deva cup and teenagers and first period supplies

[Percycat]

I wonder how many are introducing deva cup to their daughters?

Personally, I have never tried deva cup and since I am at the very end of my cycles (may already be there), do not plan on getting one. If I had several more years of cycles, I would consider trying it -- although emptying it sounds messy and I don't know if I would feel comfortable dealing with it at public restrooms. I don't remember teenager flow, but I think it was significantly less than what I experienced at times as a mature woman.

How difficult do you think it would be for a young teenager to manage a deva cup? How often do you think she will need to empty it per day (will she need to empty it at school?). I assume there will be some leakage when the cup gets full --- is this like the leakage one might experience when a tampon is full, or can a cup that is full 'fall out' and cause a lot of leakage?
I assume she would wear some type of pad too.

My dd is 11 and I am getting ready to talk to her in more detail about her changing body. We are not "there" yet, but she has started developing in other areas. I plan to get some supplies to be ready.

Does anyone know of free samples or first period kits available?

Thanks!

[MommyAllison]

I've only used the size 2 Diva Cup, so I don't know how much smaller the size 1 cup is, but I'm not planning on getting one for my tween. I remember how awkward it was for me to learn to insert a tampon as a young teen, and the Diva is less straightforward than that.

That said, I personally do like the Diva! I don't think she'd have any trouble with it falling out, the leakage would be similar to a full tampon, if she had any. I personally don't wear a backup pad. I'm guessing she could avoid changing it at school, particularly for the first few cycles which are typically light IIRC.

[jren]

My DD won't even wear a tampon, so I don't think she'd go for the Diva. I hate pads and how it interferes with her summer activities, but it's her choice.

[mmommy]

I think whether or not a young woman would use a cup is similar to whether or not she'd feel comfortable using applicator-less tampons. You've got to be relatively comfortable with the idea of touching yourself. My DDs are much younger, but I'd probably get mine one to try, along with a variety of tampons, etc. I recently bought this cheap one based on a recommendation on this board. It works great. Its a bit more flexible than a Diva, so it might be easier for a young person to insert.

[Twin Mom]

My DD won't even wear a tampon, so I don't think she'd go for the Diva. I hate pads and how it interferes with her summer activities, but it's her choice.

My DD was tampon averse until we were on our beach vacation over winter break. It was tampon or not go swimming because she didn't want to be bothered with changing the pads and a wet bathing suit. I actually inserted the tampon for her which isn't that easy to do. I used the Diva cup before I got my mirena and she knows about it but the learning curve is high and she won't use a tampon herself yet so I doubt she will try it any time soon.

It is ridiculous how much pads cost and DD thinks she needs to change it all.the.time which drives me crazy since it really isn't necessary if there isn't much on it. Plus she wears a liner every day. Her period is costing me a fortune!

[jren]

My DD was tampon averse until we were on our beach vacation over winter break. It was tampon or not go swimming because she didn't want to be bothered with changing the pads and a wet bathing suit. I actually inserted the tampon for her which isn't that easy to do. I used the Diva cup before I got my mirena and she knows about it but the learning curve is high and she won't use a tampon herself yet so I doubt she will try it any time soon.

It is ridiculous how much pads cost and DD thinks she needs to change it all.the.time which drives me crazy since it really isn't necessary if there isn't much on it. Plus she wears a liner every day. Her period is costing me a fortune!

We have a beach house and she still hasn't caved. Grrr! She even opted out when all her friends stayed the weekend and were swimming. She wore shorts over her swimsuit and stayed out of the water. Except for one time she "forgot" and got in the ocean. I was freaking out because it was around the time of all the shark attacks in NC/SC early last summer, which is where we were.

She just says they're uncomfortable. I wonder if she's not putting it in far enough, but she swears she is. I do feel tampons when I wear them, so I guess she has a point. At least she's on the pill, so she doesn't have to worry about panty liners.


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[AngB]

I would let her know it's an option but wait and see how it goes, definitely start with tampons or the disposable instead cups first. I was never able to use tampons as a teenager either, probably got too tense trying to figure it out, so a cup would have been a definite no!

Moms with pad wearing teens, have you considered asking them them to try mama cloth? WAY cheaper, I think more comfortable, and supposedly makes flow lighter since all the chemicals/crap in maxipads aren't there. I don't know how true that is but started using mamacloth as panty liners while prg with DS3 and then for postpartum and really like them.

[calebsmama03]

I've been a diva (and mama cloth) user for more than 11 years. I love it but agree that the learning curve is high. I starting using tampons fairly young and switched to non applicator early on, as well, so I wasn't squeamish about the insertion issue by he time I switched but it was still tough. DD is familiar with my cloth pads/liners/ diva cup and it is something I've talked to her about even though she is just barely starting to "bud". I will eventually provide her with a cup at some point but absolutely do NOT recommend the diva as a first cup. It is firm and long and wide, even in size 1. I would research smaller and softer (but not to soft) cups before getting her one when the time comes. My plan is or provide her with cloth and paper pads and encourage her to give he cloth a good try when she is at home. Cloth liners for sure, though, since there is no leakage issue with liners.

My plan for internal period protection for her would be to start with applicator tampons until she is comfortable with them, then non applicator style, then offer a cup of she would like to try.

There is a teen girl in the UK who has a cloth pad biz and also does YouTube videos on all sorts of tmi girl topics, from cloth pad use to menstrual cups. She has a TON of videos with reviews of different cups, and tutorials on things like to to fold and insert a cup. Her frankness is refreshing but also cracks me up! Highly recommend checking them out, even for yourself if you want to try a cup. Diva may be easiest to obtain but not the best fit for everyone, esp a young girl. A have a sckoon (which she doesn't recommend) simply because I got a deal on it and had heard it was softer and shorter than diva. It is ok but I wish I'd discovered this girls videos before I bought, as I would have chosen differently. I still use diva for my super heavy days since it has the largest capacity (and still leak at times and have to empty 3 times a day) but the sckoon is much more comfortable so I use that whenever I can get away with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G87oBd6rOw

ETA: as far as capacity compared to pads, when I was having bleeding issues and went to the gyn she said a full diva is equal to 3-4 fully soaked super pads, based on the mL capacity of each.

ETA 2- def do NOT use the disposable cups as an intro to cups because you/she will end up hating them. Not at all the same as reusable cups. Very messy, very leaky, and very hard to use properly. If the diva has a steep learning curve the instead disposable ones are like a sheer vertical cliff with no footholds.

[bcafe]

Are you speaking of something like the Instead Softcup? I love them and they are not leaky, messy, or hard to use. In fact I quit using the Diva all together cuz it was such a pain.

[lizzywednesday]

... I remember how awkward it was for me to learn to insert a tampon as a young teen, and the Diva is less straightforward than that.

...

I also remember how much trouble I had with tampons when I was younger as well.

HOWEVER, to address your concerns about starter kits, you used to be able to send away for starter kits from Tampax, Kotex, and Always.

In fact, my first introduction to tampons was through a kit supplied by Tampax who were sponsors of Swim-A-Thon when I was a kid. It had a basic booklet about both your period and illustrations of female anatomy, plus a small container of lube (for practicing insertion when it wasn't your period) and a selection of various Tampax products, ranging from their "Junior" absorbency to the "Super."

I don't use a cup, but would allow your daughter to get comfortable with her body and her period before suggesting something like it. I was an older teen before I finally tried applicator-free tampons, for example, and I find they work so much better for me than applicator ones ever did. HOWEVER, I was anti-applicator-free tampons because my mother used them and anything my mother did was "bad" in my book back then.