Dealing with your period by using the Diva Cup

This is not so much of a product review as it is a product promotion. Every month I'm reminded of just how much I love this product. The Diva Cup needs to be promoted. Most people are happy to share positive things with others when we stumble upon them, and I'm not sure how I find the most disturbing or disgusting topics to cover, but somehow I just gravitate towards things most people don't want to talk about.

However, based on my research, a lot of women discuss what I'm about to cover, and with good reason...it's something we do for a large part of our lifetimes, we are not alone, and we all want to be happy, comfortable & healthy.

With that being said, here is another topic that most of us would rather avoid...

When you purchase your Diva Cup you will have the option to decide on two sizes, type 1 or type 2. Type 2 is for women over 30 that have had children. I am 34, never have had children and my build is very small, so I opted for type 1, which seems to be perfect for me. You get the device, a cute little carry bag for discrete storage, as well as a push pin that says Diva on it. Ha!

The Diva Cup is a medical grade silicone cup that you put you know where (the holiest of holies) during that time of the month. It is safe, sanitary, re-usable, comfortable, planet friendly/green and cost effective. The Diva Cup is just one of the products available today that is specifically, and simply put...a menstruation cup. It's perfectly suited for all women, young ladies, and girls who are on the road of menstruating for the next, eh...I don't know 40 years?!

I know, it sounds gross!!!

Right...I thought the same thing, I was repulsed when I first heard about it. Mortified really, and really disgusted. I wondered who thought of this crazy contraption?! A man? After seeing how it works, that's doubtful. Anyhow, I decided to change my normal monthly routine, for multiple reasons. Health, waste, and expense, and my only regret now, is not switching to this strange device decades ago.

All women need to unite and join the period revolution!

First off, this thing is great for your body. It's comfortable, and won't dry out your insides like a tampon will. You don't have to adjust to various sizes of tampons or pads every month depending on the heaviness or lightness of your flow, this thing accommodates the entire mess. It's made of silicone and not that kind that causes allergic reactions. It's 100% safe. It cannot cause toxic shock syndrome, so no worries there. You can monitor the "health" of your flow because you can easily see what is coming out of your body every month. Which is a great thing if you have other health problems, menopause, infections, STDs or if you're recovering from surgery.

It's super cost friendly. On average women spend $5-10 a month on feminine products. That can easily be over $100 a year! You buy this once, and that's it! You're stopping the build up of wasteful products in landfills that take years to bio-degrade. You're saving your septic system (if you have one), and you're saving a ton of money.

You can wear it for 12 hours without worry! How great is that? How often have you been out only to discover 4 hours into your day, you need to change the situation down there and you have no tampons or pads with you! No need to worry about that ever again.

• Keep your cup clean, especially the tiny holes near the rim
• Go slow
• Running the cup under warm water helps with insertion, it makes the silicone soft and pliable
• Relax!
• Give yourself at least 2 months to get used to using it properly, there is a minor learning curve, but stick with it
• Wear pantie liners for heavy days, still cheaper than tampons and pads!

Despite moon goddess rituals, and menstruation being an amazing event, periods for the most part are a pain in the ass. Every month we are "shut down" for a week or longer as we deal with headaches, cramps, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde mood swings, weird cravings, bloating, aches and pains, along with other unpleasant issues. We ruin our clothing with spotting, or worse...we get the flow from hell and even a roll of Bounty stuffed in our underwear can't contain the brutality and blood shed, we eat pain relievers like candy, we're exhausted, cranky and just wanna curl into a ball for a week until this all passes and we can get back to living life again. We have all these contraptions and products to purchase and deal with, tampons, pads that bulk and shift or don't work right, and well...it's just a huge inconvenience. We have to find the right products to "fit" our unique shapes and sizes, which is a challenge in and of itself. We as women all have our own unique shape, tilted or shifted uterus's, different length and width vaginal canals, and different elasticity of our vaginal walls and muscles. The mere fact that we can bleed for a few days without injury is a miracle in and of itself. Ugg! Do we really have to wait for menopause to get some relief or have a product that consistently works every single time?

The short answer is no!

The Diva Cup requires some minor adjusting to your daily flow routine, but it's a small price to pay for an unbelievable product. This thing has made my life so great I should consider using it as a shot glass! Bottoms up and cheers to the Diva Cup!

Just kidding, that would be disgusting.

The first thing to adjust to is the fact that you can wear it up to 12-15 hours before emptying it out. The device itself appears large, and for that fact it may initially have you terrified. But I assure you, if you've ever had sex, or other odd things stuffed up there (I don't want to know what you do) then this is nothing to be intimidated about. And don't worry about it getting lost up there, it cannot pass your cervix. It cannot get stuck! With the Diva Cup one size, well two actually fit all, so anyone with a vagina can use it! However, do not be a moron and use this as a contraception device, or think it will protect you from STDs, it will not! And it is not designed for that usage! Just felt the need to make that clear.

So once you get yours, open the package and pop a squat. Make sure the thing is clean, along with your hands! Fold it in half and shove it on in. There are many different folding styles you can try, find what works best for you. You want to aim the placement toward your tailbone, not straight up like you would a tampon. Once in, you must rotate it one full turn "up there" this important step cannot be avoided or you will have leakage problems and bleed all over yourself, which we are always trying to avoid! I know...how are you expected to turn this thing! Well...when it's first inserted, and correctly in, it's very easy to give it a quick pirouette. Hell after a few months of use, you will want to bow or curtsy in its presence. You may hear a slight suction sound as it springs open ready for action. This is a good sign, it means you've got it in right. You want to make sure that it opens correctly, or it will leak. But that's all there is to it. Now wear it for 12 hours or so. Sometimes for heavy flows it helps to wear a pantie liner for a few days. But you don't have to worry about it causing skin irritation from drying you out like the dreaded tampons do. I don't know about most women, but for me removing a barely used tampon is not comfortable at all! Or finding the perfect size when my monthly flow is about over is another huge problem for me. Tampons are just not comfortable.

When you are ready to remove it, wash your hands again. Have a seat like your going to take a dump and slowly push your muscles in the dumping fashion. You can then reach in and pull the sucker out by the tiny stem at the bottom. Relax. If you get nervous your body will try to keep it up there. Just relax and go slow. You may feel the "seal" break when removing it, some people complain this is painful, again...go SLOW! If you just take your time, it will not be bothersome at all. With a little practice this thing is very easy to get used to, and you don't even feel it.

Can you swim with it in? Ride a bicycle? Mountain climb? You bet! Another great thing is you can empty and replace it when you take a morning or nightly shower, so even if you feel grotesquely disgusted by it, you can change it in an environment that will leave you feeling clean regardless.

When you are cleaning it, or done with it for the month, pour the contents in a toilet, or down another drain, rinse well with a mild soap, being sure to remove all residue of soap and yuck and repeat until your cycle ends, also make sure the tiny holes near the rim are completely clean. Ta-da! All good and ready for the next month. You can also boil it in water to give it a really good cleaning once in a while. Some women complain their Diva Cup discolors over time. I have been using mine for months and have not noticed that issue. But I have read that boiling it will stop this (don't use harsh chemicals to clean it, boiling or mild soap like Dial work just fine). Now just store it in that cute little bag it came in, and no one will know you even have it.

I have to admit, the first time I used mine, I felt a silly sense of satisfaction walking around thinking to myself "boy, if only someone knew what I had shoved up my lady bits".

Sure it's an intimidating and somewhat disgusting little invention, but this thing is a miracle that will make your menstrual cycle so much more pleasant. No more worry of running out of tampons, no more expense, no more pollution, and hours of use without worry. Easily sleep a full 8-9 hours when using it. I tell all my female friends and family to get one of these, I really cannot give it enough credit. Get yourself one, you won't regret it! I feel I'm taking proactive action against my natural design and health as a woman. I'm having a happy and earth friendly period from now on thanks to my Diva Cup. You're a Diva too, so do yourself a favor and buy one for yourself. You deserve it.