Ladies: period cups? (hysterectomy, cheap, inexpensive, birth)
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I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I'll try.
I used to exclusively use pads and man, they were awful! I'd get rashes no matter what brand I used or how often I changed. They were uncomfortable and generally a nuisance, so I switched to tampons even though I was scared of the risk of TSS.
I'm just fine using tampons; no irritation or discomfort like with pads. However, I did some reading on what was in tampons, and freaked myself out. I'm worried about the pesticides and chlorine bleaching, as well as TSS, of course. They don't sell natural tampons anywhere I've seen, even the hippie food store.
I'm interested in trying menstrual cups. However, they're a bit costly. How often do you have to replace them? Can you keep them in overnight if you have a very heavy flow? I typically use pads overnight, just because I'm worried about TSS. (They're so uncomfortable, I can't even sleep properly with them).
If all involved is removing it, washing out the blood, and inserting it in again, then it seems almost too good to be true.
It is almost too good to be true. You only have to empty them once every 12 hours unless you have a very, very heavy flow, so most days it's like not even having a period. A cup can last years. I've been using mine 3 years.
There's a bit of a learning curve to using the cup. You have to get used to folding it up, inserting it and then getting it to pop open inside. There are different folds to try. If it doesn't open all the way, it will leak. If you have a heavy enough flow to fill up the cup, when it fills up, you'll feel a couple of bubbles or feel like the cup is slipping, and that's a sign to get to the bathroom right away. The size 2 Diva cup holds as much as 4 super plus tampons, so most people can go all day without it overflowing.
It sounds like you have sensitive skin, so make sure you get one of the name brand cups that's not made in China. Some of the cheaper ones say they're silicone but they're a blend of something instead.
As far as using it overnight, the first few months at least, you'd want to use a pad as backup for the cup when your flow is heavy. I have trouble with pads itching too, so I use reusable cloth pads as backup (look up mama cloth to find patterns to make your own, or sites where you can order them). It's not as gross as you'd think since it's just a backup for the cup.
Natural tampons...Target sells L brand which is organic cotton tampons with a plastic applicator. There's also Seventh Generation but the applicators are cardboard. One of my kids is allergic to tampons and the other is allergic to pads, so we've had to search for more natural options.
I used the Diva Cup (I believe it is made in Canada) before my hysterectomy and wished I had known about this years before.
The Diva Cup is around $30 and it lasts for years (unless you give birth to a first child or have a dramatic weight fluctuation). It is certainly much less expensive than buying pads on a monthly basis.
If you are squeamish about insertion and removal due to blood, just use a disposable glove (also very inexpensive).
Thank you, ladies! I can't believe it holds that much. It sounds great to me.
I was a bit worried about cloth pads due to some of them supposedly being sewn with fleece; but I did look at a few that looked fairly thin and not bad. I think it may be worth it for overnight. I don't normally have sensitive skin, but I guess that area is!
I think I need to try it out now. Sounds sooo much easier, and you end up saving $$ even though it is a bit of an investment at first. If it doesn't work for me, I may seek out some of those natural tampons. I didn't realize Target had them, but I did see them today.
I love how it cuts down so much on environmental waste as well.
I hope this does not violate the TOS but search for Precious Star Pads also on the tube. This girl knows more about the subject than I ever did when I was that young.
I also sewed my own period pads for night use with my Diva Cup. It is really easy to do (I am totally blind and have arthritic hands).
You can get waterproof crib pads (very inexpensive at Walmart) and soft cloth (Tshirts or even very soft wash cloths). I didn' use any fancy shapes, just a rectangular cut of the waterproof material that I placed in the cloth and sewed around the edges. I also sewed lines (at least two, maybe three) in the middle of the pad. If you are sewing by hand you do have to push through the waterproof material, but if an arthritic person can do it so can you.
They wash easily. I placed a plastic container with a lid in my bathroom filled with water and detergent and threw them in the wash every couple of days.
Since I had issues that led to my hysterectomy I had very heavy periods that could last up to three weeks a months; this was just so much more economical.
There are a few brands of organic tampons -- I have Natracare and Seventh Generation and there are others too. Lately I've been using cloth pads that I bought on Etsy, which are far more comfortable and softer than the disposable ones, besides being better for the environment. I haven't used a cup yet but actually just bought a Lena cup and will try it soon.
Menstrual cups are brilliant, an absolute game changer when it comes to periods. I switched to one a couple of years ago and after the first two days (when my period is heavy enough that I need to empty the cup during the day) I just empty it before bed and when I get up and the rest of the time I pretty much forget that I'm on my period. Once you get the hang of inserting it (can take a few cycles to really get the hang of it so you need to be patient and use pads as a back-up until you do) you can't feel it at all when its there (so quite unlike tampons) and there is no risk of TSS.
There are lots of different kinds of cups and different types suit different women depending on your physiology so is, after a few months, a cup still isn't working for you its probably best to try another. They're not really that expensive considering you only have to buy one and it'll last for years.
There are other threads on these cups. (Do a search for DIVA CUP.) I used them back in the early to-mid 1970s. I loved them! They were every bit as good as what I've read abotu the Diva CUps today. I was heartbroken when they were taken off the shelves in the late 1970s and I never learned why.
Well, I tried it for the first time this morning. I inserted it with the 7 fold but before unfolding it, I panicked and removed it. The problem is that I know my cervix is very high right now (can't feel it at all) so I was afraid that the cup would move really high and that as a first time user I wouldn't be able to remove it. Maybe I need a longer cup, I don't really know...
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