BloodFest 2013: A Guest Blog Review about the Diva Cup

I'm so thrilled to announce that posts will be as frequent as Aunt Flow again since I now have a reliable computer. Yay!
So, what's new? I have an Author Faebook page and Twitter. Please "Like" and Follow me @Je55ieMullin5  Aw, thanks. You guys are the best. Now down to business.

You may remember guest blogger, Heavan (blog author of Classy Girls, a super cool blog about, well, keeping it classy). Remember her from this post where she encouraged you to name your uterus, and this other post about her first period? If you haven't read these because you were just born or just learned how to read or are simply new to Period Fairy, have a look!

You're in for a treat because--you guessed it!--she's written another one for us. (Thank you, Heavan!) Enjoy. 

Hello Fellow Period Fairy Readers!

I trust you all are doing well.  I am so honored to be writing for the period fairy again, and want to thank my GORGEOUS best friend for asking me to do so.  This month I wanted to share something with you all.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a very long, very heavy cycle.  Complete with going through an entire box of pads (no worries ladies, I've talked to my doctor about this.  I'm just a little anemic, I promise. :D) I hated the beginning and the end of my cycle.  Beginning because of all the cramps, end because no matter WHAT brand I bought, I always had diaper rash. (Hold the comments until the end. :D)  It was the WORST!  I can't even begin to tell you the embarrassing moments I've had with this situation, but finally after a long week of bleeding, and diaper rash that was starting to get into the diaper sore stage (sorry, i know. gross.) I went to my doctor and said "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME?!"

This prompted some talking with my mother.  Thankfully, she went with me to the doctor, and she asked her a bunch of questions. Does Heavan have sensitive skin? Did she have a lot of diaper rash? Are there soaps or colors she can't wear?  All of which my mom said YES.  Which prompted another realization by the doctor: I was allergic to pads.  When asked why I don't wear tampons, I had to explain to this lady that I cannot wear them because my cycle is so heavy.  She said she would "get back" to me, and I left the office with a very puzzled look on my face and a tube of desitin.  Flash forward to the next month, my cycle fast approaching, when I call the doctor back and basically say "look, my impending doom is right around the corner.  can we figure something out about my itchy rump before it happens again?" To which she replied "come in, I have great news for you!"

I. WAS. PUMPED.  Maybe they made special pads for girls who are allergic to them.  Maybe she was going to give me a non-hormonal birth control pill that would take control of my cycles and then I could use tampons instead. (I can't take BC because of a disorder I have) Nope.  She suggested a little plastic thingamajig called a diva cup.  I said "what the crap is a diva cup?"  Well, I have taken the liberty to include the website right here:

www.divacup.com

The diva cup is a plastic cup that is used to...well, catch menstruation. Yes, you read that right.  It's a cup (made of silicone so you can rinse and reuse) that is placed inside the vagina and is to be changed every 8-10 hours depending on your cycle.  You simply stick a finger in your lady bits, hook onto the cup, pull it out, dump it in the toilet, and then rinse and reuse.

I was absolutely MORTIFIED by this whole concept.  I said "you want me to what now?"  She laughed and explained the entire process to me one more time.  I took the pamphlet home, got on the website and made the decision to get one. (Shout out to my AMAZING fiance who decided to purchase it for me, even though he was completely repulsed by this whole process)  So I sat patiently waiting for the fairy, and one night, she finally came.  I put the cup inside, and let it work its magic.

In the morning, I woke up, and there was NO blood anywhere.  I was so happy, it felt like I wasn't even wearing anything and while I was cramping like a banshee, I didn't even know I was on my period.  But then, I had to change it, and I got nervous.  My first thought was "aw, I'll wait."  But then I remembered hearing that I shouldn't wait more than 10 hours, because it could overflow. (Note: TSS is NOT possible with this product)  And I went to the bathroom, stuck my finger in my lady bits, closed my eyes, hooked my finger on the cup, and pulled.  That's when a traumatic event I like to call Bloodfest 2013 happened.

THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE!  I wasn't looking or paying attention to how hard I was pulling, and flung the dang thing across my bathroom floor.  It was the most repulsive, disgusting thing I have ever experienced.  Not to mention, explaining to my little brother why he couldn't go in the bathroom even though I was done using it.  Or telling my mom we had to get new rugs because I soiled the ones she had.  Embarrassing, to say the least.  But after all was said and done...I rinsed, I repeated, I cleaned up.

So hey, how do I feel about the diva cup?  I FREAKING LOVE IT.  It is the best thing I have ever experienced with the period part of my body, and I will DEFINITELY be using it again.  Once I got past all the blood and the gory accident I had, it was wonderful.

So, try it.  You might like it. :)  No leaks, no paying for tampons/pads, etc, and it's just...amazing.  Props to the makers of the diva cup!

I love you girls.  Really, writing for this blog is ALMOST as fun as writing for my other blog.  Almost.  (Though I do love my Bestie Jess. :D)

Here's a diagram! How fun are diagrams? SO. MUCH. FUN.

 Have you tried The Diva Cup? Did you like it? Do you have any questions for Heavan? Comment below!