow, so women with super-duper heavy flows might have to empty it more often. I’d suggest, if you’re going to give it a try, you start on a day when you’re at home or near a bathroom you’re comfortable with, just in case.
I did have to trim the “tail” of the Diva Cup because it was poking me in delicate areas, but once I did that, I can’t even tell it’s there.
Note that if you’re uncomfortable with your body and with digging around and possibly getting blood on your hands, and having to rinse out a bloody cup in the sink (oh, stop looking at me like that; I wash the sink down with antibacterial soap afterward, I’m not a heathen (though it has occurred to me to leave a smear of blood in the sink just to see Fred scream and run around in circles)), this might not be for you. The first few times I saw the cup full of blood, I was a tad ooked out (it’s a whole different thing, seeing a tampon saturated with blood versus seeing a cup full of blood), but I got over it. I could never have dealt with the digging-around and bloody-fingers aspect of the whole thing when I was a teen or in my early 20s, but nowadays I take it in stride.
So basically – I like it, and I recommend it. Your mileage may vary.
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When not working hard in his position as Bathroom Ambassador (“This is the way to the bathroom! Let me rub upon the wall to show you! Let me walk slowly and stretch and get in your way! And this is the water bowl in the bathroom! Some people like to sit on it, which is funny! Ha! Ha! No, if you need to sit on the water bowl, that’s fine! I’ll just sit right here and watch! Hey, whatcha doing in my water bowl? What… why would you do that in my water bowl? That’s my WATER BOWL!”), Lester J. Spankenstein likes to hang out in his box. Which his Daddy bought just for him. Daddy had to move the boots out of the box, but now it’s just the way he likes it. Bootless and roomy and comfy. He will stay here forever – or at least until his next shift as Bathroom Ambassador begins. Whichever.
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Previously
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: My crap, is my scalp FRIED.
2003: I’m still thinking of killing her.
2002: Getting impatient, because Fred hadn’t carried the bag of food upstairs and poured some fresh food for his majesty, Tubby started bitching “Give me food, damnit!”
2001: “Remember when you moved that dresser? That was cool.”]]>
7/30/07
You crack me up repeatedly.
I tried the “Cup” before – I think it was called the “Instead Cup,” but never got over the ook factor – too bad, b/c I’m sure it works great.
::sproings::
I will use that at least once this week. It is such a great descriptor!
Aww… sweet Spanky.
Is it possible you and Fred have hearing loss from noise? Lawnmower, chainsaw, tractor and so on? I can’t recall if you ever mentioned wearing noise reduction type things.
Good morning Robyn, have you tried WALKIE-TALKIES? I understand they are great. I think cats are the same the world over. My cat has to get into every box,basket, or even a large bowl that we put on the floor or table. I have finished the mensus era of my life, but I would never have tried the Diva Cup. Just hate change I guess. Thanks for sharing with us.
Just FYI, I was reading this while eating my morning cereal and “why would you do that in my water bowl? That’s my WATER BOWL!” just made me spray milk all over (my husband’s) desk and papers! Classic! We too have a bathroom ambassador and a box-sitter, but they are 2 different animals. In our house, each job is too important and time-consuming to be delegated to “just” one cat.
We have a paper box in our livingroom that my husband brought home from work many, many months ago to use to pack away some things. It’s never left it’s spot in the livingroom and has never been used for the purpose of packing. The cats, mainly the female, has taken it over. Just about everytime I go through the room one of them is in there. Neither of us have had the heart to take it away from them. So there it sits for who knows how long.
We need a bathroom ambassador. Zoe is not an ambassador but she would like it if you would stop just sitting on the water bowl and engage her in play dammit. She will jump into the bathtub and poke at my knee through the shower curtain until I poke back at her so she can bat at me. After all I’m just sitting there.
Robyn, I know you would totally agree with me, but my BF says I overreacted. I was in line at our local Target to return some merchandise and there was a woman ahead of me returning something. The clerk did her job quickly and then the woman just stood there putting her money away and then started reading the flier for the store while I was standing behind her. Of course I started rolling my eyes and sighing loudly, but she continued to read the flier. I was so perturbed that I couldn’t even speak. The clerk opened the next register and motioned for me to come to the next register. I completed my return and the woman was still standing there reading the flier. I loudly said to the clerk – “Some people are just rude” – the clerk cracked up and the woman finally put her purse away and left the counter. The nerve – I was so mad I had to go and have a Diet coke. Don’ you hate when that happens.
I ordered my Diva Cup, but haven’t been brave enough to use it yet. Ok, that’s a semi-lie. The size is a little intimidating, but I’m looking forward to no LEAKING. Yick.
Glad you like using a cup, Robyn. I’ve found it so much easier, too. And cheaper. And less wasteful. And more comfortable. Etc. Just a note to women with super heavy flows: Yes, I definitely need to empty it more often, but it’s still less often than I had to change a super-plus tampon and pad!
I’m such a dork… when you said “Frank and explicit discussion blah blah blah…” I was thinking “Who is Frank?” Did she called Fred “Frank” by accident?
I’m have a bad case of the Mondays today. 😛
I’ve been going back and forth with the idea of a Diva Cup for a while, and I just can’t decide. Can it be used overnight? I don’t like to wear pads ever, so that would be very important in my decision making…
EVERYTIME I go into the bathroom and shut the door, two of our cats will sit outside the door and cry and stick their little paws under the door and act like the whole world is going to end if I don’t open the door and let them in. Who knew that watching me use the bathroom was SO fascinating! (They don’t do this to my husband or my daughter, only me!)
Ok, I love my diva cup, but there is no way in hell I will wear the pin that comes with it. I mean would you wear an OB pin?? I think not.
And for anyone who works outside all day on the ocean I feel less like shark bait.
So in closing I definitely think the Diva cup rocks!
Robyn, I love your blogs in general, as you (hopefully) already know, but THIS one – son of a bitch. I’m going to print this out and frame it. I have not giggled so much in such a short time for as long as I can remember.
Thanks. This Monday needed those giggles.
PS: Please leave just a little blood in the sink and videotape Fred screaming and running around in circles and post it on YouTube. Just once. Pleeeeeeease.
My father is insanely squeamish about any female body functions (he informed me indignantly when my son was born that breastfeeding is “Unnatural!”) so any time my mother and I want to have a private discussion and he’s hanging around we’ll just say, “Ow! I think I just ovulated,” or “Have you tried those new pads for thongs?” or “Do you happen to have any Midol? I’m having a very heavy flow day and the cramps are killing me.” He is gone like a cartoon character – a “vroom” noise and nothing but a little cloud of dust where he was a moment ago.
OK, I just ordered a Diva Cup, because you raved about it. The ick factor doesn’t bother me. But why do I feel like Al Gore should send me a thank you note or something?
Robin S: I wondered who Frank was, too.
Aw yes! Boxes! When the UPS man brings packages,I am more excited to get the box than the items therein.
My three cockatiels LOVE to play in boxes and when Momma brings them a new one? Well,let’s just say a lot of chortling,cooing and clucking begins as they wholeheartedly jump in and out of the box,inspecting it from all angles.Fun!
Robyn, I was reading your post on my cell phone this morning (it works pretty well!) and I misread your header about the “Frank and explicit discussion of menstrual cycles…”
I thought it was a link to Fred’s explicit discussion of menstrual cycles.” In fact, I came back to your page tonight so I could click over to read what Fred had to say. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that Fred wrote about something else! (Or embarrassment.)
Conclusion, reading your blog posts on my smart phone = cool, but not as accurate.
Is Fred going to have an explicit discussion of menstrual cycles?
Ha. I have a Doberman who is Spanky’s canine counterpart to the Bathroom Ambassador. Beanie likes to sit in there with us and keep us company while we pet her and do our business. No reading allowed, just pettin’ and business.
bwahahaha. I misread that for the whole entry almost – I was trying to figure out how the hell you’d use a dixie cup for such a delicate function. The sad part is, I use the Instead so I should have caught on sooner. Man, it’s been a long day.
OMG! A Diva cup. What willlll they think of next? LOL
Hysterectomy baby, 5 years ago. That rocks.
But ,I guess the next best thing would be the diva cup. Years and years ago ,one of my 3 nosy sons was snooping through my stuff and came across an OB tampon and wanted to know why their was no “plastic thingy” “how do you put it in?”
When I said “you have to use your fingers”
they totally freaked out and fled the vicinity !
I think , just for shits and grins,I’ll email all 3 of them and make sure they know about the diva cup!
insert
*evil passive aggressive cackling*
Thanks to you Robyn, I have been using my Moon Cup for the last 3 cycles.
Verdict: 1st cycle – a little uncomfortable, and took a while to trim the little puller-outy-thingy to the right length.
I have a very heavy flow – I was using 1 Heavy tampon an hour for the first 12 hours. Now I’m down to emptying my Moon Cup every 3 hours. Much more convenient.
Since that first cycle, I get virtually no mess when changing – a little practice makes it much more efficient, and easier.
And I definitely use it overnight. The first night of my cycle I need to get up and change once. The rest, I just sleep right on through. YAY!!
Plus, I must say I always have a panty liner on day or night…just in case of little leaks.
But thanks to you Robyn, I am VERY satisfied – cheaper, easier, and I never run out!
Mooncup rocks!
Even (especially) for heavy flow.
Can totally relate to the sproinging but I wouldn’t give mine up for anything.
Diva cup is awesome. There are a couple communities on Live Journal related to the menstrual cup and I found it very helpful to read before I used mine for the first time. I won’t go back to using anything else.
You amuse me tremendously. Great entry 🙂
Taking a ASL (American Sign Language) class or two will do the trick! 😀