Monday, July 30, 2012

DivaCup- Review and GIVEAWAY!!

Warning: This is not a post for the men on my site...Unless you're that close with your mate that you get her something this awesome or in my case have my husband proof read a post about my experience with the DivaCup- thanks babe!  BTW- my husband added the warning :)

Have you ever forgotten that you have your period in the middle of it?  Been so comfortable and unaware of your protection that you have to remind yourself that you are having your cycle. Well, this happened for the first time in my 20 some years of having a menstrual cycle while trying out the DivaCup. It was truly a product with outstanding results.

The Diva Cup is a reusable menstrual cup that collects rather than absorbs your menstrual flow and only needs to be emptied around every 12 hours. The reasons to ditch tampons and disposable pads are numerous; health, comfort, environment and cost savings to name a few.  To read my more in depth thoughts and findings on this subject refer to this article about alternative menstrual products.

I will admit that prior to my green mission I had not heard of reusable menstrual products and if I hadn't committed to this and experienced the ease of cloth diapers, I may have been grossed out by the idea of reusing menstrual products, but as I realized with cloth diapers- you are dealing with the "ick" factor no matter whether it is throw away or not- so do yourself and the planet a favor and make the switch.

I never liked tampons- like ever. I found them uncomfortable during use and even after my cycle, and even found that my cramps were much worse if I used tampons.  I became a pad user early on in my cycle. Disposable pads were by no means comfortable but they were the best choice (that I knew of), so I went with them. When I finally found out about eco friendly menstrual products I decided to go with cloth pads since that was my comfort zone, and I was thrilled that they were comfortable and did not chafe like paper pads did. Though I love my cloth pads, I was still intrigued by the idea of a menstrual cup. So with curiosity, I decided to give the DivaCup a try.
The DivaCup seems to be the gold standard of menstrual cups- it is widely available and has a large fan base. It was designed by a woman, who like many of us, was not thrilled with the available options. She found the idea for menstrual cups, and together with her daughter came up with the design for the DivaCup. It is made from medical grade silicone, comes in two sizes (size 1 for under 30, pre-childbirth and size 2 for 30+ and post-childbirth). I will admit that I was hesitant to get the size 2- I am 33 and have two children (by cesarean) but size 2 was the recommended model so I went with it.
When I received the DivaCup I was excited, but then my excitement morphed into a case of nerves- I mean, I was about to put a cup in my...well.. you know...  I wondered how comfortable insertion would be, and how it would feel once it was in place, most important I hoped that I could get it back out!  I assure you it took a leap of faith, and caused a certain amount of anxiety.

Well, as far as insertion- that was a piece of cake- I prefer the push down fold over the u fold, see the illustration below. It went in easily- I did fumble around trying to make sure it was properly in place and open- that took a few tries to get right but now that I've mastered it, it's very easy. The first time I put it in, I was nervous about removal, so I tried to remove it immediately and struggled- uh oh.
u fold
push down fold














The removal is actually very simple- you almost birth it out- we have muscles in there, you know!  Use them to push, and the cup will come down far enough that you can easily pull it out. That probably sounds scary, but trust me, no one can be as nervous as I was about it, and if I can get over it you can too. This may seem like I spent hours but all of this occurred within about 5 minutes.

OK, so we have covered my fears, the insertion, the proper placement and the removal- kind of- the full instructions come with the cup and can also be found here, it is very simple to use but like anything new you need to learn how it works.
How did it feel? Ummm, it didn't. I really couldn't feel it once I (quickly) mastered the insertion and placement. I absolutely could not feel the cup, nor could I feel my flow, or the ick of disposable "protection". How liberating is that- a first for me!

When it was time to remove and empty (once I practiced the removal) it was simple, comfortable and much cleaner than I thought- I kind of pictured a horror movie but my flow was neatly contained in the cup, was easy to flush away and rinsed clean. It was kind of cool to see how much I actually produce during a cycle- with tampons and pads you never really know but with this I saw exactly what my body was doing and in a way that was really interesting and cool (weird or science experiment?).

I am so very grateful for having found this product and for DivaCup for offering this review and giveaway. If I had daughters I would be so thrilled to show them that there is a better, healthier and more comfortable way from day 1 instead of 20 years down the line.

Ready to try the DivaCup for yourself? Visit the store finder, buy it online, or help spread the word and availability of menstrual care alternatives by asking your local store to carry the DivaCup and enter the giveaway below! 

*DivaCup provided me the DivaCup for review but did not compensate me for my review or opinion. All opinions expressed are purely my own.



27 comments:

  1. I want to try the DivaCup because it seems more eco friendly and budget friendly! I haven't tried any other eco friendly products, and I would chooze size 1! Thanks for the chance!

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  2. I am already a DivaCup user and absolutely love it. I tell everyone about it. I would love one to give to a friend. Size 2 because most of them are moms :] [agriff09[at]gmail.com]

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  3. Also, commented on the yummy Fudgy Vegan Brownies- yum! :)

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  4. I love my divacup and would LOVE to give one to my reluctant sister!

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  5. I love my diva cup and would give this one to a friend !! share the love!!

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  6. I used the diva cup for the first time last month, and loved it! I'd love to win one for my sister!

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  7. I have tried the Softcup and it didn't really work the greatest for me. I would love to try the DivaCup and never buy a tampon again!!

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  8. Could not love this product more!
    NO more leaky messes, no worries about long trips, shift work, overseas travel... anything! The past 6 years have been awesome, period!

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  9. I've never tried one but always wanted to!

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  10. I never had a problem with tampons, but the cost savings attracted me to buying this (I use a Moon Cup, which is the European equivilant) - and it is AWESOME! It took me a day or two to figure out how to properly insert it, but once I did - I never felt it, and although I had never realized it at the time - I almost always could feel tampons! And my cramping has been less too!

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  11. I want to try because it's eco friendly and tired of having to run to the store for tampons. I would need a size 2 because i'm a mother of two.

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  12. I would love to win a Size 1 to give to one of the many friends I'm trying to convince to try the Diva Cup! I love how easy and comfortable they are!

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    Replies
    1. And I commented on "CSA Week One- Meal One" as well!

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  13. "Why do you want to try the DivaCup? Have you used other eco friendly alternatives for menstrual care? What model would you choose if you win?"
    1. I want to try the divacup because I would like to compare it to the one cup tat I already have(mooncup UK). It's supposed to hold more capacity and I have a heavy flow so I'm interested in that.
    2. Yes I have. I've had my menstrual cup for about two years now. I also have cloth pads. And I've used organic cotton tampons. I love them all.
    3. I'd choose model 1 because I'm 23 and have never been pregnant.
    Thanks for this opportunity!

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  14. I would love to try the Diva cup, and get rid of uncomfortable tampons and other awkward padding.

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  15. I am not a Diva cup user yet, but have a friend who is and she loves it! I'm a little anxious to try it just because it does seem as though it would be uncomfortable, especially since at times, I would be wearing it at the same time as my NuvaRing.

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  16. I do a lot of work outside and find tampons such a hassle when I can't get to a bathroom every four hours. A Diva cup would be so much easier to manage! I would need a size one, no kiddos for me yet!

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  17. I've been using the DivaCup for 2 years now and I love it! I've also been using cloth liners for about a year and a half. If I win a DivaCup I'm going to give it to my friend Misty because I only need one, and my friend wants to try it, but she doesn't have one yet.

    telula(underscore)olson(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  18. I would love to use the size 1 for my periods, because they are heavy and I hate wasting so many tampons and polluting the world.

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  19. i always wanted to try this but i was scared and now that we are TTCin we need to cut back on cost so this is one great way to start

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  20. I was reading a lot about Diva cup and really wanted to try it. Tired of supporting big corporations with their products!

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  21. I've been thinking about trying the diva cup for months! I want to ditch the disposable options and try something with far less toxins.

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  22. I want to try the Diva Cup because I am tired of the odor that comes from using pads and tampons.

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  23. I've been using cloth pads the last year and have heard wonderful things about the diva cup and really want to try it. Thank you for such a great giveaway!

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  24. I use cloth pads and tampons. This is a different option to have.

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  25. commented on 'fall in love with handmade'

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  26. Hi there, is the contest still open?

    I've been using my DivaCup for two years now, it has REVOLUTIONIZED my life! It's clean, comfortable, and very easy to use.

    However, since it's been two years, it's time for a new one, and finances are pretty tight, so I'm entering the giveaway (I hope).

    I'm reachable at " tyr.roo AT gmail.com "

    Thank you.
    ~ Roo

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