My bits have changed and I need help
Hey folks -
New to LJ; new to this community, but have nosed around for info (however, LJ "Advanced Search" seems to yield only "Error 503" messages)... I'll try to be brief (OK, so I'm not good at being brief)...
My basic lowdown:
41-y-o, nulliparous, average (but, based on definition here, also dangly?) cervix, typically strong/heavy/crampy flow, very physically active.
I first started using a Diva Cup about 10 years ago, and (after a learning curve similar to many described here) got really comfy with it.
After going off the Pill a couple years ago, my periods got WAY heavier (which they'd been before) and crampier (which they hadn't). Also, last year, I had an ectopic pregnancy, and have noticed my cervix and maybe my whole uterine region being a lot more sensitive since then. So it's been a while since I've used a cup (have been on pads since last year, because inserting anything has been a lot trickier; even sex = much more challenging due to sensitivity/tenderness of cervical area). But when I realized that a camping trip would coincide with AF, I thought it would be a good time to get back into cup usage.
A friend shared this quiz, which blew my mind because I had NO IDEA so many new kinds of cups have come out in the past 10 years (this was before I found this community), and based on the quiz, I bought a Super Jennie.
Holy crap. That thing is soft. I mean, that was kind of the point, as I was nervous about the Diva poking and being generally uncomfy, but it is pretty different from the Diva in several ways.
A. Day 1 (not the heaviest flow day) the stem hung out a decent amount after inserting, but after 6 or 8 hours, it was actually kind of a challenge to reach the stem, and I was like "Glad I didn't trim that stem after all!" I guess the seal/suction kind of scooted it up over the course of the day?
B. Day 2 (definitely heaviest flow day) it was overflowing after maybe 4 or 5 hours. After reading around here, this is only one thing that suggests I have a "dangly" cervix - it takes up some cup room. Also, I can actually get the cup all the way around the cervix and feel the cervix inside the rim (I had no idea it wasn't necessarily like this for everyone, and this was actually how I'd always make sure I'd inserted a cup correctly).
C. On maybe all days, but definitely at its worst on days 2 through 4, I could not get the cup to open properly. It was just too soft! I struggled a lot, and I'll defo try some suggestions I've seen here as well as on YouTube, on my next cycle, but it took a long time and was very painful to get it to open.
D. On all days, it was very painful to remove. On day 4, it took so long (and involved so much yelling, swearing, and crying) that I just went back to pads at that point (I was home from camping by then). It just felt like everything I knew from the Diva did not apply here. It was so squashy it felt impossible to break the seal!
E. On the plus side, it was not uncomfy at all to wear.
Would love any and all advice. Some things I'm wondering:
1. Firmness as related to insertion/removal - thoughts? I shied from a very firm cup because of nervousness about pressure on surrounding area, but felt like I paid the price in terms of getting it in/out. Also, firmness at rim vs firmness of lower cup (where you can grip to break seal/remove) - thoughts?
2. Shape of cup ("V" vs bell vs round) - thoughts? I've heard non-V-shaped can be good for capacity and/or for a dangly cervix, but nervous about bulbous shape being a challenge in other ways (like how it feels).
3. Cup capacity and
4. Comfort while wearing are also still concerns.
I've been considering trying a Ruby and or a "soft" Yuuki (in larger sizes for both), based on the above - any other rec's? The Merula is both intriguing and intimidating.
If there are already existing threads that address these issues, please point the way! I didn't see any existing tags re: cup firmness or shape, and like I said, the LJ Advanced Search didn't seem to work for me. Many thanks to this community for even existing!! I'm glad I found y'all.
New to LJ; new to this community, but have nosed around for info (however, LJ "Advanced Search" seems to yield only "Error 503" messages)... I'll try to be brief (OK, so I'm not good at being brief)...
My basic lowdown:
41-y-o, nulliparous, average (but, based on definition here, also dangly?) cervix, typically strong/heavy/crampy flow, very physically active.
I first started using a Diva Cup about 10 years ago, and (after a learning curve similar to many described here) got really comfy with it.
After going off the Pill a couple years ago, my periods got WAY heavier (which they'd been before) and crampier (which they hadn't). Also, last year, I had an ectopic pregnancy, and have noticed my cervix and maybe my whole uterine region being a lot more sensitive since then. So it's been a while since I've used a cup (have been on pads since last year, because inserting anything has been a lot trickier; even sex = much more challenging due to sensitivity/tenderness of cervical area). But when I realized that a camping trip would coincide with AF, I thought it would be a good time to get back into cup usage.
A friend shared this quiz, which blew my mind because I had NO IDEA so many new kinds of cups have come out in the past 10 years (this was before I found this community), and based on the quiz, I bought a Super Jennie.
Holy crap. That thing is soft. I mean, that was kind of the point, as I was nervous about the Diva poking and being generally uncomfy, but it is pretty different from the Diva in several ways.
A. Day 1 (not the heaviest flow day) the stem hung out a decent amount after inserting, but after 6 or 8 hours, it was actually kind of a challenge to reach the stem, and I was like "Glad I didn't trim that stem after all!" I guess the seal/suction kind of scooted it up over the course of the day?
B. Day 2 (definitely heaviest flow day) it was overflowing after maybe 4 or 5 hours. After reading around here, this is only one thing that suggests I have a "dangly" cervix - it takes up some cup room. Also, I can actually get the cup all the way around the cervix and feel the cervix inside the rim (I had no idea it wasn't necessarily like this for everyone, and this was actually how I'd always make sure I'd inserted a cup correctly).
C. On maybe all days, but definitely at its worst on days 2 through 4, I could not get the cup to open properly. It was just too soft! I struggled a lot, and I'll defo try some suggestions I've seen here as well as on YouTube, on my next cycle, but it took a long time and was very painful to get it to open.
D. On all days, it was very painful to remove. On day 4, it took so long (and involved so much yelling, swearing, and crying) that I just went back to pads at that point (I was home from camping by then). It just felt like everything I knew from the Diva did not apply here. It was so squashy it felt impossible to break the seal!
E. On the plus side, it was not uncomfy at all to wear.
Would love any and all advice. Some things I'm wondering:
1. Firmness as related to insertion/removal - thoughts? I shied from a very firm cup because of nervousness about pressure on surrounding area, but felt like I paid the price in terms of getting it in/out. Also, firmness at rim vs firmness of lower cup (where you can grip to break seal/remove) - thoughts?
2. Shape of cup ("V" vs bell vs round) - thoughts? I've heard non-V-shaped can be good for capacity and/or for a dangly cervix, but nervous about bulbous shape being a challenge in other ways (like how it feels).
3. Cup capacity and
4. Comfort while wearing are also still concerns.
I've been considering trying a Ruby and or a "soft" Yuuki (in larger sizes for both), based on the above - any other rec's? The Merula is both intriguing and intimidating.
If there are already existing threads that address these issues, please point the way! I didn't see any existing tags re: cup firmness or shape, and like I said, the LJ Advanced Search didn't seem to work for me. Many thanks to this community for even existing!! I'm glad I found y'all.