Meluna Shorty (review)

A long time ago, in a galaxy… no, wait… between pregnancies with my children, I got my cycle back. I had prepared for this by lots of reading, as I knew I couldn’t go back to disposables for an option. I didn’t have very many cycles between my children, only 3, so I never got into the swing of things with my cup. I got really good at placement, but I figured I must be doing something wrong.

The cups worked for me, but I had issues with them sticking out a bit. I thought maybe it was because I had short fingers or something, or maybe I just didn’t have in right… despite it working perfectly.

When my cycle finally returned after having Squiggle (27 months postpartum! I know, I got lucky!!!), I grabbed my Diva Cup. I just wasn’t feeling it (haha), so I grabbed some Luna Pads. The next day I tried my Lunette. I wore it that day, but didn’t bother the next. I went right back to my Luna Pads. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to say that I hate pads. Luna Pads are super comfortable for pads, and worlds more comfortable than disposable pads, but pads just are not for me. (If you do like pads, however, I highly recommend Luna Pads!) I’d also like to add that both Diva Cup and Lunette are really good cups. I do like them, and I recommend them both to anyone interested in cups… but they just weren’t what I needed. Something just felt off. I complained about this a bit amongst a group of friends (all moms), and someone mentioned MeLuna.

I’ve always been tiny… everywhere. Maybe I really just needed a shorter cup? Someone recommended MeLuna because they offer various sizes and styles. They have different end styles (a stem, a ball, a ring), they offer different firmness for the cup, and they even offer a “shorty”.

I looked at the MeLuna Classic and at the MeLuna Sport, but decided that the classic style was best for me. The sport is firmer and for women that use their core muscles a lot. I'm not someone you would describe as "fit"... or even "someone who exercises". Yeah, yeah... I've been meaning to change that. Either way it goes, I don't need the firmer cup.

I looked up measurements on the cups I had and compared it to the shorty. The Diva Cup (size 2) is 70mm long including the stem (57mm without the stem), the Lunette Cup (size 2) measures 72mm long with the stem (52mm long without), and the MeLuna shorty (size M) measures 51mm long with the stem (38mm long without). I consulted the MeLuna chart and decided a shorty in size medium would work best. I ordered a shorty that night. 

(If you have a different size/brand of cup, check out this amazing menstrual cup measurement chart that I found at menstrualcups.wordpress.com!)

Left to right: MeLuna Shorty (M), Lunette (sz2), Diva Cup (sz2)

No need to freak about about the size, though! Even though it's the biggest of the 3, the Diva sz. 2 still isn't that big!

As you can see, I selected the Amethyst shorty with a stem. I contemplated going with a ball or ring, but figured that if I wanted to trim it off, it would be easiest with a stem. It was only $24.95, and shipping was very inexpensive. I think it was about $3. It also arrived super quickly! Of course, the day it arrived was the day I stopped needing it, so I waited. 

When I finally prepped it and placed it, it fit great! It didn’t stick out at all! I didn’t have any leaks, and everything held fine for me. If you are a heavier bleeder, I could see you needing to empty it a couple times a day versus once a day with the larger cups, but it’s still totally doable.

If you are sold on the idea of cups, but have had fit issues with them, I highly recommend trying the MeLuna Shorty. They just might be the perfect cup for you!

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff is responsible for the content of this post. MeLuna did not sponsor this post, and the product was purchased by me. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own.

Starfish Cove Baby Boutique

Are you looking for a natural parenting store to shop at? Though brick and mortar stores are sometimes hard to find locally, there are lots to choose from online. Still, it's not always easy to find the best online natural parenting store for you. I've recently discovered a lovely new store, and wanted to introduce you to it as well.

Starfish Cove Baby Boutique!

Starfish Cove Baby Boutique just opened this past summer. The store is a natural parenting store that focuses on babywearing. They have an online store and hope to open a brick and mortar store in Wilmington, NC soon.

They have all sorts of stuff for baby like squooshi reusable food pouches, baltic amber necklaces, Piggy Paint, Jellystone Teethers, a variety of brands of lotions, balms, shampoos, and more! Check out these awesome toys!

They have a modest collection of cloth diapers and accessories, and a bit of stuff for mom, too. (Such as teething necklaces, menstrual cups, lip balm, etc.)

Last, but not least, baby carriers! They have a very nice selection of wraps, a few soft structured carriers, ring slings, Mei Tai carriers (pronounced "may-tie"), and a nice collection of gorgeous woven wraps (though they have stretchy wraps, too)! You can also purchase accessories like sling rings.

All orders of $45 or more ship free in the USA, and they will ship internationally, too! (click here for store policies, including more information on international shipping.)

Starfish Cove has also been generous enough to offer a Sweet Pea Pocket Cloth Diaper to giveaway to one of my readers. Winner gets to pick the colour or print from in stock selection!

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Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff is responsible for the content of this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Thoughts of Fluff is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Another reason to love reusable

I've written on reusable menstrual products before. I reviewed Lunapads, I've reviewed the DivaCup... but this time, the entry isn't about me.

I have a couple friends that were open to (and dare I say even "intrigued" by) the idea of reusable menstrual options. It just so happened, I had 2 brand new, never opened before DivaCups from just before I got pregnant with Squiggle. I decided to give each of them a cup. I figured that, if nothing else, they might at least end up being able to inform other women there are other options out there... even if it didn't work out for them. Heck, I had no idea these things existed before I started cloth diapering, so why should I assume anyone else knows about them?

Well, it's been a couple of months since I gave them to my friends. I never asked about them after that. If they like them, great! If they let me know they liked them, even better! What I got was very unexpected, though. I got a very interesting story. Very brief, and just the facts... but something I thought I would share with you all (since I got permission). There are no names that will be mentioned.

I have been busy with my newborn (and toddler!), so I missed the FaceBook messages that arrived from one of my friends... but the chat log left me the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is now a good time for some menstruation talk?

No? Okay....here goes anyway...

I just wanted to thank you.

Love the Diva Cup!

But....here is the important part....

Yesterday, my friend had to have emergency surgery. She went to her gyn to complain about some pain. She was sent straight to the OR. A small piece of her tampon had broken off and lodged itself in her uterus. Amazing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Um, WOW. Seriously?! Wow was all I could say. When I got a chance to chat with this friend, she said she's going to mention the DivaCup to her as soon as she gets the opportunity, as she can't see her wanting to try tampons again after that.

Just another reason to love your cup (or cloth!), ladies!

Be Free with DivaCup! (review & giveaway)

Whether you look forward to your cycle or dread it each month, it is part of being a woman. I used to dread my cycle. Nay, I used to loathe my cycle. It was inconvenient to say the least. I wanted to swim, run around, go out for the day….. just be myself! Then there is this period thing getting in my way. It made me go to the bathroom every few hours, made me spend a lot of money on tampons (or maxi-pads if that’s your preference), and then there was the discomfort. The irritation from either type of disposable caused me numerous issues one way or another. Either way it went, I dreaded it.

When I had Bobble, I had already decided I was going to do cloth diapers with him. This research led me to find reusable options for myself, too…. including cloth and cups. Admittedly, I rolled my eyes at first, and then carried on my merry little way. The more I thought about it though, the more I was intrigued. I started researching and decided I was going reusable for myself, too!

It was 17 ½ months post-partum before I had my first cycle, and then it was only 3 days, too. It was that same month that I was offered a chance to review the DivaCup. I received my package right away, and excitedly opened it up to find my cup, little carrying bag, and a little “diva” pin. Since I have had a baby, I had to get a size 2 cup. There are two sizes, one for women under 30 who have never had a baby, and women who have had a baby or are over 30. I anxiously awaited my next cycle, hoping the first one (since it was so short), wasn’t a fluke. The proper timing came and went, and I found myself a bit disappointed I didn’t have my cycle. I really wanted to try the DivaCup!

Finally, a week and a half later, I got my chance! Of course it was the very same moment I finally took a pregnancy test to double-check…. what a waste of money on that test! The DivaCup, however, was super easy to use. I wasn’t a pro first shot since this was my first time using it, but a couple of tries and I had it inserted and ready to go! After the initial fidgeting to get it inserted properly, I had no idea it was there! What a nice change from that annoying feeling of tampons!

I was able to go through my entire day with no hassle to stop and find a restroom for changing, as the DivaCup can be left in for up to 12 hours. That meant I could take care of that when it was convenient for me, not when the device used decided it had to be done! Even better, that meant I could go throughout my day without the worry of Toxic Shock Syndrome being a consequence if I didn’t find a bathroom soon. If you’re a heavier bleeder, you can empty it more often if you need.  

Removing the cup was a lot easier for me than placing the cup. Since the cup has sealed off the area (yay for no leaks… successful installation!), it just made sense to me to use one finger and push in on the cup to ‘break the seal’. When that released, I just pulled gently down, and voila! Empty, rinse, re-use! It’s really that simple. No waste, no odor, no wrapping things up to hide in a trashcan, no worry about running out… it’s always there, always ready to use. Even if you opted to replace the cup yearly, you’d still save a boatload of waste AND money that would have spent on disposable products. The suggested cost of the DivaCup is $39.99 (USD/CAD), but compare that to how much you spend on the disposable products in one year. $100? $150? More? It definitely is the more cost-effective choice in the long run!

Hold up, did I say “no odor”? Why yes, yes I did! Since the fluid is captured in the cup, it is never exposed to air, meaning it never smells! The menstrual fluids only develop an odor when exposed to air.

It’s also surprisingly cleaner to use than I anticipated it would be. When I first heard of menstrual cups, I have no idea what I thought of, but I thought it might be gross. You’d get all messy, red everywhere… you get the idea. Thankfully, that was a complete misconception. You don’t get messy at all! It’s just remove, dump, rinse, re-insert. I have gotten waaaaay messier changing my son’s diaper! Even if you have a heavy flow, no worries! Did you ladies know that the average woman only flows approximately 1 to 1.4 ounces each cycle? The DivaCup can hold that entire amount! So even if you are a heavier bleeder than other women, they still have you covered!

Some research has suggested that the chemicals in disposable products such as tampons or maxi-pads can cause your body to bleed for longer, bleed heavier, and cause more menstrual symptoms like cramping. When I first had Bobble, I used disposable pads post-partum since you can’t use any inserted device for 6 weeks. After 4 weeks, I was still bleeding. I was uncomfortable, I was irritated (reacting to the chemicals), I felt BRUISED even! I had just happened across the above information and finally had enough and decided to just wear old underwear and let them get ruined. Within 24 hours of ceasing to use disposables, I stopped bleeding. I think the disposables lengthened my post-partum bleeding, as well as caused me great discomfort! I’ve had no cramping since using the DivaCup, though I didn’t have much cramping pre-baby, it’s been non-existent with the DivaCup.

So, are you curious yet? Do you want to try one now? I highly recommend giving them a whirl! You can use the store finder to locate your nearest DivaCup retailer, or shop online if there is nothing near you.

I will no longer be stuck interrupting my day to go find a bathroom, worrying about any smell, or worrying about leaks. I will be comfortable, active, and go to the bathroom on my own time. I will be free to choose when to worry about feminine issues, not have them force me to worry! I want the same for you, and so does DivaCup! In fact, they have offered a cup for one of my lucky readers! 

You can enter the giveaway below.

Don't forget to "like" DivaCup on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at @DivaCup for the latest news!

Have you ever heard of a menstrual cup before today or have you ever thought about trying a menstrual cup? If so, what is stopping you?

Disclosure: The product mentioned above was sent to me by the company in exchange for a review. This did not influence my opinion of the product in any way. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. 

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I was a guest blogger for You ARE Loved!

Mama cloth, cups, and disposables.... oh my! Go over to You ARE Loved's page and check out the guest post HERE!

 There are also some personal stories from females who have survived TSS. I had no idea that it was as common as it is, and I also could NEVER have told you any of the symptoms. Even if you don't read my post there, please educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of TSS (click here for TSS Basic Facts). The information on that page could save you or a loved one. Educate yourself, and educate those around you. The more we know, the better odds we have against TSS!

For those of you who haven't heard of You ARE Loved , here's a quote from their main page:

"When 20 year old Amy Rae Elifritz (the ARE in You ARE Loved) experienced flu-like symptoms last summer the fact that she was menstruating seemed unimportant.  A few days later, on June 13, 2010, she died from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Lisa Elifritz, Amy’s mom, founded the non-profit You ARE Loved to help raise awareness about the link between tampons."