(no subject)

[coldandbroken.livejournal.com]

would just like to introduce myself to the group, I'm seventeen living in rural North Dakota. so, yeah.hey.

in the past few weeks I've been researching both the Instead and The Keeper as alternatives to using pads and/or tampons during my period, and while all the information that I've found has been helpful, I've decided to come here to ask for advice from women who have used one or both of them.

my main question is which of the two is more cost efficient? and also which one seems to be easier to insert? I've only used tampons in the past and whatever will be the smoother transition would be the best I think.

also if there is any other menstrual cups out there, please let me know.
thank you in advance ladies.

Comments

[mangofandango.livejournal.com]

I've used both. I had a lot of trouble with Insteads - they didn't stay in place very well, they leaked, and they were uncomfortable. You should expect to do some fiddling around with the Keeper at first, figuring out how to put it in and take it out and what's most comfortable and effective for you in terms of positioning, but I find it much easier to use and more reliable. Now that I know how to do it, my Keeper almost never leaks at all.

Also, the Insteads are disposable and a box of them is pretty expensive, whereas the Keeper lasts up to 10 years and costs 30-40 dollars, so the Keeper is much more cheaper to use.

I love my Keeper to death and I highly recommend it. If there's anything else you'd like to know about it, please ask. :) Oh, and there are other cups that are pretty much exactly the same as the Keeper, just not made out of rubber. There's the diva cup (divacup.com) and the mooncup, which is the UK equivalent (I think it's mooncup.com, but I'm not sure...someone else will know though. :)) These are especially important for people with latex allergies, because although the Keeper is not made of latex, it shouldn't be used by people who are sensitive to it.

[appletrees.livejournal.com]

I've used both the Mooncup (silicone version of The Keeper) and Insteads.

I had mixed results with the Insteads, but I love my Mooncup! They were both easy for me to insert on the first try, but I had trouble with stopping the Insteads from slipping out. I got it in OK the first time, but the Insteads still leaked, and after that one time, I couldn't get them to stay behind the pubic bone.

I found the Mooncup easy to insert, I have heard of some people having trouble with insertion of menstrual cups at first, but I got it perfectly the first try. I love it, it doesn't leak (unless it's totally full, which usually doesn't happen unless you have really heavy flow).

The Mooncup is a lot more comfortable than tampons for me, since it's not absorbent. I love it. It's also more cost effective than other methods, because it isn't disposable. You can use it for years and years without buying a 2nd one. HTH.

[sadisticclone.livejournal.com]

I would imagine that a reusable cup is better for price because it lasts for 10 years, and they're usually under or around $25. I use a Mooncup, and I love it. Insteads were horrible, uncomfortable and shifted constantly. They seemed so non-cunt friendly. I'd definately say go for a Mooncup (the only cup I've had experience with). Some people say its better for beginners because it's stiffer then the Keeper, so it pops open easier.. others say that makes it more difficult, I personally didn't have any problems with it, and it kinda put itself into place.

If you do get one, don't freak out about the size.. They're a lot smaller once they're in. If you're having trouble putting them in, run it under warm/hot water for a little bit, til it's warmed up. Then try using lube (or just some extra water) to work it inside you. This helped me the most. Also, try it when you don't have your period so you get the hang of it before it becomes a mess, but also, it'll be MUUUUUCH easier once you are bleeding because the blood lubricates your vagina.

The Mooncup is the most like the Keeper design wise. If you have an allergy to latex, the Keeper is NOT for you. I didn't like that the DivaCup had a stem that you couldn't trim. Even though I eventually just trimmed my entire stem off. Of course, I do believe that all 3 have a money back thing. Also, I love the Mooncup because it's clear.. so it just looks cleaner to me.

As for links:
http://www.mooncup.co.uk/
http://www.divacup.com/
http://www.livejournal.com/community/the_keeper <--their FAQ is very helpful.
http://www.livejournal.com/community/the_keeper/41258.html

[giltedge.livejournal.com]

I just ordered a Divacup, and I'll be using it for my next period. Pads and tampons are so expensive, and tampons are pretty bad for you anyway. Not to mention how wasteful they are. I really hope that I like my divacup, because I'm really sick of tampons.

My divacup was about $25 (I think). How much does a box of tampons cost? Multiply that by all the periods you have... yikes. Definitely a money saver.

[balmofgilead.livejournal.com]

oddly enough, mooncup.co.uk also sells keepers, at the very inexpensive (compared to other sites i've seen) price of around $29, shipping included--even all the way over to the US from England. of course if you end up returning it, shipping it back could get expensive. www.eco-logique.com (based in canada) also seemed to have good prices, though i think it ends up varying based on the day's us/canadian dollar exhange rate if you pay by credit card. just thought all this was worth mentioning since you mentioned cost...some sites sell keepers for much more (up to $37 or so).