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Thanks girls! This topic is more interesting than I ever thought it could be.
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Jul 27, 2011 02:05
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To get the cup out, try bearing down as if you're doing an enormous poop. Like a really big one, after days of constipation. That should push that sucker down to where you can grab it.
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Jul 27, 2011 02:07
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This should hopefully be my last question. What are the chances of expelling the cup during a bowel movement? I've experienced some anxiety while going to the bathroomm because as the above posters have said, to get the cup low enough to reach you push as if you are taking a hellacious dump. I just want some assurance that I'm not going to lose my cup in the toilet now that I can kinda use it. I'm still going through the learning curve, but I kinda got it down now. Put it in crooked or something earlier and had some leaks, and couldn't quite get it out in Kohls' restroom so I got it at home and scratched up my girly bits digging for it, lol. So I'm gonna hold off until I go swimming Thursday. But, it was fine last night and I woke up this morning with no leaks at all 
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Jul 27, 2011 02:27
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A lot of times it does get pushed lower for me, to the point where I can feel the cup. I can usually just push the bottom of it a little and it'll go up higher, but on rare occasions it's been low enough where it's more comfortable for me to take it out and reinsert it. I've never pushed it out or been worried it was coming out far enough it would fall out.
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Jul 27, 2011 02:55
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Love this topic, especially after experiencing heavy periods for the first time in years after starting BC. Time to find this miracle on Amazon. Remember, pushing is for babies not bowel movements. 
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Jul 27, 2011 03:37
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So, I have an urge to purchase one of the damned sparkly cups! I use a Diva Cup Size B. Can anyone tell me which of the ones from this site is the same size and will they ship to America? *Edit - one of these: http://www.femininewear.co.uk/meluna-glitter-cups-p-954.html
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Jul 27, 2011 03:53
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MissConduct posted:So, I have an urge to purchase one of the damned sparkly cups! I use a Diva Cup Size B. Here's a good size chart: http://www.environmenstruals.co.nz/cup%20size%20charts.html
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Jul 27, 2011 05:19
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evelynevvie posted:This should hopefully be my last question. Sometimes when I know I'm going to have a bigger poop, I fold up a piece of toilet paper and just sort of hold my cup in place while I go. Otherwise, I don't bother-- like another poster said, I can feel it shift lower, but not in a way that makes me fear it's going to fall out.
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Jul 27, 2011 06:10
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gross.
luscious fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Jul 27, 2011 |
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Jul 27, 2011 07:02
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MissConduct posted:If I ever have a daughter, she will never know the pain of tampons. Now this is something I've wondered about. How early do you think a kid could use a cup? If my baby's a girl I would hate to put her through the hell I went through with pads and tampons. I feel like the Diva would be too big for sure, but maybe one of the smaller (sparkly?) ones? I hope to start her off with cloth pads, but if her flow's anything like mine she's gonna need a big-rear end dam for the blood-gates. (Wow, I don't even know the sex of my fetus yet and I'm already worried about its hypothetical menstrual flow.  )There may not be any connection, but I felt like a lot of my negative reactions to pads and tampons were explained when my mom told me that as a baby I had to be cloth-diapered because any time she put a disposable on me, my whole "region" would look like someone had dipped me in a vat of acid. I guess my bits don't like bleach AT ALL.
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Jul 27, 2011 14:43
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evelynevvie posted:This should hopefully be my last question. I've been using a cup for years, and it's happened a few times that I've pushed it out a few centimeters; enough for me to just pull it out, but it's never come out all the way on its own. Most of the time the stem might poke out a tiny bit, but I can just push it back in. The only times it comes out significantly is on the heaviest days of my period; presumably there's a lot of blood there to lubricate it. If I'm worried about it, I just take the cup out first.
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Jul 27, 2011 16:10
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evelynevvie posted:
Go you! Now just keep practicing, it's like putting in contact lenses, once you get the hang of it, it's pretty much a matter of seconds.
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Jul 27, 2011 18:08
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I got it in!
to finally have beaten this thing.
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Chicken McNobody posted:Now this is something I've wondered about. How early do you think a kid could use a cup? If my baby's a girl I would hate to put her through the hell I went through with pads and tampons. I feel like the Diva would be too big for sure, but maybe one of the smaller (sparkly?) ones? I hope to start her off with cloth pads, but if her flow's anything like mine she's gonna need a big-rear end dam for the blood-gates. (Wow, I don't even know the sex of my fetus yet and I'm already worried about its hypothetical menstrual flow. I don't have children and may never have them but should I come across this point in my life I'd probably start her off with the re-usable pads and let her know all about the cup. I'm not sure how I'd go about sizing a young girl. Maybe talk to a Gyno. I hope cups become more common in the next few years. I may have figured out why these things reduce cramps. Like many of you who have posted, I suffered from awful cramps and I've had my share of bathroom trauma associated with periods and heavy flow. Best part is that my Doctor told me that feeling awful was normal when I was a teen. When I described how bad the cramps were to my Mom she said that it sounded like labor pains. gently caress, I was 15. I shouldn't know what labor pains felt like! We all know that tampons are supposed to absorb and we've already discussed how your natural fluids get sucked out - I'm thinking now that tampons must dehydrate women who use them more so than they realize. Instead of letting the body work it out naturally so your body doesn't dehydrate, tampons absorb too much and blood clots and what should be liquid becomes nasty chunks. Those cramps you feel are your lining tearing off in CHUNKS! And the rest of the month, your body is dreading feeling that way again. And it's supposed to be normal. Since using the cup, I've been perfectly fine. Things have been smoother and I feel more comfortable overall. I'm now wondering just how much dehydration can wreck other systems in the body. If anyone knows anything or can direct to resources, please do! It's interesting you mention that bit about diapers as I found out something similar recently from my own Mother. If I wore pads, I'd break out slightly so I went straight to tampons and pretty much only used those for years. Yes, I got the internal rash but hey, it was normal! I wrote a big note on Face Book about this and it's been bringing up some interesting points. Next time I see my doctor, I'm so discussing this with her. I'm annoyed that I didn't find out about this sooner. It's pretty horrifying to think that tampons were the cause for so much misery. *Edit* I wanted to add that I wasn't bought up to feel ashamed of my body and I'd like my daughter to grow up not feeling icked out by washing out the body's natural fluids from a re-usable pad so if she uses a cup, she'll be fine with it from the start. I think one of the biggest issues is "You want me to handle a cup full of blood? Gross! ZOMG!" *Edit Number Two: Tigntink posted:I think if I ever have a daughter or if I have any nieces ill be buying the smallest size of the softest cup to keep around along with the instructions. When I feel like they are mature enough to not just go EWWWWW ill give her some literature about cups and let her know if she wants to try one that I have a brand new one. I was raised in New Orleans and my Mother was very open with any questions I had. Thank God she did that right. While my Mom wasn't a raging Feminazi, she did believe in me being comfortable enough with my body and stressed the importance of regular doctor visits and told me not to douche and made sure I knew why etc. Mom also had plenty of Feminist Literature, including "Our Bodies. Ourselves." and encouraged reading. Cups and re-usable pads should be part of Sexual Education. I also remember my sexual education in school being pretty good. If it makes a difference, this was a mostly white public school. For the record, I've never been irregular or bleed too badly so I've been fortunate on that end. For a long time I assumed that "Well, everything is fine down there except for the loving cramps!" Having this cup been my Vagina's missing link! Between this thread and the one in GBS about the woman who gave birth to twins and didn't know she was pregnant is really making me painfully aware of how much is assumed about a woman's body but not actually known. And to all the Men that are lurking or have chimed in, you are exactly that: Men. MissConduct fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Jul 28, 2011 |
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Jul 27, 2011 23:44
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I think if I ever have a daughter or if I have any nieces ill be buying the smallest size of the softest cup to keep around along with the instructions. When I feel like they are mature enough to not just go EWWWWW ill give her some literature about cups and let her know if she wants to try one that I have a brand new one. Specifically if it is my kid she is getting a copy of the our body our selves book and some Judy Bloom books along with some reusable panty liners and a cup at the age of 11. I started my period at 12 and most women in my family started bleeding around that age. I will not allow any girl related to me go through the same confusion I did. I mentioned this in another thread but I didn't even know wtf the vagina was for other than bleeding until I was 14 and found the internet. gently caress the south. Oh and I think making sure that blood isn't a big deal will be a thing for me. My fiancee passes out at the very sight of blood and gets nauseated when i describe a paper cut I got at work. I hate that poo poo. I will not let a kid take after him in that aspect.
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Jul 27, 2011 23:50
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I like to tell myself that I wish I knew about cups when I was 12 and therefore could have avoided years and years of unnecessary misery, but I know I could not have handled it at 12. I didn't know enough about my own anatomy back then and I'm pretty sure I would have been totally disgusted by the very idea of a cup. I've mentioned before that I've tried to get my middle child interested in using a cup. She's 18 now and she basically thought my cup using was just another of my weird quirks that also happened to be completely gross. We're close, and talking about our bodies is something we've done together since she was 5 and she found a book I had about female anatomy and our reproductive systems. She brought it to me when she found a picture of a woman giving birth and asked if that's what happened when she came out, too. So from that point on- I've always been very open and honest with her about all things female. Nevertheless, she was totally squicked out by the cup when I encouraged her to use one. HOWEVER- we just installed a new above ground pool on Monday, and we both happened to start our periods on Monday as well. She's recently sworn off tampons because all they do is leak on her, so she's been stuck in nothing but pads for the past few months. But she REALLY wanted to go swimming. She actually asked if I had an extra cup because she was ready to try one. I was so happy! I do have 2 cups, but no new ones. And I told her mine would be too big for her anyway since I use the size 2 Diva. I also told her there's a learning curve with insertion. Anyway- she ended up using a tampon to go swimming, but she promised she'd watch the YouTube videos on folds and insertion and I also told her to check out the LiveJournal community since they cover every single question that could ever be asked about cups. So I think I'll order her one for her care package for when she starts school in the fall. I'm thinking glitter, baby!
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Jul 28, 2011 04:54
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I ordered two MeLunas and they got here. Too late for this cycle but whatever! Next! They also sent me two that I didn't order. I guess as samples? Thank you MeLuna! unfortunately the ones I wanted didn't come in sparkle options but I decided to name the betta fish I will be getting soon Sparkle Cup. Thanks thread!
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Jul 28, 2011 22:55
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Wow, that seems pretty cool of them! I've been wanting to try a MeLuna but can't justify it yet because my DivaCup works okay. So tempting, though...
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Jul 28, 2011 23:22
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If a MeLuna cup comes off the factory line with a defect that means they can't sell it (but that doesn't impact usability; we're talking cosmetic things like weird spots or air bubbles or something) they'll throw it into somebody's order as a freebie. Obviously there's no guarantee that you'll get an extra, since it's a pretty poor factory where +50% of their inventory comes out defective, but it's still really cool that they do it. lusciuos, it sounds like you hit the jackpot!
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Jul 28, 2011 23:57
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Ugh, can I just say that it SUCKS going back to tampons/pads after using the Diva Cup for a while? I just got an IUD inserted a few days ago and, on the advice of my doc and the internet, am going to wait at least a cycle or two before going back to the Diva Cup. I'm finishing out my period now, and my ladybits are so sad.  And how the hell did I navigate my life with a tampon string hanging all the gently caress out there before?! It's awful! I'm going back to my cup as soon as possible, and never turning back.
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Jul 29, 2011 22:06
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Started the Nuvaring today! I'm so happy I can't express it in this medium. I've spent the last 3 months (depo shot) at various levels of bleeding ranging from spotting to "dear god, how am I still alive?" It's weird having the ring and my diva cup in. I kind of feel like I need a ramrod to get all this stuff in my vagina. I'm not sure I got the ring in far enough but I guess trial and error will get me there. I didn't use my cup yesterday because I worked and the previous day I kept thinking my cup was full (it wasn't) and worrying I needed to empty it. I then had a pad leak and stain my underwear  I guess I just need more practice with the cup to get more confident. I haven't had any leaks when I've used it properly. I'm probably just over thinking it.
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Aug 1, 2011 05:11
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evelynevvie posted:Started the Nuvaring today! I'm so happy I can't express it in this medium. I've spent the last 3 months (depo shot) at various levels of bleeding ranging from spotting to "dear god, how am I still alive?" following your natural progression of BC, soon enough you'll have an IUD!
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Aug 1, 2011 07:32
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Has anyone had issues with their Divacup inviting UTI's? I'm not sure if it's that or random bacteria from sex or something, but I've gotten a UTI twice now (about six months ago, and now) within a week of the end of my period and boiling and putting the cup away. It hangs down a little low and actually sticks out a fair bit normally, and if I don't shove it up in there again and again sometimes it'll rub on my urethra and irritate it. I feel like that's the cause of the UTI I have now, but I can't really be sure. I've been using my cup for at least a year and a half, and the way it sits half the time is really starting to bug me. I don't think I should cut the stem since when I'm having a heavy period the cup seems to suck up into me and I have a hard time reaching it even bearing down. Maybe I should switch to a shorter cup (but then I'm concerned about leaks, BAH)? Any advice?
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Aug 1, 2011 16:30
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luscious posted:following your natural progression of BC, soon enough you'll have an IUD! OH god no. Sorry but IUD's squick me out to much. I know they are safer now and everything but I'm just totally uncomfortable with the idea. I was on the Nuvaring before and loved it, the only reason I got the shot was because my gyno was convinced it would be like the hand of god for my PCOS. Ugh.
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Aug 1, 2011 17:42
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bobula posted:Has anyone had issues with their Divacup inviting UTI's? You always pee/clean after sex right? Thats the most common reason for UTIs is not cleaning up after sex. I'm particularly prone to them due to some shape thing or another but i've never gotten one with my divacup and it hangs super low. Maybe do the flip inside out thing?
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Aug 1, 2011 21:00
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evelynevvie posted:the only reason I got the shot was because my gyno was convinced it would be like the hand of god for my PCOS. Ugh. My first gyno thought that for my PCOS too. My 3 months of hell sounded just like yours. I've done so much better taking met and no birth control. Also, still loving my cup. I'm not sure I could ever thank this thread enough.
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Aug 2, 2011 02:54
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So, I have this weird, probably irrational, fear that if I'm ever hit by a car and I'm on my period wearing my cup that the paramedics/nurses won't know what to do about it. Or worse, if I'm ever subjected to an invasive search, I'm pretty sure that silicone in my vag would be considered suspicious. Do medics usually check girls for tampons and stuff when they're brought to a hospital? I've never heard anyone ever talk about this before.
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Aug 2, 2011 15:44
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Bagleworm posted:So, I have this weird, probably irrational, fear that if I'm ever hit by a car and I'm on my period wearing my cup that the paramedics/nurses won't know what to do about it. I was thinking about something similar the other day, namely those full-body scanners at airports. I've heard some horror stories about people being asked to remove pads/tampons...I bet a cup would really throw airport security for a loop.
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Aug 2, 2011 22:19
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evelynevvie posted:I've heard some horror stories about people being asked to remove pads/tampons The terrorists really have won 
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Aug 2, 2011 22:26
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evelynevvie posted:I was thinking about something similar the other day, namely those full-body scanners at airports. I've heard some horror stories about people being asked to remove pads/tampons...I bet a cup would really throw airport security for a loop. maybe it would convert someone. Just kidding. You probably would be arrested.
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Aug 3, 2011 00:34
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I would be absolutely mortified if my cup caused me to get a full body cavity search or something. Holy poo poo. I never even considered that to be in the realm of possibility. I think I'd die on the spot if I had to take that fucker out in front of strangers. Jesus. Thanks, goonettes. I'm never loving flying again!
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Aug 3, 2011 01:35
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It's only in the realm of possibility if you use a cup with an absurdly long stem. Like, several-inches-beyond-your-vulva style.
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Aug 3, 2011 02:58
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Got through security just fine a few weeks ago with a divacup, one of those big scanners, even! I think y'all are safe. Maybe we all just have complexes from our moms collectively saying "wear clean underwear if you get hit my a car and have to go to the hospital!" 
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Aug 3, 2011 04:23
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I turned 30 in April. I thought I could put off buying a size 2 for a few more years...but my size 1 has been leaking a bit over the last few days.  I feel like I reached a milestone in my life and can never go back.
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Aug 5, 2011 23:49
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I just ordered a diva cup. Reading this thread (okay the first few pages and the last one) won me over. I am tired tired tired of tampon problems. Thanks so much, ladies! You soothed all my worries and have actually made me excited to try this out next month.
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Aug 6, 2011 03:23
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OK, I read the thread and decided to convert, but I didn't plan to post in here because I figure someday someone will connect this to my Real Identity and, I dunno, blackmail me or something. But I guess that's a stupid thought, and I am having Problems! So here goes: I ordered a small MeLuna cup with a ball at the end because 1) I have very narrow innards, and 2) everyone was talking about cutting the stems off their cups so I figured the ball thing would be good. I inserted the cup and it promptly did not unfold (narrow) but instead traveled upward to the point that I could hardly reach it, and certainly couldn't grab the ball end to try to pull it out. I spent about 20 minutes whimpering and digging around until I could remove it. So I checked length/width charts and decided to order a MoonCup, which I received today. However! Amazon just says "size A" and "size B" without specifying what the sizes mean. I assumed A was small. Turns out it isn't. So now I have this MoonCup that I'm sure is too wide. I don't know whether to 1) give the MeLuna another go, maybe with a different fold so it unfolds better, 2) try the MoonCup even though it's way wider than the MeLuna, 3) ARGH get something else... Do Whole Foods or Mother's Market stock cups, and if so, are they much more expensive than at Amazon?
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Aug 6, 2011 20:31
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Etheldreda posted:
I'd say try both. Because of where it sits, I haven't found width as much of a problem as I would have thought. I'm quite narrow too, but it's not like you have the full width of the cup sitting at the entrance. Also, it's a lot easier when you have your period, so if you are trying at non-period times, that could make things more difficult. Alternatively, can you return the mooncup if it is unused? Also, I'm going to go internet detective on your rear end and blackmail you. I will accept either $$$ or a pile of kittens. slinkimalinki fucked around with this message at 01:21 on Aug 7, 2011 |
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Aug 7, 2011 01:19
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Bewildrbeast posted:Got through security just fine a few weeks ago with a divacup, one of those big scanners, even! I think y'all are safe. That's the most hilarious thing a parent can say, I'm pretty sure if I get hit by a car my underwear is going to be anything but clean. Mind you the saying is probably just a polite way of encouraging gross teenagers to change their pants everyday so they don't stink of unmentionable substances. As for airports if anyone was going to force me to take the cup out they will get it, and its contents, at high velocity. Then I'd storm out of the airport in disgust and never fly anywhere again.
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Aug 7, 2011 07:11
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slinkimalinki posted:Also, I'm going to go internet detective on your rear end and blackmail you. I will accept either $$$ or a pile of kittens. I do have an excess of cats in the house. Unfortunately the two spares just turned three, so I guess they aren't kittens. I decided to give the MeLuna another go. Worst case, at least I don't have to deal with it for a few hours...
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Aug 8, 2011 03:42
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sarah synonymous posted:Ugh, can I just say that it SUCKS going back to tampons/pads after using the Diva Cup for a while? I just got an IUD inserted a few days ago and, on the advice of my doc and the internet, am going to wait at least a cycle or two before going back to the Diva Cup. I've got a doctor's appointment next week and I'm going to ask about a getting an IUD put in. Does anyone else here have one, and if so, what did your doctor say about using a cup? A friend of mine's doctor told her not to use one at all because there's a risk of pulling the IUD out when you take the cup out. How familiar are doctors with menstrual cups, anyway? I'm afraid mine won't know what it is, I'll describe it to him and he'll say "no, you can't use one with an IUD" without really knowing how they work 
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Aug 13, 2011 15:35
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My gyno had NO idea what a DivaCup was 2 years ago when I got my IUD. Oh, hey, also, I've had a cup and an IUD for 2 years with no problem.
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Aug 13, 2011 16:59
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