For those readers who are unaware a Diva Cup is a menstrual product. If you don’t want to learn about it I would recommend clicking on another post now! I’ll wait….

O-kay, now that we’ve gotten past that let me tell you about this wonderful tampon alternative.

Diva Cups are reusable silicone cups that can be inserted to catch period blood and emptied less often. They are fantastic! As you know I’m constantly on the hunt for “green products” and I was also trying to figure out how to keep tampons out of my septic tank.

I did some research, watched the ad http://divacup.com/  and figured I’d give it a shot. It might save me money in the long run so I figured why not. If I hated it I’d go back to using tampons. I will say it took me two cycles to figure it out, timing, position etc but once I did I was sold.

I no longer have to make monthly trips to the pharmacy to pick up a single-use item to deal with my periods! This cup allows me to go longer between changes (always nice when you have a super heavy flow) and there is no risk for TSS!

They can be bought in holistic health care stores and online. Heck  if you’re in a large enough area you might be able to purchase from a big box store or pharmacy. I knew in my small town they were not going to have them just anywhere. They do cost around $30 but it paid for itself in 2 cycles so that was worth it to me.

There are two different sizes based on age and whether or not you’ve given birth. I purchased the Diva One.

You fold this cup and insert it once you’re period has really started. I don’t use it the first day when I get light spotting and I don’t use it on the last day because there just isn’t enough lubrication to make it comfortable. On those days I use my thinx undies.

Eagle eyed readers may also realize there isn’t a string to remove it like tampons. This was something that freaked me out at first. There is a small nub that you use for removal. My first cycle I had such a difficult time I swore I would never use it again but I found by bearing down on it and gripping the base of the cup, not just the nub, it makes it easier to remove.

While creating this post I went to the super informative website and saw insertion and removal instructions. I figured it out myself but you should definitely read all the instructions before popping it in there.

Have I convinced you to give it a try? If you have one, what has your experience been? Has anyone tried a different menstrual cup brand?