I have done the math these past few weeks, preparing myself to not just “talk about” the DivaCup but to actually participate in a DivaCup trial and USE one.  I have been “a woman” for 30 years (according to science) and experienced my monthly period, like clockwork, every “less than 28 days”.

Take away 3 pregnancies and that comes up to more than 335 weeks, or almost 2000 DAYS of menstruation.

With at least 5 disposable products per day during my cycle, I am sitting around 10,000 used “feminine products” in the bin, or the sewer system. Not to mention 240,000 HOURS of using something with potentially questionable ingredients inside my body.  Long term exposure fears are beginning to surface!

Knowing all this helps me right now, but only a little bit.

See, change is scary.  It is changing habits and values. Routines and systems.  As a woman, you create a method for managing your period each month. Products you like, and ones you don’t. Underpants that come out just for that one special week. It is a part of our life, this monthly guest, and I have grown comfortable with my pattern.

But as you read last week, I am not really doing this for ME, I am doing it for my daughters. I want to introduce them to a better way, when it is time.

But MY day has arrived… D-day (or M-day I guess)  I can’t put this off any longer, it has to happen. I am queasy and I am creeped out and I have all sorts of terrible ideas about what will happen (I too have read the horror stories).

But enough is enough. It’s time.

Check out my FIRST experience with the DivaCup.

Well now…. that wasn’t so bad was it?   Day 1 happened without me throwing up, or spraying the bathroom in blood.  In fact, it was so easy I was almost embarrassed that I didn’t do it earlier.

Here are a few things I learned with my DivaCup trial:

1.  It is easy. Follow the instructions and it actually works JUST LIKE THEY SAY.  There was no pain, no discomfort and no “spillage” If you need more information or extra help, check out the DivaCup Q&A page. 
2. When removing the cup, do it slowly. There is no need to rush and yank and pull. Slow and steady means no spilling!
3. The no waste thing was actually pretty incredible. You don’t realize how much waste you produce until you don’t produce ANY.
4. Nope… didn’t feel ANYTHING. Nadda, nutting, not a bit.

There was one negative though.

You know when you first get a fitbit?  After years of complaining that you never sleep at night and after that first night of having your fitbit on you look at your sleep results and realize you DO SLEEP.  That what felt like “being awake all night” was actually on 4 minutes?

Well, the DivaCup was like that for me. Every month I felt like I was bleeding to DEATH.  I would feel exhausted, and literally DRAINED. After day one of my DivaCup trial I realized I wasn’t. That there was very little blood, and that I was being a sissy.

WHY is this a negative?  Well for 30 years I have been able to “succumb” if I needed. I could wimp out and curl up on the couch, or go to bed early.  My excuse for eating chocolate to “recover” is gone.  I now need to be tough.

I guess it is a good negative right 🙂

In a nutshell, I don’t know why I was so weirded out by this whole experience. It was EASIER than anything else I have ever done. It was LESS yucky than a tampon or pad, and there was no flood of blood creeping under the door frame when I took it out.  It was so easy, it was almost like it was the natural thing to do.

But, it has only been one day…. lets see what happens after  a week!

While you are here though, if you haven’t had a chance to enter to WIN a DivaCup prize pack, now is your chance!  Enter below on the rafflecopter! Open USA/Canada and perhaps this is the little NUDGE you need to start changing your period habits!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway