Frank and explicit discussion of menstrual cycles in this section. Mens and uninterested womens, you may be excused.
I am in the middle of my second menstrual cycle since I got the Diva Cup I ordered, and at this point, I have to say that I wholeheartedly give it two thumbs up with a few caveats.
First off, it’s kind of awkward to insert. You have to hold it folded closed to insert, and I do that, but I’d say about one time out of five, it ::sproings:: open and I have to pull it out, rinse it off, and reinsert it.
Secondly, it’s a little uncomfortable to remove, because you can try to squeeze it closed to pull it out, but we’re talking about an area with fairly limited space in which to maneuver, so you (I) end up pulling it out mostly open, and it’s not the size of a baby or anything, but it can be uncomfortable.
Neither of those is enough to stop me from using it, because it is ten THOUSAND times better than tampons and roughly 63 MILLION times better than pads. I have not leaked one single time, and even on my heaviest flow days I only have to empty it once in the morning (I like to clean it out and leave it next to the sink for after-shower insertion; yes, I could wash it out in the shower. I choose not to.) and once at bedtime.
I think I have a fairly average flow, so women with super-duper heavy flows might have to empty it more often. I’d suggest, if you’re going to give it a try, you start on a day when you’re at home or near a bathroom you’re comfortable with, just in case.
I did have to trim the “tail” of the Diva Cup because it was poking me in delicate areas, but once I did that, I can’t even tell it’s there.
Note that if you’re uncomfortable with your body and with digging around and possibly getting blood on your hands, and having to rinse out a bloody cup in the sink (oh, stop looking at me like that; I wash the sink down with antibacterial soap afterward, I’m not a heathen (though it has occurred to me to leave a smear of blood in the sink just to see Fred scream and run around in circles)), this might not be for you. The first few times I saw the cup full of blood, I was a tad ooked out (it’s a whole different thing, seeing a tampon saturated with blood versus seeing a cup full of blood), but I got over it. I could never have dealt with the digging-around and bloody-fingers aspect of the whole thing when I was a teen or in my early 20s, but nowadays I take it in stride.
So basically – I like it, and I recommend it. Your mileage may vary.
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When not working hard in his position as Bathroom Ambassador (“This is the way to the bathroom! Let me rub upon the wall to show you! Let me walk slowly and stretch and get in your way! And this is the water bowl in the bathroom! Some people like to sit on it, which is funny! Ha! Ha! No, if you need to sit on the water bowl, that’s fine! I’ll just sit right here and watch! Hey, whatcha doing in my water bowl? What… why would you do that in my water bowl? That’s my WATER BOWL!”), Lester J. Spankenstein likes to hang out in his box. Which his Daddy bought just for him. Daddy had to move the boots out of the box, but now it’s just the way he likes it. Bootless and roomy and comfy. He will stay here forever – or at least until his next shift as Bathroom Ambassador begins. Whichever.
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Previously
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: My crap, is my scalp FRIED.
2003: I’m still thinking of killing her.
2002: Getting impatient, because Fred hadn’t carried the bag of food upstairs and poured some fresh food for his majesty, Tubby started bitching “Give me food, damnit!”
2001: “Remember when you moved that dresser? That was cool.”]]>
7/30/07