I’m a Diva…

Never a statement one would ever expect to hear from me but I’ll get to that because, and boys, if you want to spare yourself, now is the time to click away from this page, I’m going to talk about female hygiene products…

Are the boys gone?

Ok, good. Now, ladies (and any men who have stuck around to learn for the sake of their wives and daughters), when I say I’m a diva, what I mean to say is, I’m a Diva cup user.

Up until recently, I never knew menstruation cups existed but I’m truly a convert. I’ve spent my life since beginning my period using all the “normal” products: tampons, pads, and pantyliners. All disposable. All made of materials I now cringe to contemplate putting in and on my body.

Cotton is one of the most highly sprayed crops for pesticides in this country. Now imagine putting that into your most delicate of areas to absorb your monthly flow but while it is absorbing, your body is also absorbing residue from the materials the item is made of. They are also composed of rayon, a synthetic material that is highly processed. Further, traditional tampons are associated with a risk for toxic shock syndrome. Not to mention, tampons and disable pads tend to disrupt the delicate balance of the female genitals, leading to discomfort and odor at times. All in all, no fun.

I learned about the Diva cup from a blog I enjoy following, The Hipster Homemaker. When I figured out I would be on my period on my wedding day (Ugh! Can you imagine?!?), I decided to give the Diva cup a try in advance. This is a small undyed silicone cup inserted much like a tampon but it doesn’t need to be changed frequently throughout the day. This is a bonus for a woman who may not be in a situation to carry around a stash of products all day. An additional incentive of the cup being reusable is that it lowers the amount of waste in landfills. Further, it can be left in for 10-12 hours! That was one reason it made sense for my wedding day because can you imagine trying to deal with tampons under the heavy layers of lace and liners on my dress? Instead I could just enjoy my day without worrying about leaks or changes.

I looked up some history of menstrual products and found some good information at menstrualcup.co. While these cups are similar to the Diva cup, I like that Diva chooses not to use dyes in their product. I’m not of a mind that my menstrual products need to be pretty, particularly considering what they are doing, and dyes and perfumes in products inserted into the vagina can be absorbed into the body. There are other menstrual cups available, such as the Instead and Mooncup, but I haven’t tried them so, if you become interested in switching to a cup and don’t find Diva to be working for you, try those as they are made with slightly different shapes.

Now, if the idea of getting up close and personal with yourself or your monthly blood is bothering you, consider that use of a menstrual cup isn’t that different from using tampons. Yes, you must insert it, which requires a bit more interaction with your lady parts than perhaps before but… well, get over it. Also, yes, you must wash the cup in between uses. Since you only need to change it twice a day (every 10-12 hours), you only have to deal with the blood twice a day, as opposed to disposing of tampons or pads multiple times a day. The most important thing I want to tell you is that it isn’t “yucky”, it’s YOU. This is the part of you that creates life. So, dealing with it every month shouldn’t be a matter of cloak and dagger… you should get comfortable with the miraculous things your body can do and yes, every 4 or so weeks, this includes cramps, cravings, and blood. However, if you aren’t super comfortable with what happens each month, think about never having to buy tampons or pads in the grocery store again! You can order your Diva cup online, if you can’t find it in a store or feel embarrassed, and it will be delivered to your home. That’s it. You’re done. No more recurring expense, no more additional trips to the store, no more asking your lady friends for an extra one while out late. It’s so much easier.

My personal next step is to look into mama cloth (reusable pantyliners) for those times the Diva cup may leak. Yes, it can leak at times but that’s usually due to misplacement. It takes a bit of getting used to inserting it properly. If you use mama cloth, is there a brand you like, such as Lunapads?