This is definitely a post for girls only, boys I’ve just warned you so don’t get grossed out if you “accidentally” read this.
I’ve been wanting to write about the DivaCup for quite some time now, probably for the entire past year that I’ve been using it. What stopped me was …well, it’s not really related to skin care at all AND it is a very icky topic, even for some girls. But I’ve had a few requests to write about it and I do think it’s one of the best things I’ve discovered, so here goes!
I first found out about the DivaCup while reading a yoga magazine in Canada. It’s always bothered me how bad for the environment tampons are and I’ve always had this feeling that they’re not that healthy for my body so straight away I was interested in this little reusable device.
So what is it? The DivaCup looks kind of like a little egg cup and it’s made out of a soft silicone material. Without going into too much gory detail, you insert it similar to how you insert a tampon ..the difference being it collects the blood into the cup instead of soaking it into cotton. This can be a little traumatic when you remove it, and it did certainly take me a couple of months to get used to it. But once you get over actually seeing how much comes out of you, you’ll love it and never go back to using anything else.
Why I love the DivaCup so much
First of all you can leave it in for up to twelve hours which is just GREAT. This means you can happily and comfortably get a full 8-10 hours sleep a night without having to worry about a trip to the bathroom mid night. It also means I can go out and enjoy my day without having to worry about emergency trips to the washroom.
It also feels much healthier for my body. Our bits down there are very good at looking after themselves and cleaning themselves out. It’s a delicate balance of the right pH level. The bad thing about tampons is it soaks up everything, including the fluids that help keep us healthy in that area. The DivaCup kind of just leaves our body to do it’s natural thing because it just collects anything that’s running out. I’m sorry, icky I know but there’s no “nicer” way to describe this stuff.
I’m also saving a lot of money. I don’t have to worry about buying tampons anymore! The DivaCup cost me about CA$30 and I can use it over and over again which is just so cost effective. And as long as you look after it according to the instructions, it should last a long time.
AND of course it’s saving the environment by putting less waste into landfills. That’s just worth it on its own.
What I don’t like about the DivaCup
If I do end up being out of the house for over twelve hours then it can become a bit of a problem. Changing the DivaCup in a public toilet is not that great so I still carry emergency tampons around with me in my handbag. Still, not that big a deal.
It also did take me a couple of months of getting used to. The bottom of the cup has a little stick that you use to pull it out. This stick can be quite long and it’s recommended that you cut it shorter if it feels uncomfortable. I had to cut mine really short before it stopped being uncomfortable. But now I’ve figured out a good length for me it’s very comfortable.
It also can leak on heavy period days. At first this really freaked me out because I thought it wasn’t working. But I’ve since learned that the most it leaks is a very small amount which has never become a problem.
Is it hard to use?
Not at all. It did take me a while to get used to, and at the start it took me a long time to put it in and take it out. But once you get the hang of it it’s very easy and quick to use. Takes about the same time as inserting a tampon. Taking it out takes a little longer because you have to wash it, but because it’s just once every twelve hours it’s really no problem at all.
Honestly, I cannot rave enough about the DivaCup, really I can’t. It was my second best find of 2008 (Bee Yummy Skinfood was my first best find!). After the first month of using it in Canada I actually wrote an email to my sister and girlfriends back in Australia telling them how amazing it was and asking them if they wanted me to bring one back for them. THAT’S how much I loved it.
You can buy the DivaCup online or in the US and Canada. It hasn’t hit Australia yet but there are a few other brands available. A friend of mine uses the MoonCup which is similar, just made out of a different material.
Also keep in mind that if you’ve had a baby you’ll need to get a different size cup. There are two sizes – pre and post baby!
If you want to learn more about the DivaCup, they have a great FAQ page on their website – DivaCup FAQs.
20 responses ↓
I’m actually tempted to try it…You did a good job on your descriptions without making me want to close the page! This was definitely an interesting entry. Thanks.
I brought 2 Lunette cups last month Fran.
Similar colour cute bag, clear cup with a slightly longer stem in which you can trim if need be.
Unfortunately damaged was done from not placing it correctly & the pain was worse than labor when trying to get it out.
So
I’ve put practising on hold and may need smaller cup.
The practical side is Fabulous! I love that when i do get the hang of it, i wont need 2 use tampons & pads anymore.
Purchased them on ebay from the UK which was cheaper than buying ‘The Keeper’ brown one you can buy from Tasmania.
http://labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/clothpads/MyLunette.html
Oh wow, I’m sorry you had difficulty with getting that one out! I had to cut the stem on mine REALLY short so that it’s hardly even a stem anymore before it stopped digging into me. It kind of stung sometimes before I cut it that short. Now, no problems.
MrsMW, did you break the seal before pulling it out? I know when my friend first tried it, she forgot and just tried yanking it out and she said it felt like her uterus was gonna pop out with it!
BTW! A great place for questions and concerns about cups is http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups, especially if people are grossed out when they first hear what the cup is for.. I know I was! I saw it on some mineral makeup website and I was like “It’s a WHAT?! It goes WHERE?! It does WHAT?! EEEEWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!” But the livejournal link was a huge help and now I’ve been using it for almost a year! And the best parts of having a cup? Putting it in early so you won’t be surprised when your period comes.. and no more pad / tampon counting before leaving the house and going out!
Another advocate here! I’ve been using a mooncup for about 3 years and I’d NEVER go back. I think the best things are: no string, no waste, no dioxins, no expansion from absorption, and no cotton/rayon fibres (I have a theory that there’s a link between fibres that are left behind and abnormal paps, infections, etc – but I’ve got no evidence for that, just my own theory).
Also I don’t pull by the stem. I find it best to squeeze the bottom of the cup to release the suction first. Comes out easy that way.
Hey Thanks Izzy,
Yes found that community some time ago even b4 i purchased cups as part of my reading up. However wasn’t the seal
I think it was to far back & i have a very low cervix so god the mind boggles as to what it was.
Still i’ll try again next month.
Its a shame that we do not get more of a range of cups here in Australia.
I can’t figure out whether or not to get the Moon cup or the Divacup, they’re very simmilar, I’ve been wanting this since the first day I ever got my period (I’m 17 now..so 4 years or so) , unfortunately I don’t have any credit cards to buy it off the internet myself and my mom refuses to buy it for me…she’s strange to say the least
does anyone know of any stores that sell this? It blows my mind how much women react weirdly when confronted with anything new (not that this is new) on how to treat their “private areas”, or, as the more frank of us like to say
vagina
sorry, I could rant about how women need to get over themselves and accept it
this grosses people out but: because of my hatred of tampons and pads, when I’m at home alone and at night, I use a towel, when I’m on my period, and then I have to hide it from my mom
she won’t even buy me any cloth pads…
thank god I’ll be 18 next year.
happy, environmentally friendly periods to you all,
Love,
Lucy
Hi Lucy, I’m not sure where abouts in the world you are ..but I bought mine from a condom shop in Toronto. I just walked in and bought it, I didn’t have to shop online.
I also saw variations of the divacup in health stores and eco-friendly stores in Toronto. They were made out of different material and looked bigger, but I can’t remember what brand they were.
Hi Lucy,
I Am so sorry to hear your mama is not supportive of ur mature choice towards what you wish to use for ur menstral cycle.
Perhaps with mothers brought up in a different era it’s harder to digest or understand modern enviromentally friendly alternatives to nasty tampons & ickky pads. In fact scary for ur mum.
Print off all the info you can find from links above and leave it all lying around the house. Information helps open minds.
Cloth pads are easy to make just google how to make them and lots of Fabulous women have blogged it.
Hang in there and maybe some of Frans followers have
ideas to help u out also.
Hi Fran
On a similar topic (ish), could you provide some tips for those of us who get bad menstrual cramps?
Steph, it’s best to visit a natural therapist like a naturopath or Chinese herbalist for advice. If they’re really, really bad and come with nausea or migraines then check it out with a medical doctor.
And also from my own personal experience, I used to have cramps until about 2 or 3 years ago when they just completely stopped. All I can think of is that I started being a lot healthier, so I changed to a great diet, exercised, practiced relaxation, reduced caffeine and cut out alcohol.
And the day that you know your cramps are starting, avoid all cold foods, cold drinks and caffeine because they can make cramps worse.
Thanks for writing this, Fran! Since using my Lunette cup I’ve wanted to let every single woman know how much simpler it is than tampons/sanitary napkins. I only recently began using it, and my last period just flew by because I pretty much completely forgot about it. I’m glad I found an alternative that is environmentally-friendly and likely healthier for me (and not to mention really, really inexpensive in the long run). Oh, and the online community one of the commenters above linked to is wonderfully helpful if you’re interested in menstrual cups. They really helped me make my decision on the best one for me and were extremely helpful during the first few days of getting adjusted to insertion/removal.
Wow, this info has been very interesting! I think I’ll definetly show this post to my mum, she might be interested, knowing that she’s also eco-friendly!
hey fran! stumbled upon your lovely site a couple of days back and have been reading frantically =)
i cannot shut up about my mooncup, pretty much the same as the diva but its from the UK. i have been using it for nearly 3.5 years now and i cant stress enough how awesome it is!
what a shame us girls in oz had to find these little contraptions overseas…never heard of them selling these here in australia, shame really, pads and tampons are not so good for the environment and your body. little trick with the diva in a public toilet, bring a bottle of water in with u to quickly rinse it, dont worry you will get the hang of it!
Yay, divacup love! I’ve been using mine for 4-5 yrs now, I’m in Australia too – I got it through ebay through a seller in Canada I believe. Same Fran, I cut the whole stalk off (it’s not like it could get lost in there! and the divacup has ribs around the base to help with holding it).
Lucy, if you start asking around at healthfood shops, you could be in luck (don’t feel embarrassed, they are used to people asking for things to cure all sorts of ‘embarrassing’ ailments- menstruation is completely normal!!) even at chemists, they’re expanding their range of ‘new age’ products lately, so give that a shot! Goodluck!
Another cool thing is that sometimes you can almost forget that you have your period if you don’t get cramps, because you don’t have tampon awareness.
Definately make sure you break the seal before you try taking it out, as Izzy said. Similarly, when you get to know it really well – you’ll be able to tell when the seal has broken and therefore needs to be changed. It’s very subtle, but my body is so tuned into it that it’ll wake me up just when it needs emptying. Pretty cool, really!
Hello all!
I am only 14, but I’ve had my period for over a year now and am now going through a really bad one, very heavy flow and massive cramps. I’ve learnt to live with this, but I was googling around and I found this site. I think the divacup is a fantastic idea, but I don’t really talk to my mum about my period, and seeing as how I can’t really go out and buy one, I was wondering what you suggest. Should I just through it out there, or have a look around? I live in Sydney and am willing to go anywhere around Sydney to buy one, if any of you has seen one. Thanks you!
Hi Philly, this might be a great opportunity for you to start talking to your mum about your period. I bet she’d love to talk more personally with you about stuff like this.
I remember I used to get really bad cramps when I was your age too. I used to have MASSIVE pain for about 2 hours. You might find, like me, that your cycle gets a lot lighter and less painful as you get a bit older. I don’t get cramps at all any more.
I’ve seen the Australian version of the diva cup, the “moon cup” in health stores in Brisbane. You might find them in health stores in Sydney too
Hello Fran, thankyou for you wonderful site. (=
As a fellow Briz Vegas resident, I was wondering which health stores in Brisbane you can get the diva cup at?
Hey Mi, You will need to order online to get a Divacup, I think they’re Canadian. Australia sells Mooncups which you can find at Handmade Naturals on Gladstone Road, and I think Sun & Earth at New Farm have them too
I’ve had my Divacup for… 5… maybe 6 years now, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to my period! It was especially useful on long backpacking journeys around the world, as you never have to worry about restocking on tampons (or yes… wearing pads to bed! ugh). Way to shout the awareness Fran
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