My LilacCups came in the mail today. :D I ordered from from the LadyCup eBay store about two weeks ago. They're so pretty and purple. ^_^ The small is weensy, but I think it'll be just what I need for my light days; my small Diva never filled past the 7.5mL line even when left in for 12 hours.

Because I had been searching for pictures of side-by-side size comparisons of the Diva and Ladycups and never found them (just big group shots) I decided to contribute one. :)

( Slightly blurry picture behind the cut )

Ok so when I started using cups I started with the diva which as I've said in previous posts made me extremely crampy to the point where I couldn't stand to have it in at all. So I bought a shorter cup, which as you know is the now damaged M meluna. Before receiving the meluna I was worried about the larger rim, but it seems to work just fine. Because of said stem problem with the meluna, I am thinking about getting a lunette. I don't know whether to get small or large. I like the larges rim size but dont want a gargantuan cup. Also, I'm wondering if the smaller rim of the diva somehow contributed to the immediate cramping, as well as the length. Not really sure what to do. I may try re inserting the diva to see if cramping ensues again. Anyone have any thoughts on my rim theory?

I love you ladies, you are always so helpful with my questions!

Okay, so I'm small... perhaps more accurately: absolutely and utterly tiny. I knew this going in so I found the smallest cup on the market to order and got the after-childbirth size. It was a Meluna Medium Ball end and the rim was too big. It was actually painful to wear... I contacted them and they sent me out a small to replace it (thank goodness!).

I tried it on my first day of this cycle and leaked pretty much constantly, no matter how often I changed. I gave up, figuring I must have been doing something wrong and tried again on day 2. Still had leaking problems which were resolved when I realized I had to change hourly. Day 3 I got up to 3 hours between, more likely 1.5 hours (does flow usually vary like that during the day?) and today I think I'm more towards 2-2.5 hours but the cycle is almost done.

I know its capacity cause the darn thing is always full or nearly full when I take it out. It does have this annoying habit of tilting to the side a bit after I move around a lot which is decreasing the capacity further. It is only 11mL to start so I'm not surprised in the slightest!

Now, the reason I went with a cup so I wouldn't have to drag my cloth pads to and from work. As long as I change often enough I am getting what I wanted with the small Meluna. However, I'd really like to not have to change so much. So I'm wondering a few things... Maybe those of you who have gotten through these issues would be able to help...

Firstly, any guesses as to if the medium meluna hurt because of the size of the rim or the lack of flexibility (it is VERY stiff compared to the small)? Or could it have just been too long (and bumping up against my cervix?) It did just barely fit in there... The pain/cramping was in my lower back and it'd resolve as soon as I removed the cup and come back approx 15 minutes after reinsertion.

Secondly, can the stems on all brands of cups be trimmed completely off? I'm going by the measurement charts on wikipedia and I know 5.2cm is like the absolute max length that will fit (because that's what the medium meluna is and even then I could have used something a bit shorter - the small meluna is just right at 4.6cm). That leaves me with the Fleurcup and Lunette... small for best length (twice the capacity of the small meluna), large for best capacity (3x the small meluna) but possibly not a great fit (per question #1). If I really want to push it I might manage the large lady cup which I've heard is very squishy but I'd only get 2x the capacity.

Help! WWYD?

I'm asking this because there are some posts about cups splitting/ tearing/ feelings that it was time to get a new one.
I have a small MCUK ( bought a year ago) and a large Lunette (bought half a year ago).
Thought they could last for at least the next 20 years.

How long did you have your cup until it split or needed to be replaced?

Hi, I have a concern resulting from switching from a Sm Divacup to a L Fleurcup and would love to read your responses. My flow is fairly heavy. During the first 3 days, I changed tampons every 1 to 3 hrs and changed the Diva every 3 to 4 depending on the day. This was all fine and good, but I had horrible cramps etc. You all know the headaches and the "my spine isn't solid" feeling. After using the Diva a number of months I realized every period with it was registering really high on my menstrual pain scale. I developed the theory that the Diva was chaffing my cervix. So, I procured a L Fleurcup. My cervix is low and way over to the left (it's kind of a cavern). The diva was forced to tilt naturally since its so long, but I learned to tilt the fleur solving my slight leak problem.

Okay, here's my question: I thought my L fleur would need to be emptied less often than my Sm Diva (all measurements I did with water and the size charts indicate that.. the holes are really high) however, if I do not empty my fleur right at hour 3, I leak a drenching downpour of red. I am pretty sure this is overflow. I think I may have started bleeding faster after switching cups (my 3rd & 4th day seem significantly lighter). Did relieving my cervix of the Divacup and tampon chaffing cause me to bleed more quickly? My last 2 periods were the least painful I have ever had, I really want to trust my Fleur. As anyone had a similar experience or have any other theories? Thanks.

Has anyone heard of Supercup Lite?
There seems to be one on E-bay, I've never heard of this brand... but it looks a lot like a Femmecup to me. Not exactly, though.

Odd... in the first two pics on E-bay, I don't see the grip rings. But on the last one, I see them. Maybe because that's a picture of a Mooncup...

After 4 cycles using my cup with no trouble, all of a sudden it's like I forgot how to get the damn thing in there! My parts feel...swollen or something. It just won't go in!

Venting, mostly. But, if you've had this issue, I'd love to hear you vent, too.

I've collected my fair share of cups during the last years and I think it's time to let go the ones that just don't work for me, so, if you are interested in getting a slightly used cup or just want one to add to you collection and never use it (as in "this is the one I keep for demonstration purposes" hehe) this is your chance. I'm just asking US$5.00 for each one to cover shipping and such (I'm willing to send to anywhere in the world), and I would like for each to go to different people...

1 Small Keeper (rubber): I found it very comfortable but needed something with more capacity for my heavy flow. The stem is completely gone, my cervix is too low and I just couldn't stand it. (Used it for about 7 cycles)

1 Small Keeper Moon cup (silicone): I got this because I was curious about the material but in the end I didn't like it , apparently the outer surface got some scratches from my fingernails during the cycle I used it. The stem is also completely gone. (Used it for 2 cycles) TAKEN

1 Small MeLuna (blue, ball stem): after using the Medium MeLuna I realized that the small one would be way too small for me. This cup has NEVER been used. TAKEN

I'm having some problems with LJ private messages, if you are still interested you can contact me here: soapsandcrafts (at) gmail. Thanks!

I've been using a DivaCup for my last three cycles and up until this present cycle, it has been fantastic.

At first it almost felt a little too large for me (I'm using the size 1) but after a few insertions it started to get more comfortable. My last cycle went flawlessly, no discomfort, no leaks. To my surprise, this third cycle has been a nightmare: I started bleeding in the middle of the night (unusual for me) and put in the cup, and in the morning I woke up in a puddle of blood. I figured that I must've inserted it awkwardly in my tiredness, and rinsed off and re-inserted it. Before doing so, I made sure the suction holes were all clear, and once it was inside I rotated it to be sure it wasn't still folded. Then about a half-hour later something felt wrong and I realized I was leaking again. I had to go to class so, to be safe, I used one of my left-over pads. That night I tried the cup again, with another pad just to be safe. Sure enough in the middle of the night I could feel it leaking, but I left it alone because the pad was in place. That morning when I went to take out the cup, I was alarmed to find that it had somehow "drifted" really far up inside me and was really difficult to reach and remove. I'm now on day three and still I'm having leakage, though I can't figure out why!

If relevant, I've been under a lot of stress lately and this cycle came much earlier than it was supposed to. Maybe stress causes the vaginal walls to behave in a weird way that affects the cup's efficacy? Is it possible that the cup has "stretched me out" and now I'm too loose for it or something? I can't account for it since I'm not sexually active now and can't understand any other reason why I'd be any wider down there than I was during my last cycle.

Any ideas?

So I have been using my DivaCup. I cut off the stem mid cycle last month and well......I love it for the most part. I like that it's slender (well in my opinion in comparison by pictures) as my canal is kinda narrow but it also maintains good length. so the length and width of the cup works, plus I get a heavy flow a few days. I just got a meluna, medium size. I was excited to use it, but I inspected it and it looks........I dunno....cheaply manufactured? And with the few posts with meluna tears and breakage, I'm bummed out and apprehensive in using mine. I would however like a new cup closely similar to the dimensions to my Diva. Or maybe I should stick to the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" school of thought?

Oh I also forgot to ask. ( Bartholin Cyst, heard of 'em?? )

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/bartholin_cyst/article_em.htm

Time to break into my secret stash of pads.
I have a MeLua small classic stem and the stem BROKE! while it was in. 'There goes $30 bucks down the tube' I tug on it slightly to get it down to be able to reach the rim of the cup to break the suction. and it just broke right off. I don't think i even tug on it hard enough that it would do that but i guess it did. thankfully i got it out.
What really saddens me is that i just got it, i only used it for 1 and a half cycles. :.( My large ring stem is coming soon i hope, once they get the color out. I REALLY hope it doesn't happen with the large. Because im sorta running outta money haha.
( well heres the depressing pics )
I wish I could use it without the stem but it just isn't possible.
well thanks for letting me sorta vent.

So after I finished my last cycle, which was the first one with my meluna M ring stem, I was cleaning my cup and noticed that the thin plastic of the ring stem where the cup meets the stem was starting to tear on one side. I had never pulled it significantly hard, and I was bummed out because I had just gotten it. I emailed them to ask for a replacement since I only used it for one cycle. Seems like the stem should hold up better than it has after six days of continuous use.

The ring stem was great and easy to remove, but if you get one, just be careful with it, as I think they are more fragile than I gave it credit for. I opted for the ball stem on the large I'm waiting to order.

Also, during my period I noticed that after like two or three days there was hardly any blood flow, sometimes my cup would be near empty with just a brownish tan discharge in it...has anyone else noticed that they stop bleeding for long periods of time without being done with their period? The next day I started bleeding again , and could wear the cup for good ten or more hours without coming close to overflow. I guess with pads and tampons I thought we bled continually...maybe also it was just an off thing, and this period will be different. Thoughts?

**FINAL EDIT Thu Dec 10 02:15:47 UTC 2009**

So there is the final update... Over the past day we have processed around 11 million jobs out of the 12 million that were in queue at that time. Please bear in mind that over this past day, more jobs for notifications are also created. So while the queue has been dropping, we are still not fully caught up at this point, due to backlog and new jobs. We have roughly 3 million jobs still pending that involve the notification system in some manner. We had hoped we could have fully cleared the queue in a day, but unfortunately we can't clear it too quickly, since we need the rest of the site to operate normally. From our current perspective on the amount of jobs that are left in queue, and how many it has processed thus far, we believe it will take around another 8 - 12 hours to process everything.

And finally some answers to some questions:

( Read More and Get Some Answers... )

hi everyone,

I'd like to know if this is normal...

My period started this morning - two weeks late. Even though I took prescribed meds as soon as I felt the pain (horrid cramps woke me up, ugh) I spent the morning in bed, because every time I tried to sit up, I puked. When I went food shopping in the afternoon, I almost passed out in the middle of the shop.
Momentarily I'm only a bit dizzy (I forced myself to eat some chocolate later on to get my blood sugar back up), but my stomach feels like someone's kicking it from the inside.

Does anyone else know this? Could it have anything to do with the cup (wearing MCUK small, don't feel it at all, inserted since yesterday, I've been using it since March). Thanks a lot!

Hello, all. My period started this morning so being excited to have my Lilac Cup, I grabbed it and headed to the bathroom. After putting a pad in place to guard against any leaks, I took my small Lilac Cup and prepared to insert it.

Here's where the problem is. It easily slipped in between the walls. I slowly and gently tried to coax it to go in a bit farther so that it would properly stay in place, but something down there was sending signals to my brain saying "Ow! That hurts!" and preventing me from inserting beyond that point. What did I do wrong and how can I get past this?

Side note: My period never starts full-blown. While the blood flow is there, the area is still dry, at least until tomorrow. Please help! I want to be able to use my cup as soon as possible (and not worry about pad problems while in the gym this week), I know I can't force the cup when my body doesn't want it to go there, but how in the world can I aid my body to get the hang of it? I mean, I'm taking my time and not shoving it or anything, and I try to think of something else to coax my body to relax, but nothing is happening beyond what I've described. HELP!!!

Hey all,

Just thought I'd post my review as a new cup user on my femmecup. I also took some fun photos (well, they amused me) as I got a new camera for my birthday (woo!)

( Thoughts on the cup, and some silly pics, since I'm nerdy like that. )

So yeah. I'll put some more serious photos up if anyone is curious.