Menstrual Cups (Diva, Keeper, Mooncup UK)

[Emiloid]

OK, so the No More Tampons thread has gotten wayyyy too long and disorganized. Time for some summertime spring cleaning.

I hereby give you the Official VRF Menstrual Cup thread!

For those who don't know, a menstrual cup is an alternative to tampons or pads. It's a flexible rubber/latex or silicone cup that fits inside the vagina and collects menstrual fluid, rather than absorbing it. You empty and clean it as needed (2+ times a day, usually), and it is reusable for years and years.

There is a lot of discussion about Diva Cups and Keepers in the old thread, but any new comments can be posted here.

So go to it! Post away, gals (and guys)! What do you think about menstrual cups? What do you like or dislike about yours? What cup-related questions, problems, tips, or stories do you have?

eta: Psst, if you're interested, there is a sister thread to this one, all about Cloth Pads.

[Chijou_no_seiza]

I have a question for those who have used both the keeper and the divacup.

Is one of the cups longer than the other? Right now I have a divacup and I kinda wish my cup was a bit shorter, the same width but not length. Mine won't hold a full ounce anyways, and I think it'd be more comfortable if it was smaller.

So is there any noticable/measurable differences in the keeper/divacup/mooncup? Or are they all the same size?

[Emiloid]

I can't answer your question about comparing the two cups, but I cut the tab on my Diva Cup really short and it helped a heck of a lot. Have you already tried that?

[Chijou_no_seiza]

yes, I've done that, I cut it all the way off.

It's ok after day 2, but on day I just can't get completely comfortable.

[walrus]

i currently have both, and if i think about it the next time i'm in the bathroom, i'll see if one is longer than the other.

[Chijou_no_seiza]

thanks walrus!

[Sonja]

Originally Posted by Chijou_no_seiza thanks walrus!

I have my Keeper and my Diva Cup on the desk in front of me. Both are in pre-birth sizes. Keeper's stem has been trimmed. Diva's has not.
The mouths of the cups are almost exactly the same size. Keeper's rim, might stick out a tad further than Diva's. Diva Cup is a little longer than the Keeper. It's not a huge difference, but if Diva feels too long, the Keeper with a short to absent stem might well be an improvement. Somewhere I've seen photos comparing the sizes and shapes of various cups on the market. I'll see if I can dig that up.

eta: Link!
And another!

[LesMiserablesLove]

Does anyone know if it is safe to bleach a Keeper and still use it? I emailed the company a couple weeks ago and they haven't responded.

[Sonja]

More or different cups may be available in the future, but for posterity, I'd like to link to the assorted cups on the market now (while we're still on the first page). I like people to know of their options.

The Keeper (USA): First cup on the market (since 1987, I believe). It's made of natural gum rubber. Its pure veganity has been doubted (rubber is often treated with casein), but Glad Rags (a distributor) finally got to the heart of the matter and confirmed that the Keeper is, in fact, vegan. Benefit over silicone cups: biodegradable A potential downside: Not suitable for women with latex allergies. Comes in 2 sizes.

The Moon Cup (USA): Not to be confused with the British Mooncup, this is made by the Keeper, Inc. It is identical in shape and size to the Keeper, but is made from medical grade silicone (assume such whenever I say "silicone" from here on). Comes in 2 sizes.

Diva Cup (Canada): Silicone cup. Probably the best known and most widely used menstrual cup. Great customer service, comes in 2 sizes.

The Mooncup (UK): Silicone cup. Comes in 2 sizes.

Lunette (Finland): Silicone cup. Now in 2 sizes!


Instead (USA): Not a reusable cup. Worn like a diaphragm. 1 size.

[mishka]

Originally Posted by LesMiserablesLove Does anyone know if it is safe to bleach a Keeper and still use it? I emailed the company a couple weeks ago and they haven't responded.

I'd be iffy about doing that. You mean chlorine bleach? Eep. Maybe a "green" peroxide-based bleach would be okay . Not sure. Can you just boil it to kill bacteria? Does it matter if it's stained?

[Dugan]

This thread on another forum has a comparison picture with each of the major brands side by side. Very helpful with size questions.

[Dugan]

Originally Posted by LesMiserablesLove Does anyone know if it is safe to bleach a Keeper and still use it?

A Keeper is latex, as is my diaphragm.

The care instructions for my diaphragm are very picky, in order to maintain the latex. These include: do not touch it with petroleum products, after washing with mild soap, dry right away then powder with corn starch. Given that these are fairly picky, I would not bleach a Keeper. It was partly knowing these latex handling instructions that made me decide to go for a silicon cup instead.

[Chijou_no_seiza]

wow thanks sonja!

I think I should just stop being lazy and empty it every 2 hours on my first day. But is seems that according to those comparisons the mooncup UK is the smallest.

Maybe I'll try that after childbirth or something

[bluedawg]

Originally Posted by Sonja eta: Link! And another!

whoa! i always thought the differences between a 1 and a 2 were supposed to be miniscule, but i can tOtally see them with the naked eye. i bought a 2 because i am over 30, but holy crap that thing scared the bejabbers out of me and i gave up. i wonder if a 1 would work better for me.

thanks for finding those pictures, Sonja and Dugan!

eta: i've been reading those threads and i'm almost thinking the smaller mooncup UK would be better than the smaller diva for me. maybe. it will take a lot to get me to try this again.

[LesMiserablesLove]

Hm...I had already bleached it. I guess I'll explain why I did because I don't know if this has ever happened to anyone else. I went to use my Keeper a couple weeks ago only to find it had several small mold spots on it!! I keep it in a box in the bathroom and I think the shower heat might have caused the mold growth. (Sorry, tmi, I know). I originally soaked it in vinegar, which is acceptable according to the Keeper website. But some of the spots remained so I turned to bleach. The Keeper folks emailed me back today, actually, with a simple sentence: We do not suggest using bleach. Which doesn't really answer my question with complete certainty. But...I guess I'll buy a new one.

Good news: LunaPads is having a sale on a DivaCup and pantyliners combo. It's $46 for a DivaCup and three organic cotton pantyliners! So if anyone's been thinking about getting the DivaCup...