DIVA Cup - Medical Grade Silicone Cup for Period Care - Reusable Menstrual Cup - Up to 12 Hours of Continuous Wear - Model 1 (For Medium to Heavy Flow)

This is an amazing product! Why do people still wear tampons/pads? Really?!?! It takes some getting used to, but I definitely recommend giving it a try. I would recommend wearing something else the first couple of tries, this will give you some time to get used to it without ruining your undies. Once you get used to it though, watch out... it's like not having a period! I've never felt so fresh and clean during a period.For the faint of heart... from here on out there will be TMI: I am a heavy bleeder, and normally I would wear a tampon and a pad at the same time and change ever 4-6 hours. With this I can go 8-12 hours and no leaking! NO LEAKING! You have no idea how this has changed my life. I can now sleep at night without getting up to change twice. I used to wear dark colored underwear during my monthly visits because even with the pad and tampon I would still get leakage. No more leakage... I don't even need a liner! I can wear any pair of panties I like with no fear of ruining them! You know that feeling you get when you have been sitting for a while and you stand up and you feel gushing and you're wondering if you had an accident? NO MORE!Savings & Environmentally Friendly! This thing will pay for itself in 4-6 months because you will not be buying feminine products... not only that but I used to go through toilet paper like no other... not anymore!! I used to get the feminine wet wipes, will no longer be using those either! I can see hundreds of saved dollars every year in my future... doing to try bank rolling it! Think of all the landfills that we could save space in if all the ladies in the world used these things instead of disposables.FAQ's (TMI TMI! The down and dirty)If you are like me you are probably curious about many things. Like how do you put it in? I fold it by pressing one side inward so it kind of makes a crooked cone shape. Then I put the tip of the cone between my index and middle finger along where I folded it and push it in. I have found that if I sit down my muscles are more relaxed and it goes in easier. You want it to go in so far that you don't feel the cup, but you can still feel the little tip thing with your fingers. At first I had a slight fear about not being able to get it out, or that I 'lost' it. This is not possible, just breath, and open your legs wider, and spread apart your labia with your fingers. You will eventually find the tip, then you just pull it out. Another question, do you feel it? When I first inserted it I did feel something but it's barely noticeable and not at all painful... then after about 5 minutes I don't feel anything at all as your body just gets used to it being there. It looks rather large, but do not let this deter you from using it, it will fit, you can push babies out of your V and this is no where near that big. It's about the size (give or take) of a penis. I did notice that if you don't put it in far enough, you will feel a little discomfort, so don't be afraid to push it in further. You do feel it when you pull it out, and I recommend pulling it out slowly so you don't spill or splatter anything. Another thought that might pop up is that you may not think the cup is big enough... it is big enough. This is coming from a heavy bleeder. There is plenty of space for all your fluid. On my heavy day/s (sometimes I only have one, but other times it's two) after 12 hours it got really full, but still no leakage.Anyway... I am not sure why you are still reading this review... go put this thing in your cart now! It's f-ing awesome!

It's taken me a few months to write a review on this product because I wanted to give it a fair chance, and I'm so glad I did. My reason for trying this product is because I ALWAYS leak with tampons and it's only getting worse the older I get. Another side benefit of course was not having to purchase tampons, pads, etc. Here is my experience ( a little graphic) and some tips if you're considering buying:Month 1 - I almost threw the DivaCup out the window the first month. My cycle came on immediately after a "session" with my husband and I think because of swollen tissue, etc. it wasn't the best time to try it for the first time. I had a very difficult time with insertion and after several "painful" attempts, I just gave up. My advice is to NOT try this if you have any vaginal irritation. Just wait until next month.Month 2 - The first day of my period I used a tampon. I was pretty sure I wasn't going back to the DivaCup. I'd been too traumatized:) But something about it kept calling me. I'm not a quitter, so I tried again on the second day of my period. I think this was KEY for me at that time, because the second day is usually the more heavier day for most women. I was more lubricated. This helped, but insertion was still difficult because I wasn't sure how to fold the damn thing and insert it without it popping back open. (This comes with practice) I visited the DivaCup website and browsed through Amazon reviews and learned from others the two techniques that most women were using. I use the "lotus" fold technique which makes the entry of the cup as small as possible. Then the cup pops into place once it is inside you.Month 3 - I had some success in the previous month, but not total success. I was scared to take the thing out because there wasn't a guarantee that I could get it back in. I was still having trouble with the cup unfolding before I was able to insert it all the way in. I was able to solve the issue by only inserting the cup while I was sitting on the toilet (that position makes insertion easier for me) instead of in the shower or standing up at the sink, etc. I was also able to solve this by drying the cup (after rinsing) with a little toilet tissue before insertion so that there was no chance of slippage. In fact, you can hold the base with the tissue while you insert just to get a better grip. This helped a lot. Also when they tell you to push the cup "Down" while pushing it in your vagina they are right. This is what helps it slide into the proper place. Inserting it "up" like a tampon will result in leaks. Don't worry this will take some time to get use to.Final Tips:TAKING THE CUP OUTThis is a breeze if you've ever had a baby. Just bare down like you're pushing the baby out and your kegel muscles do all the work. Feel for the little rubber tip of the cup, grip it with your fingertips and pull. If it keeps slipping, grab a square of toilet tissue and use that to help you "grip" the tip of the cup and pull.DON'T CUT THE TIPIn some reviews they suggest that the cup may feel more comfortable if you cut the tip off or turn the cup inside out. I recommend not doing this, because I can't imagine how you would get the thing out if you didn't have that little rubberized tip at the end. If you feel the tip of the cup rubbing against your vagina or labia, then you don't have the cup far enough in. Don't be scared to insert it until it's all the way in. You WILL be able to get it out. You should NOT be able to feel the cup once it's in. If you do, then you don't have it inserted correctly.PREVENT LEAKSI bought the DivaCup for this very benefit, but there's definitely an art to it. When you first try the cup you probably aren't going to insert it correctly for a while. Everyone goes through this. The only way to get the water tight "suction" like fit that the cup provides is by proper insertion. Pushing it in far enough, pushing "down" when you insert it, turning it while it's inside to make sure it properly fits. Until you master this or if you have HEAVY periods, then I recommend wearing a pantyliner. But once you master this, you will find that you do not even have to wear a pantyliner. It's amazing!!! The third day of my period, I have to remind myself that it's in there.RINSING CUPI'm in my mid-40's, so I'm starting to get a heavier period on the second day. Like really heavy. So I end up rinsing the cup at least 3 or 5 times a day, but on my first, third and fourth day, I don't have to empty it nearly as much. On fourth day I may end up popping it in the morning and have it in all day. No leakage. (Cup can safely stay in 12 hours before having to rinse and reinsert). How often you will have to empty the cup and reinsert will depend upon your period. You will figure it all out after about two periods. Again, wear pantyliners until you figure it all out.Finally - I love the freedom of this cup. I love how clean I feel with this cup. I love that I don't use a lot of tampons and pads any longer. It's definitely been a learning curve but it's been an amazing journey and I will continue to use this until I don't have to. I wish I had known about it sooner.Side Note: I have 3 girls who all have their periods and I'm not sure that I would recommend that they use the cup, even though DivaCup has a smaller size for women under a certain age who have never had a baby. I'm not sure if a young teen is comfortable enough with her body to give this whole thing a whirl. I suppose it depends on the personality of your child.