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slinkimalinki posted:Turn that sucker inside out! Yeah, I may try that at some point, but really it's been fine ever since I trimmed the stem. Still no problems so far. I've been a little surprised at how smoothly it's gone considering all the horror stories I found online while I was researching. Maybe the years of applicator-free tampons prepared me. 
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Nov 19, 2011 07:24
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NaturalLow posted:I have to ask though, are there any alternatives to the boiling thing? I boiled it as a first time use sterilization thing, but it was a pain in the rear end. I used the biggest pot I have and filled it to the brim, but the cup still kept sinking to the bottom (where it would have been burned/ruined) so I basically had to babysit the thing the whole time. Plus my living situation right now is such that standing around in the kitchen cooking my menstrual cup in a pot probably wouldn't work too well. I could probably still boil occasionally, but I was thinking sterilizing tablets or maybe the dishwasher as a more frequent method? For what it's worth, I've boiled my cups for years and never burned them; I even forgot I put it on once and left and someone else found it later with all the water boiled out and it was still totally fine. Them cups are some tough-rear end motherfuckers.
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Nov 19, 2011 08:45
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I've also found that my cervix is ridiculously low at the end of my periods, for what it's worth. It's pretty much the only times I've been able to feel it putting the cup in and go "yep, that's my cervix."
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Nov 19, 2011 13:10
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Zantie posted:Have you had unprotected sex recently? This is going to be WAAYYYY TMI, but I got that horrid smell twice since I've used the cup; each time the morning after having sex. I reckon what happens is that I take it out for the fun, then I go to the bathroom and put it back in pretty soon after. When I go to rinse it the next morning it's not just blood but some of his semen too, and that's the only time it's smelled. Neither my husband nor his spunk smells so hell if I know how it gets that bad overnight. The smell could be attributed to the chemical reaction between your vaginal fluids and the semen. The cup, trapping in the semen and your own fluids, would essentially be trapping the odour as well. You might notice the funky smell more if you have/had sex with a different man.
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Nov 19, 2011 13:38
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slinkimalinki posted:Turn that sucker inside out! This solved all of my problems with the Divacup. I love it now. I seem to remember someone mentioning one of the cups is actually close in size to an inside-out Diva? I'm also a heavy bleeder so maybe a higher capacity cup with the same width, if anyone knows of one. (I also do not have a paypal)
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Nov 19, 2011 14:45
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Bewildrbeast posted:So we're all talking about jamming silicone cups in our hoo-has, I don't think we need to worry about if a question is vulgar. Its only vulgar if you're trying to put the cup in your butt or something. Is it a regular MeLuna or a soft MeLuna? At first, my soft cup was fine but this latest cycle (my first on Paragard, props to you ladies that have been dealing with heavy periods all along) it became an uncooperative POS - not wanting to pop open, etc. The regular MeLuna has a stiffness more on par with the Diva and I never have issues with either of those.
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Nov 19, 2011 16:06
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NaturalLow posted:I have to ask though, are there any alternatives to the boiling thing? I boiled it as a first time use sterilization thing, but it was a pain in the rear end. I used the biggest pot I have and filled it to the brim, but the cup still kept sinking to the bottom (where it would have been burned/ruined) so I basically had to babysit the thing the whole time. Plus my living situation right now is such that standing around in the kitchen cooking my menstrual cup in a pot probably wouldn't work too well. I could probably still boil occasionally, but I was thinking sterilizing tablets or maybe the dishwasher as a more frequent method? I wonder if you can use these things? I personally put mine in the dishwasher, in a little lidded compartment in the silverware holder. It works well for me.
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Nov 19, 2011 18:39
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Fire In The Disco posted:I wonder if you can use these things? I personally put mine in the dishwasher, in a little lidded compartment in the silverware holder. It works well for me. I saw those while I was looking for the sterilizing tablets online. I'm kind of afraid to experiment too much since I probably won't be able to afford any replacement cups for a while if something gets damaged. I have a feeling I will end up chopping the whole stem off like Julet Esqu said though. No matter how high I insert the cup, it has a tendency to migrate down really close to the entrance of my vagina and I can feel it a lot when I sit. I'm going to wait and try it through the next full cycle first, but that thing's probably coming off. On another note, I just want to say thanks for listening to me ramble about my experiences so far and all the advice so far! 
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Nov 19, 2011 20:36
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I let the cup soak in pure rubbing alcohol for a few minutes before realizing that I wasn't supposed to do that  How can I tell if I damaged the cup? Also just wasted a lot of rubbing alcohol on that. Oops.
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Nov 19, 2011 20:47
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I've used the Medela steam bags to clean mine and it still works fine. I figured they were intended to breast pump parts and baby bottle nipples, so it's gotta be fine for my cup. I also used to run mine through my steam sterilizer for my kid's bottles when I was still using that. At one point, MeLuna used to sell microwave containers intended for microwave sterilizing their cups(they might still, I haven't looked in a while), so I'm pretty sure it's fine.
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Nov 19, 2011 22:30
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themindisonfire posted:This solved all of my problems with the Divacup. I love it now. I seem to remember someone mentioning one of the cups is actually close in size to an inside-out Diva? I'm also a heavy bleeder so maybe a higher capacity cup with the same width, if anyone knows of one. (I also do not have a paypal) Here's a chart: http://www.environmenstruals.co.nz/cupcharts.html The large Fleur is the same width as the large Diva, but is shorter and has a slightly higher capacity, so that might be an option. I paid for my Fleur with a debit card.
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Nov 19, 2011 22:46
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Yep. If you have a low cervix AND ridiculously heavy periods, you need the large Fleurcup, stat. I loved my Diva Cup as much as a person can love a hunk of silicone, but the extra capacity of the Fleur with no added length is just too amazing for words. I can sleep without setting a dump alarm for every two hours now. It's enough to make me cry tears of sheer joy. Just be forewarned the shipping takes forever.
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Nov 20, 2011 00:21
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Pancakes McGee posted:I let the cup soak in pure rubbing alcohol for a few minutes before realizing that I wasn't supposed to do that I've been looking around some websites about different cleaning methods and one of them actually contacted an expert in medical grade silicone about this. I think they were trying to get an outside opinion, so he's not affiliated with any of the cup companies. Here's his take on it: quote:My background consists of 30 years as a Research and Development Engineer involved in the development of silicone elastomers and implantable silicone devices. I agree with the manufacturers recommendations for cleaning the silicone cups. Silicone has poor resistance to acids and bases found in sterilizing solutions and hydrogen peroxide. I have personal knowledge of silicone degradation caused by beta dyne solutions commonly used as a micro biocide in surgery. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can cause slight temporary swelling of the silicone, but as long as it is allowed to evaporate completely it will not deteriorate silicone. Oil based lubricants can swell/permeate the silicone and may not readily evaporate and can cause a loss in physical properties. My main concern with oil based lubricants would be biocompatibility in such a sensitive tissue environment. So apparently rubbing alcohol isn't necessarily damaging. You might want to give it a good rinse before you use it though because alcohol is pretty rough on delicate body parts. (Here's the link if you want to know more about the guy.) Fionnoula posted:I've used the Medela steam bags to clean mine and it still works fine. I figured they were intended to breast pump parts and baby bottle nipples, so it's gotta be fine for my cup. I also used to run mine through my steam sterilizer for my kid's bottles when I was still using that. At one point, MeLuna used to sell microwave containers intended for microwave sterilizing their cups(they might still, I haven't looked in a while), so I'm pretty sure it's fine. I'm glad to know that because it looks like these would be the perfect solution to all the problems boiling on the stove presents. Was the cup you were using silicone? Because Meluna is made of something else.
Kimmalah fucked around with this message at 02:16 on Nov 20, 2011 |
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Nov 20, 2011 02:14
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Does that mean petroleum jelly shouldn't be used on silicone? I'm using a water based lube just in case but PT works better without making it too slippery. I hope I haven't done too much damage.
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Nov 20, 2011 04:23
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NaturalLow posted:
I use a DivaCup, so yeah, silicone. Those Medela bags are made for sterilizing silicone parts. I imagine they'd also work on whatever MeLuna is made from. I checked MeLuna's website and they are still selling microwave sterilizing cups, so if you wanted something more permanent than the bags (which are only supposed to be used 3-5 times before being replaced), that's an option.
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Nov 20, 2011 04:55
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After 3 or 4 cycles trying to get my divacup to work, I finally made it a whole period without tampons! My magic combo is inside out diva and the seven-fold. Sooo happy I do have to deal with it in the restrooms at work for a couple of days, and that sucks but oh well.
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Nov 20, 2011 06:12
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For hose turning the Diva inside out, do you have problems pushing it up that way? I find it really doesn't want to be inside out and keeps trying to flip itself right side out again.
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Nov 20, 2011 07:40
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Croisquessein posted:Does that mean petroleum jelly shouldn't be used on silicone? I'm using a water based lube just in case but PT works better without making it too slippery. I hope I haven't done too much damage. I'm pretty sure petroleum based will start eating latex away, and silicone based lubes is recommended for condom use so... I think it'd make sense that petroleum based lube would be okay for silicone?
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Nov 20, 2011 08:26
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Croisquessein posted:Does that mean petroleum jelly shouldn't be used on silicone? I'm using a water based lube just in case but PT works better without making it too slippery. I hope I haven't done too much damage. Just from Googling around, it sounds like petroleum jelly isn't going to outright destroy a menstrual cup or anything, but it could weaken it over time. There's not a lot out there on the subject though, so take that with a grain of salt. The bigger concern is probably that petroleum jelly is generally considered not so good for vaginas, but if you've been using it with no problems I guess yours can handle it.
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Nov 20, 2011 09:55
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Croisquessein posted:For hose turning the Diva inside out, do you have problems pushing it up that way? I find it really doesn't want to be inside out and keeps trying to flip itself right side out again. I cut off the stem on mine as close as I could to the bottom without puncturing it and that seemed to help. Also try not to push it in from the direct bottom of the cup, try gripping the bottom sides.
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Nov 20, 2011 10:42
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I just ordered a cup from Lunette.com.au after shopping around online. It seems way too much money for a plastic cup, but hopefully it'll pay for itself over the months ahead. Does the thing absolutely have to be sterilised? Like, washing isn't going to be enough, it's gotta be boiled or whatever? I'm thinking that penises are rarely sterilised and they don't seem to cause too many problems, but then they usually aren't up there for 12 hours, so...
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Nov 20, 2011 14:00
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I don't boil my Mooncup; the manufacturer says it's fine to just soak it in some(diluted) sterilising solution for the minimum time, which is about ten minutes. Soaking in pure alcohol or peroxide for hours and all that jazz sounds pretty extreme to me.
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Nov 20, 2011 14:39
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When I first got mine, I was an avid and fanatical boiler. Now I only boil about once every 3-4 cycles. I used to be really embarrassed about this, but when I was talking about these with my cousin and revealed that I quit boiling, she said she wouldn't boil it if she had one either. It's partly laziness and partly not seeing the point. I mainly just give it a good wash before I put it away after my cycle and another good wash (soap and hot water) before I put it in at the start of my cycle. It's been a good eight months since I stopped boiling on a regular basis and I haven't come to any harm. No extra infections or anything. I do realize it's probably pretty gross. But I thought I'd share anyway!
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Nov 20, 2011 15:17
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slinkimalinki posted:I've found softer cups harder to pop open than firmer cups. My soft MeLuna was a bitch to pop open compared to my Fleurcup. This seemingly innocuous sentence led me to a zen-like moment in which I realized I needed to work with the cup's stiffness, not against it. Thank you.
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Nov 20, 2011 17:44
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Corridor posted:Does the thing absolutely have to be sterilised? Like, washing isn't going to be enough, it's gotta be boiled or whatever? I'm thinking that penises are rarely sterilised and they don't seem to cause too many problems, but then they usually aren't up there for 12 hours, so... I figure it's better safe than sorry. You're only sterilizing at the end of your cycle, so really you have a whole month to get it done.
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Nov 20, 2011 20:31
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NaturalLow posted:Just from Googling around, it sounds like petroleum jelly isn't going to outright destroy a menstrual cup or anything, but it could weaken it over time. There's not a lot out there on the subject though, so take that with a grain of salt. Huh, I had heard of Vaseline being used as sexual lube so I assumed it was okay. And I haven't had any irritation from it. Bu maybe it's best to just cut it out. When in doubt, don't put it in your vag.
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Nov 20, 2011 21:31
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Croisquessein posted:When in doubt, don't put it in your vag.
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Nov 20, 2011 23:08
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I think we need a new thread title. And it's clearly that.
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Nov 20, 2011 23:49
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I never boil my cup anymore. I soak it in a hydrogen peroxide mixture every few cycles to reduce staining, but sometimes I'll just wash it with antimicrobial soap (I use Provon).
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Nov 21, 2011 00:00
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Alright, so it came and I had a go. Cannot get the fucker to open up inside me, there isn't enough room for my fingers as well as the cup (and I have tiny hands, they are child hands) so I can't find the edge to run my finger round it... Any other tips? I tried the C fold and the punch-down one, the latter of which worked better but seems like it'll make the conundrum worse.
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Nov 22, 2011 00:26
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Insert it so the rim is just past the pelvic bone. If you hold the cup at the base and spin it around in a circle, it should pop open. Then just use a finger to feel around the bottom half of the cup to see if there are any major dents in it. If not, you should be good to go. Once it's open, you can use your pelvic muscles to suck it all the way in.
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Nov 22, 2011 03:07
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keep in mind that it doesn't open to the shape that it is outside of your vagina.
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Nov 22, 2011 05:08
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The cup I ordered came today! It's bluuuueee and squishy. Maybe I should practise with it first? I kinda wanna know how it feels and works. So excited about putting this squishy piece of plastic up my cooter.
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Nov 23, 2011 09:35
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Bollock Monkey posted:Alright, so it came and I had a go. Cannot get the fucker to open up inside me, there isn't enough room for my fingers as well as the cup (and I have tiny hands, they are child hands) so I can't find the edge to run my finger round it... Any other tips? I tried the C fold and the punch-down one, the latter of which worked better but seems like it'll make the conundrum worse. Yeah, I don't really have room for the cup and my fingers either. So far I've just been kind of feeling around the bottom of it to check if it's open or not. In my (admittedly limited) experience, you need to insert it pretty far before it'll really open. Mine just kind of "pops" on its own accord once I get it past the pubic bone area. Some of this will depend on the cup too. Really soft cups can apparently be stubborn about opening.
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Nov 23, 2011 11:07
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Bollock Monkey posted:Alright, so it came and I had a go. Cannot get the fucker to open up inside me, there isn't enough room for my fingers as well as the cup (and I have tiny hands, they are child hands) so I can't find the edge to run my finger round it... Any other tips? I tried the C fold and the punch-down one, the latter of which worked better but seems like it'll make the conundrum worse. I just practised with mine, because I really don't want to be messing with it for the first time ever while blood splatters about. I had the same problem, and I got it to open up by just sorta... moving around. I wriggled the cup in a circle, flexed muscles, and eventually it just sorta happened by itself. Slowly. Getting it OUT was the hard part for me. I got it to the opening but while trying to make it actually leave my body in a civilised manner it just sorta... popped out. The whole diameter of the thing just bust itself through my vag opening all at once and I was all OHGOD OW like a bad porn movie. Again: glad as hell I didn't do this for the first time while it was full of menstrual blood. The mental images 
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Nov 23, 2011 13:50
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Corridor posted:
Yeah, this happened to me the first month I used it. Whoever gave me advice when I posted used the  smilie which is hilariously accurate. I solved the problem by tugging it out most of the way, then sort of using my fingers to fold the cup around another finger (basically into a C shape) before removing it completely.
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Nov 23, 2011 14:34
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Corridor posted:I just practised with mine, because I really don't want to be messing with it for the first time ever while blood splatters about. I had the same problem, and I got it to open up by just sorta... moving around. I wriggled the cup in a circle, flexed muscles, and eventually it just sorta happened by itself. Slowly. Yeah I haven't had any problems with inserting the thing, but removal is definitely a unique (and I'm dying at over here, it is perfect). My removal experience has been similar and really the only downside so far. I never feel like I'm breaking the suction even though I'm pretty sure I am and then I can't really fold it up so the whole drat thing comes out and ow. Speaking of, did anyone else get some soreness/chafing from inserting and removing the cup at first? If so, please tell me that gets better.On another note, I got some of the Medela steam bags today. I haven't tried them out yet, but they're only like $5 for 5 bags and each bag is good for 20 uses. So there's a fairly cheap solution for all your microwaving needs. Between the store I ordered my cup from and now these steam bags, it's starting to look like I'm hiding a secret baby from everyone or something.
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Nov 24, 2011 01:57
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NaturalLow posted:Speaking of, did anyone else get some soreness/chafing from inserting and removing the cup at first? If so, please tell me that gets better. It absolutely gets better. Soon you'll get the method down for getting hold of the thing and removing it in a way that feels most comfortable for you. Also you'll be less nervous about the whole process, and about the most important thing in improving comfort with a cup is the ability to relax. The more tense you are, the worse it is. Also maybe your vagina toughens up or gets used to the feeling or something. The first couple cycles or so are definitely a learning experience, though. No doubt about that.
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Nov 24, 2011 03:53
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I've never felt such pain in my vagina (this was before getting my mirena) as when I first tried to put my divacup in. It took me about fifteen minutes and was agonizingly painful. Once I finally managed to get it in I went about the entire day in dread of the moment I'd have to take it back out to empty it. But then I was a virgin so 
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Nov 24, 2011 08:07
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Use a tiny bit of lube if you're having a rough/painful time getting your cup in!
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Nov 24, 2011 20:47
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