Alternatives to Instead Cups

[byrdee.livejournal.com]

So I've been wanting to order something different like the keeper, mooncup, diva cup, etc for awhile. I was checking out different prices, but I'm not sure which one seems to be the best for the money.

I just wanted to get a few people's opinions about the different ones. How good the shipping was, how good the pricing was and in general how good each product works for you.

I've been using Instead Cups but I've found that they generally release large amounts of blood/clots occasionally so I always have to wear a thick-ish liner with them.

Anyways. Yeah. I want input! : )

Comments

[frkyjenn.livejournal.com]

I ordered my Diva cup from Betterlife.com it was $18.99 compared to $30-$35 at other places. I don't remember how much shipping was.. but it was reasonable. (I know I didn't pay more than $25 for the order)

I have very heavy periods and usually the first three or four days I have to use back up cloth pads because my Diva just isn't enough. But on my lighter days the cup is enough.

[lorrainec.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of in love with my keeper. I bought it from a hippie store in town (organic food, green cleaning supplies, stuff like that, it's great) and it was a few dollars less than it would have been off the website. My keeper works great, and I've never had any problems with it except for my most recent period, my first with my Paraguard IUD. I had leakage problems then, but that was 'cause it overflowed. O.O Don't get the keeper if you have latex allergies. I love the rubber, though.

[sewn-animal.livejournal.com]

I have the keeper, and I would like to switch to something with a smaller diameter. For now, however, the keeper works just fine for me. I got mine through a female sexuality group at my university for a significant discount.
menstrual_cups is a great resource for any information on any brand of cup!

[poppleshatesyou.livejournal.com]

I've used the Keeper and the DivaCup, between the two i love the DivaCup so much more. It is squishier/softer and easier to remove and insert due to the reasons i became less fond of the Keeper. I found the Keeper to pull hairs, and after about a year, started to make me itchy after every period (possible latex allergy, no fun!)

For more info you should look through the menstrual_cups community, i bet you could find alot of the info you are looking for and more in the memories. There is also alot of info about menstrual cups in VP's tags as well.

[lucidtheory.livejournal.com]

DivaCup! It's soft. I only had to trim off about half the stem. After only three periods with it I can use it without feeling it and I've become good at putting it in/removing it. I love being able to leave it in all day. I also very rarely leak, maybe one or two times (once from incorrect placement, once from heavy flow). My favorite part is being able to sleep naked or at least with no underwear.

I got mine from luckyvitamin.com for $19.99 plus shipping. I would easily pay three times that for how much I love it.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I own both a Diva Cup and a Mooncup UK. Even though the Mooncup works a little better for my needs, I'd recommend the Diva Cup for a first time buyer. This is because if you purchase directly from the manufacturer, the cup comes with a one year guarantee. That way, if you purchase the wrong size or just can't get it to work for you, the money you spend on the cup isn't wasted.

[ldy-shadow.livejournal.com]

I love love love my mooncup UK. The Diva cup was great in comparison to the insteads, but still not perfect. Never any leaking, but general discomfort despite cutting off the entire stem. I have a short vag, so the mooncup was much more comfy.

[sarasnee.livejournal.com]

If money is a big issue for you I'd get the Diva with the betterlife deal and save yourself $20, but with that website you won't get the year warranty.

If you're looking to invest $40 on something that might save you $150/year, I would go with what you think will work best with your body. The keeper is made of latex and you may develop or have an allergy over time. The Lunette is made of a softer silicone and has no markings on the outside. The Divacup has a very strong suction, both a positive and a negative, as a lot of women have troubles getting it out. It is also a longer cup so if you have a shorter vagina I wouldn't recommend it. The Mooncup UK is notorious for being easiest to open because it has a thick rim.

It also matters what your size is going to be, since the big Lunette is the biggest cup of them all and holds the most flow, while the Diva is the more slender, longer one. I would check into comparisons about each at the menstrual_cups community.

[lupie-stardust.livejournal.com]

I bought my Mooncup from my local chemists and it is the best thing ever, full stop. It doesn't leak, I can't feel it there, and I can run around in a wood for hours hitting things with swords without it doing anytihng untoward.

This has been tested.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I can run around in a wood for hours hitting things with swords without it doing anytihng untoward.

This makes me wish I lived someplace with trees.

[fleurdiabolique.livejournal.com]

I got my Diva Cup from a store, so I can't help you with shipping or anything. But I can say, I've tried to use it for five cycles now (had actual success for 3), and I have yet to get it to not leak. I still prefer using it to not, because the leakage is comparable to very light spotting -- the cup does catch the vast majority of the blood -- and it's nice to not have to worry about bleeding so much that my pad leaks. If you're going for a completely leak-free experience, then, the Diva might not work for you (though I've heard of plenty of people who can and do wear it without any backup protection), but if you don't mind a very small amount of leakage, I've had a pretty good experience with the Diva once I actually figured out how to get it in correctly, trimmed the stem so it didn't irritate me, etc.

[burntbuffalo.livejournal.com]

I've had the same problem that you're describing...the slight spotting. For me, it's just flow that is in my vagina underneath the cup and gets there from taking out the cup. Usually, I just run my finger around the cup after inserting and kind of wipe away the blood. It might be called "the stirring method" but I'm not sure. It's not so much cup failure as it's just blood not collected. For me, it's not enough to bother me and I use cloth pads some too so I just throw the knickers in my soak pot and don't worry about it.

Oh, but I have had some genuine leakage when I've been laying down all night, but only on my heaviest day/night. It's really weird, but I'll wear a cloth pantyliner and all is fine. :) I hope you continue to get better with your cup.

To the OP, even with that bit of bother, I LOVE MY CUP. I'd like to eventually try a Mooncup UK, but I'm so happy with my diva cup that I don't really mind if I get a different brand ever or not.