Extremely painful when removing?
I just recently bought a diva cup and this is my first cycle using it, but I don’t think this experience is normal. Putting in the cup isn’t as big of a deal, I think because I can fold it up and make it smaller and easier to put in, but taking it out is an ordeal. The first time I took I out I decided to take a bath so it might make things looser and easier to get it out. It came out, thankfully, although it took a whole hour, and quite a few tears. All the advice I found during my panic told me to break the seal with my fingers at the rim, but the problem is that the opening of my vagina is so small that I can’t fit another finger to reach the top. The second time wasn’t so bad, but again when I tried to take it out today, it was so painful that I’m considering giving up. When the cup is in, it feels perfectly comfortable, although there are quite a few heavier leaks the longer i leave it in. Are cups just not for me, or is it something else?
Hi There!
I’m happy to hear that at least some of your first experience while using a menstrual cup for the first time was successful and easy. I’m sorry that not all of it was.
For some people, it can be hard to insert two fingers to help break the seal, but a menstrual cup is soft enough (even the firmer ones) to press it to the side to be able to insert a single finger to the side of it. Instead of pinching the base to release the seal, try using one finger to gently collapse the body. You can use the same finger to nudge the cup down (like doing a ‘come here’ motion with your finger) until you can reach the stem with two fingers and then wiggle the cup down until you can reach the base.
You might find some other helpful tips here: Insert & Remove a Menstrual Cup
If suction is not the issue, you might be brushing or hitting your urethra with the rim of the cup – which really hurts 🙁 There’s a tip to help avoid this at around 7:10.
If you’re leaking quite a bit, pay attention to the part about inserting the cup next to the cervix at time stamp 4:10.
The Diva Cup is a medium firm cup and the small sizes feel even firmer. If you find that it’s still hard to insert a finger next to the cup, you might want to try the narrower size (small – model 1, or teen – model 0). You can also search for a softer cup which may help you break the seal more easily. Some softer cups would be: Casco Cup, EvaCup (Anigan), Venus Cup.
The Casco Cup may be found by another name depending on your location. Green Cup of Maine, Hesta, and Freedom Cup are a few. This cup is the most similar to the shape and size of the Diva Cup but softer.
The EvaCup (Anigan USA) has a soft body but still has a medium firm rim to help the cup to open. The small size is shorter than the Diva Cups. It has a short stem as well, so if you worry about locating the cup, this might not be the one for you.
The Venus Cup has a rounded base and is softer, but the small is shorter than the Diva Cup. I does include a decent length stem for easy location and removal.
Although cups do hold more than an average tampon/pad, it will still overflow at some point. Making a schedule to empty it at a certain hour will help keep you from overflowing. If you’re flow is heavy, you might want to look into a higher capacity cup.
Check the Comparison Chart to see what might suit your comfort & capacity needs.
Good Luck!! <3
