oh,,,,,wow!! At first I thought you were discussing nursing bras!! I've got to dust off my rock!

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Mabennett - Proud Mommy to a Yankee, a Tarheel, and a cheerleader

I haven't tried the Diva Cup, but I've heard good things about it.

"Instead", however is TERRIBLE! I don't know if I just haven't gotten the hang of it, or I'm shaped strangely or what (no kids yet, so it isn't a sizing issue). I am not squeamish about inserting things up high either. I bought a box about a year ago, tried it, and leaked everywhere. Luckily I was at home. I have let it sit in the back of my sink cabinet since then. Last period, I ran out of pads at 10:00 pm and was desperate for something for overnight without having to go to the store that late. I decided to give "Instead" another chance.

WRONG IDEA!! I leaked quite a bit in the bed. My poor husband.

I also use the Diva cup and have been very pleased with it. I have always had horrible cramping when using tampons. The pain is much less using the cup. I think Telaine covered most of what I was going to say. It does take some practice to insert and take out. It does not go in as far as a tampon and I find it very uncomfortable if it is in too deep. I then just remove and reinsert. When inserting or removing it also helps to give the cup a slight turn to seat or break the cups seal.
It actually holds a lot of fluid, so I can leave mine in all day even on my heaviest day. The cup does not spill when being removed, but it does need to be dumped and washed.

Oh! Forgot to mention that I got my Diva cups (I lost one while traveling) on Ebay from Lakesidenaturalfoods for $24.49 each free shipping. The seller was great and the item came quickly.

It may be TMI but I think it's important to talk about these issues for women who really want to know. It's not something that comes up in normal conversations. I don't mind answering any specific questions you might have.

Re: the Lunapads

I have used two products. One is called Wemoon from Australia. Wemoon Natural Menstrual Pads These are great because they are leakproof. They are also really thin so I hardly notice them. I wear these on light days or as a back up for the diva cup but I don't wear them to bed because I like a thicker pad for while I sleep. Because wemoon are very thin, I 'feel' the wetness faster. Again this is why it's a great back-up (I've never had the Diva leak but it gives me peace of mind). However when I don't wear the Diva or at night or on a heavy day when I just might leak I wear the Lunapads. They are much thicker and feel a bit bulky but they are really soft and comfortable. I also like that Lunapads have a liner so I wear the same pad all day and change the liner. With wemoon, I have to change the whole pad. (I still really like the women though because they are so thin.) If you generally wear an ultra thin pad, Wemoon is probably best. If you generally like a thicker pad, Lunapads are better.

What I like about washables:
They don't smell (our cycles don't smell, hot plastic, flow and bleach is what makes the smell)
They wash beautifully.
They don't crinkle when you walk.
They are softer and more comfortable.
An upfront cost but way less money in the long run.
No waste.
No bleach products on your sensitive privates.
I buy enough for three days and wash them every other day.
They are great for camping. Pack in, pack out. (I use a diaper holder that came with our old diaper bag for storing clean ones in one and dirty in the other).

What can be tricky.
Camping is one thing, hoteling is another. I do pack disposables when I'm on a longer vacation where there is no laundry and it's easier to toss then to pack out the cloth.
At work. I work from home 90% of the time but on the days I commute to the office, I generally switch to disposables during the day. Washing the diva cup out at home with a sink right next to the toilet is easy. In a bathroom stall at work, not so much.

Let me know any other questions you might have. I'd be happy to answer any.

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KathrynHannah <- Thank YOU so much for all of the important information!! My circle of friends only talk about 'that time of the month' when they are complaining When in my teenage years I could have a heavy flow up to 14 days only tapering off in the very last day or two, (doc said it was from various things) but I have ruined many pants then!! After DD1 it was not so bad she was a natural birth, after DD2 also natural the heavy flows came back and them lasting for 8-10days was normal, I went to the dr again and they said it was my body getting back into the natural flow of things Ughhh after DD3 born via emergency c-section my period is back to the way it was when I was in school!! But it can vary 1 month its messy the next its barely there. I have to wear both a tampon heavy duty and a heavy duty pad and STILL I've had many leaks Im at my wits end!! I also get very bad cramping and it last for 2-3days! I just need a better solution, I dread that time of the month!

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New SAHM to 3 girls(6,4,1) & 1 boy(2)
Working On Budgeting X-Mas&My Summer'09 Wedding

You might be able to buy it at a local health food store or Whole Foods. I am going to buy it on-line here: Search It is $25.93 ($19.98+$5.95 shipping)

Or here is another site that may be a few dollars cheaper depending on which shipping method you prefer: Diva International Inc at Fubao Health Store

I am really tempted to try this. Thanks for all the info!

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Blessed beyond measure