DivaCup

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

This is kind of random, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who mentioned the DivaCup in this community.. I read about it a couple months ago, ordered it and got it for $25 including s&h from this website: http://www.tendertouchcare.com/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=261 (they give 10% off to new members), received it in 3 days and tested it out immediately. My first week had me fumbling with it, begging my poor vagina to take it even though it wasn't a friendly penis, or penis shape.. it was awkward then, but now, it's almost a cinch to put in and take out.. so I really love it and want to thank all of you for bringing it to my attention.

Now, however, I have a question. The women in my family have a history of ovarian cysts and other probs that cause very heavy bleeding during menstruation.. My aunt-aged 42- (whom i'd like to have try the DivaCup out) is a particularly heavy bleeder (soaking through overnights in a couple of hours), and she cannot wear tampons because they're useless for her. Would the DivaCup be a good solution? or is it likely that she'd have to empty and clean it too frequently for it to even be useful for someone like her??

Also, is there a certain minimum age for divacup wearing? Can someone who's just starting their period wear it for example, or is it recommended that it not be worn until someone has experienced sexual intercourse and is at least familiar with that area down there. Inserting the divacup is slightly more complicated than inserting a tampon (cause the damn thing keeps popping open if you don't have a good grip).

Oh, I have one more random question.. I keep reading everywhere that after childbirth, and as women grow older in general, the vaginal muscles grow more lax and stretch so that a woman loses her tightness. If one exercises one's kegals before and after pregnancy, is it possible to return to the tightness one had in one's youth? Also, does having strong kegals make delivery harder because the canal is much tighter requiring you to stretch more? I always figured that when women say that by the time their pushing out their 3rd or so child, it's not painful, I figured that it wasn't because they were used to it, but because their muscles grew more lax and aren't really fighting to stay tight, so they baby just slides forth from these lax muscles.. if there is some validity to that, wouldn't that mean that by keeping those muscles tight and "youthful," one is ensuring painful pregnancies for oneself?

Also, what gratification does a woman get from having tight vaginal muscles? Is the gratification solely for her male partner???

Comments

[rachelish.livejournal.com]

as for your question about a minimum age, someone asks that on the mooncup website in the faq

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/menstrual_cup_faq.htm

basically, it says that you can use it as soon as you get your first period. i have read somewhere else though that if you were recommending it to a young girl, you would want to stress the importance of cleaning and sanitizing the cup, just because they might not be used to the upkeep of something like that? anyways, yeah.

[mangofandango.livejournal.com]

I think the DivaCup is perfect for someone with a heavy flow. It holds far more than a tampon does, so she might have better luck with it. It's definitely worth a try. Plus, using a cup can help her know how much blood she's losing, which can be helpful at doctor's appointments, etc.

The cup might be tricky to use if you are a virgin, but I wouldn't say it's impossible. I guess it depends a lot on the girl's comfort level with giving it a try, really.

Vaginal muscles can be toned again after childbirth. I'm not sure to what degree, but I know your body does change after you give birth. Others can probably tell you more about that. But having strong Kegels before having a baby is a good thing, as far as I know - it means you're better able to move the baby through the birth canal, because the muscles are stronger. (Others may have more detail in this regard too, but I know it's definitely not a bad thing to have strong muscles when giving birth :))

Stronger vaginal muscles = stronger orgasms. That's because an orgasm is basically the contraction and release of muscles - and stronger muscles mean stronger contractions, etc. It also means more blood flow to the area, which is a great thing in terms of arousal and orgasm. Strong vaginal muscles are fun for everyone. ;)

[vajd.livejournal.com]

Not to mention that strong vaginal muscles keep everything in place.

My mother worked for a bit with personal care at a nursing home and there were a few of the woman there who would from time to time need a hand to push their uterus back in place. If the muscles aren't strong enough it can sort of slip down. And in extreme cases partly out.

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

That is the scariest thing I have ever heard.. A uterus can slip out of the vagina????!?!!! Ummm, could you please explain this process, what it is called specifically, and also the risk factors?? I've never heard of such an occurrence and I suppose right now, I'm reeling about as much as the guy who gets kicked in the balls by a punter... gaaaahhhh!! --shudder--

[vajd.livejournal.com]

I had to google it since I'm a Dane and medical terminology in English isn't my forte exactly *g*
It's called a prolapse, which is a general term I believe, for when organs move out of place.

Normally it won't fall all the way out of course, but it can drop enough to be visible between the labia.

This page (http://www.femalehealthmadesimple.com/Prolapse.html) seemed informative and it only contains line drawings. Trust me, photographs are too scary *shudders*

The reason Kegel's are so important - apart from preventing incontinence and giving us better sex lives - is that they help strengthen the ligaments that keep everything inside of us in place.

It's quite common, especially if you have many children and also if you do not remember to tighten your PC muscles when you lift and such.

[holyphoton.livejournal.com]

Uterine Prolapse.
It's also really rare. It happens when the tissues holding up the uterus become damaged during surgery or a lot of pregnancies. Your uterus (and bladder, ovaries, etc) are held up in a web of connective tissues, a lot like tendons. These tissues stretch during pregnancy, and return to their former shape after. The more pregnancies you have, the less resiliant those tissues become. Strong abdominal muscles help a great deal to keep everything in place.
Severe uterine prolapse can be corrected with surgery. Usually it'll correct itself with time, as the connective tissues heal.
Risk factors: Previous abdominal surgery (if those tissues have been cut), lots of pregnancies (like more than four or five), pregnancies with multiples (twins, triplets, etc), very poor abdominal muscle tone.

It's not something Average Jane needs to worry about, but it's one of those potential complications of birth that the anti-birth control advocates never talk about. Things like this and 4th degree tears don't happen if you take birth control and never get pregnant. Birth is much riskier than birth control. /end rant

[peaceofpie.livejournal.com]

I can't say I know much about the DivaCup, I'm afraid.

But as far as tight vaginal muscles...I find that the more frequently I'm having sex, the tighter my muscles are because they're getting exercised so much. And the tighter my muscles are, the harder I orgasm. And the harder I orgasm, the more likely it is that I'll have several more right afterward. :)

[anyoldname.livejournal.com]

Speaking as someone who has a heavy flow, I'd recommend it. I used to have to change tampons every couple of hours, and I still got leakage. I get very little leakage with my cup. Sure, I have to empty it quite often during the heavy days, but not as often as I was changing tampons.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

The cup won't leak any more than a pad or tampon (quite possibly less) and you save all that money spent on pads and tampons and you don't throw out heaps of waste.

So it's good anyway.

[gwyn-ish.livejournal.com]

Kegels and a strong perenium are GREAT for labor; they help control the emergence of the baby so that tears are less likely. They are also pleasant afterwords... being able to hold your urine as well as your uterus in is a good thing - and I won't harp on the previously mentioned orgasmic rewards. ;)

And I think my perenium is actually stronger after two kids than it was when I was a teenager; I didn't bother doing Kegels back then.

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you all for your comments... 1) I will keep exercising my kegals, and 2) I will definitely tell me aunt and my mother to get one of these.. :o) I love this community!!! You guys are always so helpful..

ciao, bellas,

shea

[holyphoton.livejournal.com]

I have had two children, and I seriously love my vagina. :) Comparing my pre-baby vagina with my current one... The only differences I can find are: the sex is way Way better, I can kegal my partner during sex much more easily and with greater strength (terribly fun, give it a try!), and I'm more sensitive. I can't tell a difference in tone at all. And I'm still with (and having sex with) the man who got me pregnant in the first (and second) place. In other words, he'd be able to tell the difference if there was something different, since he had sex with me pre-baby. A lot. ;)

Immediately post-birth, the vagina is stretched out. But the muscle tone returns pretty quickly. There can be permenant loss of muscle tone if there was an episiotomy, which can cut through nerves. (Tearing naturally won't have this effect because a tear will follow the path of least resistance, tearing skin, not muscle and nerve.)

Having a well-toned vagina/PC muscles during the birth is a very good thing. Vaginal muscles are different from, say, your biceps, in that they are incredibly elastic. They are made to stretch around a baby, then return to their former shape. (Like one of those PosturePedic beds, with memory foam. laugh). Having good muscle tone actually makes labor much easier. Your body works much more efficiently... It's like running a marathon. The stronger you are, the easier it is.

Kegals make labor easier. Your vagina does not get musclebound and beefy and unable to stretch. :) It's just like adding more and more rubberbands.

Subsequent births are typically easier because you and your body are more familiar with what is going on. Your uterus responds to the labor hormones more quickly and in a better organized way. The contractions during a first labor tend to be erratic for a long time. The uterus is made up of zillions of bands of muscle, like the heart. They are supposed to contract in a rythmic wave-like fashion, from top to bottom, pushing the baby down and out. But in first labors (and labors where the mother has been stressed or scared) these contractions are scattered, the muscle bands contracting out of order, or all together. In later deliveries, the uterus 'remembers' how to contract in an organized way, making the labor shorter and easier.

You don't give birth so much with your vagina. Your uterus does the work. Having strong vaginal and PC muscles will speed your recovery after the birth.

:)

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

WOW.. certainly didn't know that.. thanks.. i learned something new today... seeing how i absolutely can't stand pain (unless it's from a sports injury or something similarly "earned"), I will definitely keep working my kegals.. Even though I don't plan on having children for several years, I might as well start working my muscles waaaaaaayyyyy ahead of time...

just that word "tear" brings the most horrific images to mind.. a friend of mine had a child when she was 18 and during delivery, her skin tore from her vagina, right to her anus... an absolutely horrifying thought.. but if she had worked her pc muscles beforehand, would that not have happened???

Sorry this is so long...

[holyphoton.livejournal.com]

I would be willing to bet a great deal of money that your friend's doctor gave her an episiotomy before she tore. That is a potential complication of episiotomies.

In case you don't know: An episiotomy is a small cut made with a knife or (more common) scissors. The cut is made at the bottom of the vagina, on the perineum. The (flawed) theory is that it prevents tearing and speeds labor and heals better. What it acually does is speeds about by just a few minutes (which sometimes *do* count, rarely), causes unnecessary pain to the mother during birth and afterwards during stiching, makes tears more likely, damages muscle and nerve, and opens another way for infection.

Have you ever tried to rip a sheet, or a towel, or some denim? It's hard, right? Until you make a small snip with some scissors... Then the fabric rips easily. Same with episiotomies. That little snip the doctor gives makes it dramatically easier for the perineum to rip dramatically, sometimes requiring reconstructive surgery.

Lots of doctors like to give episiotomies because a straight smooth cut is easier to stitch than a more ragged tear. (Many people, including me, believe that doctors also have another, subconscious, motivation. Uncomplicated birth isn't really a medical thing. It'll progress just fine without a doctor. There really isn't anything for him to do besides moniter for problems and catch the baby. Doctors are trained to doctor, so he creates a situation that needs his particular skills, medicalizing the birth. I don't think this is a deliberate thing, rather a subconscious drive inherent in medical training.)

A natural tear will just tear the skin. Yeah, it hurts like a bitch, but I'd equate the pain level with stubbing my toe or banging my shin on the table. Not a really big deal. Felt like a bruise.
An episiotomy cuts through muscle, in a straight line, and torn/cut muscles hurt more and take much longer to heal than skin. The scar tissue is usually greater, and scarred muscle doesn't function as well.

In your friend's case, strong PC muscles *might* have helped. The stronger the muscles, the less likely it would tear. However, if she had an episiotomy, there might not been a whole lot she could have done to prevent the severe tear.

I'd also be willing to bet she was induced, or was given pitocin during labor to "speed things up". Pitocin makes contractions tremendously stronger, out of control strong, and it could have forced her to birth the baby before her perineum had time to stretch properly. Pitocin + episiotomy = a bad tear. And if you add something like an epidural, your body can't feel when you should chill on the pushing for a moment, which also increases your risk for a tear. Interventions during labor almost always multiply, and that can be a very bad thing. (Not always. I know women who've had very medicalized births and loved them, but those women are rare.)

To help prevent tearing during labor: Stay very well hydrated throughout your pregnancy. Hydrated tissue is stronger and stretchier. Give yourself (or have your partner do it) perineal massages, to help make your perineum stretchy. Use a midwife for your delivery. She'll do everything in her power to keep you from tearing, including supporting and massaging (with olive oil, usually) your perineum during labor. Avoid pitocin and numbing drugs if at all possible. Don't let anyone cut you, unless those few minutes could make the difference between a very bad outcome and a good one. (Situations like that are actually very very rare.) Walk around and relax your pelvic floor during labor. Gravity helps the baby to come down and stretch your perineum. Stretching is good. Tearing is bad. Getting cut is the worst.

Re: Sorry this is so long... Part two

[holyphoton.livejournal.com]

And to help put your mind at ease: I tore with both my deliveries, what they call a second degree tear (which is about half an inch). I felt myself tear while pushing out my second son, and it was really really weird, but not terribly painful. I have hurt myself much more badly working out, to tell you the honest truth. And you *do* feel like you've earned this pain. laugh Trust me! It's the hardest workout! Afterwards, while I was healing, my vagina felt badly bruised. That pain faded in a few days, and I was completely healed in a week or so. I was tender for several weeks, but not so much that I winced when I sat down. :)
Really severe tears like your friend's are rare and are vitually always the result of interventions snowballing.

A young mom goes to a hospital. She's scared of the birth and the doctor, the procedures, and her labor slows down. They give her an IV, which keeps her in bed, and give her pitocin. Her contractions hurt much more, so they give her an epidural. She can't feel it, but her contractions are speeding up and getting harder. As she's pushing (hen she's told to, instead of when her body pushes naturally) the doctor snips her, and boom, she tears. Bad mojo.

Feel free to ask me specific questions if you've got them. :) I don't know if this is the appropriate place or not, so you can email me at quantumsarah (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Re: Sorry this is so long... Part two

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

I have just been so traumatized that i don't think i have any further questions.. at this point, ignorance is bliss and i don't wanna think about pregnancy anymore... the whole thought of it has become very unappealing.. i suppose i should just keep an image of a mini-me in mind and maybe that'll be all the motivation i need in the future.. however, in the interim, i think i'll focus on doubling up my protection, although i already use condoms and a nuvaring, i suppose i can add some spermicidal foam or gel to the mix for a third level of protection... hmm..

[begraven.livejournal.com]

I think I am actually tighter after two kids than I was before! And I was pretty tight before. Strong vaginal muscles also help labor to go quickly, my labor was only 3 1/2 hours for my first kid. This is especially amazing when you consider that none of the women in my family were able to have children vaginally.

Sex is much much better, too. I am much more likely to have multiple orgasms and ejaculate now.

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

Really?? Were you able to orgasm strictly PIV and have multiples before??? or is this something new for you that only began to happen afterwards???

[begraven.livejournal.com]

Before, it was like once in a blue moon and now, multiples everytime just about.

Not sure what PIV is though `;~)

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

sorry... PIV is penis-in-vagina.. i meant in terms of strictly vaginal entry and not clitoral stimulation ( i realize that even vaginally, there is still clitoral stimulation, but you know what i mean) :-)

[begraven.livejournal.com]

ahh okay, that makes sense `;~) My comments above referr to PIV `;~)