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The Diva Cup Review (Mom, Dad this is all about my menstruation please don’t read it)

See They come in sizes

I gave in and tried the Diva Cup. After the pink tampon string incident, I was walking through Whole Foods, spotted the Diva Cup, and thought, “Why not? It’s only $30, I’m going to waste more than that on snooty cheeses this week.” So I tossed one into my basket, and then I stopped and did a double-take.

The size issue.

Apparently there are two sizes of vaginas, regular and mom sized. If you’ve given birth you’re a size large. I’m a fan of vanity sizing. If you take my size medium and toss an XS tag on it not only will I buy it, but I’ll buy one in every color and show all my friends my extra small sized clothing. I’m not proud of my behavior, it’s simply a reality.

I stood in the aisles at Whole Foods and started texting Tanis: Umm the Diva Cup comes in sizes. Do you think I could buy the small one even though I have kids? She texted back something about giving birth three times and then she might have mentioned a hot dog in a hallway. I sighed and bought the mom-sized menstrual cup feeling defeated before I began.

A few days later it was time to try to the Diva Cup. I followed the directions and it was pretty easy to insert. I have yet to have an accident, and it’s become one of those things that I want to shout from the rooftops.

You need a Diva Cup.

Periods are so civilized now. There’s nothing to throw away, nothing to hide from guests, nothing that leaks. There is no chance that your dog will come bounding down the hallway and joyfully present your UPS delivery guy with a used tampon.

Remember when I said that menstrual cups were disgusting and uncivilized? I was wrong. Very very wrong.

I had two big concerns: Vagina sizing and keeping my IUD (and therefore my sanity).

I know I keep coming back to this same issue, but the whole sizing thing really threw me for a loop. Diva Cup comes in two sizes, and I’m terrified to think that a third (larger size) could be on the horizon. Since it’s not a piece of cotton, but rather a piece of silcone I was worried that it might stretch things out (hence the panic about a pending size 3) so I emailed my friend Dr. Jason Rothbart (you might recognize him as the guy who had to fly all over the world to deliver Angelina Jolie’s babies) and he assured me that the Diva Cup wouldn’t stretch things out because of where it sat.

The IUD issue. All of the menstrual cups have an IUD warning on them. Again, after talking to Jason I understand that the Diva Cup sits lower in the canal than the IUD would reach so the risk of pulling it out is minimal (infinitesimal?), but it must have happened to someone, or maybe it came close to happening to someone and that’s why they have the warning? I’m about three months in to using the Diva Cup and (without being graphic) I can’t comprehend why there’s a warning. The two regions seem to be pretty far apart from one another.

I can’t begin to get into all the benefits of the cup. It’s cleaner, there’s no drying or irritation, I don’t have to shop for anything (not even pads there are no accidents), my family (and guests) don’t know if I’m menstruating, no leaking, it’s cheap…

I could go on and on, but I won’t.

I’m just a new convert, and I thought I’d share the good word with y’all.

If you like this review, you’ll probably need this explainer video.

90 thoughts on “The Diva Cup Review (Mom, Dad this is all about my menstruation please don’t read it)”

    1. I think it’s under 30 and no kids get size 1 and over 30 and/or kids get size 2. If they were both c-sections I think that the kid guideline does not apply because you did not have a small person exit your body using your vagina, stretching things out.

  1. Still laughing.

    And welcome to the club. I told you once you started using one glitter would start shooting out of your hoo ha. And now there is. You are welcome.

  2. I just ordered one online a few weeks ago- it got backordered and so arrived about two days too late to be of any use this month… but I can’t wait to try it!! Hooray for unicorns and glitter!!!

  3. I’ve been a Diva Cup convert for almost five years now. There is no way in HELL that I would ever go back to having a string dangle out of my nether regions again.

  4. hmm, I have had a diva cup for about a year, and it leaks a few times per cycle in the day,
    and invariably three nights.
    I have the bigger size. What am i doing wrong? (i really dont want to wear even a “glad rag”,
    but it gets messy. help?

      1. yes, all the folds are out.
        and yes, during the daytime i empty it every hour, or every other hour, depending.
        but getting up in he night to do that is not very restful.

        1. Maybe the Diva Cup just isn’t a great “fit” for you? There are quite a few brands of similar products. Maybe a different brand would fit you better.

    1. 1) Maybe you’re not making sure it can rotate. If you don’t rotate it (both ways), it’s possible that the seal isn’t there and it will leak (and may feel uncomfortable).

      2) Maybe you’re leaving it in too long and it’s getting full. Ever since I got my IUD, my periods have been heavier for a couple of days, and if I’m not careful to empty the cup more frequently, it leaks.

      3) Maybe you need the smaller size. Have you given birth?

  5. You forgot the main highlights! 1) No more poo/pee on recently inserted tampon string dilemma and 2) No more trying to find the right balance between lubrication and mess for tampon removal time for period sex.

    1. The sex part is a highlight that I should have mentioned.

      The poop/pee thing still has me wound up in bundles of shame. I’m glad you mentioned it because I’d rather die thank talk about my bowels.

    2. I don’t get the period sex comment.
      You certainly cannot have sex w the diva in- and you’d have to time the removal appropriately.

      1. Ok so this may be a bit graphic for some people.

        So me, and most of the women I’ve spoken to, have a tampon/period sex quandary. You need lubrication for things to work and the tampon soaks that up, esp when you remove it. But if you take the tampon out early so as to not interfere with lubrication, you make a mess on your legs and the black towel and your partner and it’s just a pain to clean up. So there is stress involved regarding when the time is right to take the stupid tampon out.Also, most men and women are not ok with oral sex with a tampon in or out.

        With the Diva, I just take it out in the bathroom while bf sets up the black towel and I am ready to go–lubrication is still there and the mess is localized to our genital areas. Less clean up = more time to cuddle post coitus. Also, since there is no string and no leaking, I can get oral sex with the Diva in. Total win.

    1. In short you fold it and tuck it in there. Then you rotate it using the end so that there is a seal and all the folds are out. Bear down and then pull to remove. There is a knack to it, most people it takes a few tries the first few times.

  6. Okay. I may have to try this now. Especially since it wont stretch anything out and won’t (completely) pull my IUD out. I still kinda don’t understand how it works. But I am SO with you on the Vanity Sizing. I go a step further and pull out tags on any clothing (oh, that goes for scarves too) where a size (unless it’s an XS or P) is showing. Xs and petite are sexy. For women, that is… ;-)

  7. YES!!! I’ve been using the Diva Cup for YEARS! I love love love it. I’m so glad that you are sharing the love. Most things I’ve seen written in blogs are people stumbling upon the concept and they are SOOOOO grossed out by it.

    I’ve wondered what their social media presence is and if they do sponsorships and such. It’s one of the few geared-to-women products I could actually get behind and feel good about it.

    I was gonna say something about not using tampons anymore and how my vagina is green. But yeah…..that doesn’t sound how I mean it to sound.

  8. LOL! A size 3?! Wowzers, that would be one large Vagina! I gave birth, so I would be a mom size too… You crack me up :)

    1. The soft cup is the disposable one, right? These are nothing like that. The Diva Cup and other bell-shaped cups are shaped entirely differently and sit in a completely different place in the vagina. I’ve been wearing a Diva Cup successfully since 2007 and tried the Soft Cup once for curiosity’s sake. A messy, messy disaster. Don’t let it put you off the idea of trying a reusable menstrual cup!

  9. I feel like I just found out about something as handy as concealer or strapless bras. Why have I not heard of this!?!? I’m dedicating my morning to further research. Amazing.

    First concern that comes to mind, aside from my shared fear of the sizing, my 9 month old actually finds a lot of entertainment from playing with my (unused) tampons. Would I have to eventually just buy these to occupy her?

    Love it.

  10. Great write-up, Jessica! We’re so thrilled to hear you’re a convert! Just so you don’t feel so bad about the whole “mom-sized” vagina thing…wanted you to know there is a very small difference (only 1/8″ in diameter, no difference in length) between Model 1 and Model 2. For more info on the two models, check out our website: http://www.divacup.com/en/home/sizing/
    Thanks so much for spreading the word about The DivaCup, Jessica!
    -The DivaCup Team

  11. Great review!! I started with a Keeper a decade ago and last year when I turned 30, I purchased a Diva Cup as a birthday present to myself. :) I cannot recommend these highly enough…I haven’t needed to purchase tampons or pads in over 10 years. I used to dread each month because I never found a tampon or pad that really worked for me. It was embarrassing, it was uncomfortable, and I so wish I had known about menstrual cups as a teen. I’ve actually written the Diva Cup folks to see if I could work as a rep for them, but it hasn’t happened yet. :) Do yourselves a favor and buy one…it will revolutionize your life.

  12. OMG, i just bought my diva cup after thinking about it for months if not years and I love it. I love your post. I am not alone then. Awesome.

  13. I’m glad you gave it a chance. I’m a cyclist who wondered what more serious women cyclists do during that time of month… cyclists don’t wear underwear, you know, so there’s no room for a pad! :p I looked around on Google and found a forum where women were discussing the Diva Cup. I was 21 when I found this and was already fed up with tampons and pads, so I was willing to give it a try. It did take me a while to figure it out and get the hang of it, but oh my god, when I did… I wanted to shout it from the rooftops and tell every woman on the planet how fantastic the Diva Cup is! I don’t miss out on any more rides and I don’t have to waddle around feeling like I’m wearing diapers.

  14. Fine. I’ll get one. But, I do want to see a video about the extraction. What do you do? Take it and dump it in the toilet? Rinse it at the sink before it goes back in? My period is so heavy for one to two days, I could not do the rinse thing at work.

    1. You can tip the contents into the toilet at work, and wipe out the cup with toilet paper before re-inserting. At home, you could pour the contents into a container with some water and use it on your garden if you like.

          1. I would probably not advise that unless you’re using blood on, say, flowers. It still is human waste.

            1.  Correct. It doesn’t go on veggies that you’re eating, but it’s better than putting the blood in the toilet.

      1. This is what the handicapped restrooms are for. Toilet and sink together!!!! (When we were planning our addition, I made sink reachable from toilet a requirement!

        If you don’t have a sink, you can get pretty good about dumping it without getting anything on the outside. No need to dry it off, just pop back in. I have used this for years. I used to use a super tampon and post-partum pad for overnight, and had to change it all at 3 am. the diva cup could handle it all.

        I found that if I dealt with it in the shower in the am, I was all set until I was back home in the evening.

      2. The cup holds one oz. Apparently most women only produce 1-1.5 oz during the whole period. I have a crazy heavy flow, even on the pill, so I usually end up at around 5-7 oz. This means I fill the cup at least once a cycle. It’s only leaked when I got up from bed with a full cup–the lying down to standing up was too much I guess. So the whole point I guess is to say that I’ve had to use a public restroom maybe 5 times in a year, mostly because at first I was paranoid. Just dump it in the toilet and wipe it out with TP and put it back in. In your own bathroom, dump it in the sink or toilet and wash with soap and water in the sink before reinserting it. And always always always wash your hands BEFORE removing your cup.

        1. I’m a pretty tiny person, but apparently I have heavy periods. I use the Diva cup, but the first few days I *definitely* have to empty a VERY full cup every 2-3 hours. It’s super annoying those two days. Almost to the point where it’s just plain easier to use tampons those days than to deal with that mess (easier and cleaner to change with that frequency).

      3. Most women only have to empty theirs every 12 hours or so. So you empty it in the morning and at night, and many empty and rinse it off in the shower. Also, some women’s periods get shorter and lighter (mine went from 5 + 2 days of spotting to 3 days and no spotting.)

    2. I feel like I need one of these. I’ve been toying with the idea for YEARS. My kids didn’t come through my vag…they got pulled out above my pubic bone…do I still need a mom sized one? It sounds…awful. I have a feeling I need a mom sized one anyway, b/c every so often I will sneeze and send my tampon …spiraling out into my underwear.

      Sorry, that’s TMI. I want one of these now!! You’re so normal…and you shower and don’t live in a tent, so I feel like it might be legit. ;)

      1. “every so often I will sneeze and send my tampon …spiraling out into my
        underwear”

        Sweet Jeezus, I’ve never loved a comment more.

        Yes, you need a Mom Sized one even if you had a C Section. I don’t
        understand the biology of that, but I trust that it’s true.

    3. Ugh I’ve been avoiding it for all the reasons you would think. I just can’t seem to wrap my brain around pulling a shot glass full of period out of my nethers to DUMP OUT. I don’t know why it seems so much grosser than a tampon but still…

      FINE. I’ll try it.

        1. All about the shower rinse! I take my showers in the evening, so I empty the Cup then (TMI, it’s sort of a gross satisfaction of seeing all that blood go down the drain) and then once in the morning when I have my morning pee. Because the sink isn’t near our toilet, I put a square of toilet paper on the floor or windowsill to set the cup on while I wipe, and then I take it to the sink to rinse out before replacing it.

    4. Haha – Hotdog in a hallway – I haven’t heard that phrase since college…
      Okay so do you need one – or more?

      1. Just one, from what I gather. You remove and dump the cup, rinse it and replace it. Just keep it clean and it’s reusable!!

    5. I know two girls who pulled their IUDs out via the Diva Cup. I think it’s not that big of a deal if you check your strings regularly and you don’t mind paying for a new IUD if you dislodge yours. I have the Mirena and don’t have periods, so not an issue for me. But I’m not a gold mine, so if I had periods I wouldn’t want to risk my IUD!

    6. Okay, I bought this and was all about it until my gyno told me it concerned her b/c of menstrual back flow, i.e. endometrial-type stuff. SO I reluctantly stashed it away and instead have revered to my organic/applicator free tampons….wondering what your doc thinks about it? I love being green and would love to do away w/ tampons, etc…

      1.  Menstrual backflow would only happen if the blood managed to get back through the cervix, through the uterus and out the fallopian tubes, in which case you’re at risk if ever you lay down while on your period since your uterus doesn’t stop contracting when you’re asleep. It’s just not a possibility that a menstrual cup could cause endometriosis.

      2. I worried about this too, but according to my health proffesionals…
        They said if you change it regularly you should be fine. Also, gravity is always your friend.
            When you lay down at night, just make sure you empty it before bed and when you wake up. Besides if there is any backflow during night, your blood usually pools and when you stand we often feel that “gush” or rush of fluids. So it will all be washed DOWN again. Your period is a very cleansing time. 
        Also, if you are worried about it during the night or for long periods of standing on your head ( lol), you could always use you organic tampons during that time. But during the day, it would be worth using Diva cup. That way you’ll be saving $ on tampons and reducing waste.
          Last of all, tampons are dirty. Even with organic ones, it dries  out your vagina which is really what makes it susceptible to infection. Hope this helps. :) Also, get more opinions from other Doctors. 

    7. In a few months I will walk from southern England to northern Scotland (because I’m crazy) and several women have suggested the Diva Cup for the trip. It just kinda freaks me out. I guess I’m gonna cave in and try it.

    8. Thank you for your post.. I have been wanting to try the cup but was a little nervous about the leaking part… I have an IUD as well and thus a heavier flow…. So really excited that you talked about all of that. Going to give it a try thanks to you :)

    9. hi im 13 (i know young ehh?) well i have an extremely heavy period like bleed through super plus tampon and pad in less than a half hour(the doc wont do nothing because i am so young though ive had it since i was 8) well any ways i am quite sqeamish  will i be seeing the blood alot since you have to dump it or can you just pull-dump-push-in kind of thing? and when i have such a heavy period if i dont empty it like every hour or whatever what will happen? will my vaj just fill up with blood or will it leak? and when pulling it out do you just pull or twist and pull or what? sorry for all the qestions but ive been looking for these answers and just havent been able to find any of them! and sorry for the graphics!

      1. When my period is heavy, I do have to empty my cup after around 4-5 hours.  But when it’s lighter, I can wait a full 10-12 hours before emptying it.  I was also pretty squeamish about seeing the blood at first, but you do honestly get used to it.  It’s actually pretty fascinating to see it in the cup because I had never seen it that way before (just soaked into tampons).  Even with the suction of the cup, it can leak, so just keep an eye on it when there’s a heavy flow.  I wish I had known about this when I was your age…I didn’t find out about it until I saw 21 or so and I’ve been using it ever since. 

      2. Tampons are also actually known to cause hemorrhaging. I had heavy periods and painful periods for years. When I tried the Diva cup after about the 3rd month, my periods where lighter and less painful!
            I ended up leaving my Diva cup at my mom’s house when I went to visit, so I used tampons for 2 periods. EWW! and Ouch and heavy  and longer bleeding again! (5 days) I also went through super tampons AND pads within an hour. I literally had to put in 10 super tampons in on first day! 
           Now I again have my cup and my period was 3 days. Cramps were less than when using tampons.  I love this! There is a learning curve, too to keep in mind. It took me about 3 months to get it in where i was totally comfortable with it. So give it time! Look up videos on how to insert. Youtube had some great videos on different ways to fold the Diva cup. Also, for virgins or small vaginas, I heard from my friend that the Lady cup was more slender and more comfortable….I think it was lady cup. Look into the different brands, maybe another will work better than Diva Cup for you. I wish I knew about this at your age too!

      3. I’m 16 and I got my period at 13. My mom made me use a period with pads, and another menstrual cycle with tampons after explaining to me the benefits of tampons. She gave me a mooncup. I LOVE MY MOONCUP! It makes me feel clean and lets me do all my sports (track, cross country, volleyball, basketball, soccer, dance, and figure skating), and take my exams without feeling uncomfortable. I don’t have the noise of a pad ripping or the smell. I don’t have the dryness and the risk of TSS with tampons. I really think that you should tell your daughter that it might break her hymen. I was fine because my hymen was already broken because of all the sports I do. Maybe you should transition her with instead softcups. I personally recommend the Mooncup (UK). It’s very environmentally friendly and a lot cheaper than conventional feminine products. You can buy from http://www.mooncup.co.uk/wc.php?u=2772 if you live in the US.

        1. You can’t actually ‘break’ the hymen, it stretches, so it shouldn’t even matter. The concept of the hymen in female virginity is mostly just a load of crap and this idea of needing blood for evidence.

      4. I don’t know if I will be any help what so ever considering my flow isn’t that bad but I just started using a menstrual cup and I’m in love with it. Until you get good with the cup it can be a bit messy depending on how you do it ( I reach up to the rim and push it into the cup to break the seal and remove it ). As for your heavy period you may want to look into an herb called maca in tincture form it works to balance your hormones and boy does it help!! I can’t go a day without this stuff :D I see that you posted your 13 3 years ago so I don’t think there would be any problems with you taking maca just be forewarned it increases fertility. Also working out every day even during your period greatly reduces your flow which is so easy with the cup. I do yoga, Pilates, and even squats while wearing mine. Hoped this helped

    10. I love love love the cup!!! BUT just wanted to say it has a ‘stem’ on the end and for me personally i had to cut that off entirely (short vagina???). Anyways just wanted to throw that out there in case any ladies were getting discouraged with a cup, it may help if its not fitting right.

      1. Also try different brands. I swapped to a Lunette because it’s shorter than a Diva, and the stem is flexible so that I didn’t have to trim it off completely. Some people also turn their cup inside out to avoid the stem.

    11. Some of the comments here had me crying!

      I’m in my 40’s.  My experience with the Divacup- I bought the larger one.  It was painful.  I got the hang of inserting it, but it was uncomfortable to wear.  But tampons had become uncomfortable as well.  I had to remove the stem.
      One time I wore it while walking and it slipped out from the gravity and the weight as it had gotten pretty full, and was standing up in my underwear.  I had to waddle home, holding it between my legs and praying it didn’t spill.  Could NOT figure out how it slipped out as it was always a major production to remove.

      Sorry for the TMI.

      I have since had a hyst and no longer have to deal with any of it, thankfully.

    12. This is THE BEST product for dealing with your period. Like a lot of other
      women, I had to trim off the tab used to help grab it. It was SO uncomfortable
      and irritated me. Since you don’t really use it to pull it out (you pinch the
      bottom of the cup), it is not really necessary. I did freak out a little when I
      tried to pull it out after having it in all night. It had gotten a little higher
      up and I couldn’t get a hold of it! I remembered the advice to relax and even
      push out a little with your muscles. It worked like a charm, and I was able to
      pinch the bottom with no problem. I’ve always hated tampons and their drying
      effect on me. I actually purchased a Lunette cup, received it a couple of days before my period, and so
      was able to use it almost right away. I did A LOT of research about it beforehand, including reading blogs, watching videos, reading reviews (Amazon is a great place to read reviews if you’re having a hard time finding them), and reading about different insertion techniques. It is absolutely freeing! I highly
      recommend giving it a try!

    13. I have an IUD and use a menstrual cup. Although generally they’re in different regions, I have this weird thing where toward the end of my period my uterus/cervix drops very low. So low that my cervix is nearly INSIDE the menstrual cup. Doesn’t really affect the effectiveness of the cup, but does make it slightly trickier to get it inserted properly. I have noticed that a couple of times while removing the cup, I’ve felt a “twinge” as if the cup had pulled on my IUD slightly. Spooked me a little, but since there was no lasting discomfort I didn’t worry about it. However, I noticed that on the manufacturer’s (Lunette) website, they suggest having the IUD strings trimmed short to avoid this possible issue. So, I plan on having my doctor trim my strings during my next visit.

    14. Most women won’t ever have to worry about emptying the cup in a public bathroom. Just wait until you get home. Most women can go 8-12 hours without needing to empty the cup. And for the BEST emptying tip….wait until you’re in the shower! You can pop it out, rinse it off, and pop it back in with no fuss.

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