Diva cup vs. Moldy tampon?

So since I'm on the topic of vaginas.....

I've been meaning for a while to tell you about the Diva cup. I LOVE this little device. It's like the difference in wearing glasses or contacts- but for your period. It's totally changed the monthly period experience for me. I don't plan on ever going back to pads or tampons!

So what is it? The Diva cup is a flexible silicone cup that is inserted in the vagina to collect the menstrual blood. It can be left in for up to 12 hours, and can be sanitized and reused over and over. No need to keep on buying boxes and boxes of tampons! No yucky trash in your bathrooms wastebasket! No waste polluting the landfills! It costs about $30, but if you've been buying disposable products, it'll pay for itself after just a couple of cycles.

First time you've heard of the Diva cup? I know what you're thinking. Your brain's probably twitching a little bit. I remember the first time I heard about it- I think I was around 14. It was a pretty awkward time for me, and to say I was uncomfortable with my body would be a huge understatement. It was a pretty brave step for me to ask one of my mom's friends if she used pads or tampons- I thought it would be a "woman to woman" bonding moment. When she said "neither", I was totally confused. What else WAS there? I had no idea there were alternatives to pads or tampons. When she said she used a cup, I had no idea what she was talking about- and I didn't want to know!!! I'm pretty sure I tried to block that memory from my brain for several years. Thankfully I didn't, because now that I've become comfortable with my body (and all things natural living), I absolutely love using a cup!

You definitely do have to be comfortable with your body to use the Diva cup. You'll need to get familiar with how everything works up there. If you haven't become familiar with that part of your body before, I really encourage you to. It's really empowering. Why should there be a part of your body that's unknown to you? It's not weird, emberassing, gross, or awkward- it's just a part of your body! Take a little time and get to know yourself- if you're anything like me you'll be glad you did.

There is a bit of a learning curve when you first start learning to use the cup. Some people have a really hard time with it, but I actually found it pretty easy. There are lots of websites out there that will teach you different folding and insertion methods, and you can try different ones until you find out what works best for you. I honestly didn't have any trouble with it! I can insert it easily on the first try, and it's very comfortable. I've also never had a leak. The great thing is that most of the time I'm able to almost forget that I'm even on my period. You only have to change it every 12 hours(unless you have a really heavy flow), so just twice a day. Amazing!

As if I didn't already love my Diva cup enough, today I came across something that made me more thankful than ever that I've made the switch. Have you heard about the moldy tampon yet??? SO gross!!! I wonder how many women have inserted moldy tampons without even knowing it?!?! I wonder if moldy tampons have contributed to toxic shock syndrome??? I know one thing for sure- I don't ever, ever, ever want to stick something moldy inside of my VAGINA for goodness sake. I think I'm going to be a Diva cup user for life!!!