The diva cup rocks. But you really shouldn't leave it in 24/7, so those reusable pads can come in handy at night.

LOL.

I like the turkey but the blowgun is unbeatable.

The diva cup is my BFF, srsly. Hah. I'd definitely recommend it to ANYONE, and I do. The only people that don't want to try a cup or cloth pads, from what I've noticed, are the people who think that their bodies are yucky and shameful. I was like that to some degree, but the cup has really changed how I think about periods and my body. Plus, I oddly look forward to periods now, so I can look smugly down the tampon aisle and feel like I've outsmarted the disposable industry. :D

I agree--love my diva cup. Still using panty liners a couple days out of the month; but I feel so much better that I'm not using tampons and big pads.

I've used reusable pads for nearly three years, now. They are awesome! However, if you are travelling, or away from home, then they become a bit inconvenient. I've been meaning to try the diva cup for some time now...

i love my divacup. made the switch in august.

and traveltothesky: you're SO right about now acting smug towards disposable hygiene products. in your face tampons!

the divacup has taught me to love my vagina AT ALL TIMES of my cycle. i have noticed i have become a lot more critical of mentural products and how they are marketed towards women (so much vagina hating).
i'm not sure if any of you have seen the mini-doc "killing us softly 3". it's about how women are portrayed in advertising. i would like to do something similar with how our period/vaginas are portrayed in advertising.

(ball is rolling)

I started using cloth pads earlier this year, and I'm really glad I did. They are super comfy, plus, you know, I don't have to have guilty thoughts about having created a pile of bloody plastic in a landfill somewhere. I just make sure to save some laundry for the end of the month so I'm doing full loads when my pads need washed.

If you're interested in SUPER AMAZINGLY CUTE cloth pads, Punky's Pads (http://www.punkyspads.com/) has some rad stuff. Orange and hot pink leopard print pads! What's not to like?

The only people that don't want to try a cup or cloth pads, from what I've noticed, are the people who think that their bodies are yucky and shameful.

Excuse me? Are you serious with this bullshit? I fucking love my tampons. I love the quality of life they give me. You know why I have no interest in trying divacups or cloth pads? Because I have no interest in spending any of my life hand-washing the damn things out. My life is short, and I'm not going to devote any of it to that.

I tell you what, if divacups are anything like diaphragms, they would simply be a bitch and a half for me to use--as I recall the diaphragm, I could never get the damn thing out, perhaps because my fingers are too short to get all the way up my cunt, I don't know, but I do know I always wound up spending twenty minutes sweating, lying on the floor of my office bathroom. That's not an experience I'm eager to repeat.

Jesus Christ, really? The fact that I fucking well like tampons somehow indicates that I think my cunt is gross, no matter how many times I stick my fingers up there to put the damn thing in? Bite me. Really.

As someone whose dog ate a tampon, resulting in a $1073 vet bill, I am now, more than ever, in favour of keepers/diva cups!

Oh, and the keeper/diva is not like a diaphram. It sits much lower down, and is therefore really easy to insert and take out. Also, they hold up to one ounce of liquid (an average period produces between 2-4 ounces of liquid total), so if your flow is medium to light, you will probably only need to empty it once every 12 hours. And finally, there is no risk of toxic shock syndrom, nor is there the negative environmental impact of regular bleached, non-organic tampons.

As someone whose dog ate a tampon, resulting in a $1073 vet bill, I am now, more than ever, in favour of keepers/diva cups!

Oh, and the keeper/diva is not like a diaphram. It sits much lower down, and is therefore really easy to insert and take out. Also, they hold up to one ounce of liquid (an average period produces between 2-4 ounces of liquid total), so if your flow is medium to light, you will probably only need to empty it once every 12 hours. And finally, there is no risk of toxic shock syndrom, nor is there the negative environmental impact of regular bleached, non-organic tampons.

Ladylike: I'm sorry to hear about the vet bill, but I don't think EG needs a lesson on diva cups. I think the point is that her using tampons has nothing to do with thinking her body is "yucky and shameful" and everything to do with the fact that she can make her own body decisions and people judging her on that can sod off.

Sorry if I'm taking words out of your mouth EG. That comment irked me too.

Er...sorry to hear about your dog, not the bill. ^_^;

No need to apologize, Xana. I remain pissed off at the earlier comment. I like my fucking tampons. I see nothing appealing whatsoever about having to remove and wash out a divacup. And when it comes to environmentalism, quite frankly, it's worth it to me. They give me a quality of life I love. I use paper to write on for much the same reasons, and I'm not giving that up, either. I find it hard to believe in a world of oil refineries and auto industries that it's my damn tampons that are the problem.

Seconding EG here. What was that all about?

I don't use a diva cup because it was damn uncomfortable for me to use one. It never sat right, it was painful, and didn't catch all the fucking blood, so I had to use pantiliners anyway.

But, of course, it must be because I'm either a moron, or uncomfortable with stuffing things up my vagina, not because the diva cup does not work for everybody. I'm on the Nuvaring, I masturbate, I use tampons. That's plenty of stuffing, right there.

In fact, I am pretty damn comfortable with my cunt, thank you very much.

so.
while i fully agree with the idea that all women can choose to catch their menstural blood any which way they choose and neither preference indicates how one personally feels about their vagina and its mensturation...

i do have issue with being mean or impolite to one another about it all.

i mean: ok, EG, so you don't agree with traveltothesky's comment. but, telling her to "bite you" really isn't very productive, imo.
there is enough hate and negativity directed towards women already, i just think it would be best to be respectful towards one another and to try and create a safe space for dialogue.

thankyous.

the first time I used a diva cup, it was difficutlt ( I hated it acutally). But then (for some reason) I decided to try it again. I had pauid for it after all.

It does take some practice to use, but it gets really easy after you get the nack.

As for washing it out, it is non porous so it doesn't absorb anything. I usually just rinse it when changing out the menstral fluid, and wash it before and after every cycle, (or right before i insert it if it is out of my body for a prolonged time.) And you can wash it while washing your hands, it really only takes a a few moments.

Also the diva cup has a bit that you can grab to help pull it out. I've never used a diaphragm, but I'm guessing they don't have that feature.

another alternative is sea sponge tampons. for these just squich and rinse, pretty easy to use, and much more comfortagble than the diva cup. (http://www.seapearls.co.uk/)

with these many people just rinse while on their cylce, and boil in between to make sure they are clean.

both have a really low risk of tss.

I agree that we shouldn't be insulting each other for our menstrual products.

That being said, I understand the frustration about friends not wanting to try the DivaCup. I gave each of my best friends a DivaCup for Xmas last year, and none of them gave it an effort at all. It was really disappointing for me, because the primary reason that I use it is because it is so easy, convenient, and it makes your period 1000 times more comfortable. If they had given it an effort, maybe they would have seen that, and saved a ton of money...

EG - the divacup is not like a diaphragm because it's much longer, and thus the bottom part sits much lower in your vag. So you wouldn't have to spend 20 min on the ground. If you use your muscles correctly, it pops halfway out, and then you use your fingers to pinch it together and get the whole thing out. Total time = 5 seconds.

it feels slightly counter-intuitive to spell menstrual with the r before the u. but, alas, that is how we do it in the "english language".

bah!

The only people that don't want to try a cup or cloth pads, from what I've noticed, are the people who think that their bodies are yucky and shameful.

EG, I found this comment infuriating as well. It was thoughtless and condescending.

I like Instead cups. I think of them as a compromise--less waste than tampons and less washing than the Diva Cup/Keeper. Plus you can have sex with 'em. :)

I understand why EG is so upset. I think the person who started with the disrespectful language was traveltothesky. She may not have intended it that way, but it was a pretty offensive comment.

I've been guilty of the same sort of thing on another topic. I have really strong feelings about the birth industry in this country, but I have learned that every woman who feels abused by the system, there is another who loved her epidural. And so I've learned not to make really broad statements about women who do this or women who do that and what their motives or feelings are.

We get stereotyped and pigeon-holed enough out there in the world. Just think a little before you make statements like that.

I don't really care how a woman chooses to deal with her menstrual flow, but can I take a moment to give a hearty "WTF?!?" to the tampon turkey? It's neither clever nor cute, and talk about waste! Yuck.

To EG and others: Of course I realize that reusable products aren't for everyone. That's why I added "from what I've noticed," as in, from my experiences of speaking to my friends about menstrual cups. The few (of my friends personally, not a general statement) who weren't interested said things like "oh, gross I'd have to TOUCH my [euphemism]?!" I didn't mean for that to be extended to anyone beyond the people I've spoken to. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I struggled with the divacup. I found it uncomfortable, and was always aware of it when it was in. I tried it for several months, and just never got used to it. I felt really embarrassed, like I was a bad feminist and bad environmentalist, like my body failed at something.

sorry, but i'm with EG on this one.

i prefer the most comfortable, convenient method--basically whatever allows me to think as little about my period as humanly possible. it's not that i don't love the vag and all the magical things it can do, but frankly menstruating is not one of its nicer qualities. i certainly don't think women should be ashamed of their bodies, but i don't want to hear some granola diatribe about how i'm supposed to love all natural processes. periods are gross, painful and inconvenient. if i could go the rest of my life without having one, i would sign up in a heartbeat.

it's thanksgiving, so let's just be thankful we have choices, and don't have to wear this crap.

I've thought about getting a Diva Cup, but I wonder about comfort. From what I understand it sits pretty low. When I'm using a tampon and it slips down, it's SO uncomfortable. Does the Diva Cup sitting low feel the same as a tampon sitting low? I don't want to waste my money on something that will likely be uncomfortable.

Thanks!

A great place to get more info about menstrual cups is at: http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/

Riley, that's find if you don't like your period, but there are plenty of women who genuinely like theirs. I do. I don't think its gross. A tad inconvenient sometimes, but not gross for me. Not everybody who likes their period is out howling at the moon either.

I've been wantint to give the DivaCup a shot for a while now. I know the site says you can use it with an IUD, but does anyone here use both? I'd like to know if anyone's had issues with it.

I bought a GladRags reusable pad recently to see how I'd like it. It was OK as long as I was sitting down, but (and this may well be a Fat Chick Problem) the pad tended to slide all over the place while I was walking, thus didn't give the best coverage. Anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this?

rileystclair, if you don't want to have your period, you don't have to. I take Seasonale or Lybrel for the year and think it's absolutely fantastic. Obviously it's not for everyone, but I find that life is so much more convenient when menstruation isn't an issue I have to worry about. You should check it out, if you don't have problems using oral birth control.

Ah, wonderful! Thanks, Samhita. I just love to knit and I just love to menstruate (yep, serious). It would never have occurred to me to menstruate on my knitting. Good times. Now I have ideas about what to do with my gigantic surplus of cheap, cotton yarn.

I agree with EG as well (although I don't use tampons but rather disposable pads) I do not walk around with things inside my vagina. Ever. Not tampons, not sponges, not diaphragms, not "diva" cups (I hate that word, though I wouldn't use it no matter what it was called)

The concept of going around with what is essentially a plug (blocking entrance) bothers me because it has a feeling of removing sexuality which is a huge part of me. That concept, however, takes a back seat to the more practical, the discomfort.

I would POSSIBLY be willing to try reusable pads since they would seem to be softer and more comfortable, but as someone who has trouble planning ahead (ie, making sure enough pads are clean and dry when I need them, packing a spare in my purse) I just don't think they would work for me.

Unfortunately, menstrual cups just don't work for everyone. I used the Keeper for seven years and the Diva Cup for two. I've finally just gone back to pads. I have scoliosis and it seems to make the cup leak. I had to wear pads with the cup anyway and the problem has just grown worse over time. I've tried both sizes of the cups as well. I'd recommend them to anyone with a straight spine, though.

I just wanted to address the "if it is anything like a diaphram" part of EG's post. It seems to me that diaphram/diva cup comparison/question is made pretty frequently (I sold keepers/diva cups at a co-op), and I just wanted to clarify that part.

I take my Pill prescription without the sugar pills, so I don't have a period at all. This discussion is like watching people talk about camping. It's all very earthy and interesting, but not something I going to do.

"I take my Pill prescription without the sugar pills, so I don't have a period at all. This discussion is like watching people talk about camping. It's all very earthy and interesting, but not something I going to do."

Hahaha exactly!

“I wonder about comfort. From what I understand it sits pretty low. When I'm using a tampon and it slips down, it's SO uncomfortable.”

SingOut,

It has been pretty comfortable for me and definitely worth the money (I have always hated tampons and pads), but as you can see there are women here who’ve found it uncomfortable. It is important to put in properly for comfort (it comes with a diagram). It also comes with a 1 year warranty so you can return it if it doesn’t work for you.

“The concept of going around with what is essentially a plug (blocking entrance) bothers me because it has a feeling of removing sexuality which is a huge part of me. That concept, however, takes a back seat to the more practical, the discomfort.”

It’s true you can’t stick anything in your vagina when you have a diva cup or tampon inside you. If you don’t like the feeling of being “plugged” then obviously the menstrual cup isn’t for you. But to equate that with removing sexuality?! I am sorry it just sounds funny. Is your sexuality dependent on the availability of your vagina for entrance? Because I masturbate with the diva cup inside me quite often and it doesn’t make me feel any less sexual!

Damn - thank goodness for early menopause. Heeee.

I too had issues with insertables - I'm tipped - so would lose diaphrams, sponges and broken condoms - even a tampin once. So assuming that everyone could use a catch-cup of any manufacture isn't helpful, ya'll.

Used to wear Depends at night - just to give you an idea of how heavy aunt FLO was. If I didn't it looked like I'd drug a murder victim to the bathroom. No kidding.

Sojourner, it's not that my sexuality is dependent on the availability of entrance to my vagina... when I masturbate, I don't use anything inside. I guess maybe it's a little hard to explain but I'll do the best I can.

I think it sort of comes down to function... I do not have nor want children. My vagina (and labia and all other parts of the genitals) are purely a source of pleasure, not reproduction. That is their only important function for me.

Then once a month, I get horrific cramps that are sometimes so bad they make me vomit...severe headaches that can keep me awake for hours at night...bloating and general swelling that make wearing my normal clothes very uncomfortable...After a day or so of this, things start to subside and I feel a bit better as the lighter days begin. One of the only things that makes me feel better during this time is penetrative sex with my monogamous partner of 7 years. When I used to use tampons several years back, it seemed that having something inside me actually made me feel worse. The inside and opening of my vagina would get very tender... sometimes for days after my period ended. I couldn't have sex, sometimes for a full week out of the month. The function of those parts and organs changed from pleasure to pain for one fourth of my time. For someone who likes to have sex daily, that's just not acceptable to me. Leaving the vagina "open" (for lack of a better word) at all times seems to make my period go by faster and causes significantly less localized discomfort...and I can still have sex, if I so choose, every day of the month.

Now, I realize that for someone without the same physical issues surrounding their period, the plug/removal of sexuality thing might not really be an issue in this way. I'm certainly not saying that you SHOULD think of it that way...but for me, it is what it is. I'm sorry if that "sounds funny." In a world where a lot of people want to have control of women's bodies and what they do with all their various parts, I've taken a hardline stand on exactly what my parts' functions are for me.

I fucking love my Diva Cup. And I understand the offensive comment, because I've noticed the same thing a lot of the time. "Ew I would have to touch what WHERE? Gross, blood, etc etc etc." That's not at all to say this is the only reason women decide against menstrual cups, but it's pretty common when the topic is brought up.

SingOut;

The reason tampons feel uncomfortable when they sit that low is because of what they are designed to do, which is absorb EVERYTHING in your vagina. They're sucking up all your natural lube right along with the blood, making your vagina dry and thus uncomfortable. Since the Diva Cup (I second the hatred of the name from earlier btw, much prefer the UK "Moon Cup") catches the blood instead of soaking everything up, it is not uncomfortable. Some people run into problems with it anyway, but by and large, once you figure out how to use it you will never feel it. If you can, it's in at an improper angle, which is incredibly common because you don't insert it like you do a tampon.

That's the thing that I think can be very frustrating for some. If you've been using tampons all your life, you have to totally unlearn how you are used to inserting things for Cups to work. It definitely has a learning curve. Once mastered though... I just can't stress how much easier it makes having a period.

To rileystclair, it really is, once learned, by far the most convenient way to have a period. I literally forget I'm even bleeding a day or two in, because I can't feel it, I'm not dry, and I don't have to change it. After my first couple days I go 24 hours between changings.

If people are more comfortable with tampons and the like, that's all good. But honestly, how can you possibly think having to change a tampon every 8 hours takes up less of your time than rinsing a cup out in hot water once to twice a day? That's the only part that sort of made me blink.

Interestingly enough, I switched to a Diva Cup because of lazyness and convenience.
There was only a half hour window (3.75 to 4.25 hours) in which to take tampons out comfortably and without leaking.
With the Diva Cup, I try and take it out every 12 hours, but I have totally left it in for 24 and been fine.
Takes way less time and effort than tampons ever did.

allow me to preface this comment with the fact that i have had nothing to do alllll day here at work and therefore have puh-lenty of time to read feministing!

im confused about something... ayla, why does a "plug" option also "remove sexuality"?
(i'm not questioning how you feel/think, i'm genuinely confused)

personally, sexuality for me is more than my vagina being accessible. (and it may very well be that way for you as well, i reckon we're talking semantics here)

Merichan, maybe we were typing at the same time. I left a pretty (err... overly...) lengthy explanation above. I suppose the short version is that I have decided that the primary function of my vagina is pleasure. Reproductive functions are secondary. (within the bounds of good health, of course)

Mara, Jessica,

Did you guys find anything on whether it was ok to not take it out for 24 hours? The manufacturer recommends 12 hours max but I couldn’t find anything on whether there were risks associated with leaving it in longer.

Sojourner, realistically speaking I can't think of a reason why you couldn't leave it in for longer. I didn't look up any backing evidence for this, but all it's doing is sitting and catching blood. Unless you are prone to yeast infections or unable to clean it (I only use very hot water for the most part here as well) there's not upsetting bacteria or anything up there to cause a problem. It can get "sucked up" rather high when I leave it in for longer than 12 hours, but once I got used to the thing that wasn't a problem. I imagine though that's why the company has that warning.

ayla,
yeah. i saw that and i am still confused (it honestly doesn't take much sometimes).

side note: i am in FULL support of pleasure before reproduction (as i do not want children either).

but. my point is that my sexuality encompasses so much more than just my vagina. my brain is a HUGE player (smell, sight, emotions, etc.)
and i reckon (and i apologize for speaking for you here) your sexuality is all-encompassing as well and that is why i was confused.

BUT,
it's almost quitting time - yay!
and.
i am being off topic here. ayla's sexuality was not what this post was about :)

As someone who thought the diva cup was uncomfortable at first, trim the tip until it's the right length where it doesn't rub against your vagina. I emailed diva cup and they gave me tips for insertion to make it more comfortable.

I too would like to know if anyone uses the diva cup with an IUD. I am having mirena inserted soon and would like to know the experience of others.

Merichan... yes it does encompass a lot more for me as well. I guess the "hidden factor" here is that penetrative sex makes me feel so much better (physically) when I'm having a bad time on my period. It can help me sleep when I otherwise couldn't and relieves the painful pressure in my abdomen. When I've been wearing something inside, I get sore and don't want to have penetrative sex.

I second the recommendation for the Livejournal menstrual_cups group. It's full of really useful information and answers for just about any question you could have about menstrual cups.

And I notice that nearly all of the comments here are exclusively about the Diva Cup: you do know that there are other reusable menstrual cups, right? The Diva is made in Canada. There's also the UK Mooncup, the Finnish Lunette, and the US Keeper and Moon Cup (same company). The Keeper is latex and the rest are medical grade silicone.

Thanks, everyone, for all the great information. I think I'm going to order one.

And thanks to the photo Samhita posted above, I know what to do with my leftover tampons. :)

To the IUD users - I have had a Keeper (the "old school" version of the Diva Cup) for eight or nine years now, and have used it with my Mirena IUD for four years with no problem. The strings on the IUD should be cut short enough to avoid entanglement with anything in your vagina, and I can't think of anything else that would cause a problem between the two items.

I love the cup and found it was the only product that I could use without leaking constantly. Different body types work differently, so YMMV, but the friends I have who have tried the cup are also converts now.

The time it takes to rinse and replace it is about equal to the time it takes to wrap a used tampon in toilet paper to throw it away. It is very easy if you follow the directions and it is NOTHING like trying to position a diaphragm (which was always a sweaty nightmare for me, too). Best of all, the dogs won't dig it out of the trash and drag it into the living room to nosh on while your in-laws are over for dinner.

I've tried cloth pads. Quite frankly, my periods are too heavy for them to handle unless I basically stuff a quilt batt between my legs. It's part of the "lovely" world of menopause, and a huge reason why I wish my body would just *stop* the bleeding so I can stop worrying about wrecked clothing and smelling faintly of blood during the worst of it.

Um, sorry to disappoint Traveltothesky, but I'm not the least bit ashamed of my body. I am, however, smack in the middle of menopause, which means very heavy periods (often irregular) that will go straight through anything but a Kotex supermaxi overnight long with wings that needs to be changed three times a day, especially during the two early days when I also have diarrhea.

I did try cloth pads, once. I bled through my underwear and trousers. Not fun.

Personally, I'm waiting for the day I finally *stop* bleeding because I'm sick of ruined underwear, having to wear nothing but dark colored trouser and skirts, stained nightwear and sheets, and smelling faintly of blood for several days a month. The only way a cloth pad would do me any good would be if it used most of a queen sized Warm 'n Natural quilt batt.

*blush* Sorry for the double post...:(

The Keeper et al look like tiny plungers. So while I totally support the idea and maybe would one day use it, it mostly makes me a little nervous that one day it'd get stuck and I'd end up "unclogging" my ovaries or something. Which...is crazy ridiculous, I know. But then again, I'm also a super-virgin and can only use junior-sized tampons so that probably has a lot to do with the apprehension.

I saw the Instead cups at my local Rite-Aid, which I thought was kind of cool but I'm guessing they aren't big sellers, judging by the fact that they were on the very bottom shelf and there was a nice layer of dust coating the box.

The Keeper et al look like tiny plungers. So while I totally support the idea and maybe would one day use it, it mostly makes me a little nervous that one day it'd get stuck and I'd end up "unclogging" my ovaries or something. Which...is crazy ridiculous, I know. But then again, I'm also a super-virgin and can only use junior-sized tampons so that probably has a lot to do with the apprehension.

I saw the Instead cups at my local Rite-Aid, which I thought was kind of cool but I'm guessing they aren't big sellers, judging by the fact that they were on the very bottom shelf and there was a nice layer of dust coating the box.

I tried the Instead once, when I wanted to have sex with my girlfriend. We were in a LDR and my visit coincided with me having my period. I hated the thing, couldn't seem to get it positioned right.

I also gave the keeper a valiant effort for several years, though not for the purpose of sex. I'm just not built right for that either. I never found it comfortable. Lots of women swear by it though. I never liked tampons either. I always felt too dry, or I'd leave it in too long and it would leak.

Cloth pads were my saving grace. I've tried a bunch of pads but I'm too lazy to sew my own. My pad of choice is the New Moon Pad, www.newmoonpads.com. I have no vested interest in the company. I just love them because they make them in all different sizes that work from my heavy overnight to my light spotting days, and the owner has made me special longer pads because I was finding that the night pads were just a few inches too short for my night flow. They come in lots of pretty patterns and though I still don't like having my period, I kind of enjoy matching a blue striped pad to blue striped panties, or picking out lime green flowers just because. And if you don't care about pattern, there's usually a discount if you're willing to take a random assortment. I have no problems with leakage or slippage because of the fleece backing, but you can also get strips with snaps to hold them in place if that's a concern for you. I've tried Glad Rags and Wemoons and I find New Moon to be the most convenient. I also don't have to handwash much. Since I live alone in a one-bath apartment, when I get home from work or take one off, I dump it in the bathtub. When I shower next, I hold them under the running water until the water runs clear and then hang them to dry on the towel rack that I don't use for anything else. When dry, I put them in the clothes hamper and then wash them with my load of towels. I have enough to get me through my cycle, and by the time 3.5 weeks comes around again, I've surely washed them all and have them stacked back in the bathroom closet.

I tried the Instead once, when I wanted to have sex with my girlfriend. We were in a LDR and my visit coincided with me having my period. I hated the thing, couldn't seem to get it positioned right.

I also gave the keeper a valiant effort for several years, though not for the purpose of sex. I'm just not built right for that either. I never found it comfortable. Lots of women swear by it though. I never liked tampons either. I always felt too dry, or I'd leave it in too long and it would leak.

Cloth pads were my saving grace. I've tried a bunch of pads but I'm too lazy to sew my own. My pad of choice is the New Moon Pad, www.newmoonpads.com. I have no vested interest in the company. I just love them because they make them in all different sizes that work from my heavy overnight to my light spotting days, and the owner has made me special longer pads because I was finding that the night pads were just a few inches too short for my night flow. They come in lots of pretty patterns and though I still don't like having my period, I kind of enjoy matching a blue striped pad to blue striped panties, or picking out lime green flowers just because. And if you don't care about pattern, there's usually a discount if you're willing to take a random assortment. I have no problems with leakage or slippage because of the fleece backing, but you can also get strips with snaps to hold them in place if that's a concern for you. I've tried Glad Rags and Wemoons and I find New Moon to be the most convenient. I also don't have to handwash much. Since I live alone in a one-bath apartment, when I get home from work or take one off, I dump it in the bathtub. When I shower next, I hold them under the running water until the water runs clear and then hang them to dry on the towel rack that I don't use for anything else. When dry, I put them in the clothes hamper and then wash them with my load of towels. I have enough to get me through my cycle, and by the time 3.5 weeks comes around again, I've surely washed them all and have them stacked back in the bathroom closet.

Clare, this is utterly off-topic, but my name is Clare, and you spell it just like me! I never see anyone with both my name and spelling. It's freaking me out. :-)

Hey everyone! I bought a Diva Cup two periods ago because i heard so much about it on here. I love it. Once you get a method for yourself for putting it in and taking it out, its a sinch! I dont feel it all day, i know it wont leak (not even smell!) and i can sleep in it! It is the best thing. Thanks girls for telling me about this thing!! Now i just need to find a way to get rid of the life-stopping cramps i get the first day.

I second One Jewish Dyke. I hated the Instead Cups as well. I could feel them and they leaked. They were also incredibly messy to change. I would, however, like to try one of the other cups and disposable pads. Maybe I’ll ask for that for Christmas. ; )
I use tampons (with disposable pad as back-up on heavy days) mostly. I notice that the times that I use pads only during my heavy days, my cramps aren’t as severe. I am hoping the Diva Cup (or whichever I choose) will give me the same relief pads do from the cramps while still getting the convenience of tampons.

I must say, minus a few comments, I really enjoy the period and birth control posts. It’s generally informative and always interesting for me to see what everyone likes/dislikes and why.

i have the most ridiculously light flow now that ive hit my mid twenties and only a bit of cramping my first day, otherwise i dont mind my period at all. i love my divacup and my cloth pads, but i admit they are a bit of a hassel compared to disposables. then again, i was always one of those terrible people who flushed her tampons down the toilet, so all i had to deal with was a yank then a flush, if i had been wrapping and disposing the time difference wouldnt be much from rinsing my cup out. the only other problem i have is my cloth pads sometimes unsnap when i pull down my underwear and fall in the toilet which sucks alot, and truthfully it was alot simpler to carry a few OBs in my pocket than having to carry a bag with my divacup and a cloth pad in it, but im not a purse girl at all and would prefer to fit everything i need in my jeans pockets.

lets not fight, i think we should be happy were all not stuck wearing menstrual belts, which from my mothers stories sounded like hell, as the metal clip would grind against her tailbone all damn day.

Diva user here! I'm using mine right now actually, and it's a good thing because I'm also really really sick and I can't imagine having to change a pad or tampon right now.

Honestly I don't get why women are against these products. Love tampons? WTF. A diva cup is like a tampon that you don't have to change as often, doesn't have a stupid string and can be re-used! No more weird moments with the 15 year old boy at the cash register at the super market. Even with cloth pads you don't have to hand wash them. I used cloth pads after my daughter was born, I just kept them in a plastic container in my bathroom closet and threw them in with the rest of my clothing. They were fleece topped (I made them myself) so they didn't stain. After buying my Diva cup I threw them out because I didn't need to use them anymore. The diva cup is just awesome. I can't imagine my period without it.

I'm glad you like your divacup. But don't WTF my tampons. I like the string, I don't mind changing tampons, I hate cleaning things, and I never get embarrassed buying tampons. Never have, never will. I'm the woman having an extensive conversation with the stockclerk asking if they're going to be getting the regular absorbancy with no applicators in within the next week or what.

Oh, and very important for those of us who are major klutzes? I never have to worry about spilling tampons.