I know there has been topics on this already, but was wondering if those that have already got and used one were able to do an up to date review on it.
Also did you get the Diva wash with it? If not what do you use to wash it? I was thinking the femehygiene stuff here should be appropriate? Also are there laws that prevent us ordering in the diva cup or wash?

TIA

I love love love mine. Best invention ever. I empty (well did obviously dont need to use it now) twice a day. Never bought anything special to wash it with, just liquid soap or bodywash or even just water sometimes. Ive only ever had maybe two leaks from it, and both were because i didnt put it in properly. They save you a small fortune, especially if you were to buy now while the dollar is high (ive only ever seen them sold from US stores).

Hey

I'm thinking about getting one too. I know that regarding the laws, there are really strict laws in Australia about what kind of materials can be used to manufacture the cup, but no laws about purchasing them (as far as I can tell!). It's the reason that they haven't become mainstream popular yet, they are really expensive to import in.

I'm a big Diva cup fan!! I have ordered from both the original website and Lunapads.

Great for night-time use! No more leaks onto my nice clean sheets. I highly recommend it, so much so that I even bought one for my sister.

I bought my most recent one from iherb.com, and had a 5% off first purchase code, im pretty sure if you google it you will find the code, or another you can use.

I love mine. I empty it morning and night, plus mid afternoon on the first day. I just wash it with plain soap and warm water, then boil it every so often.

Amy i think the reason they aren't so mainstream here is because of the "ick" factor. There was a thread a few months ago and this idea was brought up the consensus of ladies here was "NO WAY". They are available on ebay, and a few cloth nappy places has them as do cloth pad sites.

I bought mine from a US site (I think it was called betterlife or something similar). It was on a blog I visite that they had a special at the time. I bought a diva cup wash and shipping from the US for significantly less than a cup in OZ. This was a long time age and the Oz dollar hadn't gone down the toilet at that stage.

I haven't used mine. I bought it before I realised I was pregnant so it is still sitting there waiting.

I am really drawn to the idea of the Diva cup. I dont like to wear tampons to bed and HATE the feeling of bleeding...EWWWW its feral. I never use to bleed overnight until after I had my son. A couple of months of that and now I'm want an alternative.

I ordered my last night from where Rosita did. betterlife.com it was $20.99 +$5 P&H from america. Not sure what that is AU$ yet. tried to check my account but its not up yet. Irecieved an email saying its being shipped already. YEAH! Yahoo converter says $29.65. I'm HAPPY with that.

Just a question....might seem daft but....
Why would you need to buy more then 1? I get you would post birth of 1st child, but other then that do they have a life span?

Yay for ordering it. I remember when I ordered mine I got it super super quick.

I've been meaning to try one of these for ages - obviously don't need one now but will get one for after.

Saves soooo much waste...

I think you would buy one to replace it after a certain amount of time. I had mine for a year i think before i replaced it, or almost a year. Not sure if they should be replaced sooner or later. I certainly dont think its something you need to use more than one of, or even have them kept in different places. Only using one worked fine for me.

ladies, i had not even heard of such a device. Thank you to the OP!
I will admit at first I thought "gross" but it's genius when you think about it!
I don't mind wearing tampons to bed but the DC is so much better for the environment. THANK YOU!!

I have a diva cup and love it. Bought it off ebay.

I just washed mine in hot water usually, and then with just plain soap at the end of my period.

There are two different types, Model 1: For women under 30 years old who have never delivered vaginally or by caesarean section and Model 2: For women over 30 years old and/or for women who have delivered vaginally or by caesarean section.

The website recommends that it be replaced a least once a year

My Diva Cup Arrived today. 8 days after I ordered it, and just in time for my next period. I'll let you all know how I go.

Good on you! I think they're brilliant I used mine for over a year before I became pregnant. I used to just wash it with hot water and body wash in the shower morning and evening. It did discolour a little eventually but that's expected with that material.

There was a bit of an 'ick factor' at first but when you think about it, it's exactly the same blood!

It might take you a few goes to get the hang of putting it in properly but once you've got it it's easy.

I'm going to hijack your post! For those that used a Divacup before and after kids, were you able to use the same, smaller one afterwards or did you have to buy a new one? I know you should get the second version, but the size difference between them is not much so I'm curious to know if I could get away with keeping the same one for a little longer.

Katie I am glad you have asked about that I would love to know. Before falling pregnant I was going to swtich to cloth pads and the diva cup sounds like a great idea.

Heather I would say If you don't already have a diva cup I would go with version 2. As stated there isn't that much different in size but there are diffrent sizes and that would be for a reason. They also have quite clear guides on what size to get. The only problem I have read is that if its too small it will ride up (making getting it out hard) and it could leak. Due to the fact the vagina is a big strechy muscle I don't think you will have a probem with it being "too big". The vagina will and most definate can accomdate it.

Katie - you cold try your #1 with a pad on also and if you have problems then I would go up the next size. Good Luck.

So I haven't actually got my period yet. But have been practicing, and wearing it(would that be what you would say?).

Just quickly, I feel slightly unco using it in a sense that isn't because I'm new at it. I'm right handed but can not use my right hand to insert and remove because I had an accident and have very little feeling in my thumb. So I'm having to use my left hand.

That said, using the cup itself is ummm interesting. I can get it in fairly easy most times but Sometimes it takes me a little bit to get it up far enough. Then I have trouble grabbing it to rotate it inside (as per the instructions, to make sure its positioned right and has flipped out again). I think I am going to cut my nails down (they are due for it) anyway I think it will make it easier so I'm not afraid I'm going to scratch myself.

Then removing it...what can I say...I really have no idea how I am going to be successful at this when I do get my period. I will most definately be having a pad on for the first while to get use to it. Those that have cups already - When removing it, and it has major suction and it sucks in the sides, what do you do? Wont everything go everywhere?

Overall - When its in I have no idea. I really don't have any fear it will leak, but I think I am in for a mess till I learn to remove it properly.

I took ages to be able to rotate it, and don't usually bother. Run a finger round the outside to check it's popped open, and give it a gentle tug to check suction.
As for emptying, I either empty it over the toilet or in the shower so it's no big deal if it spills a little. It comes out more or less upright anyway.

Yup, just as Katie said! I found it too hard to rotate so I stopped trying and never had a problem. As for emptying, I did it in the shower so it didn't matter. I have (had?) very light periods anyway so on the rare occasion I did it on the loo there was not enough to make a mess. You could try putting your finger up the side of the cup and pushing inwards to break the suction before you try to get it out. It does take some practise, I definitely didn't get the hang of it immediately!

I just ordered a cup - it's a Lunette. Not as popular as the Diva, but these are meant to last 5-10 years. Anyway, I will report back after it arrives and I've given it a go!

Just re: the practising - your cervix changes position slightly during your cycle and will probably be a bit lower during your period, so maybe it's actually easier to use at the 'right' time? I'm hoping so anyway!

I've also ordered some cloth pads to try. Was there a thread about those?

e*liz - I was going to get some cloth pads too, but ATM I have quite a stash of stuff I'll have to use up. Let us know how the one you get goes. If good I might look at that one when I'm due to replace mine.

Well so far so good with the Diva cup. Getting much better putting it in. and it is much easier to get it out when its full. It is a tad ewww but considering I am doing it less it really makes up for it. And its so comfy great to "forget" about it and get on with my day.

I'm not sure if its to do with the cup, but I'm ALOT more crampy this month. Even in my bowel movements. It also seems like quite a heavy period...did others experience this when they first used the cup? Although it also seems quite like what my periods were like before I went on the pill as a teen. They were very painful and heavy.

Can't comment on the pain, it was never any worse for me. As for heavyness, it might just be that as it's not getting soaked up by anything you're more aware of how much blood there actually is, I think tampons and pads can be very deceptive.

I've got cloth liners which are great for those days when your period is expected but you're not sure exactly when (I was not clockwork-regular ) and for the tail end. I haven't tried pads though, found I didn't need to with the cup

I got them here: here, they're fine, but they don't fit in my underwear as exactly as I'd like, they tend to bunch up but you might not have that with a thicker pad.

I tried this Diva Cup after reading this thread. It was a fair while ago. I really struggled to a- rotate it and b- get it in high enough.

I got the small one as I haven't given birth and omg its massive and this is coming from a girl that uses super tampons!

I might try it out again though after reading some of the advice. I'll keep you posted. I think I need to try when I don't have AF, as it was stressful trying to work it then and easier to just put a tampon in.

I can now comment on using a Diva cup. I only started using it today, and I was couple of days in. First couple of Days were very heavy so no idea how it would have coped.

Now the below could be very much too much info so if you think you might be grossed out. Don't read, move right along.

Sometime between when I bought it and now (a year and a half) I lost the instruction so looked them up on the net. They aren't details as the one you get with it but thought I'd give it a go and off I trotted.

Now just so you are all getting way TMI, things in that area, well they ain't what they used to be and at times the area can still be a bit delicate, so I was worried.

I gave it a go and it didn't feel uncomfortable in, in fact couldn't feel it in at all so must be in the right spot. I must say as a tampon user, I was surprised that it doesn't get inserted very high at all compare to a tampon.

After a while I thought I would take it out and see if it worked. What to you know it did. Now I am an ick a phob. The performance I put on if I get baby poo on my finger is huge. But in all honestly I have had more yucky stuff on me from inserting a tampon. I got nothing on me.

The only thing is it hurt a little right at the end when I took it out, but as I said thing are a little delicate still.

e*liz - how is the Lunette? I just ordered one a few days ago (hasn't arrived yet), after reading a lot of reviews of different brands decided that was the one to go with.

I have to admit that I did order mine from NZ so I could get the blue one!

Thought I would post this.
Link
It has a chart of all the different cups, sizes, measurements, capacity. Interesting read. So if you have a light flow you could maybe choose a smaller one?

TMI warning:
I'm thinking of trying(or at last looking into) the bottom one...it does up 35ml. I thought maybe I could use a combination considering I overflowed the diva in 9hours on the first try (2nd night of period) the next day was very heavy too, but after that it was medium-light. I think my body does a huge offload then its steady from there. I might wait till after a couple of months and see how i go.

I have just got my Diva Cup a few weeks ago and have begun experimenting with it. I haven't yet had AF with it but have been putting it in after BDing.

It seems to hold everything very well. No leakages as yet.

I find it very easy to insert. It seems to just slide in.

My biggest problem is removing it. It has been a bit tricky as it seems to really hold very tightly. But with practise I can move into some different positions and it seems to be easier.
Also I can kind of "push" it out by using my pelvic muscles (well I think that is what they are anyway).

Well, I love my lunette! I wrote about it on my blog I liked it so much!

Bella, I agree that the hardest part is getting it out. I find it's much easier if I can squeeze it tightly together (like on insertion) but that's tricky to do. I think the Diva may be more rigid than the lunette too so might need a different tack. Definitely relaxing and go slow is the way! Don't know how Katie does hers in the shower, I could only get it out in a sitting position personally, tried squatting but no luck. I'm totally psyched about never buying tampons again though.

I actually find it easier in a squatting position! Could be the different cup, could be different bodies I guess. I find it's easier in that position to use my muscles to help push it out (and I'm far less worried about dropping it!)