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Product Review: The Diva Cup

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

For those of you who are a bit squeamish, this post comes with a warning. Do not read any further if you don't want to read about how the female body works and the different cycles it goes through. If you don't like that sort of thing, move along. Matter of fact, go here, to check out this happy page.

***************************pausing for everyone who wishes to go. don't say I didn't warn ya!***

Alrighty, the rest of you brave souls, thank you for staying! I'm going to talk about the Diva Cup today. First of all, this is a bit surreal for me to think that I'm writing this review. Seriously, who really puts this much thought and effort into their menstural cycle? Some of you, please comment and let me know that I'm not alone, nor am I the only OCD female when it comes to this. You see, for the better part of twenty plus years, each month I've dreaded day 2 & 3 of my cycle. Not because I get horrible cramps or migraines, or turn into a feral animal in my pursuit of chocolate, but because I don't want to worry about having a mess (i.e. leaks). You can imagine how stressful it was for a junior high and high school girl in sports to worry about such things. I'd heard stories of a gal's pad falling out during one of her cheerleading jumps. It never happened to me, but the thought, the horror! I didn't like the idea of panty lines with my spandex volleyball uniform, let alone a pad line. And you might be thinking, duh, Bianca, why didn't you wear a tampon? I did! Super Plus, even, but they just weren't ever enough. Well, you know, you are supposed to change them often! Again, I know this. But minutes within a change, I'm back to the beginning, hence having a pad. Not a liner, mind you, but a full-bodied pad...with wings! You can imagine my horror for tournament play, when there wasn't a bathroom nearby. I became really great at quick changes and a master bathroom finder.

And then one day, I happened upon someone mentioning a reusable cup. I think they called it a Moon cup (woohoo, made in the USA). I thought they were out of their mind and a bit over-the-top crunchy and granola. Yeah, I dismissed it with my snobby traditional feminine products self. Fast forward a few years and I read a positive testimonial about their use of a menstrual cup . This time around, I'd already pushed two small beings out of my nether regions, so what was the big deal in trying something new and different. One of the many discount bulk buying sites (babyhalfoff) was running a special on the Diva Cup (Canada, 'eh!, still supporting my North American buddies), so I pounced on it! I had already considered purchasing a cup on my own, so at a discount, I was definitely going to give it a try!

When it arrived in the mail, my first thought was what! That looks entirely too large for my comfort. But I had already committed to giving it a try, so I sat down with the instructions and read them a few times. I squished the silicone in my hand and was surprised at how bendy and elastic it was. When I folded it like the instructions said, it definitely became condensed to a point where I didn't fear it. The time came for me to give it a whirl. I told myself, I will definitely commit to day 1. If it goes without any issue, I will try day 2, but I wasn't expecting to be able to use it on day 3. Certainly not. Day 1 came, and not only did I tempt fate by using it, but I ventured out in public, to a party, in a white dress, with no liner, even! I wore it for six hour and truth be told, I was paranoid about a leak. Nothing. I was shocked. Day 2 rolls around and I'm every bit as skeptical as I have been. This time I wore a liner. I wore it for 9 hours before cleaning. No leaks, no issues whatsoever. AMAZING!  Another 6 hours, no leaks. I even squeezed in an aerobic type of workout complete with jumping, lunging, bending, squatting without any issues at all. Over night (surely there'd be some leaks) no leaks! Day 3, the ultimate day where I worry the most...I continue with wearing a liner. I wear it for 6 hours and realize that it is no where near full, but I'm glad that I opted to empty and clean it earlier than planned. Another 6 hours, same thing, but not a big deal. I'm an old pro at it by now. I hit the gym for a swim and have absolutely no complications or weird sensations. Day 4 and 5 are a breeze! I'm so confident, I don't even wear the liner. Speaking of, all those times I wore the liner, totally not necessary, whatsoever.

Honest Truth: I had to get used to the slight pop during removal. A seal is made upon insertion, hence the reason for no leaks, so that seal must be broken. Also, it is still larger than a tampon, but not in any way noticeable to me like a tampon. Heck, not noticeable at all, which is really weird to me, but also amazing. Seeing all of the fluid collected in it is a bit gross. However, I've been dealing with poo and vomit, so this didn't creep me out as much as I was expecting it to.Plus, I can totally plan my day around the times when I insert and remove it so I'm at home...mostly. I've had to change it a couple of times in public, but it really wasn't as big of a deal as I expected it to be. It was actually less of a deal than attempting to clean up a leaked mess from times past. For what I typically spend in a two months span, I bought the Diva Cup. My environmental impact is lessened, but mostly I feel 100% protected and confident during another otherwise unattractive time. No issues with rogue strings, failing adhesive, overly aggressive adhesive, or a plain mess. I give this product a resounding thumbs up and a huge recommendation. That is if you can get over the issues I mentioned. If not, then you've clearly never worried about leaks to the point that I have or you might need to let your mind marinate on the idea of it all before you give it a try. Regardless, I would highly recommend this product!

**I was not paid for reviewing this product, nor was I compensated in any way. I am not at all affiliated with Babyhalfoff, Diva Cup, or Moon Cup. I am not opposed to receiving items to review or giveaway on my blog, but this time I just really liked the product. These thoughts are my own opinion.**

3 comments:

MakeupMandiTX said...

I love my diva cup. I was uber skeptical at first, but now not at all. I was tempted to try the washable pads, but am so glad I opted for this first. :)

chae said...

Thanks for introducing me to this product. I have not tried it yet but i will soon enough. Can you feel the cup at all while it is inside of you? I just hope that part is seamless. I would not want to feel a foreign object at odd times during the day. It seemed like you were able to keep it on for quite some time without washing. That is pretty awesome too. Can you leave it in all night?

Terah said...

I was already considering buying a couple but now I really, REALLY want to! I just CANNOT tolerate the discomfort of tampons so products like this definitely appeal to me.

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