Anyone Tried the Diva Cup?

I love Love LOVE my Diva cup! It's so easy. Empty in the morning and again at dinner time. Repeat for as many days as you have a period. The end. No messing with "light" vs "heavy" absorbancy, no keeping so many with you everywhere you go.

I do have a couple super-small lunapads for backup. They're *beautiful* and feel so soft, I actually look forward to wearing them. (Not something you can say about the plasticy-papery pads.) So if the Diva cup ends up not being a good match for them, for whatever reason, maybe some lovely pads will take the "ick" and hassle out of their cycle!

Question....what do you mean "a little out of the norm". This may help in the responses you receive.

I love the diva cup, but there is a learning curve and you need to be 100% comfortable with your body to use it. i used tampons from my teen years on...my God doesn't particularly care how I deal with my menstrual cycle.

I can see how it might be a little intimidating or uncomfortable for a younger girl - you might also look into the sponges as an option. But the other responses are right about the risks of TSS (which generally do not come into play w/ the cup because it doesn't cause all the tiny abrasions internally that tampons do).

H. first no matter what your personal beliefs you have to do what is best for you and your family.

I have tried the Diva Cup about 4 yrs ago... I only had my cycle for 2 days and thus it caused me problems as when I wore the Diva cup it made me uncomfortable and actually hurt to wear it although the concept was quite appealing.

There are "natural' pads that might might be a great alternative for your girls at their age.

Here is a general search and the list of google sites that may have something of interest to you.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&a...

As always do what is best for you and your family.

I discovered the Diva cup a couple of years ago and absolutely LOVE it! There is a learning curve on the insertion though, so I don't think I would recommend it for a teen (depending on her hymen, insertion could be difficult). I agree that due to the potential of TSS that if she isn't changing her tampon regularly, she should use pads.

Hi H.! Maybe I'm old fashion,but to me the best method is napkins because its best to let it cime out of the body since this is a method of cleansing God gave us females. They just have to be more careful to check themselves more often. Hope this will help.God Bless.

Hi H., I am not sure it is the best for a teenager. I actually tried it for the first time myself last month. I like it, but it takes some trial and error to get it in right so that it doesn't leak, and for me, my flow filled it up and around two hours, so I needed to change it often. If you like the idea of as natural as possible, you can get really nice pads made from cotton or other natural absorbant materials from many sources. They do need to be washed though.

What an exciting time for you and your daughters! Good luck, D..

Sorry I can't offer any advice on the Diva cup as I've never used anything besides tampons or pads. If your oldest isn't changing her tampons frequently enough (at least every 4 hours, or 8 hours if worn overnight) then maybe she should use pads until she can be more responsible with tampons. They have so many ultra-thin ultra absorbent pads now that there shouldn't be a problem finding one that doesn't show through her clothes or that bunches up. They have wonderful "personal" cleansing wipes that are great for cleaning up when using pads. Maybe the feeling of the blood and gunk on the pad will be enough to remind your oldest that it's time to change.

I'm not sure why your older daughter isn't good at changing tampons regularly, but maybe you can find a way to help remind her. It helped me when I was younger to have certain times during the day that I would do it (like in the morning before school, then during lunch at school, and when I got home after school, then once more before bed when I brushed my teeth).

Teens should not be using tampons as they are not really safe in my mind i do not use them myself as they feel odd. I suggest getting pads and really would not worry about the 11 year old if she has not started. AS far as the cup goes it sounds very messy to me .

girls that young should not be using tampons! get them pads then let them try again at age 16 or 18...

I am intrigued - even though it's really none of my business, but what do you mean by your parenting is "a little out of the norm"?

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I agree with other ladies, pads are a much better alternative than Diva cup for both insertion and changing reasons. I myself use tampons because i break out from pads, but all throughout my teenage years i used pads. in this day and age, i don't think you can expect your daughters to be a virgin on a wedding night, but i wouldn't recommend using tampons until they're at least 16 years of age (i.e. more or less fully developed and are ready for sexual activity & child birth, at least physically, mentally is a different story). i think using pads will also make your daughters more aware & responsible about changing them out because it feels different if it's there for too long. and 2-3 years down the line, they'll develop healthier habits & can go back to using tampons. good luck!

I used the diva cup for a couple months and I couldnt get it to go in right so it was comfortable and fit right where it didnt leak so I stopped using it. Also I started using tampons when I was 14 and IMO if she is not responsble enough to change them every 6 hours or so then she shouldn't be wearing them. That is a grown up item and if she wants a grown up thing she needs to act like a grown up and take care of herself. Otherwise use pads like most girls her age probably do.

In my experience it only works if the girls know what to expect first. Sit them down and explain every part and wait for the questions to come (answer honestly).
If your not up to date on the product get informed or take them to someone in the know.
Good luck and God bless

I use the Keeper (which is similar to a Diva), and like it. I don't know that it would be the best choice for a young girl, though. I used mine for about a year before I got married (and, yes, I was a virgin on my wedding night) and had no problems, but I was 26 when I got married, so that might make a difference.

I would recommend that your daughter stop using tampons, if she doesn't change them regularly -- no point in risking TSS! The Keeper (and perhaps the Diva cup and the Moon cup, and whatever other menstrual cups there are) offers a 90-day money-back guarantee if you don't like the cup, so you might get one and see what your daughter thinks of it for a few cycles. I'm not sure why pads wouldn't qualify for "simplest, healthiest" -- I think they're healthier than tampons, although I have nothing necessarily against tampons -- it's just that the blood leaves your body instead of staying inside, which sounds better to me. And it's a lot simpler to change a pad than to change a tampon or a menstrual cup.

The cup fills up with blood, which you have to dump into the toilet. If it overflows, it can get messy in there (and in your underwear) -- if your daughter hasn't been changing her tampons regularly, she may not change the cup regularly, and end up with bloody panties. If I think I might not get a chance to empty the cup and/or it's a heavy flow, I wear a pantyliner as well. Inserting the cup may get you bloody fingers (which can be wiped off with toilet paper in a bathroom stall, so it's not obvious when you leave and wash your hands) when you insert the cup the first time every cycle, or if you overflow.

Once you get the hang of it, it's no big deal, but some girls may be grossed out by it or something.