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I feel like I've read hours of advice on getting the menstrual cup to pop open and now my vag is sore because I've tried all these different things and they wont work!
First of all I think i have a low cervix (about 3-3.5 inches in) and in all the diagrams for insertion, theres this wide open tube for the menstrual cup to pop open in. I am a virgin so i bought the number one diva cup due to a heavy second day flow (I'm talkin having to change a super plus tampon every 40 minutes for the whole school day). i cant deal with that anymore. i thought a diva cup would solve my problems but no matter what i do i can NOT get the darn thing to pop open once its inside me. ive tried twisting it--doesnt work. ive tried running it under cold water--doesnt work. it will pop out of a complex fold but there will always be a wrinkle in it. it always looks like a loose c fold until i take it out and it pops out at the opening of my vagina which is super uncomfortable. i've heard of letting it open and then pushing it up but i've never gotten it to open all the way and when i tried to let it open into the loose fold that it likes to do, pushing it up was almost painful.
the thing that people keep saying is push your finger on the wall so that the cup can pop open and that doesnt work. without the cup in when i inserted my finger to find my cervix, the walls of my vagina were pressing all around it. so i feel like when i put the folded cup in the walls hold it in the folded position. i've tried punch down and origami fold but it seems like any fold i do will not let the cup open. ive attempted the c fold, trying to simplify the wrinkles that folding produces, but i cant get that in.
i really wanted this to work and am disappointed that i am having so much trouble. because of the discomfort that experimentation can cause i only try for a max of 30 minutes everyday and have not had my period with it yet but i am scared that i will be at school or out in public and have a bloody mess on my hands when i try and use it. has anyone else had this problem?
elisamba on May 8th, 2014 10:17 am (UTC)
Dry runs are misleading. Your cervix is higher than during your period and the vagina is less lubricated.

I don't sweep my finger around the rim or push the vaginal walls etc to make sure it's open. Usually simply standing up and walking around a bit, I feel the cup pop open by itself. It doesn't hurt, you'll just feel a definite pop. Just make sure it is completely in first, *well past the pubic bone*. (The stem should not stick out, it's not a tampon). If it's going to leak, it's within minutes and I can reposition it again before leaving home.

Also not everyone gets the perfectly round cup feeling, some their cup still works fine with a little crease. Once you actually test it out, wear a pad and you'll know soon enough 1) if the cup is sealed (any leaks are pretty immediate) and 2) how many hours it takes for your cup to fill up. It's all a part of the learning curve. Have fun!
Zzsomeone on May 10th, 2014 06:20 pm (UTC)
Open for me is nowhere near round, really smushed.

One thing I've done when trying to figure out what folds work best is to make a circle with my thumb and index finger and practice inserting different folds into my hand instead. I learned which ones pop better for me, and how to move make them pop. All pain free and easy to see!