Austin Nesties
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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.
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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.
The Diva Cup
Have we talked about this?? I was reading a cycling blog, and a girl mentioned this.. I'm kind of morbidly curious about it, but also a little grossed out. 
What say you guys?
ETA: Here is that blog I was reading, for better orientation of how that came up: http://bit.ly/38Url7
Re: The Diva Cup
I know some people who use them (hello, I work with environmentalists!) and they say they're really not gross to use. They work well, and are much more healthy for your system.
I guess it's comparable to the disposable/ reusable diaper debate. Some take up the environmental issue while others take the toxicity issue.
Sometimes I pin stuff
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A friend of mine has order one and she said she was going to give it a try.
I have to admit, I have issues with inserting a foreign object in me!! I am not comfortable with tampon either!
There used to be a similar product - the name of which I cannot remember - but I used them in college and liked them a lot. I do not remember their being very messy or difficult to insert (they were kind of like a Nuvaring with a little baggie attached). The great thing for me was that they worked well with a heavier flow, so I could change out the cup every ten hours versus a tampon every hour or two. Those were not reusable, though.
I would think that if you changed it out right before work, you wouldn't have to do it again until afterward, unless you work twelve hour shifts or something.
LOL this gave me a mental image of a woman hobbling out of a stall with her pants still around her ankles, going to the sink and rinsing and then hobbling back into the stall.
i wonder about exercising. when you're twisting and jumping, etc., does it stay put? what if you stand on your head (like i ever do)? where does the collected stuff go?
Well, according to the website - its better FOR exercising, and won't come loose. There is a video somewhere on the site where a woman explains how it stays put through swims, bikes, runs, etc.
It also says you only need to change every 12 hours - which may fix that whole "changing it at work" issue.
Hmm.. I think the only reason why I'd think its grosser than the tampon/cotton thing is that you basically wrap it and chunk it vs. washing it out - so a tiny bit more avoidance on the mess. But, if its easy to just pluck out and dump in the toilet or something, I can see that being better - and DEFINITELY less wasteful.
I dunno, maybe I will try it out to see how it does w/cycling. That's what I was researching in the first place.
C&P from the FAQ's re: public restrooms:
Most women find that they do not have to remove The DivaCup more often than every 12 hours, and that taking it out in a public restroom does not occur very often. However, for women with heavier flows, or on the occasion you need to empty it in a public restroom, simply remove the cup, empty the contents and use a dry or damp tissue to clean the cup and reinsert. Make sure your hands are clean before going into the stall. Wash your DivaCup well with warm, soapy water at the next convenient time.
The O'Baby Blog
The O'Baby Blog
I've used it before. I have an IUD now though, and I am paranoid (perhaps irrationally so) that it will yank my IUD out of my cervix when I remove it so I stopped. It took a little trial and error to get it right, but worked great once I figured it out.
As far as why to use it? There's always the environmental benefit, and also the financial benefit. More important for me, though, is the chemical benefit. Disposable menstrual products have been linked to increased monthly flow as well as endometriosis. As someone who has endo, this is huge to me. Before I switched to all reusable stuff I used to bleed heavily for 9-11 days. Now it's super light for 2-4 days. I also rarely get cramps (I used to be completely debilitated for about a week out of every month, doped up on vicodin because it's the only thing that even lessened the pain).
TMI, but I also could not wear tampons at all for the past 9 years or so. They would tear up my skin, cause all sorts of inflammation and tiny tears, not just internally but also wherever the string touched. I couldn't have sex for almost a week after my period every month. I was MISERABLE. I also worked at a job where the dress code was all white....
That would be the Instead Cup. The Diva Cup sits lower, but same idea.
If it fits well and is inserted properly, it doesn't move. RE: standing on your head- you're not supposed to do inversions at all while you're on your period. If you really want to know what would happen to the "collected stuff", I can explain but you might not want to hear it.
haha that's okay. i just ate lunch.
p.s. and i did not know that about standing on your head during your period. not a personal problem for me, but just something that occurred to me.
Wow, I can totally cross "learn something new today" off my list more than once now!!
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My biggest concern is my own clumsiness. I just fear I'll accidentally spill everything all over.
Though IMO, whatever works for you. I don't have too much issue with the "ick". Just they fact that I'm a klutz.
I was worried about that too with the Instead cup (thanks, M_and_M!), but it was not really an issue. Definite TMI alert: my fluid was a lot more viscous than regular liquid or even blood. It took a lot to spill. And I forget exactly, but I read once that most women produce only one or two tablespoons a day during their period (or maybe that was for the whole period?! I can't remember, but I was shocked at how little could fill up a 'pon).
There was definitely a learning curve the first cycle I used it but once I got the hang of it I had no complaints!
I found the DC to be MUCH more confortable than a tampon or pad. Over time it's considerably less expensive and no chemicals up in my business. Win/win for all involved!
This is a definite TMI response, so any squeamish people, do not read on.
I tried for 2 or 3 cycles to use the disposable version of it (softcup, I think?) I was wooed by the idea of only having to deal with it twice a day. While its in, its fantastic!!!! Never leaks or anything like that.
Its taking it out thats the problem...
You take it out horizontally so you don't spill anything, which is fine in theory. However, when you put it in, it obviously takes some air in with it and forms a bit of a vacuum seal...so when you pull it out (TMI ALERT) the air escapes and there's a bit of a...well...spurt, if you would. I never had a time where it didn't make a huge mess.
So if you can get over the mess factor, its a good product! I was never able to get over that, so I retired the softcup.