Because of all the TMI threads

WinstonsGirl

I bought my tampons the first time.  I asked my Mom to stop at the drug store on the way to the pool.  She used OB, with no applicator, and I wasn't going to mess with that first go.  I bought tampax, solely cos that's all that was advertised in Seventeen and YM.  

I also took my younger cousin to buy razors and cream when she was about 15/16.  My aunt wouldn't let her shave (she was in high school!!!), which I thought was dumb, so we went to the mall together, and snuck it back into her room where she promptly hid it.  

@wandajune6 - I'm on Diva cup too, and took me about 6 months at least to get the hang of it.  Not sure why I switched, since I've got pretty light flow and no problems with tampons, but I was curious to try.  None of the directions I've ever seen on the carton/website have ever worked for me.  I have never been able to make it turn 360 degrees.  Once you find what works though, it's not too bad.  

WinstonsGirl

wandajune6 said:

How would it make a difference?

I can't make them work. I can't figure out why.

Way too much TMI here, but here I go.  You can leave them in for 12 hours, and they won't dry you out like a tampon might (absorbing all fluids).  What problems are you having in making them work??  I fold mine into the U fold (not the push down - it never opened for me), and pop it about half in.  I basically then shove it up as far as I can get it and it usually pops open on its own.  I don't turn it, cos that never works for me.  I usually check with a finger where the fold was, and I can tell it's open/the fold is gone.  

I occasionally get very small leaks, but I wonder too if that's just fluid from below the cup from when I put it in.  Occasionally though it doesn't open for the life of me, and I take it out and try again.  I've said many a "fucking piece of shit!!" in it's direction though in the past trying to figure it out.  I also wonder if I should be using the smaller size even though I'm mid 30's, since I could feel it pushing when I first started using it, though it seems to work now.  

ETA - more accurate cursing

PrincessOfHavoc

My first was the day before life changed drastically, I'd rather not say how. But fear and stress stopped it until I was 17 then. Which sent me to ER because I had a gross, green snot lookin ooze dripping rash 7 hours after starting and changing pads every 2 hours.

I'm crazy reactive to something in disposable pads. Went to homemade cloth pads, then a cup. Now it's a Mirena and a cloth panty liner.

RebeccaB88

PrincessOfHavoc said:

My first was the day before life changed drastically, I'd rather not say how. But fear and stress stopped it until I was 17 then. Which sent me to ER because I had a gross, green snot lookin ooze dripping rash 7 hours after starting and changing pads every 2 hours. I'm crazy reactive to something in disposable pads. Went to homemade cloth pads, then a cup. Now it's a Mirena and a cloth panty liner.

Interesting, I'm allergic/reactive to something in Always products.  When I use them I develop an awful dermatitis type condition, that itches to holy high heaven.  No issues with any other brand, just Always.  But OMG how awful for you!  I'm glad there are other things that work for you, at least.

lovesclimbing

WinstonsGirl said:

I bought my tampons the first time.  I asked my Mom to stop at the drug store on the way to the pool.  She used OB, with no applicator, and I wasn't going to mess with that first go.  I bought tampax, solely cos that's all that was advertised in Seventeen and YM.  

I also took my younger cousin to buy razors and cream when she was about 15/16.  My aunt wouldn't let her shave (she was in high school!!!), which I thought was dumb, so we went to the mall together, and snuck it back into her room where she promptly hid it.  

@wandajune6 - I'm on Diva cup too, and took me about 6 months at least to get the hang of it.  Not sure why I switched, since I've got pretty light flow and no problems with tampons, but I was curious to try.  None of the directions I've ever seen on the carton/website have ever worked for me.  I have never been able to make it turn 360 degrees.  Once you find what works though, it's not too bad.  

I took me two or three months to get the hang of it.  I have the Diva Cup as well.  I have never turned it 360 degrees, and I have never had a problem with it popping open, it always does.  Sometimes, I have a problem keeping it "punched down" as I put it in because the sides are so stiff!   I use the "punch down" rather than the "fold" method, because the punch down method makes the end smaller and easier to put in.  I never could get it in with the fold method.

WinstonsGirl

lovesclimbing said:

I took me two or three months to get the hang of it.  I have the Diva Cup as well.  I have never turned it 360 degrees, and I have never had a problem with it popping open, it always does.  Sometimes, I have a problem keeping it "punched down" as I put it in because the sides are so stiff!   I use the "punch down" rather than the "fold" method, because the punch down method makes the end smaller and easier to put in.  I never could get it in with the fold method.

I started with the punch down method, since it was smaller to insert, but it would never open.  Sometimes even the fold doesn't open properly.  It just gets totally shoved in now (fold style).  :P

lovesclimbing

WinstonsGirl said:

lovesclimbing said:

I took me two or three months to get the hang of it.  I have the Diva Cup as well.  I have never turned it 360 degrees, and I have never had a problem with it popping open, it always does.  Sometimes, I have a problem keeping it "punched down" as I put it in because the sides are so stiff!   I use the "punch down" rather than the "fold" method, because the punch down method makes the end smaller and easier to put in.  I never could get it in with the fold method.

I started with the punch down method, since it was smaller to insert, but it would never open.  Sometimes even the fold doesn't open properly.  It just gets totally shoved in now (fold style).  :P

Hmm, that's interesting.  I wonder why.

ETA:  Sometimes, it'll start to pop open just as I'm inserting it and that hurts.  I have to really hold it down, but it'll pop the second I let it go.

WinstonsGirl

Ehh, I think maybe I'm a bit smaller than average maybe??  Like I said before, I used to think I should be using the smaller cup even though I'm mid 30's since when I first started using it, it felt like it was pushing out, like it was too big.  I don't notice it now though