The idea of spending money on a biological inconvenience to create biohazardous waste to fill holes we dig for massive scale accumulation which will eventually become a “conservation area” that smells like farts just doesn’t compute as logical to me. Now I know people are probably tired of the feminist angle. I can’t say it’s ever been a direction that was intentional. But making improvements and being open about them to get that knowledge out there and get people talking is what enhances our lives, and that’s not limited to any gender or their biology or problem we’re trying to fix in life.
This is my first period with the small Diva cup, and it’s my first full day. I’ve been doing some research since my curiosity peaked as the topic kept popping up online, and my hatred for filling landfills and spending money on a wasteful product I don’t even want has grown stronger. I was apprehensive, but willing to change my habits. Some period and female health stuff was discussed in my entry about voluntary sterilization, so I won’t go too far down that path again, but tampons were something I only got into about five years ago, after being nervous about them and finally having a lighter period from using oral contraception. They were great, and even though my period is a lot heavier off of the pill, I still like them… minus the cost, the waste, the constantly needing to be at the forefront of your mind when you’re using them feeling. So last month I finally just went for it and started with the common, nearby drugstore accessible cup. I gave it a few insertion dry runs, but didn’t try wearing it before a period. Definitely a learning curve to this thing, I can tell already. Last evening I wore it for about five hours, with a pad backup. I didn’t feel ready for an overnight try just yet. There was some leakage, but not much. It seemed to be working pretty well when I removed it carefully. Quite a lot messier than other options, but that’s not a huge dealbreaker. The only worry I did have was that it seemed like it may not have opened completely the first few tries, like the vaginal walls are compressing it into a flatter oval shape, and I don’t really know if that’s alright or if it means I need to try a new cup. Today I checked into it and read that it could be from strong vaginal muscles, but it could also be an insertion problem. Comfort is good, so I’ll try a few different ways of insertion and checking the seal that I came across before buying a different cup. Today I wore it for a full work shift, with a pad. It felt like I was leaking a lot, but was a little better than a normal first full period day with a super tampon and a liner when I checked how things were going. Again the cup appeared to have held mostly everything pretty well.
So what’s your experience with alternative menstrual aid, and your period in general?
eatenplacenta.com 