# Women- alternative to tampons and pads



## Sweetgal (Jan 9, 2005)

I searched this forum but didn't find anything on this subject so thought I'd post about this for those who want to have alternatives to these standard ways to deal with menstruation.

I was skeptical but decided to try a Diva Cup. Yeah, I know the name is a bit corny. I do not sell this product nor do I have anything to do with it's manufacture. Saying that so you know I'm not trying to sell or push this product.

It took me a while and a lot of researching online but I finally broke down and paid the $ to buy one and I have never looked back. It is a little strange to insert at first but it gets easier. I feel so free. With pads I felt like I was wearing a diaper, even with the thin ones. I was worried about using tampons because of the toxic shock syndrome thing but used them anyway because they worked better for me than pads. Now I won't use anything but a Diva Cup. I've had mine for about two years. I just wish I had heard about this a long time ago. 
It isn't cheap but in the long run saves lots of money because you no longer have to buy pads or tampons. I am sure glad I shelled out the money. 
I feel good using it because I'm helping the environment by cutting back on waste (disposing pads/tampons), I'm so much more comfortable and I'm saving money (always a good thing). I love not having deal with disposing used pads and tampons - especially when some public restrooms don't have the little box thing in the stalls. 

In case anyone else wants to check this product out here is the link to the company's website: 

Diva Cup 

I have also seen these sold in the local health food store where I live but don't know if they are sold all over the country or not.
There are other brands of this same type of product but I have only tried the Diva Cup so don't know how good the other ones are.

I also noticed that the health food store sells other natural types of items to use during menstruation but again I've not tried them so don't know about them.

Just thought I'd share my experience with you.
Sweets


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## debra in ks (Jun 13, 2002)

It sounds like a particularly good thing for women to have as part of their preparedness supplies.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I've been using the Keeper (which is basically the same thing) for 5 years or so now. I just love it!


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## trish4prez (Jul 9, 2006)

Just ordered one. I hope it's as good as described!


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## stars01 (Jun 24, 2006)

I'm going on my 5th month with the Diva, I love it!!!

Paula


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## madness (Dec 6, 2006)

I just ordered one too. I've been on Depo Provera for over 5 years and I've decided to stop taking it (yesterday was my last chance to get the next shot). I haven't had a period during that whole time and the thought of dealing with tampons again really bothered me. I hope it arrives in time for my first period!


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## Peepsqueak (Apr 6, 2005)

Try the sponges....they are inexpensive and can last up to a year. I think this is the website: www.jadeandpearl.com.


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## Christina (May 10, 2002)

I have such heavy periods I have to use a pad with the Keeper, but I still love it - so much less messy than those pads alone.


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## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

I have a really heavy period and I have used the Diva cup for a year - no problem. I might buy a new one just to have an extra one around 

Saved me some money definitely by not having to buy tampons!! And with moving to the farm and the spetic system it makes a difference..... flushable just doesn't exist anymore.


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## Metagirrl (Oct 8, 2006)

I read about the diva cup and researched it online, and finally bought it. I've used it for about three cycles now, and Love it! It has nearly paid for itself, and I feel so much better about not introducing more waste into the environment. I spend a lot of time working outdoors for my job, and it's not the type of job condusive to carrying a purse full of "supplies." For anyone who gets one, and has difficulty, be sure and check out this website:
http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups

It has enough tips and tricks to getting it figured out if you have any difficulty. I trimmed most of the stem off mine so it wouldn't be so pokey. Otherwise, I haven't had any trouble out of it.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

Does anyone know if you can use it with a tilted cervix? I usually don't wear tampons because they are uncomfortable. I would really like to try something like the Diva though. Thanks!


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## cfarmher (Apr 11, 2006)

I love my diva cup!!!


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

morningstar said:


> Does anyone know if you can use it with a tilted cervix? I usually don't wear tampons because they are uncomfortable. I would really like to try something like the Diva though. Thanks!


I have a tipped uterus, and it works great for me...I just have to make sure it is inserted at an angle.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

I tried something like this almost thirty years ago...called the 'Tassaway'. I stopped because the thought of all that blood and goo being stopped up and not getting out bugged me.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

On my third Moontime with the Diva (after many months using cloth pads)...Love it!!!! I no longer have the nasty tampon stink (egads I really feel for those women who don't realize they are in a cloud of 'just changed my tampon' stink) and then the pain of dealing with the pads, although I do try to take a break from the cup to allow Nature to flow.
Some women only dump their cup once or twice a day..I do mine everytime I 'pass water'...better way to monitor and stay connected with my cycle.
Told my DIL if she wanted to give the cup a try I would buy it for her....


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

I just ordered one today.
Dawn


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## tripletmom (Feb 4, 2005)

I have a tipped uterus also and have used a Keeper for about 7 years. The only thing I need to do is run my finger around the rim to be sure it's completely covering the cervix. It took a while to figure this out but once I did, no more leaks unless it gets full and overflows.


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## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

Tipped uterus here. Not sure if it mattered but I tried something similar a few years back and did not like it at all. It wasn't a comfort issue, but a utility issue.

Now I don't have periods unless I run out of continuous BC (nearly never).


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## NWoods_Hippie (Nov 16, 2006)

Ok, I have a question! I have been thinking about and researching the Diva and the Keeper but one thing keeps me from doing so...I work outside about 9 hours a day from mid April through late October and most of the places I work I have NO access to fresh clean water in which to wash out my cup.

I could haul water extra water along with me, I already bring 2 gallons of drinking water each day. So then do I also need to bring soap, and something to wash my cup in? The other problem is that I am a house painter and my hands are NEVER clean, and there again is my water problems, NO HOT WATER, what do I do?

I really want to kick the tampon habit, as I spend a fortune on organic tampons!!

Thanks,
Margie


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## tripletmom (Feb 4, 2005)

You can just dump your cup. You probably do want water to wash your hands as it is messier than tampons, plus you wouldn't want your hands to be all full of paint when you reach up inside to retrieve it.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

NWoods_Hippie said:


> Ok, I have a question! I have been thinking about and researching the Diva and the Keeper but one thing keeps me from doing so...I work outside about 9 hours a day from mid April through late October and most of the places I work I have NO access to fresh clean water in which to wash out my cup.
> 
> I could haul water extra water along with me, I already bring 2 gallons of drinking water each day. So then do I also need to bring soap, and something to wash my cup in? The other problem is that I am a house painter and my hands are NEVER clean, and there again is my water problems, NO HOT WATER, what do I do?
> 
> ...


It may sound gross, but I don't change mine at all during the day. I take it out and wash it in the shower and reinsert in the morning and then empty it again and reinsert before bed at night. I had always had a really heavy flow, but it tapered off quite a bit when I started using the Keeper. I've only overflowed it once in the five or so years that I've been using this method.

For me, the less I mess with it, the better. I don't know if it's because of my tipped uterus or what, but once I get it in there right I like to leave it.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

NWoods_Hippie said:


> Ok, I have a question! I have been thinking about and researching the Diva and the Keeper but one thing keeps me from doing so...I work outside about 9 hours a day from mid April through late October and most of the places I work I have NO access to fresh clean water in which to wash out my cup.
> 
> I could haul water extra water along with me, I already bring 2 gallons of drinking water each day. So then do I also need to bring soap, and something to wash my cup in? The other problem is that I am a house painter and my hands are NEVER clean, and there again is my water problems, NO HOT WATER, what do I do?
> 
> ...


A box of surgical gloves?


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

If you're wanting to order the Diva Cup, I'd suggest E-bay. I found a supplier that had a good buy-it-now price and reasonable shipping with 100% positive feedback. I ordered last Monday, and it was in my mailbox on Friday.

Mamabooh I think the surgical gloves suggested above, with maybe a 4oz squirt bottle of water would work.
Dawn


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## NWoods_Hippie (Nov 16, 2006)

Thank you all, the paint on my hands thing is my main concern, never thought about gloves, or the fact that I might not have to empty the cup during the day!!

Margie


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## Sweetgal (Jan 9, 2005)

I also don't usually empty my Diva cup during the day. I've only had one time when it leaked because it overflowed. I've gone almost 12 hours without emptying it. It's one reason I like it so much. Hated having to worry about when to change the pad or tampon. In fact I've started to notice that I can feel when I need to empty it. Hard to explain but I get to feeling a bit uncomfortable and usually my cup needs to be emptied. 
You could also carry those pocket packs of wet wipes with you to clean your hands and the cup if you do need to change it during the day. Just a thought.
I have used toilet paper to wipe out my cup when I had to change it in a public restroom. I was worried at first about bacteria but have not had any problems so far.



NWoods_Hippie said:


> Thank you all, the paint on my hands thing is my main concern, never thought about gloves, or the fact that I might not have to empty the cup during the day!!
> 
> Margie


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## Amylb999 (Jan 28, 2007)

Where we live the nearest store is a country market,,, big $$$ for feminine products. I got tired of driving 20 minutes to buy pads when I forgot my period was coming so I started making my own washable pads. I cut fabric the shape of a pad with wings and sew a few layers together. Then I add a button and hole on the wings to hold the pad in place when I wear them. I tweaked my design lately and used a shower curtain liner to make backings for my pad and eliminate any leaks. At the end of my period I put them in the washer,,,no more last minute runs to the store. :dance: 
The Diva cups seems like a good idea but it's not for me,,I never used tampons because I never liked the idea of leaving all that blood inside.


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## northstarpermie (May 11, 2006)

The blood is just inside you for 28 or so days and then leaves your body over a course of 4-9 days. People are worried about it staying in a cup for another 8 to 10 hours tops when millions of women do it with tampons everyday? Just making a point. 

NWoods Hippie ~ If you need to change during the day, you can always buy two of them. Use the clean one and pack the other one away until you can clean it. 

I have two Diva Cups and will never go back to tampons and pads. My periods were very heavy where I had to use two tampons and a pad(organic), then change them every 3 hours, for 2 to 3 days. My periods would last for 9 days. I also had nasty cramps where I would just sleep it off with pain killers for at least a day. Mild cramps the next two. 

My period is not as heavy and only heavy on the first day where I have to empty my cup 4 times the first day and 2 or 3 after that. My periods now last 5 to 7 days with the last few days needing just a panty liner. I have little or no cramps. I did have to use a tampon once 2 months ago and instantly got cramps that lasted until I took out the tampon. :shrug: I also have a tilted uterus and do not have a problem using it once I got the hang of it. I cannot believe the $ I have saved each month. 

If you are not happy with the Diva Cup at all, they will refund your money in full.


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## Shambalah (Jun 19, 2005)

I use the* Instead * softcup. I like it better because it fits over the cervix like a diaphram and can be used on any day for intimacy. 
That's important to me because I don't want him (or myself for that matter) to feel deprived.

http://www.softcup.com/


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## Kee Wan (Sep 20, 2005)

First, I found a really cheap place to get a diva cup...
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/857538000015.html

Search for diva cup - they have both sizes.....

Ok....so I was reasearching this, and after finding SO MANY sites with GLOWING reviews, the o nly downside ever being that the thing was a little hard to use at first, but everyone with that problem sayign that they got over it with some persistance.....

Until, I asked my sister-in-law. She said that she used one for about a year...and no longer uses it. 

Here is her story - as best as I can remember it (adn I was payoing rather close attention)

She had it in and was squatting down to pull a tray from teh cryo-freezer at work, and felt something "pull" downward (she's never had kids) and described to me what sounded like serious uterine cramping...to the point that she said that she had all she could do to stand up again....

She walked back to her station, adn had to lean on teh counter for ab out 3 minutes to be able to collect herself enough to get to the restroom - where she removed her cup - used a pad and had to take some 600 mg of motrin for the remainder of the day (adn the following day) to control the cramping....

Since that time, she has had some issues with intercourse. 

She attributes this to somehow the cup slipped down and caused some vacuum that was stronger than was supposed to exist to pull something....
She said that when she went to remove it, it was a little harder to get out - seeemed to be a little "stronger" of a seal.....

So - I'm not trying to scare anyone - but I have NEVER seen any accounting like this in ANY of my research (and I do get a little weird when NO ONE on the planet has ANY issues with a product....I mean statistically, it just isn't right...is it???) and I am NOT interested in that happening to me....

SO - if any of you can EITHER share with me some potential reason that this could have happened - or something else that it could be attributed to...or a similar experience and how to avoid it....

IU'm finding the idea of a Diva Cup VERY appealing - but - I gotta admit - my SIL's story has me a little freaked....


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## northstarpermie (May 11, 2006)

I have not got a clue as to how that would have happened. Maybe the little holes below the rim were plugged. :shrug: Everyone's body is different, so I'm sure there are people this product just will not work for. If you do not feel safe using a product, don't. 

I hope she contacted the company about it. Especially if she was having trouble afterwards and is sure it was from this product.


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## MamaVolpe (Apr 24, 2007)

I love my Diva Cup! Its the best invention ever.


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## Tervetuloa (May 2, 2007)

I just wanted to post about dioxin in tampons and the dangers. While there is still no guarantee that you WILL contract endometriosis through the use of tampons, I would like to share my story.

I started my period when I was 12. I was scared of tampons, so I didn't use them until I was 13. I had a pretty heavy flow that lasted 8-9 days. I decided to use tampons with pads at 13 because I was changing my pads too often. I changed my tampons 4-5 times a day for 3-4 days. 

Just when I turned 15, I started having strange pains in my lower abdomen prior to and during my cycle. It wasn't until I was 16 and had a laparoscopy that I was diagnosed with endometriosis. By age 16, the pain of my endometriosis was happening every single day throughout the month. At age 18 I had another lap. Then another at 20. The laps didn't help with the pain too much, but were performed to slow the general growth. I had to drop out of high school in my junior year because the pain was so great.

Today I've been using organic tampons and the daily pain has lessened, but not stopped. The doctors said that all they could do for me is to have me on a birth control pill where I take them consecutively for 3 months and then have one period. I've found that stress and prolonged physical labor cause the pain to come back. In a sense it has ruined my life. The only plus side is that I've had to learn to live a more peaceful life. Subjecting myself to the smallest amount of personal stress makes me double over in pain. Also, intercourse is impossible given all the scar tissue of the endometrium in my vagina.

I have a very large family. No one on either side has endometriosis or displayed any pelvic pains. I full heartedly believe I have this illness due to dioxin in tampons. But I'll never know for sure and it wouldn't do me any good to know anyway. All I can do is try to warn people against using tampons or pads with dioxin. 

Thank you very much for the information on the diva cup! I already put my order in for one.

Terve :benice:


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