Tampon Alternatives - HELP!!!

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Sorry for the TMI, but I need help quickly. Thanks ladies!

So, I just tried out the Moon Cup. Maybe the mistake was testing to learn how to put it in a week before my period should be starting. Maybe it's not designed for virgins. All I know is that it was hard to put in and very painful to remove. I'm now bleeding, so I ripped something. Should I not be using this product? It's the pre-childbirth size, so I figured it should be fine. And I really want to use this to save money and have longer-lasting protection. But not if it hurts that much every time.

Has anyone used a menstrual cup before? Any advice?

Thanks!

[Whistler]

I use a diva cup. It's possible that you had to stretch/break your hymen to put it in, which might be painful (there's a little section here about it: http://divacup.com/educate-empower/moms/). It shouldn't hurt normally. The first time I put mine in I actually thought it had gotten stuck, which made me really worried (I ended up sitting the bathtub, so I didn't have the floating-over-the-toilet tension). Now I know a little better how to relax my vaginal muscles and pull my cup out at the same time, but it took a while to get used to. I think I might actually need a larger size, since I still have to wear pantyliners with mine. Good luck! For what it's worth I think it is worth a few uncomfortable/awkward months until you get the hang of it. Also, many healthcare professionals don't even know what they are, so be sure to bring it up if you're getting a body scan of some sort.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Should I continue to practice putting it in and out pre-period? Or is it easier once the flow starts?

Also, on the page you linked, I like the line that

Women’s bodies are designed this way to be able to stretch to ... wear an internal feminine hygiene product ...

I'm pretty sure my body wasn't designed with man-made hygiene products in mind.

[Portia]

It hurt considerably when my hymen "broke," but I had used tampons without a problem for nearly a decade prior to that. Is there a reason you can't/won't use them?

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

I have been using them for years. But they're expensive and I get terrible cramps after wearing one for more than two or three hours, which is obnoxious after the first day of heavy flow. I was told the cups tend to make the cramping issue go away because of the way they work. I wanted to give them a few months trial. And now that I've spent the $30 on it, I'd like to use it for at least two months to get my money's worth.

[C is for]

I could not get my diva cup in until after my period had started. You open up more down there when your flow starts.

But I've been using it for 3 whole months now and not had a hitch.

[NerdGirl]

I use a Diva cup. Way more comfortable than tampons and doesn't drive me out. I highly recommend putting and taking it out the first few times while squatting in the bath - squatting kind of shortens and widens your vagina a bit and relaxes your muscles so it's easier to do. Google different ways of folding it to put it in - there are a few and one might work better than another for you. Definitely don't do it before your period starts - way easier to get in when things are more slippery. Also try using some water-based lubricant (which you can get at any drug store/grocery store - you don't have to go to a sex store or anything to buy it). Seriously, just take your pants off and squat in the bathtub so you don't have to worry about mess and do it on your heaviest day. It takes a while to figure it out, but it's so worth it. It took me a few months to really get it all figured out, but I've been using it for almost 5 years now and it's actually pretty life-changing.

[Whistler]

Nerdgirl, does your menstrual cup leak at all?

[NerdGirl]

It leaks a little bit on my heaviest days (I have pretty heavy periods to begin with) if I don't empty it in time. But it's more of an overflow leak, not a constant intermittent leak. I bought the larger size of diva cup, which is supposed to be for people who have given birth or are over 30, even though I was under 30 at the time, just because I figured I would still be using it when I turned 30 (and I was right about that).

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Now that I have successfully used my cup (it is much easier once the blood starts, plus I figured out a better fold. Thanks for the tips!) I have another question. How do you deal with washing the cup while at work or in other public restrooms? My normal branch has a private bathroom with sink area, so it won't be a problem. But the training location's bathroom is more standard, so the sink is open. Do I need to wash it every time I empty it, or could I skip the wash/rinse once?

[chillygator]

If I have to change it in public (usually at least once every time because I always have a REALLY heavy day), I just empty it and try to clean it off the best I can with toilet paper...and then time my exit to the sink so no one will see blood on my fingers because that's creepy. It's been two and a half-ish years and I'm not dead yet, so that's a good testimonial, right?

[Yarjka]

...and then time my exit to the sink so no one will see blood on my fingers because that's creepy.

This brings a whole new meaning to that "bloody fingers" story I liked so much as a kid.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Hahaha!!! Yeah, it is pretty creepy looking. I'm glad to know that getting messy isn't something that means I'm using it wrong. All the promo stuff says "if you're removing it correctly, it shouldn't be messy" and all I can think is "SERIOUSLY!!! I'm freaking flooding blood and sticking my hands into and it shouldn't be messy?!"