Goodbye, Tampons :: Hello, Diva Cup!

diva cupI never knew that one single female hygiene product could be so life changing. I bought a menstrual cup a year ago when I was trying to be more eco-friendly and reduce toxins in my body and household. I was skeptical and a little grossed out by it but figured I would give it a go.

It’s easy on the environment and your wallet

The average price of a menstrual cup is about thirty dollars, although I have seen cheaper. The cost of tampons, panty liners and pads are about twenty dollars depending on what brands you buy every month. You only need one cup, that is all. I’m so confident in my diva cup that I don’t even buy panty liners anymore. It’s pretty liberating!

The cups are easier on the environment. Think of the amount of tampons, applicators, wrappers and pads you use in a month. The average woman will use about 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. These products will be lying in our landfills long after we are gone. Using a menstrual cup reduces your carbon footprint. It’s a small step, but it is still a step to reducing waste in our landfills.

The week that convinced me that I had won the feminine hygiene lottery was our family vacation to the islands. Of course I started my period. Nature finds it funny to send me my period for basically every vacation. I had just started using my diva cup so I wasn’t exactly sure if it would hold up during the heavy days and in the water. I used tampons on our day trip to tour the islands. Big mistake! I was in and out of the water and had to used the tiny boat bathroom every time to change my tampon. It was pretty miserable, and I even had an embarrassing moment. The next day I decided I would be brave and use my cup. I kid you not when I say I almost forgot I was on my period. Hours in and out of the water and not one leak. It was amazing. I realized it was time to ditch the tampons; I had found a winner.

Fix it and Forget It

The diva cup is basically the crock pot of feminine hygiene. Once you get the hang of it, you will never go back. It holds more than a tampon, doesn’t leak if you have it placed properly, and lasts for hours. I have to remind myself to empty it on most days. The first few months I used it I was a bit paranoid. I would check every couple of hours and was always shocked at the amount of liquid in there. I really thought I would fill it up, but I never had to except on my heaviest day. You know your body and your cycle so just listen to it and you will get your flow (no pun intended).

You do not have to remove when you use the restroom. Just leave it in while you do your business. I promise, it is fine.

Don’t give up too quickly

The first two months were tricky to say the least. I think you have to give it two cycles before you can say you have the hang of it. And if you are not comfortable with your all your female parts, then this product may not be for you. But after delivering three babies, I am pretty familiar down there. There are two sizes so check the box and get the correct size for you. 

You will have to experiment. It’s like the first time you used a tampon when you were fifteen. Remember how awkward and clumsy you felt? Embrace that because you will feel that way again. It’s okay, you will get the hang of this. Sit, stand, bend over … do whatever you have to do. Be sure to fold it in a half-moon shape before inserting and wait for that suction sound. That’s a good sound, that means nothing is escaping.

Removing your diva cup is easy. Use those baby birthing muscles and push just a little and remove. Make sure to dump it and then rinse before inserting again. If you really have to dump it when you are out in public, my advice is to try to use a bathroom with a sink in the stall. But I rarely had to worry about that. I have never been in a situation where I have to rinse it next to someone washing their hands; I do have my boundaries. Cleaning is super easy. I remove it in the shower at night and wash with warm water and soap. After I shower, I put it back in and keep it in over night. No more leaky pads or changing tampons in the middle of the night.

The Diva Cup honestly has been a game changer during my period. I have no fear of running, swimming or going on long trips wearing one. I trust my menstrual cup.

2 COMMENTS

  1. So true!! I wish I had started using them years and years ago they’re the BEST! She is totally correct, don’t give up on them it takes a few months to feel completely confident! But once you do it’s so very liberating. If you have a low cervix you should try the Femmi Cycle cup.

  2. This is awesome! I have been skeptical about using one of these since I heard about them. The first two cycle days are always extra super heavy (TG for ultra tampons and overnight pads), but it would be so much easier to use one of these and hopefully not have to empty is as frequently as I have to change my products. I think I will give it a shot! Thank you for sharing your experience and advice.

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