CUPdate and More

I have written this post in my mind so many times that I've actually forgotten what I wanted to say...

After my last post, I attempted to use the Lena Cup. I was able to insert and get it fully open, but there was an incredible amount of pressure on my bladder. I could barely tolerate it long enough to remove the cup. It seemed to be easier to remove than the Diva, but it had only been in for a minute or two. I have not worked up my courage enough to try it again, and I will get to that in a moment. During this time I did measure my cervical height, and discovered that I have a medium height but can't remember what point in my cycle I measured. *sigh*

The cycle after the one mentioned above I decided that I needed to try the Diva cup again to see if I could do the hotdog-in-a-bun technique to remove it easier. I inserted it, but it felt strange and didn't open fully, so I removed it and tried again. The second time it opened fully, and I was able to go about my daily routine. After about an hour and a half, however, the cup shifted to the side and apparently attached/suctioned itself to the side wall of my vagina. It was a sharp pain, and I could not handle it. I removed the cup, and then I was in some pain for several hours afterward. I decided not to attempt reinsertion. I have determined that most of the time I free bleed, so as long as I'm home I often only need a liner. Please educate yourself if you aren't aware of what free bleeding is... I wasn't and had never heard of it before I started researched RUMPS. I'll give you my basic knowledge of it.

Free bleeding is NOT walking around with no menstrual protection at all while bleeding through your clothes. You have a set of muscles that control all of your exits - urinary, fecal, and apparently menstrual fluids as well. With practice you can learn to control the menstrual fluid release valve and simply bleed into the toilet rather than into a cup or onto a pad. I never realized that's what I was doing, I just thought that when I peed most of the fluids had pooled in my posterior vaginal canal and came out when I stood or urinated. Now I understand that the reason it does that is because the muscles holding back the fluids get fatigued and need to release, which gives me an insane amount of pressure and urinary urgency, something akin to a mild Braxton Hicks contraction. If I pay attention to those twinges I can get to the bathroom and release all fluids. Sometimes this takes a while depending on how much is there or at which point in my cycle I am - sometimes there is much more mucus content, others it's pretty runny. Mucus/blood takes longer to completely evacuate than runny blood.

After the cycle where I attempted to use the Diva cup again everything kind of fell apart. I thought I was experiencing a yeast infection. I had burning, irritation and redness, some itching, it hurt to wipe and wash, and it felt like everything was sticking together, but there was no discharge or odor. I made an appointment with my gyno, and instead of a yeast infection she did a One Swab to check for bacterial/fungal presence and diagnosed me with vulvar vestibulitis. Apparently this is a chronic condition which has very few options for treatment. I was sent home with a prescription steroid ointment to apply twice a day for two weeks, then once a day, then every other day, and hopefully eventually only once a week or as needed. She also addressed my interstitial cystitis symptoms and ordered me to follow the sensitive bladder diet as well as the IC Smart diet. This was toward the end of October, right after I ordered my starter cloth stash from Hannabelle's Creations. I began researching ways to treat it homeopathically and came across a suggestion for Calendula cream, which is derived from the marigold flower/plant. My mom has used it (along with a slew of other products) to treat perioral-dermatitis for the last year and a half. After the full two weeks of twice daily applications of the steroid I switched to Calendula (Boiron brand, available in the first aid aisle at Meijer) cream about three times weekly and the steroid cream at night. I would see improvement, then I would flare again, and the calendula burned like fire for several minutes after first applying it. While treating for the vestibulitis the bottom fell out...literally. I started feeling like I had a tampon sliding out, like my underwear was stuck to me continuously, dry... I got a mirror to see if the vestibulitis had flared again... nope. Now I'm prolapsed. I'm 33 years old and have something that I thought only happened to women who had lots of vaginal births or who were old. I checked to see if there was a correlation between clobetasol steroid ointment use and prolapse and came up empty, but they happened too close together for me to think they aren't related at all. I called my gyno that day and left a teary message that I was freaked out and wanted to get checked out. I was in her office the following Monday. She did a very thorough exam and identified a cystocele, rectocele, and possible enterocele. None of which are bad enough to need surgery at this time, but again it is something I'm going to be living with for the rest of my life and will not go away without surgery that is not guaranteed to actually fix it and if it does only lasts for 15 years at the most. I was instructed in the fine art of Kegels, told not to lift anything too heavy, and sent home. In addition to the prolapses I have a killer hemorrhoid that has come back - my obgyn (different from the one I see now) excised it when I was post-delivery with my second child and aside from the weird skin flap she left behind it hasn't bothered me since then... six years... and now it has come back. Now I'm doing Kegels as often as I can remember, trying to avoid constipation, and asking as many questions as I can in the awesome support group I found on Facebook - Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support (POPS).

Until next time, I'll mentally write/rewrite and forget what I want to say about my beginning cloth stash and first cloth cycle.

CUParison - Diva vs Lena

Since there are so many cups available on the market, I figured it might be helpful not only for myself but for all the other newbies out there to have a simple cup comparison - a CUParison if you will. At this time I only have three cups: Diva Cup (size 2), Lena Small, and Lena Large. While I purchased a single Diva Cup at a local Walgreen's, I purchased a 2-pack of the Lena Cup on Amazon.com, which you can find HERE. As I grow my collection of menstrual cups I will add other CUParisons to this blog.

Expense

For starters, let's talk price* vs. what you get...

• Diva Cup, size 2: $39.99 (Walgreen's online price as of 08/06/16, you may be able to find a coupon in store or if using a Walgreen's reward card), included is 1 cup, 1 drawstring bag, instructions. I chose the size 2 because Diva Cup suggests choosing based on your age and previous birth experience - if you are under 30 and have never given birth (vag or C-section) you get size 1, if you are over 30 and/or have given birth (vag or C-section) you get size 2. I am both over 30 and have given birth.

• Lena Cup, sizes S/L: $36.97 (Amazon.com ONLY, savings of $22.98, price as of 08/06/16) included is 1 cup in each size (small/large), 2 drawstring bags, instructions, share the love card. I love that the Lena Cup suggests choosing your size based on your flow rather than whether or not you are past a certain age or have previously given birth! Since this is a 2-pack I feel like I scored an awesome deal and can likely better service my needs based on flow rather than some arbitrary sizing guide based on my age and birth experience.

*Please note I only included pricing options for the stores I purchased from. You can certainly find a discount on Diva Cup if you purchase through certain online retailers.

Let's compare that to disposable menstrual products (sposies). Some cycles I use fewer products, some cycles I use more. I did not count products used on my last completely sposies cycle, but I will base this on my brand preference and what I feel is my average use per cycle:

• Always Thin Dailies ($5.47/120 count) - 10 = approx. $0.50
• Playtex** Gentle Glide Regular/Super Absorbency Tampons ($6.97/36) - 5 = $1
• Tampax Pearl Light Absorbency Tampons ($6.97/36 count) - 5 = approx. $1
• Always Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings ($5.47/36) - 5 = $0.75
• TOTAL PER CYCLE = $3.25
• TOTAL PER YEAR*** =  $39 (12 cycles)

**I also use Kotex Regular/Super Absorbency, which are slightly less expensive

***My cycles average 10 per year rather than 12 because I have a longer cycle-length. My cost per year would be $32.50

With sposies you obviously only use them once and toss. With RUMPS (re-usable menstrual products) you use them many times before replacing them. According to the Diva Cup FAQ page, which you can find HERE, you should replace the cup once a year since it is a personal hygiene item. However, many people say that as long as there is no visible degradation of the product they are fine to use for up to 5 (or even 10!) years. I'm sure that if you only have one cup and/or a heavy or long cycle that lifespan will be shortened due to the extra wear and tear as well as the extra cleaning. I could not find any manufacturer suggested replacement timeline for the Lena Cup.

Let's shoot for the middle and say that you can reuse the same cup for 3 years. This is your cost per year if you divide the initial cup price by 3:

• Sposies cost for 1 year: $39
• Diva Cup cost for 1 year: $13.33
• Lena Cup cost for 1 year (2-pack only): $6.16 per cup, $12.32 total

That's a significant savings. Just imagine how much money you will save by not using sposies if you can keep your cup healthy for 5 or even 10 years! This is in addition to the reduction in waste going to the landfill if you switch to RUMPS.

Bags

I feel that it is important to store your cup in a breathable bag. The bag helps to keep the cup clean and offers a level of discreet storage. I currently keep all of my feminine products in Sterilite Drawer Units. I have a small three-drawer unit near the toilet where I store a small stash of tampons, liners, and feminine wipes (the tampons will be replaced with cups). I have a large three-drawer unit behind the bathroom door where I store a larger supply of liners, tampons, and pads.

Not all cups come with a pre-made bag! The Diva and Lena cups do come with bags, but there are slight differences between them. If you purchase a cup without a bag, you can sew one or purchase one from an online retailer or Etsy shop.

• Diva Cup: approximately 3"x4" with a double drawstring opening. The drawstring is magenta 1/4" satin ribbon, which coordinates with the purple and pink large-print floral fabric. The fabric is tightly woven and softer on the inside than out. 

• Lena Cup: 3 3/8"x4 1/8" with a single drawstring opening. The drawstring is baby pink 7/16" grosgrain ribbon. Both bags have a white background, one is a multi-color small print polka dot, the other is a small print floral. The fabric is not what I would call loosely woven or sheer, but it is definitely not as tightly woven or thick as the Diva Cup bag. You can see individual threads in the Lena Cup bags, whereas you cannot see individual threads in the Diva cup bag.

  

• The Winner Is... Diva Cup! The satin ribbon double drawstring is so much easier to close than the grosgrain ribbon single drawstring. While I like the slightly larger size and fabric print of the Lena Cup bag, I prefer the sturdier/thicker fabric of the Diva Cup bag. During the taking of these photos, I discovered that it is easier to put the cup into the bag stem-first, but it's easier to close the drawstring if you put the cup into the bag rim-first. The opening closes more tightly that way, and you can even stand the bag upright on the cup rim instead of laying it on its side.

Features

Cup Shape & Firmness

There is a basic bell shape that it seems most cups have. If you Google menstrual cups you can find images comparing the different cups all lined up by size. You'll notice they all pretty much look alike. There are subtle differences, though. While the Diva Cup and Lena Cup both fit into what I would call a bell-shape category, they are quite different in the company's interpretation of what a bell looks like.

• Diva Cup: This reminds me of a motor oil funnel. Seriously. It is a very steeply sloped cup, almost like a rounded/softened triangle, and the stem is cylindrical something I'll get to in a moment. The base is much narrower than the rim. The side of the cup flares twice, once about 3/8" from the rim and then again at the rim (approx. 1/4" from top of cup). As such, when you run your finger from base to rim you can feel two speed bumps. I'm not sure if this adds to the functionality of the cup or if it is just a design quirk. I only have the Lena to compare it to in terms of firmness, but the Diva is a much softer resistance than the Lena. It does seem to have a bit more firmness/thickness near the rim than at the base, but overall it is very easy to squish.

• Lena Cup: I would definitely categorize this as a Christmas Bell shaped cup. If you hold it upside down by the stem it evokes the feeling of a Salvation Army Santa standing outside a store ringing a bell. The cup has a gentle slope from the stem that flares out once at the rim. When you run your finger from base to rim on the outside it is smooth sailing all the way. There is a ridge on the inside just below the four air holes, but as they are on the inside of the cup you can't feel them. I only have the Diva to compare to for firmness, but the Lena has more overall firmness. It feels like the cup is the same thickness all the way through from top to bottom.

Rim & Length

Both of these brands use a round rim. I'm not sure if there are cups with a different shape, but I just wanted to be sure you were aware... they are round.

• Diva Cup: The Diva Cup has a much more pronounced and obvious difference between the rim and the body of the cup. As I mentioned above the cup is steeply sloped, and then BAM there's the rim. It reminds me of a condom fresh out of the wrapper - it's that obvious of a rim. To measure the diameter I lined up my ruler across the cup from one air hole to the opposite air hole. The Diva Cup (for me) measured right at 1 3/4" - I can't find info about the rim diameter on the company website to compare my measurements with theirs. Measuring the length on this thing was next to impossible! I tried to put it against something to hold it up off the ruler and eventually gave up and just squished it flat. I do have it lined up with the "Start Here" mark on the ruler, even though it doesn't really look like it. For the length including the stem I came up with 2 3/4" (the Diva Cup website says 2 5/8", so I was pretty close). You can trim the stem if it bothers you, but it's so short I kept it intact.

• Lena Cup: The Lena Cup has a more gently flared rim, and it's smooth so you don't have a ridge around the cup on the outside (as I mentioned above). There is a difference in diameter between the small and large cups, but it is not a huge difference. Again to measure diameter I lined up my ruler across the rim of the cup using the air holes as guides. For the small I came up with slightly over 1 1/2" rim diameter and a solid 1 3/4" for the large cup (this is pretty darn close to the Lena Cup website stats of approx. 1.61" and 1.77"). To measure length I once again lined the cup up with "Start Here" and smashed it flat. The ruler kept ooching out from under the cup, so this took a ridiculous amount of time to accomplish. For both the small and large cups I got a firm 3" length including the stem (Lena Cup website lists this as approx. 2.79" and 2.77"). Based on my measurement vs the Lena Cup website the ruler may have moved a bit, but it's still in the same ballpark. Obviously this length will be quite different if you choose to snip the stem off your cup. I have not yet used either size of the Lena Cup, so I am undecided at the moment about whether the stem will bug me or if it will be OK.

SMALL

LARGE

Stems & Grips

The last area that I want to cover in depth is the part  of the cup you're probably going to become most familiar with and have your hands on at least twice a day during your cycle - the stem and grip rings. These come in a wide variety of styles depending on the brand you choose. Some brands even offer different style stems on the same style of cup. Whatever floats your boat. If you think you can grab it or that a particular style would be easier to hold onto, you might even base your cup choice solely on the style of stem available. That is not what influenced my choice. I bought the Diva Cup because it was available at a brick-and-mortar store, and I chose Lena based on the high praises sung by Bree over at Precious Stars Pads, which you can find HERE and HERE. She's a force to be reckoned with, and I admire her knowledge base and willingness to share it all on YouTube to help educate women (and young girls) about their choices.

The stem is there primarily to help you be do two things: 1) correctly position the cup by making sure the stem is just inside the vaginal opening, 2) be able to find and begin to remove the cup when it's time to empty/change it. In my research I've found that if you have a low cervix you might want to trim the stem so it doesn't protrude from the vaginal opening (YIKES!). I think it would be akin to a tampon string, but since it's much thicker and less flexible it would be more of an irritation.

The grip rings are molded into the base of the cup and provide, well, grip for your fingers. Things can get pretty slippery down there when you have your period. Between the blood and extra mucus it's hard to hold onto anything. Grip rings, like stems, come in different patterns and prominence levels.

• Diva Cup: The Diva Cup has four concentric rings on the cup and two more on the stem. The rings are visible and you can feel them, but they are not very prominent. The stem is cylindrical and very short. I don't feel like the grip rings are actually of much use since they are only slightly raised. I didn't have any trouble reaching the cup, but I also didn't have any leakage or excess mucus on the outside of the cup when I was removing it. The stem is hollow, which makes it insanely hard to clean. Short of soaking it, I'm not sure you could really get the gunk out if it ever got in. I did purchase a small lidded pan for the specific purpose of sanitizing my cups but have not done this yet. The stem diameter is approx. 1/4" which is a good gripping diameter I believe, but it is only 3/8" long, so unless you have very small fingers it probably isn't going to do much aside from give you peace of mind that you've got the cup inserted high enough and that you can touch the tip of the stem if you need to check placement after using the bathroom. 

• Lena Cup: The Lena Cup Small has three concentric rings on the cup and four more on the stem while the Large has three on the cup and three on the stem. The rings are highly visible and defined in contrast to the rest of the cup which is smooth. The stem is flat and slightly rounded on the end and it's solid so there is no chance of gunk build up. Again I have not yet used the Lena Cup, so I will update this particular section after I do. I have no idea yet of whether the stems are useful or just an annoyance. The stem is approx. 1/4" wide by 1/8" thick, so it's pretty flat. This could be good for no-slip grip, but I don't know yet. The Small has a stem that is nearly 1" long while the Large stem is only slightly over 3/4". This would be due to the difference in length of the cup, since overall they are both very close to 3" from rim to stem.

SMALL

LARGE

WIDTH

THICKNESS

One thing I didn't mention is cup capacity and interior markings.

I do like that the Diva Cup has measurement lines on the inside... The Lena Cup sadly does not. This would not deter me from purchasing a cup. The Size 2 Diva Cup has measurements marked in ml and oz on opposing sides. There are 2 lines - 1/4oz and 1/2oz -or- 7.5ml and 15ml. As per the Lena Cup website the Small has a 25ml capacity and the Large has a 30ml capacity.

The Diva Cup has "The Diva Cup," 2 (the size), and "Made in Canada" on the inside of the rim, and there are four straight air/suction-release holes. The Lena Cup has "Lena" and four slanted air/suction-release holes. I could not get any good pictures of this...sorry.

One cool thing about the two Lena Cups is that they nest...kinda. So if you wanted to store them together in one bag, say for traveling, you probably could.

The Winner Is... To Be Announced!

That's all I have for this CUParison. I hope to update in the next two weeks with my first-time use experience with the Lena Cup and to choose a winner. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave those for me. I'm a newbie and I obviously don't know everything. What you find here is 100% my own opinion and use experience. Be on the lookout for more CUParisons as I grow my collection of cups, and hopefully I'll soon be able to add some RUMParisons of pads!

Unleashing my Inner Diva

...Cup that is.

A few months ago when I was purchasing feminine hygiene products for the umpteen millionth time in my life I saw something new, or at least it was new to me. There was a small reddish/pink box labeled Softcup. I had heard of menstrual cups before, in a vague sense of knowing that they exist, however I had neither researched them nor had any desire to use them. Let's be realistic, when it's that time of the month you feel gross enough, swollen enough, crabby enough... Who wants to make it worse by having to stick their fingers into their body to insert and remove a slippery blood-and-mucus filled cup, dump it out, then clean it, and do it all again? I shuddered (and laughed) at the thought of women actually opting for this when they could just throw it all away.

Flash forward to seeing a Facebook conversation between a friend and her friend about the atrocities surrounding periods and how much easier a cup is (one said yea, the other nay). I thought, Well - maybe I should look into this. That thought has turned into more than two months worth of research into a world I never knew existed but that I desperately want to be a part of. There are acronyms, Facebook groups, YouTube vloggers who specialize in reusable menstrual products (RUMPS) reviews...some of them brutally honest and terrifying. There are cups and pads aplenty, and if you search for reusable products you will find a dizzying array of Etsy shops, brands, styles, colors, and patterns to DIY. There are videos instructing you on folds for your new cup... there is more than one way to fold a cup, just so you know. Oh, and menstrual cups have been around since the mid-to-late 1930s... there's some food for thought.

A little history on my typical monthly product needs: 10+ light absorbency panty liners, 4 Regular or Super absorbency tampons, 2-4 lite absorbency tampons, 3-5 regular absorbency pads with wings (overnight use). This has changed so much since I was a teenager when I bled like a stuck pig for 7-10 days and cramped for 2 weeks straight. After giving birth twice my flow steadily decreased to the point where I sporadically spot for 2-3 days, have 2 days of normal flow + 1 day of light flow, skip a day, and then sporadically spot for 2-3 days afterward. Honestly on the days I'm home all day (which is a lot since I'm a SAHM who homeschools) I use a pad to avoid the TSS risk, and on those days I mostly naturally free-bleed (I didn't even know this was a thing with it's own terminology until last week). With so little product used, a pack of pads or tampons lasts me a really long time... I think I may still be using a pack of liners that I've had for 5 years. No lie.

The problem I have with disposables (called "sposies" to those in the know in both cloth diapers and "mama cloth") is irritation. Whether I'm using a plugger or a catcher, I get irritated. I don't know how many of you have sensitive skin like me (who doesn't have sensitive skin down there?), but all those chemicals they stuff in our lady products combined with the incredible chafing power of whatever the heck kind of material they top pads with adds up to a solid week (sometimes more) of discomfort, sometimes rashes depending on how much I sweat, and soreness and swelling from the dryness caused by the higher absorbency tampons. I am over it. Completely, 100% over it. The irritation alone is enough to justify making the switch to RUMPS. There are other factors, but we'll stick to this being just about me...

I found out that a friend of mine actually uses and loves Softcup, so on her recommendation I bought a box of the disposable kind (<$6 @ Walmart for a box of 14, which will last me 2 cycles). I also wanted to find something that wasn't a disposable product - doing my part to be more green and to save money. After researching product options available in retail stores, I settled on the Diva Cup. There are 2 sizes - size 1 is for those under 30 who have not previously given birth (either vaginally or by cesarean) and size 2 is for those over 30 or who have previously given birth. I am over 30 and have given birth, so I opted for size 2. They carry it at Walgreen's, so I bit the bullet and bought one. After 20 years of dealing with feminine hygiene products you'd think it wouldn't be embarrassing to walk up to a register with a box of them. It still sucks. Especially when there's a guy behind the register or when the girl ringing you up eyeballs the box and seems to be mentally comparing it to her own choice of product. It is awkward. First day of middle school after growing boobs and getting braces awkward.

At any rate, I had only just finished my cycle but I wanted to be well-prepared and in advance so I could finalize my research and figure out just exactly how not to freak out when the time came to try it out. I'm not sure there is much scarier than thinking - I'm going to stick this cup in my hoohah and it's going to create suction to rival a Dyson, then it's going to creep up and latch onto my cervix, and I'm going to have to call the gyno to use forceps to pull it out. 

It's not a pleasant thought, at all. Then there is the sheer size of the thing. I unboxed it, squeezed it flat a few times, tried out the two basic folds (C-fold and punch-down) and thought - dang, I know I pushed out 2 kids, but that was years ago and things have long since shrunk to their original size, and how am I going to get this thing in there?! 

Then my period was late...

Wait! What!? We were careful, obsessively careful! Ok, let's see, I was 5 days early last month and Aunty Flow was visiting while we camped. (looking at a calendar) Crap! Crap, crap, crap! That means that with my luck this time I'll be 5 days late and AF will be visiting while we are on vacation. Does she just like to travel!? Geez! That means that I'm going to be trying this cup out on a hotel toilet, or worse in a rest area, out of my comfort zone, within earshot of 5 other people, and a thousand miles from my doctor if something should go wrong. Ugh!

I knew that if I put it off until the next cycle that I would have to psych myself up all over again, so I decided I would just deal with it as best I could and try not to freak out too terribly much.

I was late by about 5-6 days, I can't remember exactly. I didn't have my usual lead-in spotting, so it caught me a little off guard. It was the day we arrived at our destination, and we were getting ready to go grocery shopping. I figured if I tried it out while we were shopping at least I would be standing and it might be less uncomfortable. I texted myself notes so I would remember to write this inaugural post and let a friend know my opinion, and this is verbatim what I have in my messages (more details to follow):

Saturday, July 16, 2016; 9:48pm07/16 - p day 1, pad until 3:40pm, cup for 6 hr after, pad to sleep. Tried punch-down and it hurt. C-fold I could hear open up but it was easy to insert. Could feel slight pressure in abdomen but no pain. Little like when wearing a tampon. A little burning at first. No cramping. BM was easy. Cup moved down until stem was out. Nice not to have string to contend with when wiping. No leaks! After wiping cup had moved back up into position. Removed, half full (!), cleaned, put in baggie for night. Used SE fem wash to clean prior to insertion and after removal. Not comfortable wearing overnight yet. It hurt to remove when I got to the rim. Not sure if I need a different technique.

Sunday, July 17, 2016; 8:27am07/17 - p day 2, pad overnight. Tried to insert cup at 6:45, wouldn't open. Tried again at 8:15, C-fold, not sure it is in far enough. Very dry. Need to use lube! Burns slightly from dryness. Wore 6 hrs, hurt to remove :(, half full. No cramps. No leaks.

8:40pmLite tampon until 8:15. Full but not leaking.

Monday, July 18, 2016; 2:39pm07/18 - p day 3, Pad overnight, lite for a few hours in pool, liner after. Liner with cup d1 d2.

I tried the punch-down fold first because that seemed to be a relatively simple, highly-recommended, smallish fold. It was easy to do the fold, easy to put in, but the bump/spike at the bottom of the fold hurt as it went in. I also could not tell if it opened fully. I spun it, ran my finger around it, and it still felt like it wasn't open all the way. So, I broke the seal, pulled that sucker out (and it hurt), and tried the C-fold. This is a much larger entry point, but it actually went in much easier because there wasn't a sharp point on the cup anywhere. I held it sideways so it was a C instead of a U (some people do it as a U-fold) and pointed with the opening of the fold to the left. As soon as it was inside far enough that I had to let go it popped open with a faint but audible noise and a definite popping sensation. No pain, just a strange feeling. I pushed it up enough that the stem was just inside the vaginal opening but still easy to reach. There was a sensation of fullness and slight pressure in my lower abdomen, but I often experience this with higher absorbency tampons as well. There was burning at first, but I suspect this is from removing the cup after the botched punch-down insertion. I did not cramp. Not one single time this cycle did I cramp! That is a huge victory dance. While I don't cramp like I used to, I still typically cramp for the first day. 

This is probably TMI, but you're going to want to know this if you plan to use the cup. Having a BM was a breeze. I despise having to do this while using a tampon. There is a string that gets wet when you pee and then you have to hold it out of the way to wipe when you have a BM... it's just gross to have to use the bathroom when you're wearing a tampon. Then if you have to strain at all the dang thing slides out partway and you have to change whether you are ready to or not. insert eye roll. So having a BM with the cup in was a completely different experience. Having a BM, having a baby, bearing down, it all uses the same set of muscles. That being said when you are wearing a cup and have to go there the cup does move down. I was afraid it was in danger of falling out, but I could feel where it was and I was ready to hold it in place if need be. I was afraid that the cup would need to be taken out and reinserted after the BM, but it actually moved back up into position as soon as I wasn't pushing anything out of my body. In fact there are numerous suggestions that say to bear down as if you're having a BM to bring the cup down/out enough to grasp the bottom/stem/grip rings if you're experiencing difficulty in removal. I honestly can't remember at this point whether I went ahead and removed it then or if I wore it for a bit longer. Either way, when I did remove it I was in some pain. This was a huge disappointment. I'd had such success while wearing it - no leaks, no cramps, no huge issues getting it in and open - that I felt like it should have been pain-free on removal. But it wasn't. And to be perfectly honest the pain persisted into the night and next morning. 

I didn't think about using my Cetaphil facial cleanser to wash the cup (it comes with a starter kit sold by MeLuna), but I had Summer's Eve Feminine Body Wash handy, so I used that to clean the cup after I dumped the contents. Speaking of contents, when I have a typical cycle it appears to be full of clots that slide around the side of the tampon. After catching my flow in a cup I could see that it wasn't clotty at all. The cup was half full after 6 hours, so even though you can wear it safely up to 12 hours I would still dump it every 6-8 hours to avoid overflow on removal. I stored the cup in the bag it came with and wore a pad overnight. There are a couple of reasons for this - 1) being the first time using it I didn't want to stress my body out too much by wearing it for an extended period, 2) I usually don't need more than a panty liner overnight but wear a pad for insurance against leaks.

The second day I tried to insert it first thing after waking before I went for a walk on the beach. I was tired, I was nervous after it hurt to remove the night before, and I knew that early in the morning my flow would be practically nonexistent anyway. I wish I had taken a bottle of lube with me, but I didn't. It hurt to insert on day 2, and I'm not sure if it was dryness or residual pain from the removal the night before. Either way it wasn't quite as comfortable to insert as the first time. Again it hurt to remove and was only half full after 6 hours. I switched to a lite flow tampon after that in case we went swimming... it stormed instead.

The third day is my lightest day, and most of the time I don't need more than a liner or a lite flow tampon, so I didn't even bother with the cup even though it can be used for light days as well. I only used a tampon when we went swimming and then switched back to a pad.

After I got home I researched pain on removal of the cup. I knew that it didn't hurt to break the seal, it didn't hurt to pull it down (or push it down), but when it came time to remove the rim while keeping it parallel to the floor so as not to spill the contents it hurt like crazy. There is the absolute most helpful YouTube channel that I have subscribed to and watch videos on nearly on a daily basis that held the answer - you must perform a maneuver called a "hotdog in a bun" to push the rim down and away from your urethra on removal to avoid pain. There ya go. I failed to put my hotdog in its bun. Basically you place your thumb on top of the cup and press down while your fingers on the bottom press up on the cup forming an almost U shape out of the rim, keeping it away from the super sensitive urethra and protecting you from pain. If you'd like more info on techniques and cups and all other RUMPS, I'd suggest Precious Stars Pads on YouTube. Bree is an invaluable wealth of knowledge on the subject.

So, cycle 1 with use of a cup is in the books, and I just today received in the mail a 2-pack (small and large) of the Lena Cup. I ordered from Amazon yesterday, and since I have Prime it shipped very quickly and from a nearby distribution center. You can't get the 2-pack on the Lena website, but Amazon sells it for $36.97 which is a steal considering I paid >$38 after a $5 coupon for one Diva Cup at Walgreen's. The thing you'll notice is that most of the cups look incredibly similar, but they differ in areas like stem shape and length, cup width, rim style, capacity, and firmness. I am also researching reusable cloth menstrual pads, which sounds disgusting and a lot of people don't understand, but I love to sew and I love the idea of making my period fun. Oh, and I have a moonbox to fill and only a few short years to do it in.

Join a Facebook group (or 10), watch a bunch of videos, read up on other women's experiences, and then try it for yourself. You might find that you want to convert from being a sposies user to a RUMPS Shaker just like me.