UPDATED 7/7/14: I LOVEEEE my Diva Cup!! I could not function monthly without this thing. I have not had to purchase any other “monthly” items since ordering the Diva Cup. Highly recommend!!
First of all, if you’re a fella, I suggest you stop reading this blog post right now.
No, seriously, right now.
Now.
If you’re a lady who would prefer not to read about your monthly visit from Aunt Flo, then I also suggest you stop reading.
However, if you’re interested, like me, in all things “women” and how to make my “time of the month” easier, then this post is for you!
A few weeks ago I was complaining to myself about the cost of tampons. Yes, tampons. Because even if I have a ton left over each month, it’s normally not the absorption that I need. But then if I only buy one box of the same absorption, then I have too many of one and not the other. And the dilemma continues….
I hate sanitary napkins, because quite honestly, they don’t seem very sanitary to me. I hate feeling “dirty”, so I decided a couple of years ago to switch to tampons. I was paying, roughly, $10 a month for tampons…every.single.month. This comes out to $120 a year, give or take. There is, of course, the concern of TSS (toxic shock syndrome) with tampons, and it was a very real concern for me. Even recently, it is something that I worried about. But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that it really became real to me. My husband, very innocently, came into our bedroom one night and said, “aren’t you afraid of toxic shock syndrome?” Um…excuse me? “Where on earth did you learn about that?” I asked him. His reply, a very manly one, “There was nothing else in the bathroom for me to read, so I read the back of your tampons box.” *face palm*.
As hilarious as this conversation was, I was quite concerned about TSS, but had never really researched to see what other, all natural, options were out there for women. And the fact that my husband was now concerned about it really made me want to find a better alternative. I knew about the cloth menstrual pads, but again, I don’t like pads, so that wasn’t for me. But, if I had to switch, then I guess that is something I would sacrifice. That is, until I found The Diva Cup. Yes, ladies, I am in seventh heaven right now.
I’ll admit, when I first saw it I was quite intimidated. I wasn’t sure which model to order, so I went with model #2, which is suggested for women over 30 (which I am not) or who have had a child (which I have). Model #1 is for women who are under 30 or who have never had children. Obviously, it was all laid out for me, but I was still confused.
I was like a kid in a candy store when it arrived just a week later in the mail. It was so, big. I cringed, slightly. How the heck does this thing work?! I will spare you the details, but I was quickly sold on the product. If you are used to using tampons (or in my case, checking your cervix if you are trying to conceive — that’s a whole other story for a whole other day!), then the diva cup will be a breeze for you.
After insertion, you can wear the diva cup for 12 hours without any concern for TSS or any other mishap or medical issue for that matter. When you are ready to take it out, you just dump the contents in the toilet and wash the cup in hot water and alcohol, or you can buy the little bottle of wash from Diva Cup specifically made for washing it. For now, I just use alcohol, rinse with hot water, and then reinsert and go on about my life!
Some questions I have been asked, and very valid ones; is it hard to insert, is it messy, is it hard to wash, what about when you’re out in public, does it leak? No, it is not hard to insert. I got it right on my very first attempt, but I could see how it would take someone who isn’t used to wearing tampons etc, maybe 5 or so tries to get it right the first time. It isn’t messy at all, in fact, the best party about it is that at the very first sign of Aunt Flo, I can insert it and not have to worry about TSS or which tampon absorbency I need to use. I can leave it in for 12 hours and not have to worry about starting my period while out and about without being prepared. It isn’t hard to wash, takes about 10 seconds, literally! I always changed my tampon before I went out in public anyway, so it’s no different with the Diva Cup. The best thing about the cup is that it is good for 12 hours. And most of the time, I am not out for longer than 8 hours. If I am, I try to find a private bathroom (or the “family” bathroom) to do my thing, or most of the time, public bathrooms aren’t overly busy anyhow (unless you’re at a large mall or something), so it’s very easy to wash your cup out in the sink (after exposing of blood into the toilet). In fact, no one will really even see any blood since most of it goes into the toilet anyway. They’ll just wonder why you’re washing out a weird little clear cup! As far as leaking goes, no, I have not had one single leak. I LOVE it. It makes me forget that I am even on my period, as I still had leaks with tampons. However, if you are having issues with insertion of the Diva Cup, I would suggest you wear a panty liner for the first few days until you get it right.
I have nothing but good things to say about the Diva Cup. Though, I am sure it is probably an absolute love or an absolute hate relationship for each individual person. The fact the the Diva Cup is all natural, and only one purchase of $34 — that’s one of the biggest winners for me. The total cost of everything for the entire year might total to $40 (including the wash/alcohol for the cup), so I am saving a total of $80 a year. And while that might not seem like a lot, it is to me! New boots, anyone? 🙂
The Diva Cup website suggests that you replace your cup every year, however, many can last up to 3-5 years. If you are looking for an all natural way to make your life easier during your menstrual period, I would highly recommend the Diva Cup. No, I was not paid to write this review, and no, I did not receive this product for free simply for reviewing purposes. But I did find this product on my own, and I did buy it on my own, and I though it was just too amazing not to share with you!!!
If you have any other questions about the Diva Cup, feel free to comment below or shoot me an email 🙂
