Before you all start getting your panties in a bunch, this is not going to be a monthly feature...unless you'd like it to be! A few people had actually expressed interest in hearing how the whole menstrual cup thing was going, and it's easiest for me to just type it out here and have all the info in one place. So there you go. You've been warned about the subject matter. If you don't want to read about periods, feel free to stop reading. For the rest of you still reading along, here we go.
So, as you know from my previous Period Blog, I had purchased a Diva Cup and some reusable panty liners in the interest of creating less waste and to keep from potentially exposing myself to the chemicals used in traditional tampons and panty liners. I've had 2 period's worth of time to try them out, and here are my initial reviews.
The Diva Cup: While I think the Diva is a great product, I don't know that it's the right product for me. Do a search for menstrual cups, and you'll find a plethora of products, not to mention about a million reviews for each one either singing their praises or condemning them for the rest of our known existence. It was really hard to make the initial decision as to which cup to purchase, and since I already knew someone who used the Diva, I went with that one. So the Diva comes in 2 sizes. Size 1 is for women under 30 and/or women who have not yet given birth. Size 2 is for women over 30 and/or women who have given birth. Basically, Size 1 is smaller, Size 2 is bigger. Outside of the age/birth qualifiers, there's very little information from the manufacturer as to which size might be appropriate for a 35 year-old who has not yet given birth. Technically, both sizes seemed like they could fit the bill for me. I went with Size 1, mostly because there were several reviews from women on Amazon who were in their 30's and who had not yet given birth who were overwhelmed by the size of Size 2.
I never did quite get the hang of it. I mean, I got it in, and for all intents and purposes, it worked okay. But it leaked, which is a very common problem with menstrual cups. Most often, the reason for the leaking is improper insertion. Let me tell you, getting one of these contraptions "properly inserted" is the hardest part about using them. You have to fold the thing over on itself, shove it up your vagina, and hope that the thing pops open. Seriously, it's supposed to pop open. Several women reviewers stated that they could actually feel the Diva popping open inside them. I never felt it pop. The way the Diva works (and all menstrual cups, really), is they have tiny little holes in the side up near the top that are supposed to create suction once the cup pops open. If the cup isn't popped open, the holes can't create suction, and then you have leaking. Pretty simple concept. Execution is much more difficult. I did all manners of bearing down, kegels, stretching...you name it, trying to get that thing to open up. I think sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't. I think part of the problem for me with the Diva is that I should have gone with the bigger Size 2, or I should have gone with a cup that was made of a firmer silicone.
In reading reviews and watching videos on multiple cups, they come in varying degrees of softness (I wanted to use the word rigidity, since I think that's more appropriate a term, but I don't think any of us want to think about shoving rigid things up there...although some people are into that...no judgements). During my research I'd come to the conclusion that the Diva was just too soft for me, and elected to try out another cup called the Yuuki ($17.99 on Amazon). Why didn't I just try Size 2 of the Diva? I figured that the Size 2 was probably just as soft as the Size 1, and if softness was the underlying issue, going to the bigger cup wasn't going to solve the problem. I figured that trying something completely different might give me an idea of where to go next should the second, different cup give me the same issues. Be warned, the Yuuki comes in both Soft and Classic, Large and Small. Sounds like the Classic is very rigid and difficult to insert, so you might want to avoid that one if you're considering this cup. In a side by side comparison, the Large Yuuki is bigger (can hold about 30ml/1 ounce) and has less softness than the Diva Step 1 (holds about 15ml/one-half ounce).
So far, the Yuuki is working much better for me. I actually jumped into it with both feet (figuratively, of course) this morning by putting it in for the first time and then proceeded to go paddle boarding with Simon for two hours. Think of it as the maiden voyage, if you will. I had the Yuuki in for about 4 hours with no issues. Granted, I didn't actually get in the water...one step at a time with these things, my friends. Maybe next time. My periods are typically very heavy on days 1 and 2, so four hours with a cup lasted me about 2 hours longer than a super-plus tampon would have. I considered that a win. The only issues I have with the Yuuki is that because it's a more rigid silicone, it's a little more painful to put in, so I have a handy little tube of lube in the bathroom to assist with that process. It's not as awful as it sounds, really, and it makes the whole insertion go so much easier. Make sure if you go the lube route that you get water-based...oil based can damage the silicone. I'm so glad for the little British chick and her videos for suggesting that. The second issue I have is that the Yuuki's suction is far stronger than the Diva's, so when I'm taking it out, I sometimes feel like my uterus is coming along with it. Which, let's be honest, if I could actually remove my uterus with a menstrual cup, I would. Unfortunately, just feeling like I'm pulling my uterus out is borderline unpleasant. But not so unpleasant that I'm going to give up on the whole thing. Today is day 1, and I'm impressed with the Yuuki's performance thus far. Time will tell.
I even did the dreaded change-out in a public restroom today...lots of firsts with this Yuuki. I did have some tampons along for back-up in the event that things went awry, but I really wanted to try to do the public restroom thing because I eventually want to use a cup full time, and I need to comfortable with using it in public. It wasn't great, and I expected that...but it wasn't horrible either. Multiple people came and went while I struggled in the stall with it. And, given that I was in a stall and not a one-seater, I didn't have the option to wash it out before putting it back in, so I wiped it out with some toilet paper and called it good. The nice thing about slippery silicone is that not much sticks to it, so the wipe-down wasn't that big of a deal. Obviously, this isn't an ideal situation and you should always wash the cup out whenever possible before putting it back in, but once in a while the random wipe-out will suffice as long as you're able to wash it out the next time. The little British chick actually recommends bringing along 2 cups when you're going to be out in public, so that you can use one, toss it in a baggie once you're done with it, and insert the clean one for the rest of the day/evening, or until you get to a place where you're comfortable washing them out. If the Yuuki continues to work as well as it is, I might buy another one. I'm wondering if I should try the smaller size for the lighter days, as the big cup is probably overkill. But it would be nice to have 2 big ones for the heavy days if I'm out and about. I suppose I could just keep the little Diva and use that one on the light days. Lots of options here.
It's unfortunate that due to the nature of these products, they're not returnable or exchangeable unless they are defective. I get it, but it makes for a somewhat expensive trial and error process. At this point I've spent about 3 months worth of tampon money on 2 menstrual cups. Assuming that I stick with them and get them to work for me full-time, I'll make that money up eventually, but it is a little expensive up front. I do have to add in the cost of all the waste generated by traditional menstrual products...while the cost of the disposal of those products doesn't come directly out of my pocket, it is creating additional waste that ends up in landfills...so there's the environmental cost to offset the financial cost as well.
As for the reusable panty liners...meh, I'm not super impressed, and it probably has more to do with the ones I chose rather than the concept of them in general. The ones I got are called Heartfelt Bamboo panty liners (about $28 for 5 on Amazon...they come in multiple sizes), and they have a grey absorbent crotch area and patterned wings that snap under the crotch of your underpants. Good in theory. In reality, the fabric of the wings is so slippery and wide that the things end up slipping halfway up my butt before I've walked more than 15 steps. If I had an office job or a sedentary lifestyle where I didn't have to move all that much, these things would be great. Given that I'm a nurse and a pretty active person, they just don't cut the mustard. I did read some reviews from women who use a safety pin to keep them in place, but I just don't have the patience to mess with that. These products are supposed to make this process the same, if not easier, not more time consuming. I'm keeping them to wear for sleeping at night. The little British chick recommended some liners from Essence of Eve, which are available on Etsy. There is also a Facebook page for them that lets you know when there is new stock...apparently they sell out rather quickly because I just checked the store and there are none available right this moment. The little British chick liked them and said that they stayed in place better than any of the others that she had tried. They come in various colors, styles, and price ranges. I might get around to buying some one of these days...when I can actually catch them when they're in stock.
So, there it is. Month 2 with my new-fangled menstrual products. The learning process continues.
Things to take away from my experience:
1. You will get blood on your hands. I can't stress that enough. If you are squeamish at all about this, menstrual cups might not be for you. Granted, we can all wash our hands, but I get that for some people this is a mental acceptance thing. I still struggle with it sometimes, but it's getting better. Unless you are some sort of menstrual cup savant, your first few times inserting and removing the cup will be messy. Be prepared. Make sure you're in the comfort of your own home...set yourself up for success whenever possible.
2. You might not find the right cup the first time around. I know of a few people now who have used the Diva from the get-go and have had nothing but good results. It might work for you, it might not. Figuring that out is all part of this.
3. Read reviews, watch videos, do as much research as you can. Seeing as we grew up in a world where traditional tampons and pads were the only options, using a menstrual cup is going to feel like a very foreign process. Stick with it. If you're still not having it, go back to tampons. This is a completely personal choice, and the only person making the final decision on it is you.
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