DivaCup - BPA-Free Reusable Menstrual Cup - Leak-Free Feminine Hygiene - Tampon and Pad Alternative - Up To 12 Hours Of Protection - Model 1

Genuinely a miracle (for the most part), in the form of a medical grade silicone cup! For reference, I'm 16 and haven't given birth (thankfully). Overall, I get on really well with the Diva Cup. Soft, smooth silicone means you can barely feel it once its inside and the thickness of the material means its very easy to open it once you know how. It takes some practice to figure out how to insert and stop leaks (cover your WHOLE cervix with the cup!!!) but once you get this sorted in 1 or 2 cycles, it's wonderful to just forget about your period for 12 hours!My only problems were that when I initially cleaned it with soap, as suggested, I got a painful bacterial imbalance (the leaflet DOESN'T tell you you can boil it!) and even now, the cup can sometimes make me feel a bit like I need a wee when I'm standing up, but this is most likely a personal problem than a problem with the product itself!The few problems I have with the Diva Cup don't take away from its exceptional quality and performance and so it definitely deserves 5 stars. A comfortable, reliable and environmentally friendly menstrual product.-=-=-=-=-=-=-When it first arrived my box was a bit banged up but the cup itself (and the carry bag) were in perfect condition. The instructional leaflet provided tells you virtually everything you need to know including how to insert and care for the cup, but it does leave out a few bits and pieces.My biggest criticism is that the leaflet implies that you must clean the cup with either Diva-Wash (which is rather overpriced imo) or anti-bacterial soap. I actually got a bacterial imbalance (very painful...) from using soap at all! It wasn't until after, that I discovered you dont need to use anything. It's more than enough to boil the cup in a pan of fresh water for 2 minutes, since it wont burn or melt (see: silicone cupcake cases!) and takes away all risk of rashes or irritation. I personally feel its a shame this information was left out as it could save a lot of money and, in my personal case, pain!The cup itself is made of really nice silicone. A friend of mine has a few different cups, not including the Diva, and this one definitely has the smoothest, softest silicone. It's quite a long cup and so would probably be better suited to people with a high(er) cervix, but could still be used successfully by most! The stem isn't stretchy and isn't too flexible, which is really good for pulling/pushing when need be. The grip rings that run up onto the base of the cup, again, aren't flexible so it's much much harder to slip/lose your grip. On the inside of the cup, the DivaCup logo and "Made in Canada" is printed nearer the top, and measurements (in both metric and imperial) run down the inside for monitoring your cycle, if desired. The four teeny tiny holes punched through the top rim all go through the silicone fully (compared to cheaper cups) but, as with ALL cups, can become blocked with use. This is easily fixed if the cup is filled with water, held against your hand, turned upsidedown and squeezed to force water through the holes.However, the silicone is quite thick. This means the cup is a bit more resistant to folds and pops open with a little bit more force (it shouldn't hurt, though!) once inserted, compared to cups with thinner silicone. Some may desire this and others may not!From what i've heard, a softer and/or smaller cup (like the Meluna S or M) might typically be better suited for a teenager or someone with a small hymen (more easily inserted, less "pop" feeling) but it's purely personal preference and, considering my own age, I got on with the thick silicone really well! An advantage of this is that it's much easier to pop open the cup once inserted.If you've never used a menstrual cup before (like me before I purchased it!) I would say it's a definitely fine to start with as I found out, but there may be better options for a beginner. As I said above, the thick silicone can be a bit difficult to handle initially.A few words of advice - do some googling! Have a look at some other cups on the market and their reviews to see if the Diva is your best first choice. (PreciousStarsPads on youtube is a wonderful resource!!).And don't give up right away. It took me about 1-2 cycles before I figured out how to properly (and comfortably) insert and open the cup, so I would urge anyone to try and stick with it for a bit, maybe wear pads as backups, and just see if you can get on with it!Overall, the few problems I have with the Diva Cup don't take away from its exceptional quality and performance and so it definitely deserves 5 stars. I would recommend this to everyone I know (that can use one!), if I had the guts to shout about my period!

I cannot recommend this product enough! It has changed my life forever for the better. I can now sleep, walk, exercise and do just about anything without ever having to worry about leakage. I sometimes really forget I am even on my period because the cup can stay in easily 10-12 hours without emptying. At first it was a bit uncomfortable using a cup, I had no idea how to insert it properly and how to place it in the right way so the suction can take place and it can stay in place. After trying a couple of times I found the way to use it best, here are some tips:1. Cut the end bit off, not entirely but keep just enough on the cup so you can grab it easily when it's inserted.Leaving it the way it is can actually harm the tissues in this very sensitive area.2. Disinfect it, although it's new and comes in it's original packaging, don't trust anything that isn't disinfected to insert into your body.I have an old tiny pan I don't use anymore, I fill it up with hot boiling water and put in the cup, leaving it on low heat on the stove for a couple of minutes for it to get really disinfected. Between uses I just empty it in the toilet and rinse it thoroughly in the sink. Make sure to wash your hand thoroughly before taking it out and inserting back in.3. For insertion I've found the best method to be folding it in a C shape, which is basically pressing in the middle and folding it. I wet it with water beforehand so it's easier to go in, it can irritate skin/tissue if you insert silicone dry. Once inserted I want to make sure that the suction has taken place so I pull it out a little and push it back up, this takes a couple of trials to get it right.The benefits of the cup supersedes any other product I've used such as pads and tampons. In fact, allow me to list the benefits.1. Environmentally friendly, it's made of medical grade silicone (super durable)2. Cost efficient (buy once a year)3. No harsh chemicals such as bleach or fragrance as found in tampons/pads causing risk to health.4. Leave it in for 10-12 hours without worrying about emptying, no more worries about waking up to red stained sheets.5. It collects everything (blood and clots), tampons only absorb the liquid blood and leave the bits in which is not the healthiest way for the blood flow.6. In my experience, way less cramps since I started using this.7. It's so comfortable, it adjusts to your body shape cause the material is so flexible, you might feel it being there in the beginning when you're getting used to the suction but once you're used to the cup you will sometimes forget you're on your period.Don't be put off by dealing with blood, it's very natural and in my experience I've learned a lot about my menstruation. I had no idea how much I actually bled and how it differed from one day to the other and between different cycles. It's a great way to experience the body relationship and learn about something perfectly natural.I've been using this cup (have tried the moon cup too but found it a bit too big and of less flexible material) for about 1.5 yrs and like I said before, it has totally changed my life and made my period days so much easier to deal with. The #1 benefit is that it is completely natural, it does not expose your body to any chemicals and causes no damage at all (even regular pads contain bleach but are just less invasive than tampons). I can't tell you how happy I am with the cup, especially the diva cup. It really delivers the quality it's promising.

I was sceptical about the idea of menstrual cups when I first heard about Diva Cup, but seeing the reviews on here I was persuaded to try it out. They weren't wrong! Other reviewers weren't exaggerating when they say this will transform your period experience.Using the cup I genuinely only have to think about my period twice a day, when I empty it. No worries about leakage or whether I have enough tampons in my bag. Because the capacity of the cup is generous (I have regular flow and find it around 1/4 full after 10 hours wear) you really can just forget about it. So far I've used it for 2 periods and haven't experienced any leakage.I was surprised how easy I found it to empty and clean, as I was expecting to feel a bit grossed out but it's actually quite interesting to be able to monitor your flow this way. I just use plain unscented soap to clean it rather than the special cleaner that's available and run it under warm water.Obviously as with all gadgets you need to read the instructions thoroughly if want it to work properly. You'll quickly get used to using it even if it is tricky at first, and there are lots of tips in other reviews as well as YouTube videos and websites if you're struggling.I would advise that if you are finding you can feel it when inserted or the stem is bothering you, remember to push backwards when inserting, rather than upwards like a tampon. If you have long or false nails you may struggle to remove it - just use a tissue/toilet paper to grab it to give more grip!Using the Diva cup will make your life so much easier, it's made me feel cleaner, happier about what I'm putting in my body and the environment AND saved me money. Highly recommend!