Product Review: The Diva Cup

I was always a pad-and-tampon kinda girl until a few years ago. In 2015 my husband and I decided to do part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, which meant we were going to be walking for 5 days, carrying everything we brought with us on our backs.

Of course, you know the timing of the trip lined up with when I expected my period. Of course.

The last thing I wanted was to pack a box of tampons just-in-case and take up precious space and weight. Especially considering the fact that my bleed was still pretty unpredictable at that time, so it stood the chance that I wouldn’t need it at all.

These were the circumstances that led me to finally try a menstrual cup. Back then (ok it wasn’t that long ago) the Diva Cup was the only product on the market—but if you search “menstrual cup” today you’ll find all sorts of makes and models!

I bought it a few months early so that I wasn’t testing it out on the road, and gave it a couple cycle’s practice. Here’s my review, including things I learned and how it best serves me now:

Pros:

• Reusable/less waste

• You can wear it up to 12 hours on a light day

•  More comfortable than tampons, especially on a light day

Cons:

• Murder factor is high when removing it

• Makes my cramps worse

• Challenging to get in and out, especially if it pops open when you’re not ready for it...

• Leaks on heavy days

• The stem can be poky*

Overall, it has become something I would wear if I wanted to go for a swim or take a bath, or if it was a light day and I didn’t want to worry about changing pads. Though I always wear a pad for backup, because it usually leaks on me when it gets full.

Couple things to note:

• Flip it inside out if the tip bothers you (this was a game changer for me!)

• Make sure it seals around your cervix by squeezing the air out of it

• Bear down gently if you have a high cervix and have a hard time getting it out

• Check out the videos here for help with insertion!

In summary, this isn’t my fave right now, but it served me well for a few years. It might be good for you if you have light flow and a higher cervix, and aren’t afraid of getting all up in there!

Product Review: The Diva Cup

I was always a pad-and-tampon kinda girl until a few years ago. In 2015 my husband and I decided to do part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, which meant we were going to be walking for 5 days, carrying everything we brought with us on our backs.

Of course, you know the timing of the trip lined up with when I expected my period. Of course.

The last thing I wanted was to pack a box of tampons just-in-case and take up precious space and weight. Especially considering the fact that my bleed was still pretty unpredictable at that time, so it stood the chance that I wouldn’t need it at all.

These were the circumstances that led me to finally try a menstrual cup. Back then (ok it wasn’t that long ago) the Diva Cup was the only product on the market—but if you search “menstrual cup” today you’ll find all sorts of makes and models!

I bought it a few months early so that I wasn’t testing it out on the road, and gave it a couple cycle’s practice. Here’s my review, including things I learned and how it best serves me now:

Pros:

• Reusable/less waste

• You can wear it up to 12 hours on a light day

•  More comfortable than tampons, especially on a light day

Cons:

• Murder factor is high when removing it

• Makes my cramps worse

• Challenging to get in and out, especially if it pops open when you’re not ready for it...

• Leaks on heavy days

• The stem can be poky*

Overall, it has become something I would wear if I wanted to go for a swim or take a bath, or if it was a light day and I didn’t want to worry about changing pads. Though I always wear a pad for backup, because it usually leaks on me when it gets full.

Couple things to note:

• Flip it inside out if the tip bothers you (this was a game changer for me!)

• Make sure it seals around your cervix by squeezing the air out of it

• Bear down gently if you have a high cervix and have a hard time getting it out

• Check out the videos here for help with insertion!

In summary, this isn’t my fave right now, but it served me well for a few years. It might be good for you if you have light flow and a higher cervix, and aren’t afraid of getting all up in there!

Product Review: Intimina Ziggy Cup

I posted a story on instagram about this a couple months ago and some of you have been asking for the review, so here it is. I have found that it takes a few cycles to really get a feel for a new menstrual cup, so I wanted to give it at least 3 rounds before I shared my thoughts.

And it’s a good thing I did! Because I figured out something MAJOR about this one during my last cycle. I’ll get to that.

Here’s my thoughts on the Intimina Ziggy Cup.

Pros

• Easy to insert and remove

• Reusable/less waste for the environment

• Comfortable/minimal feel when it’s in the right spot

• You can empty it without taking it all the way out!

• Cute pink color and VERY soft material

• Discreet and breathable storage case

Cons

• Murder scene factor is high when it comes to emptying it (aka bloody hands)

• Easy (for me at least) to get it in the wrong spot*

*So, during the first cycle I didn’t have high hopes. The first day I wore it, it FAILED the workout test (meaning I had lots of leaking at the gym). I figured it just wasn’t a heavy-day cup for me. BUT. This last cycle it did the same thing, so I did some investigating. Turns out—I assume because of the flat shape of it, combined with my anatomy—I accidentally placed it IN FRONT OF my cervix, which of course is going to decrease the efficacy. Once I got it in right, and henceforth always checked to make sure it was in right, I’ve been good to go.

In summary, compared to the Diva Cup (my only other cup experience to date, and yes a post is coming about that too), it’s easier to put in, takes the same effort to make sure it’s in RIGHT, is much easier to remove, more comfortable, and leaks less.

PLUS the fact that you can empty it without taking it all the way out gets MAJOR points for this bleeder.

It boasts that it’s friendly during period sex, but I haven’t tried that yet...nor do I really plan to, to be honest. But you do you. ;)

This is my new go-to, but I’ll keep you posted if and when I try another. Keep an eye out for my Diva Cup review next week.

What’s your go-to menstrual product? Share in the comments!