Green Living
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Diva Cup - getting it out??
This is my first cycle using the DC. Getting it in is not an issue. Getting it out is ROUGH.
I see the old DC messages on here about how most people have needed to cut off the stem.. I don't think I would have ever found it again if I would have cut off the stem! Apparently my vaginal canal is pretty high up there. I can barely, and I really mean BARELY, get my fingers around the base to begin pulling it out!
Can anyone relate?? Any tips? I have it in right now and I'm dreading the morning dump.
Re: Diva Cup - getting it out??
Remember that even if it's hard to get to it and remove it, there's only a few inches for it to move around -- it cannot get lost.
First, relax. Tense muscles won't cooperate.
Then, sit on the toilet or crouch in the shower (the latter might be better till you get used to it, so you don't worry about spilling it). Reach inside with your index finger and thumb and bear down. You may need to reach in a bit further or try it a couple times. Then pinch the cup (not the stem) and pull.
Other tips:
You may need to twist a bit or pinch higher up on the cup to get it to release to come out easily.
I found early on that instead of pinching with the tip of my index finger and my thumb it was earlier to bend my index finger and pinch my thumb against the bent knuckle of my index finger.
If it doesn't work, relax and try again in a little while. Leaving it in a few extra minutes isn't a problem.
Good luck -- you can do it
Best sound ever: baby's heartbeat! (Heard @ 10w1d)
I am exactly the same and always tell Nesties who ask about trying it NOT to cut that stem before you try it! The first time, even with the stem, I thought I was going to have a humiliating trip to the emergency room. The squatting in the shower and bearing down trick finally worked for me. After a few months, I have it down. Bearing down, plus just reaching way up in there with my middle finger and thumb gets it out now. Good luck!
I still have the stem on mine, and I'm glad for it.
What works for me is to use the bathroom first and kind of push to get it moved down a bit (first thing in the morning, or if it's been longer than 6 hours--it does move up!).
Then I grab the stem and wiggle it back and forth a little. When I can feel a tug of pressure inside, then I grab the ridges at the base with thumb/forefinger, and pinch. While pinching, I turn it maybe a half-turn, using my thumb to break the seal since it's pushing into the side of the cup.
Sound laborious, but it's actually only a few-seconds process.
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Ditto this. I sit on the toilet, bear down, and pinch the cup (not the stem) with my index finger and thumb. I then twist it slightly as I pull it down. I know that sounds like a lot to do, but once you do it a few times it's very easy and you don't even think about it anymore. I know the DC seems like a lot to get used to, but so were all the steps with tampons and those seem so easy now, right? The DC is a much better product IMHO, I think you will like it a lot better.
I found this web site very helpful. There is also a video (using a long skinny glass, so nothing graphic!)
http://menstrualcupinfo.wordpress.com/questions-and-aswers/
When I got my DC in the mail, I told DH not to open the package. He kept asking what it was and I kept telling him not to open it. Well, he didn't listen, so when he opened it, I explained what it was.... his eyes got huge and he dropped it on the floor. Needless to say, he'll listen next time when I tell him not to open something. It was hilarious
I have never had an issue with it going to high, except when I go running (but even then I can reach it). Like others have said... bear down and pinch at the base of the cup to release suction. I actually find that it's harder for me to reach and re-insert when I'm in the shower. And if you can't get it and are getting frustrated/panicking, just STOP trying to get it out and try again in an hour or two. As soon as you start to panic, it gets a lot harder to get out. And don't forget that there's only so much space for it to go... it's not like it can disappear. Maybe TMI, but when I'm on my period, I can reach my cervix with my index finger.... so really, not that much space for the cup to go missing.
Best sound ever: baby's heartbeat! (Heard @ 10w1d)