A Solution for the Lack of Bathroom Privacy During Your Period

One of the true perks of pregnancy is not having a period. Over the past six years with three pregnancies and three combined years of breastfeeding, I’ve had a truly blissful break from my monthly visitor. So now that I’m done with breastfeeding … and done with pregnancies … I’m back at it again with the periods. In a true joke from mother nature, my cycles are now shorter than ever; my body’s like, “It’s been awhile since you’ve been pregnant, let’s try again!” No, body. Just no.

You know what you don’t get a lot of with three kids? Privacy. Kids don’t care what you’re doing in the bathroom, they just want to be in there with you, so I’ve found it interesting to explain away the box of tampons and the need for privacy during that time of the month. I’ve known about menstrual cups for a long time but never actually tried one out until recently when I bit the bullet and shelled out $40 for one. Something about me becoming a mom and going through pregnancy and childbirth made me less squidgey about trying one — after all, it couldn’t be worse than all of the bodily functions I deal with on a daily basis. But the true draw for me was having to only deal with it twice a day. After having two months of testing out the Diva Cup, I’m a believer. If you’ve been on the fence about trying one, I’ve got some pros and cons for you to consider.

Diva Cup Cons

It’s not cheap. Something about ponying up $40 or so for a period product made me hesitate. But tampons and pads aren’t exactly free, so it pays for itself pretty quickly, especially considering that they hold up for years.

It takes some practice. There is a learning curve here. Getting a comfortable fit takes practice, but don’t give up. It’s worth it.

You’re definitely up close and personal with your bodily functions. It’s a little more hands-on than you’re used to at first. Maybe a lot more hands on. You have to be a big girl here and man up.

It’s definitely more involved when you have to empty it. You’re going to need a few minutes of privacy. Just like getting it in takes practice, so does figuring out the logistics of getting it emptied and cleaned out. (Hint: Grab some toilet paper to help you out with the process.) By period No. 2, I was an old pro.

Diva Cup Pros

No leaking. Even when I didn’t get a perfectly comfortable fit the first few times I used it, I never leaked even once.

Twice a day. I empty it in the morning and then once in the evening and that’s it. No making special trips to the bathroom, no worrying about leaking through. I’ve never had a period take up less mental energy than it has since using the cup. I even went to the water park with my kids and it was awesome not to have to worry about taking extra trips to the bathroom just to stay on top of the flow.

Comfort. Once I got the fit figured out, it’s just as comfortable as a tampon. Plus, no worrying about a string escaping if you’re wearing a bathing suit. I swam in it, ran with it in — no problems, no leaking.

No waste. It’s nice not to fill up a trash can each period with tampons or pads.

Can I just reiterate that you only have to think about it twice a day? Because that is life changing, particularly when you’re out and about with kids. That means you only need to sneak privacy from your kids two times a day to deal with it. And most of us can do that, right? I hope?

Have you ever considered using a product like the Diva Cup or is it too hands-on for you? I honestly wish I’d changed years ago. —Erin