Diva Cup Model 1 Pre-Childbirth
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List Price: Our Price: $22.80 You Save: $16.79 (42%) Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Product Reviews of Diva Cup Model 1 Pre-Childbirth
Product Review: DIVA CUP IS AMAZING... WISH I HAD KNOWN SOONER!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always had problems with tampons not working for the length of time that I needed them to; the diva cup definitely trumps all other feminine products! i'm such an advocate! I was worried that it'd be difficult inserting having read other reviews (mostly from younger teen girls), but being a woman in her early 20's, i have absolutely no problem with it. Hope you try it out! I'm telling all my friends to.Product Review: Diva Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a very petite woman and was nervous about this fitting. It works perfectly and unlike many I had no trouble getting it in. The only thing I would caution about is be careful when removing because it is easy to spill which can be gross.Product Review: Diva Cup Changed My Life
Summary: 5 Stars
Ladies, this is a revolutionary product, do not be afraid. Yes, it is true-- it is difficult to learn how to insert it at first. You will probably be frustrated on the first day. But it is so worth it.
Tips that worked for me:
1. Run it under warm/hot water to make it soft (do not use lube as some members have said. it degrades the silicone)
2. Sit on toilet
3. U-shape works for me
5. Read lots of reviews online to find ways that work best for you!
I got it in August and have had no desire to return to pads and tampons, both of which are messy for my clothing, bathroom, and the environment. The great parts about it--- you cannot feel it at all if inserted properly, there are no leaks, and you can leave it in for 12 hours. That means the initial tribulation of putting it is worth the trouble, if any after you've figured out how to use it.
Not to mention, it's not bad for the environment. But even if it wasn't, I'd still prefer to use it.
Product Review: Diva Cup user for 2 years.
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered a cup two years ago while I was in the Navy. I was a police officer and had to stand a lot of gates often without any relief for hours at a time. I was lucky to get a potty break in my 8-12 hour shifts. The diva saved me a lot of hassle when I was on my period. On my lighter days, I could wear it for 12 hours straight without any leakage. It's comfortable and I love it.
On the downside, though, all cups come with a learning curve. The Diva is the largest capacity on the market and it may not fit everyone. Some people who don't have success with the Diva switch brands and end up happy with another type. So if you aren't satisfied with the Diva, don't give up on cups altogether! Finding the right one will change your life!
Product Review: Diva Cup v. Instead Cup
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been an anti-tampon advocate for several years. Formerly, I was using Instead menstrual cups because they were disposable and I thought that would be easier to use than a cup that requires rinsing at changes, since I am often at work or near a public restroom where walking to a sink to rinse it out is not really feasible or polite. I've used Instead for about 4 years now. Instead cups are becoming harder to find in stores, so I decided to give the Diva Cup a try, since a friend has used one for years and swears by hers. It was my "Yay, Planned Parenthood didn't get defunded by the government!" gift to myself. Here are my findings:
The initial cost of the Diva Cup is higher than a box of Instead cups. However, Instead cups are disposable so the fees add up. Diva Cup was $38 at Whole Foods (where I bought mine). I expect to get at least a year of use out of it before I inevitably lose it by leaving it at a hotel or something. I go through a box of 12 Instead cups during my period. The cheapest I can find a box of them on Amazon right now (and it's way less than I pay for them in stores!) is around $8, so a year's worth of Instead would run about $96, plus shipping. If I bought the Diva Cup on Amazon (which is much cheaper than Whole Foods, but I wanted mine right away), even with the shipping, I could buy about three of them for the same price.
Diva Cup, being reusable, will eventually take up less space in a landfill when it's retired than the Instead cups take up every month. The packaging was cardboard and the carry case is cloth, unlike the plastic envelopes the Instead cups are packaged in.
The circumference of the Diva Cup is almost half of the Instead, so insertion and removal is much easier and comfortable if a bit more tricky due to having to fold it and then turn it to make sure it's open once inserted. There is also less irritation on bladder and vaginal vault walls.
The rim of the Instead are hard plastic, Diva is soft squishy silicon - see above comment about less irritation. The Diva Cup is also one molded piece of silicon, not a rim of hard plastic around very thin plastic like Instead, so if you have to take it out, rinse, and reposition, all the "ick" rinses or wipes off easily without having any in the join of plastics around the rim.
Due to the smaller size and squishy silicon, the Diva Cup is much more discreet to store and transport than the Instead, which are made of semi-rigid plastic and come in a box of giant purple plastic envelopes. I keep my Diva Cup in a decorative metal container formerly used for powdered green tea when not in use and can leave it anywhere in my bathroom and unless someone looked inside, they wouldn't know what was in it so I don't feel like I'm leaving a neon "Hi, I'm on the rag" sign out. It's silicon and squishy, so it folds easily in the palm of my hand if I had to move it from purse to public restroom discreetly.
There has been no noticeable smell with the Diva Cup. With the Instead, either due to the frequent changes or the frequent leaks, deodorizer was necessary. Have not needed it at all with the Diva Cup. Since they have not yet made a feminine deodorizer that doesn't smell like a tacky Glade air freshener, or any that match the scents of under-arm deodorant, this is a bonus. Tropical Breeze? Really? If there was any sort of "breeze" emanating from that area, I would go see a doctor, especially if it smelled like a rotting papaya. :P
Diva Cup claims 12 hour protection and so far has lived up to that on even my "fire hydrant" days. Instead claims the same and doesn't live up to that at all - I had to change mine about every 6 hours or else my cup runneth over. I so far haven't needed even a panty liner with the Diva Cup, even though I would never tempt fate enough to go without one.
Diva Cup has not leaked at all - I mean /at. all./ - since using it. Removal and insertion were also nearly messless. With Instead, I would have to be careful if I sneezed, coughed, or went to the bathroom because any contraction or pressure on the vaginal vault would cause my cup to runneth over, and we are not talking a little bit - we are talking 'overflow the pantyliner', and this was with changes about every 5 hours. I even went bike riding the first day I wore the Diva Cup, so I was hitting bumps and pounding the heck out of my saddle area and had no leaks.
I use a cervical cap as primary birth control, so I was not a stranger to insertion or removal. The one thing I did not like about the Diva Cup was the stem. It "periscoped" and was uncomfortable, so I removed it completely and have had no trouble removing it without the stem. I'd also be happier if they made a "Diva Cup Pro" version that had no outside ribbing at all.
I've read the reviews of women claiming it "got lost" - the vagina is a closed system, the only opening from the abdomen is through the cervix, so it is not physically possible to "lose" an item up there. It may get pushed back too far to reach, but gravity and muscle tension will eventually bring it back within reach, and if inserted correctly, the Diva Cup's own suction should prevent it from "disappearing". If it rides up high, bearing down with a kegel maneuver should push it back into reach just fine. It is also medical grade silicon, so even if it's stuck in there for a couple days, it is not going to give you Toxic Shock Syndrome or infection or any other badness, although obviously it's not preferable to leave it in there longer than necessary.
Other nifty info: The Diva Cup has measurement markers on the inside, so if you're curious just how much liquid is expelled, you can easily see. I thought that was neat, but kind of disgruntling. "It's fire hydrant day.. and.. that's /it/? Really?" I thought it was cool, but I'm curious like that.
It comes with a cute little storage bag, but as I said above, I store mine in a stainless steel decorative tea tin. It also comes with a little enameled pin to wear on a lapel, which is awesome and I wish was some other colour than pink, because I dislike pink. I've been telling people about the wonders of cervical caps as birth control for years, so I have no problem mouthing off about the Diva Cup - as you have noticed with this absolute book of a review :)
Tips: Those little individually packaged wetnaps are awesome accessories. They're small and discreet and a good way to do a preliminary clean of yourself and your hands while using a public restroom before you get to the sink. Highly recommend. Wish Diva would make individually packaged "Diva Wipes".
For a sanitary cleaning post-period, I soak mine in a cup of hydrogen peroxide - the kind you buy for wound care, 3% solution - overnight before washing with soap/water and drying for storage. There are two little.. erm.. "air holes"? .. at the very top of the rim and this makes sure they get cleaned out without my having to try to poke anything through them and risk puncturing or tearing the Diva Cup.
If you are not comfortable with your body, or easily squeamish, or indoctrinated that vaginas and their fluids are dirty and should not be touched, this is not the product for you. You /will/ be reaching into your vagina to insert/remove this device because you must release the suction for removal to be at all comfortable. You might get your fingers/hands dirty, but it is no more unsanitary than blowing your nose.
Otherwise: This is an awesome product and I'm very glad I switched from Instead. I see no reason to go back.