Earth and Body Friendly

This is a product only for women, but men, don’t discount it completely. You may know of a woman who could do with making her periods easier and more environmentally friendly.

Many years ago, when I first heard of menstrual cups via a link from a friend online, I’ll admit that I was actually kind of grossed out. The thought of ‘collecting’ my menstrual blood in a reusable cup, instead of keeping as much distance from it as possible, was quite horrible to me. But this was a long time ago, before I thought as much about my body and the Earth as I do now.

Having a period is not dirty or gross

The concept of menstrual cups have actually been around for about 75 years, but I’d never heard of such a thing. It’s a device used to replace a tampon. Instead of soaking up the menstrual blood, a menstrual cup acts as a small vessel to hold the blood, ready for it to be emptied out and the cup put back in. At the time I first came across it, I really did think this was rather a horrible idea. I was brought up by the large disposable menstrual product companies to think that menstrual blood is dirty and gross, something to be hidden, and something of which to be ashamed. Their attitude is that we shouldn’t have to have any contact with it at all and I’d bought into that.

It’s healthier for your body

But when I looked into it and thought more about it, I realised that it made perfect sense. Tampons absorb not only the blood, but also the lubricating and self-cleaning fluids naturally present in the vagina. This is not ideal. The DivaCup menstrual cup is made from healthcare grade silicone and does not absorb anything at all. The blood simply flows into the container inside you and you remove it to empty it out.

They come in two sizes, one slightly smaller than the other. The smaller one, size 1, is designed for women under 30 years old who have never delivered vaginally or by caesarean section. The larger size 2 is for women over 30 years old and/or for women who have delivered vaginally or by c-section.

It does take some getting used to, but as long as you have the right size and the knack of getting it fitted inside, you can’t feel a thing.

Change it less often, even for active woman

You can wear it longer than a tampon with no worry of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Leaks are rare, as long as it’s fitted well. You can wear it while taking part in active sports or swimming. Nothing is left outside the body, so there’s not even any worry of strings slipping out of your underwear or of fluid wicking out. 12 hours is the longest recommended wear time for the DivaCup, so you can wear it overnight and through a whole day and only need to change it twice in that time.

Get in touch with your body

I’ve found that since I’ve been using it, I’ve been so much more in touch with my body and its workings. I can tell if there are any changes in my cycle, and exactly how much change. In fact, it came in very handy for me as recently as this past week. I had some strangeness going on and a vastly different cycle than usual and so I knew exactly how much heavier my flow was and what was different about it in comparison to what’s normal for me. If it came down to it, I would also easily be able to collect a sample of my flow for a doctor, if it was required. Measuring your blood loss or taking samples can’t be done as simply (or at all, perhaps) with pads or tampons.

I no longer feel as though my cycle is something that I shouldn’t ever mention. I feel proud to know all about my cycle, even exactly what the flow looks like at various stages through my cycle. From my reading about it online over the years that I’ve been using it, I’ve found testimonials from many women feeling better about themselves, about being a woman, and about not polluting the environment with dozens of disposable tampons or pads every month. Some even report less physical discomfort once they stopped putting the chemicals that are inherent in tampons right inside the most sensitive part of their bodies.

Give yourself time to get used to it

There is a learning curve with using the DivaCup. It’s different to using tampons in that you have to fold it to insert it. It can be a little bit frustrating at first, but it’s much easier if you allow yourself some space and time to relax and practise. Likewise, taking it out is somewhat different, but again, relaxing and practising is the key. With each cycle that you use it, you’ll find it becomes easier for you.

Find what works for you

Initially, I had trouble getting the right fit for my DivaCup. I come under the category of being over 30 years old and having had a child by caesarean, so I bought the larger size, but I found it was uncomfortable for me. I replaced it with the smaller size and I haven’t had any issues since. Perhaps it’s because I’m quite petite, but it’s hard to know, as I’ve read of some larger women also requiring the smaller size. It does seem, though, that the guidelines are mostly in line with what woman need.

As much as I love the DivaCup, it’s not going to be for everyone. Depending on your body shape and the condition of your insides, it might not work for you to have something that requires insertion. There are other options for being friendly to your body and the Earth, such as washable pads, and I will be doing a review of those very soon. If you are squeamish, or if you have genuine issues having such close contact with your vagina, then this may not be for you. But do keep in mind that it’s a mental adjustment, similar (but far more positive) to the mental adjustment made for us by the big ’sanitary’ pads and tampon companies over the years.

A good time to try it

If you’re reading this around the time of writing the review (check the date on the post), it’s a perfect time to try it. Lunapads happen to be having a sale on the DivaCup. They’re offering 25% off the DivaCup and DivaCup kits (two different kits available on that page).

The DivaCup is available in other places, but I’m using links to Lunapads because that’s where I got mine. The other reason I’m linking to them is because they are a wonderful company totally committed to their customers, which is rare these days. When I find a company with such great customer support, I like to recommend them.

Visit: Lunapads
RRP: USD $39.50

Possibly related posts:

1. Clothes swap parties
2. Giving blood to be friendly to others
3. Getting around town and country on two wheels - or more
4. How to smell nice without chemicals
5. Buying second hand clothing