tinymortal

Hi Diva's!! I have been talking about it for the whole month and now its coming! I am going in to get my IUD on Wednesday and I am so scared!! I still havent completely decided on which to choose (MIrena or Paragard) and I am also super nervous about the pain. I just recently had a UTI and it was so painful and traumatic that I am nervous to be in pain again. I was wondering if anyone can lend any advice on what to do to ease the pain. Can I take a xanax before going? What do you recommend for meds before and after and how painful it really is? Is one more painful than the other?
Between the Mirena and Paragard, I am scared about the side effects of Mirena (but I am thinking it will be a lot better than taking all of these HBC's for so many years) and at the same time I know Paragard has higher chance of expelling (I have never been pregnant), there are also side effect from copper, and the heavy periods since I already get heavy periods from HBC and I took it originally to lessen the cramps and pain, I am nervous it will be too hard to handle for me. I am looking to Mirena because I think it will be the best option but still want your opinion.

I also wanted to ask anyone with Mirena if you have experienced side effects what they typically are? I also wanted to find out if it is common for any infections-- I tend to get yeast infections easily and UTI's because I have a weak immune system and I am nervous of the effect of Mirena on this and if it is likely to cause outbreaks.

The last question is, I know that Mirena often causes your period to go away, do you ever get nervous about being pregnant? Some people say to check the strings and some people say not to... Lastly, do a lot of men tend to feel the strings? My boyfriend is fairly large and he used to feel the nuva ring all the time and it was very uncomfortable, I know that this is a similar thing and was wondering how often men feel them,

Thank you so much IUD DIvas!! You all have been such a help!!!!

So, I actually used my Lady Cup for the very first time today. It's AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning, I hadn't started bleeding yet, but I figured that I would later today and decided to try my cup. At first, I tried to put it in standing up and failed miserably. So, I put it in sitting down, and had a little trouble, but finally got it in. It was a little uncomfortable because of the stem, but, I decided to leave it and just see if it was something I could get used to.

So, this evening (I wore it all day :)), I was in the shower, and I decided to just try to remove/reinsert it in there. I took it out, and when I checked, there was blood in the bottom of the cup! I was SO excited because normally, even using tampons, I would leak ALL the time. So, I washed it, trimmed the stem a little, and decided to try to reinsert it standing up again.

It practically placed itself! While I was standing!!! And I barely even knew it was there. I can actually bend over and sit down without worrying!

In any case, I just wanted to say thanks to everybody who helped me figure this out. :)

And, if anyone is thinking about getting a cup and hasn't yet, it's awesome!

So, I am one of those lucky ladies that has never really had a cramp, got a paraguard, still no cramps. Great right? First few months on paraguard my period was quite heavy. Then a couple months ago, I had a super light period. The strings seemed too short or way too long on occasion. So I went to get my IUD checked out at Planned Parenthood, and everything's supposedly copacetic, stings perfect length and everything.

To get down to the knitty gritty, I haven't stopped spotting, for a couple months, nothing heavy, but then again I am not sure if I have had my period because of the constant spotting. I require the lightest tampon available daily. Should I be worried? Or is this normal? Should I go to Planned Parenthood?

Thanks in advance!<input ... ></input><input ... >

 OH MY GOD!.... so everything went rolling along great on my dry run with the meluna a few posts back, and I thought it was amazing...except its been nearly in there 36 hours and I'm still trying to remove it.  I can barely reach the rim and have been using a rubber glove at this point because even though I've been taking breaks and let it sit overnight, my vag is a bit pissy at me. I have read all the comments about removal and bearing down is helping a little bit, I can reach the ring stem I just can't get the suction to break or grab the bottom of the cup.  Does anyone have experience with meluna specifically and the suction they bring due to only having two holes and the stiffer rim? Previously I thought I couldn't fit a large...because I thought I'd located my cervix and I was close but whatever that was wasn't my cervix.   The cup thats in there is the size of the large from rim to stem, so you can bet my large order is in and on its way....I'm lucky I want to use a cup so bad, this removal process would have scared anyone else to never touch a cup again. I assume the majority of today will be spent trying to get this thing out. 

I think my ParaGard might be expelling!!! ( gory details...  )

Hi everyone! 

After learning about the mcups I decided that I had to get one.  I don't have a thing against tampons except that I have to change so much.

At first I thought that the only mcup that existed was the diva cup..  but as I am learning there are so many brands! 

I'm researching and trying to figure out what cup I'm supposed to get and so far I've come to the conclusion that a mooncup might be best for me... but I'm not sure, so I was hoping someone could help me out. 

- first off, I live in California, if that eliminates any of my options... (but I would think that I could have any mcup mailed to me... no?)

-I am 17, virgin, 110 pounds, 5'8 (a bit underweight, i'm working on it)
-I usually have my period for about a week or so...
-My flow tends to fluctuate, but I can get a super (tampon) up there if I have a heavy flow, but usually it's a medium flow
- I don't want to have to change every so often, 12 hrs sounds REALLY good. 
-I can get two fingers up there and reach my cervix (I thought I lost a tampon, so someone told me to stick my fingers up there and get it :(, that's another reason why I want to switch to an mcup! I think I've had at least 10 incidents where I thought I lost my tampon or couldn't remember whether or not I had put one up there)
-I don't think I'll have trouble getting the cup up there or taking it out, I can adapt pretty well, I just don't want to be in pain and I also don't want my vagina to explode or anything


Hmmmm.... so is the mooncup right for me?  If not, do you have better suggestions?
 
-


 

Not sure if any of you remember, but I posted last night (I think it was last night :/) regarding my Diva Cup and the trouble I was having with putting it in and taking it out. Well, I just wanted to let everyone know that I took all of your suggestions to heart, put them together, and voila! Today (and I'm still on my dry run, so I'm guessing it'll be even better once my period actually starts) I had very little annoyance from my Diva Cup. I put it in so that it was comfortable right away, and have figured out how to fold it when taking it out so that it doesn't hurt. I'm very excited by this, and just want to thank the mods of this community for having such a helpful place to come to regarding this stuff, and those who commented on my post and offered encouragement and suggestions. Thanks, you guys! ♥

So, my sis has said she's finally ready for a cup (yay). She just turned 21 and is a virgin. I'm interested in getting her a medium Meluna. What are ya'lls thoughts on a Meluna for a virgin and cup noob?

Thanks, Sara

Hey guys,

A couple of people said in a thread that they feel like they've slightly torn their genitals when using the Diva. I think I may be experiencing that! I have felt localized pain for the last few days (period ended about a week ago) and today I checked it out with a mirror. I noticed a very thin red line, about 1 cm long, very near my vagina. It only hurts if I touch it, or if urine or hot water runs over it in the shower or something. 

Any advice on how to handle? I put a tiny dab of neosporin on it, hoping that would help it heal. It's not that painful, but i really want to have sex with my husband and I'm afraid it will cause irritation. Will this just go away on its own or should I call my doctor?

Thanks ladies!

xoxo

Hello all. Well I've had my mirena for 5 months now, and I've just realized that every month during my period since I've gotten it, I get some sort of rash down there.  Not near my vagina, it's on the sides of my perineum. Always the same exact are. Itches sooooooooo bad sometimes and then other times I don't notice it.  And it's only during my period :/

Has anyone else had an issue like this?  I have some Nystatin cream that I use sometimes, it helps a little bit but I'm running out. Should I get some regular vaginal itch cream?

Hello divas! I've been following this community for a few weeks now, really interested in getting an IUD.

I've got a doctor's appointment on the 16th to get my PAP and talk to my doctor about the possibility of getting one inserted soon.

Little history: I'm 19 years old, never been pregnant. Been on several different kinds of hormonal birth control over almost 4 years now, which have been slowly having a negative effect on my sex drive and my overall mood. I didn't notice it at first because it's been so gradual, but other people have started to comment on it so I know I've been changing. Looking into an IUD started because I was looking up information on depression (I'm getting that bad. Sigh.)

Anyway, I live in Canada so my choices would be a Mirena or copper (Flexi-T or Nova-T) IUD. I was originally leaning for the copper because I really want to get all these artificial hormones out of my system to see if that's what's been causing my depression. However, I've been seeing many posts that say the levels of hormone are so low and so localized in the Mirena that it's not really an issue. All the bad sounding side effects of a copper IUD are really turning me off too.

I'm probably about equally torn between the two right now. Mirena; maybe stopped periods, less side effects BUT have hormones. Copper; shitty side effects that may or may not go away, but NO hormones.

Cost is not an issue more than likely as I have good medical coverage that will probably cover most, if not all, of the cost of either type.

Help me decide, divas! :)

Thanks in advance!

I was on the Diva Cup site today and found this statement on the homepage:

"Because of the intimate, personal nature of the product, we suggest replacing the cup each year.  We have not indicated, nor suggested, a ten year usage."

In your opinion,is this simply a means to sell more of their product? I can't see where my cup could have any amount of damage in just year that would constitute buying a new cup. It's sturdy, and I keep it cleaned with a no soap, fragrance free cleanser. MY opinion is...a well taken care of cup could last well over a year and as such if taken care of and cleansed properly wouldn't pose any more of a health risk after a year than it did when I bought it. What is YOUR opinion?

Hey everyone,

I got my medium meluna with a ring stem in the mail today. Frank was also kind enough to include a complimentary small orange with a ball stem.  I started with the Diva cup about three cycles ago but used it sporadically because it caused a heavy heavy crampy feeling and I felt it was way too long, however it did work most of the time flipped inside out, however still created the extra crampy feeling.  I'm not on my period right now, I had brain surgery about six weeks ago and coming off all the drugs has messed up my cycle.  

I put the medium in tonight for a dry run, and since my period is all messed up I have no idea when its coming again. Better safe than sorry I guess.... anways, the medium fits like a dream. Once i figured out a good way to fold it, which I don't even know what I used...I think it was something like origami, it was in, however it took a second to kegel it into place. For the first minute and a half it felt like it maybe wasn't open all the way and was going to just slip right back out.... 

One thing I noticed even when using the Diva, and especially after letting the meluna sit in there for a few hours...is that when I have a cup in, it turns to the left.  The stem of the diva and the stem of the meluna can be found on the right side of the entrance of my vagina.  I'm officially in love with the ring stem, because its not poking me like the diva...it almost feels like the cup is completely sideways inside. Is that possible? Previously I thought my cervix was low (on average) and was to the right.  Where I thought it was would justify the placement of the cup, so I assume the cup is where it's supposed to be.  I never had any leaking with the diva, even with the stem tilted and jabbing my inner lip.  Does anyone else's cup do this? Is that normal? How do I know if i have a tilted uterus?

Alot  of people say the meluna has strong suction. I agree but feel that for me, the diva had even STRONGER suction. I thought most of the divas crampy feelings were from suction....but the meluna has an even wider, thicker rim....weird...

the meluna and diva don't spin, but that doesnt mean a thing....I've done my research here, and the cup is fully round at the bottom which must mean it is open.  i'm actually excited to start my period, so I can work out whatever bugs the meluna may bring.  The cup is riding high, which makes me think I have more room and may be able to accomodate the large meluna.  

Anyone have any thoughts on the position of the cup?

My bottom line is I already love the meluna and its been in for an hour! I can't feel it, regardless of the way it seems to be tilted.  Only the period will tell though...

Here's to hoping its the Goldilocks cup!

I am so sad that I had to say goodbye to my IUD today.
( Rambling along... ) So I'm not a diva for the time being, but I have a feeling I'll be back with another insertion story soon. Happy weekend, all!

Hello All, So it is time for me to replace my Paragard, after almost thirteen years of great birth control.  Do any of you know what to expect when I have this done?  I mean, will I have all of the same adjustment symptoms (cramping, bleeding, etc.) that I did when I originally had the Paragard put in or will that not happen since it will be about 10 minutes of less before there is another one in my uterus?  Thanks for your help.

Just got a Diva Cup as a birthday present from my best friend, who has been using one for about a year now. She rants and raves about how awesome it is, and how my first period with it will be the best period of my life. My period is due in about two or three days, and I've been wearing the cup since yesterday, just for practice putting it in and removing it, and to make sure that it feels right and all that. I'm not sure if I'm doing anything wrong or if it's just a matter of continuing to practice, but I'm still waiting for it to be completely comfortable. Unlike tampons (which I have used until now), I can still feel it, especially if I tense my muscles (it's my quick and dirty test that I do to make sure I've inserted tampons correctly and comfortably, I figure it's transferrable to the Diva Cup as well). The issue is that it pinches mostly on one side, and it's the same side every time. I cannot for the life of me figure out why. I'm also a virgin, so I'm not sure what effect this has on how much I should or shouldn't feel the cup.

Also, does anyone else have discomfort with removing their menstrual cup? Once I've gotten up to the rim of the cup, I'm not quite sure how to make it small enough to be comfortable removing. It kinda just ... pops out, and it's rather painful. I don't want to squeeze the edges together because I'm afraid that, once I'm using it for my actual period, everything will spill.

Basically, I just need some help. I'm so confused and PMS is making me frustrated to the point of tears with this thing.

Hi Ladies,

Reading all the useful info here has definitely been super-helpful - thanks! I finally have an appointment to get my IUD inserted - ta-dah! It's happening on Thursday - but I'm still unsure which "model" I want to go with. (My doctor thought both of them would be just fine for me, which, as you can imagine, didn't help much :) )

Here are two questions that I would love to have answered:

1.) For those of you whose pre-IUD periods were really easy and who got a Paragard, what are your menses looking like now?
(I can't remember ever having a cramp in my life (I'm twenty now), and my whole period is usually pretty peaceful in general. I'm a bit worried that my spoiled self won't be able to deal with "the period from hell".)

2.) For those of you who went from a NuvaRing to the Mirena: how did your side effects change? Did you have more/ less/ different ones?
(I believe the progestin in both of them is the same, so I was just wondering if I could anticipate what might happen in terms of that.)

Thanks a lot in advance for your answers!

I'm 33 with one child (22 months) and have just bought my first menstrual cup. I'm based in the UK so have the MCUK (size A, based on being over 30 with a child).

My period is  due in 6 days. I'm excited and a bit nervous about my forthcoming new menstrual experience.

Is there anything I should really know beforehand? Any golden rules?

I'm not planning on doing a dry run. Just going to wait till the day.

I'm a bit confused as to how high it should sit. One of my pet hates is being able to feel a tampon inside me, if I haven't inserted it high enough. From what I've read, it seems that this is a problem for many people. I'm not very familiar with my cervix.

The  instructions say low, but everyone else seems to say high. How the hell do I know if it's in the right place?!


Thanks in advance x

Hi everyone!!!!!

Some may remember me as the one who does the bulk orders. Well, yesterday I placed the order and am now starting up another one. =)

According to Meluna, the Larges are being released middle of November. ANy takers????

Im asking $20 per cup ( rate of currency exchange has changed... sucks!). This will include shipping within the US. I will do international shipping just send me an email and Ill come up with a quote for you. ;)

Here's my email- chaplain.k@hotmail.com  Any takers???????

 As it turns out, I am that one in a thousand who did get pregnant with my IUD correctly in place. I just found out today at my ultrasound appointment that my IUD was still in place and I also have a uterine pregnancy, not ectopic at least. I also found out that I have a bicornuate uterus, which apparently isn't that uncommon. It means that my uterus is slightly heart shaped  - enough so that my IUD is on one side of the heart and the sperm and egg went to the other side. I just want to let folks know that, while not very likely, it can happen. So, if you ever have the opportunity, find out what your uterus is shaped like, and hopefully your IUD will work out better for you than it did me. Bummer, I was finally so happy with a non-hormonal birth control...