Comments on Hobo Mama: Instead vs. DivaCup for your menstrual cup needs

I tried the instead softcup years ago, and I belie...

2012-02-04T18:02:47.599-08:00

I tried the instead softcup years ago, and I believe the design is inferior to the divacup, which I now use. The orientation of an inserted softcup doesn't create a true seal like the divacup. I had trouble with softcup leaking and had to wear pantyliners with it.

There are a few tricks to the divacup:

1. Wear it low in your vagina close to the opening.

2. For most women the long stem is unnecessary and uncomfortable. I cut mine off completely. It's easy to pinch the base and tilt to remove.

3. When you insert it, make sure it is fully open. This works by air passing through the pin holes at the very top of the cup to counter the "vacuum" that is created upon insertion. It only leaks when the little holes are blocked and it isn't fully open. Often all it takes is a little spin after after insertion to make sure it's fully open and sealed. No leaks! I don't even need pantyliners with it.

4. For public bathrooms, simply dump contents in the toilet and wipe out with toilet paper.

The divacup has changed my life, now I don't have to deal with drippy feelings or gross tampon strings. If you have a dog, there is nothing grosser than finding that your pet has gone after your used feminine products in the bathroom trash, yuck!

I can't recommend divacup more highly, it's a great design and even though it's expensive I have been using mine for YEARS now, and don't expect to need to replace it anytime soon.

I just started using the instead and it is great I...

2012-01-29T14:08:53.348-08:00

I just started using the instead and it is great I love it :) I dont know what it was with me but whenever I would where tampons they would never work and I would start leaking like 3 minutes after putting it in. but I just thought that that was just how my body was and I just had to deal with it. Since im a dancer I would hate it when I would start because I knew tampons didnt work for me but I also didnt want a huge pad outline showing while I was dancing around in my leotard so I would have to wear a panty liner and a tampon and go to the restroom like 5 during practice. and it would suck even more when we had performances (fyi you arent allowed to wear underwear during them) because I knew that I would be in a bad situation. But when I started using these it was like I was never even on my period! They are great. When I first took it out of the package though I was a little scared because it looked HUGE but once I read the instructions on how to put it in I wasnt so scared. Im glad I made the switch it was totally worth it. I can do anything with this thing! I can swim,hike,jump around,sleep, and DANCE without worring about staining my undies. once they are in you cant feel them I love instead! I wanted to try diva cup but after hear about the struggles im totally cool with instead.

Just thought you should know that they have releas...

2012-01-19T22:44:25.517-08:00

Just thought you should know that they have released a reusable Instead softcup. I used the disposable Instead softcup but like you I reused mine. In fact I reused the same one for two years and only stopped using it because of my hysterectomy. I never had any problem with it, it didn't break down or leak ever. I figured I would replace it when it got a hole of something but it never did. When it got stained from the blood I would bleach it for a few minuets with a 10% solution and it would look brand new again. I stored it in a cloth pouch between periods. Just thought you would like to know,it is ok to reuse over and over, just wash with soap and water.

@Ma...

2011-11-08T18:16:52.130-08:00

@MaryW: Interesting that there's a somewhat reusable version of the Instead now! I wonder if they'll expand that eventually to be for more than one cycle. I'm glad it's working for you!

@&#...

2011-11-08T18:15:49.138-08:00

@'Becca: I imagine the fit must be very individual. Maybe it has to do with length of the vaginal canal or something? Anyway, glad the DivaCup is working so well for you, and thanks for the link!

@An...

2011-11-08T18:14:25.972-08:00

@Anonymous: Yipes, a whole cup of blood on the floor! You need one of those crime-scne cleanup crews.

I just discovered the Instead Softcup a couple mon...

2011-11-08T18:04:16.951-08:00

I just discovered the Instead Softcup a couple months ago and am getting ready for my 3rd cycle with it. Today they released a reusable version of the softcup but it is only good for one cycle. Still better than pads and tampons but not quite so "green" as the Diva cup. I have been happy with the Instead so far. Haven't tried sex with it yet. I'm still getting used to it during the heaviest days but the rest of the cycle is great.I had been thinking of the Diva cup but didn't want to shell out the cash until I heard some personal stories about it's use. After reading your review I think I'll stick with the Instead. I don't even know it's in there and really don't want to be fiddling with the Diva and it's fit issues. Thanks for a great article. It really helped me to decide.

I love the Diva Cup! I've had mine for 4 year...

2011-09-06T07:19:55.346-07:00

I love the Diva Cup! I've had mine for 4 years and have never boiled it; you don't HAVE to.

I don't like Instead nearly as much. It must be a matter of individual anatomy: You repeatedly describe it as "up high near the cervix," but to me the thing is freaking huge; the top edge of the ring is around my cervix, but the bottom edge is just barely behind my pubic bone (if I don't bend over or sneeze or anything that dislodges it!!) and intercourse with it in is uncomfortable for both parties because the ring is totally in the way. I was not able to use the smallest size diaphragm for the same reason.

Here are my lengthy ravings on the joys of reusable feminine gear.

@kat...

2011-06-13T07:19:53.448-07:00

@katepickle
I buy my Instead from Walgreens Pharmacy or CVS pharmacy. They are available online (8.50 at W/greens and $8.00 at CVS).
I use them for a whole cycle, so one box lasts a year (plus two spare in my purse). LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these.

I'm a happy Diva Cup user. I've always ha...

2010-11-12T00:04:40.350-08:00

I'm a happy Diva Cup user. I've always had leaks with tampons, and even the Keeper, but all is well with the Diva Cup.

I tried Insteads a long time ago, and have a total horror story about it - hope it's not too TMI.

I was changing for bed (was completely naked at this point), when I sneezed. The muscle contractions in my body when I sneezed essentially forced a massive Kegel. My Instead Cup completely emptied on my bedroom floor! It looked like a frigging horror movie. It was awful, and took a lot of cleanup.

That's when I switched to the Keeper, which I liked but leaked, and then eventually moved on to the Diva Cup, which has been the best thing ever. No leaks, ease of use, and I can't feel it.

Love my Diva Cup.

Sigh!! I decided about 6 months ago that I would a...

2010-11-02T16:12:39.470-07:00

Sigh!! I decided about 6 months ago that I would also switch from the insteads to the diva cup. Thus far, it is still not working for me, and is causing me no end of frustration. Like you, I like the idea of the diva cup being more cost effective and envionmentally friendly. However.... I seem to always have the slipage thng going on with it. And of course, when I use the instead, I have no issues at all. The diaphragm thing had occoured to me as well, but I seem to be also having an issue getting one in my size. Apparently the pharmacies in my little tow have no idea where to order on in the size I need. I am a mother of 3 all vaginal deliveries who is also over 30, with apparently a larger size needed for a diaphragm, so I am wondering if maybe my diva cup just might not be big enough to fit me properly.... I too VERY much wish they would make a hybrid of this product!!!

Hey, I just wanted to let everyone know that I com...

2010-06-10T09:45:27.307-07:00

Hey, I just wanted to let everyone know that I completed my 2nd month with the DivaCup, and it's getting better. Since I bought an extra one when I got it for myself, I've decided to give the 2nd away on my blog. For anyone who's interested :-)

Hey, TMI alert but... I got my period today and w...

2010-06-07T16:45:01.672-07:00

Hey, TMI alert but...

I got my period today and went to the store to buy tampons which have been horribly uncomfortable for me since I gave birth and lo and behold I saw a box of INSTEAD. I just inserted the first one and so far it is completely comfortable. I can't feel it at all.

I have not bought a cup before because I have a high cervix. When I get pelvic exams they have to dig around for the "long" speculum (such an ego boost - too bad "long vagina" isn't something super hot like "long penis") and I've never felt my cervix like many women can. When TTC feeling the cervix for open/closed soft/hard was one of the methods and I would contort myself into 100 positions trying to find the damn thing to no avail. Anyways it made me worried about inserting a cup. So far so good!

This was great! Thanks so much. I have yet to star...

2010-06-07T11:38:04.310-07:00

This was great! Thanks so much. I have yet to start bleeding again, and my nursling is still going strong, but it is great to have this info for when the need arises!

Fascinating read! I've heard lots of people s...

2010-05-28T06:17:35.120-07:00

Fascinating read! I've heard lots of people saying they like the Diva Cup and Moon Cup but I had never heard of the Instead.

...but I have an IUD. So, sad face, can't test them out yet. Also, not menstruating. Some day.

I love the instead and, like you, use one per cycl...

2010-05-27T11:00:34.965-07:00

I love the instead and, like you, use one per cycle. Did you know, though, that the contractions your body goes through during orgasm are similar to the contractions of labor & the postpartum time, and increasing your orgasms while menstruating can lead to a shorter cycle, so instead of bleeding for 5-7 days, you bleed for 1-2 days. yes, I love the instead :)

Thanks so much for bringing attention to all of th...

2010-05-27T08:17:20.929-07:00

Thanks so much for bringing attention to all of the amazing alternatives available to women today! Make the switch!

The DivaCup Team

I totally love my Diva Cup! It rocks my world. I a...

2010-05-26T21:41:26.863-07:00

I totally love my Diva Cup! It rocks my world. I about fell over laughing when you mentioned boiling yours at the last minute and having to wait for it to cool before inserting. That is SO me! I always procrastinate!

Thank you so much for this. I've never really...

2010-05-26T15:09:31.064-07:00

Thank you so much for this. I've never really thought about using a cup but since my daughter was born tampons are horribly uncomfortable (perhaps the moisture thing expounded by nursing hormones?). I'm definitely going to give it a try now!

I am a recent Diva Cup convert. I won mine online ...

2010-05-26T11:11:29.391-07:00

I am a recent Diva Cup convert. I won mine online (whoo hoo for freebies!) but I really like it. I used to use an Instead and you're right, I wish you could use the Diva Cup during sex. Huge disappointment right there. Actually, before I had my son that was ALL I used the Instead for--period sex. I stuck to tampons for everything else.

I do find that the Diva Cup provides miracle periods. No cramps, shorter periods. It's great. I don't think they're any lighter, but they are definitely shorter. The only thing I do find that you don't is that there is a stinkiness factor that wasn't there when I use tampons. I think it's because the cup is catching and not absorbing that there must be some blood that just ends up hanging around.

I recently invested $60 in cloth pads to use as back-ups and I am not sure how I feel about them. Yeah, they are more comfortable than regular panty liners and yes, I love that they are reusable but I find that they slip out of place and bunch up just as much as the plastic ones. Maybe it's the brand I bought.

Oh, and you should replace your Diva Cup once per year, according to the site. So if a MoonCup can be used until it falls apart, that is a bonus. $32 a year is still way less than you'd be spending on pads and tamppons and definitely way better for your vag and the environment!

I've had the same cloth pads for 13 years now ...

2010-05-26T09:44:28.278-07:00

I've had the same cloth pads for 13 years now and they are just starting to become tattered. I've always hated tampons, and the diva cup, or anything resembling it has always worried me regarding spillage. I picture myself taking it out in a public place and spilling blood all over the floor. Or getting it stuck (like I used to with tampons - every time I've worn one the "ick" factor gets to me before I should remove it, but I've had to because it was so uncomfortable. It was a mental thing.). I love the idea of the diva and instead, but I think I will stick to my cloth pads. I lurve them best.

First of all, this review was absolutely hilarious...

2010-05-26T05:52:17.923-07:00

First of all, this review was absolutely hilarious to read!!!

I used the Instead cup during one cycle, pre-baby, and it seemed too big. It was awkward and uncomfortable to me. Plus, it was my first experience with a cup, and I was young and thought it was weird (I definitely wasn't as crunchy as I am now!)

Then, I got a DivaCup to use for my first postpartum period. I think, because there is a learning curve, and because I hadn't menstruated in so long (my "baby" was 18 months old), I was leaking like mad. Of course, if I had emptied the cup more often, I probably wouldn't have had that problem. I still would have thought I was bleeding to death, though! :D The next two cycles (before I got pregnant again) I had a much better time, and I now LOVE the Diva...except I won't get to use it again for a while!

Right now, I have been looking at getting some cloth pads, to deal with the postpartum-no-cups-allowed phase. Have you heard of Party In My Pants cloth pads? I think that is what I am going to buy, because they are all-in-one and they are CUTE!

Anonymous 1: It very well might, and I know...

2010-05-26T03:06:41.762-07:00

Anonymous 1: It very well might, and I know there's variation in sizing between women in any case. Thanks so much for the video link! I will study it. I haven't noticed the miracle periods, either, but I wasn't really expecting to. It would have been a nice bonus, though. :)

Anonymous 2: Got it! It's just odd, because the directions say never to pull on the stem but on the sides of the cup, so why leave it there to be tempting, you know?

Lisa C: I didn't know they were incompatible with an IUD. I guess that makes sense. It would be ideal for collecting garden blood. I hadn't heard of that use!

mamamilkers: The "guys" part made me giggle, even though I knew what you meant. I don't think practicing would be a problem. It wouldn't cause an infection or anything. Just don't forget to take it back out. :)

Amber: So interesting about diaphragms as menstrual cups! That's actually a great idea. Don't diaphragms have to be fitted to the user? Because that would help with the fit issue, such as Anonymous 1 experienced.

Kelly: Thanks for the Tweeting (and to others, as well!). I think I got over the reaching/grabbing/placing thing pretty quickly, which helped when I had to check my cervix position during TTC, too. :) But you're right that the DivaCup & Mooncup sit farther down (at least for me, not apparently for Thomasina!).

Lauren: Good point about the coughing. I honestly don't remember what was going on that week it kept slipping. I remember being mystified and sending out help-me Tweets.

Amber: I hear ya. We've been using condoms, which I've found easier, but the IUD seems like a nice option. Oh, well! Let me know what pads you like.

Rosemary Cottage: Bummer about the over-stretching. I could see that being a problem. Can you order the Instead online? Oh, here's a list of international distributors: http://www.softcup.com/buy-softcup/international-distributors.html & a UK site: http://oochi.biz/instead/public/. As for PIV, I would use it but I doubt most people would know what I was talking about. Because I do totally get what you're saying, which is why I said at the start that I meant vaginal intercourse when using the shorthand of "sex." Because, of course, even though I'm having the heterosexual type, I also can have sex that doesn't require penetration. :) If I said "penetrative sex," couldn't that mean other areas being penetrated? I don't know — in the end, it all starts seeming a little over-detailed. And to spell out "penis-in-vagina sex" every time I want to talk about it seems a little creepy to me who enjoys euphemisms, but maybe that's just my own hangup. But I will think on this more. On the one hand, I don't want to use terms in ways that limit our understanding of the range of human experience. On the other hand, it's not a post about sex, so if I get bogged down (as I am in this comment…) explaining what PIV means and then assuring people they can have other types of sex, well, it starts feeling a little like a different article than a breezy review. But maybe I'm overthinking it. Or underthinking it. Not sure. At any rate, thanks for the thought stimulation!

I loved my mooncup before I gave birth, but even t...

2010-05-25T22:43:30.240-07:00

I loved my mooncup before I gave birth, but even though I got the next size up afterwards, I discovered that the episiotomy I'd had, coupled with the ridiculously long transition phase (meaning my pelvic floor was knackered) meant I struggled an awful lot with leakage. My pelvic floor is a little better now but I'm still wary of shelling out twenty quid for something I can't send back if it doesn't work. Maybe the instead would work better for me - wonder if it is available in the UK?

[Another small note - I wonder if you'd consider using "PIV" to refer to the type of sex you can't have while you're using the cup? (It stands for "penis in vagina", or I suppose you could just say penetrative sex.) There are lots of other types of sex you can have when using the cup and some of us, especially those of us who aren't in relationships with men, have these types of sex most of the time. :-)]

I loved my DivaCup. Unfortunately, I now have an I...

2010-05-25T21:21:28.935-07:00

I loved my DivaCup. Unfortunately, I now have an IUD, and apparently they're not compatible. Or, at least, DivaCup says they're not. It stinks, but I love my IUD, and in the long run I'd rather use a pad than forgo my birth control.