Diva Cup Model 1 Pre-Childbirth
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List Price: Our Price: $22.80 You Save: $16.79 (42%) Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Diva Cup Model 1 Pre-Childbirth
Customer Review: I like it as much as one can like a menstrual product! Ha.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you had told me a few years ago that I would be using a reusable menstrual product, I would've first said, "Ewww," and then laughed. But here I am, not just using a reusable menstrual product, but liking the product.
I'm not exactly the stereotypical Diva Cup demographic. I'm totally a hormonal birth control, why-do-I-have-to-menstruate-at-all, I-am-not-washing-reusable-pads-with-period-blood-on-them, type of girl. Most of my friends who use it are more or less the stereotypical demographic (cloth pads and/or natural family planning, etc.), but when one of my friends who is similar to me in many ways declared that menstrual cups had basically changed her life, I was intrigued. Even then the idea had to grow on me, but eventually it did.
Unlike my friend and several previous reviewers, I would not say this product is life-changing, but I would say it is undoubtedly the best menstrual product I have ever used. You have the perks of tampons - you can swim, exercise, jump on the trampoline, whatever, without worry - and the security of pads, but without the smell and bunchy feeling of a pad, and without the risk of TSS and irritating string of a tampon. It is also obviously more hygienic than those options because it's silicone instead of bacteria-breeding fabric or plastic.
I have only used the Diva Cup for one cycle but I had no problems putting it in with the punch-down fold. I actually find it very easy to insert, and it pops open on its own after a minute or two. (I can feel it; it feels weird, but doesn't hurt.) Removal has also been pretty easy, although there is definitely pressure when the brim is about to come out. Not a fan of that, but it doesn't actually hurt, so I can deal with it.
If you have more questions, Google "menstrual cups LiveJournal" and check out the LJ community that shows up. The amount of menstrual cup knowledge and experience that is accessible there for free is amazing and really helped me out when choosing which cup to buy and other questions I had.
Bottom line: menstrual cups such as the Diva Cup are better for you, better for your wallet, and better for the environment. So if you're like I was and are "not the type to use one", or perhaps grossed out, I say get over it and get one! What have you got to lose?
Customer Review: GREAT product if you suffer with heavy periods!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd actually give this product a 4.5 rating... but I didn't have that option. It definitely has it's pros and cons. I did a lot of research online before buying mine. I was originally considering a product made out of rubber... but several women wrote reviews that said the silicone is better because it is easier to clean and less rigid. I've been using the Diva cup for about 3 months. I HIGHLY recommend checking out the menstrual_cups community on livejournal! There are a lot of great tips to be found there and plenty of information about the pros and cons of the product. I have not had children, but purchased the #2 size due to my age. I had some problems with consistently getting it in the right position at first, but that issue has resolved. I have to admit, removal the first time was a very painful process. I still haven't quite figured out how to remove the cup without some pain or spilling... I'm still working on perfecting the technique. Another negative for me is that I have very heavy periods and sometimes have to wash the cup in public which is a little awkward (not really that gross if you empty it in the toilet and wipe it off first... no worse than washing a little blood off your hands after changing a tampon). Here are the positives about the product though... if it's inserted properly, it's very comfortable. I no longer have to worry during long meetings/client appointments (or a night on the town) that I'm going to leak through tampons and pads. I sometimes travel long distances for work and it's nice to be able to drive for several hours and not worry about leakage. I don't have to get up in the middle of the night to change tampons. I only need to empty and wash it 4-5 times a day on my heaviest days and twice on my lightest. It's helpful to be able to gauge how much I'm really bleeding. There is little or no odor to the menstrual blood, which makes me feel cleaner. I'm able to insert the Diva when I'm expecting my period... so there are no worries about spotting (and no problems if I don't start when I expect to). I've talked to some friends about the product, but so far none of them are adventurous enough to try it (even my female gynocologist seemed to think it was a little odd). Overall, I'm very happy with my decision to switch to the Diva cup!
Customer Review: Don't let the ick factor scare you.
Summary: 5 Stars
I switched to a Divacup while I was in college, years ago. I've never looked back. This is one of the best things to happen to "sanitary hygiene", well, ever. I have a tilted uterus, and a relatively short vaginal canal, so standard tampons never fit, I had to use o.b., which were okay too, but they really dried me out. Pads are just disgusting, why would I want to wear a diaper? I'm an adult, and that's icky. So, on a whim, I said sure, why not try it, the company had (and I think still does have) a money back guarantee, if you try it for a YEAR and don't like it, send it back.
I never even considered returning it. It's wonderful to have the freedom of not having to carry a tampon or two with me everywhere I go, even o.b. takes some forethought. And truly, my cramps were reduced by probably 60% when I switched, I'm sure due to the muscles not being dehydrated by a hyper-absorbent hunk of bleached cotton smushed up next to them. And I am one of those women who do a hyper-heavy flow for a whoppin three days, and bam, its over. Which, in tampon land, means I was changing a heavy one every 2-3 hours, for the whole time. Definitely not a pleasant experience.
Enter the Divacup. No longer an issue. I empty and clean my morning and night. I simply wash it at the sink with soap and water before putting it back. Then, at the end of the cycle, I keep a little toothbrush just for it, and it gets a good thorough scrubbing, after a swim in boiling water for 15-20 minutes. The toothbrush is handy to get in the little vent holes around the rim, it is important to keep them clean and clear, they're integral to the seal to prevent leaks. A toothpick also works well for this one I'm told, which I haven't tried yet, but will this time around.
So, if you're waffling, take the leap. It's a one time $[...], vs however many hundreds a year you spend on tampons or pads, and FAR less gross. I'm comfortable with my own body and what it does, and recommend this to every woman out there. Phenomenal product. And, being medical-grade silicone, there's nothing there to irritate the tender membranes "down-there", and I get the peace of mind of being able to boil the daylights out of it, and know that nothing icky lives on.
Customer Review: I wish I had tried it sooner!
Summary: 5 Stars
I heard of menstrual cups a few years ago, but I thought it would leak, I would have to rinse it in a public bathroom, etc. But then I saw it suggested on Grist as an environmentally-friendly alternative to tampons, and I started reading about them and changed my mind. I am so glad I tried it!
Pros:
-Saves money in the long run - just $30 up front vs. $5/month for tampons or pads. Could pay for itself within a year, depending on how much you normally spend.
-You empty it much less often than you change tampons - I normaly need to empty it only twice a day, or three times on heavy days. It can be left in up to 12 hours.
-Great for sports, swimming, camping, travel, etc.
-Very eco-friendly. Reduces your consumption of resources and your contribution to landfills and pollution (tampon applicators are a huge litter problem on beaches, etc.)
-Much safer than tampons. There is no risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome and it does not contain any bleach as most tampons do.
-For some people, it reduces menstrual cramps because it sits lower than tampons
-No accidents, if you have inserted properly and empty it as necessary
-Doesn't dry you out like tampons do
Cons:
-It can take a little practice to learn how to insert and remove it properly. I didn't have much trouble, but some people may find it difficult at first. There are websites with helpful tips if you have any problems.
-If it's not in properly it can leak. When you're putting it in, feel around the base to make sure it has popped open.
-You should wash it out with soap and water before reinserting, which you probably don't want to do in a public bathroom. But since you can leave it in for up to 12 hours, you can usually just wait until you have a private bathroom. If you have to use a public bathroom, you can just wipe it out with toilet paper and wash it the next time you have a chance.
-Women who are uncomfortable with their lady parts or their menstrual blood probably wouldn't want to use one.
You have to try the Diva Cup. The list price is $30, but you can find it discounted if you look around. I got mine for $17 at an online drug store.
Customer Review: freedom!
Summary: 5 Stars
I can not possibly love my Diva cup anymore than I already do! It has given me such freedom and confidence while on my period. I even go SCUBA diving with it!
At first it takes some time getting used to- just like any other type of feminine product. After your first period using the Diva cup, you won't even feel it. You become more in tune with your cycle using the Diva.
I honestly 'forget' I am on my period. No more worrying about changing tampons (TSS eww!) or the embarrassment of smelly pads. No more running out of tampons/pads and making a late night run to the store! No more having to ask for a spare tampon/pad from the girl in the next stall! I feel comfortable going commando during my period and even wearing white pants, gasp!
Before switching to the Diva, I had dryness issues post-period...the Diva solved that. And I feel better knowing that the natural balance of my vagina is intact throughout my cycle! Tampons contain chemicals to aid in absorbtion, these can cause micro-tears in the sensitive vaginal tissue. The Dive is silocone which means no chemicals and no tears. Pads also contain high levels of absorbant chemicals which are then exposed to the most sensitive area of your body.
I love that I can go all day without even thinking about my period- I just clean it when I wake up in the morning and before I go to bed at night (about every 12 hours). After the first two months it paid for itself in savings. (I bought mine for $40, I used to spend $20 a month on tampons/pads, and I can use it for years.) Also I feel good that I am reducing my carbon footprint- by using the Diva I'm not thowing away tons of used 'products' into landfills every month. It is the most convienent form of feminine hygene I have come across!
After being won over by the benefits of the Diva I recommended it to three of my girlfirends.
ALL of them LOVE it!
If you have any questions or doubts- talk to one of your girlfriends (you'll be surprized how many women use menstrual cups) or search the internet. The Diva cup website is a great resource as is [...]!
the Diva=happy periods!