Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ditching the Diva


When I purchased my first reusable menstrual cup – a Diva- 4 years ago I thought it was fantastic. Unfortunately though after the second baby it really didn’t seem to be such a good fit anymore.
Extra insurance by wearing pads was definitely required. Not a big problem since as the maker of Domino Pads I have easy access to an awesome stash of pads.
For the past couple of years I heard good reviews about a new cup -the Lunette from Finland- and was curious to try it.
I was pretty excited when I got my new Lunette in its pretty little box and gorgeous sunshine yellow satin pouch.
In the size 2 one major difference I could see right away was the firmness of the silicone. The Lunette was much firmer. I thought right away 'Oh no! Softer is better. I won't like this...' but guess what!
Firmer can be better. What does it do in the case of a larger size cup? It opens up much easier.
Gone are the times of spinning the Diva around numerous times to finally get it to unfold and provide a secure fit.
The Lunette opens up for me in just a quarter turn. Voila!
I don't wear a size one but I also checked out the small Lunette and it's made with a softer silicone which is a really good match for the smaller cup.
The next noticable difference is the stem. While the Diva has a shorter round stem the Lunette has a longer soft, flat stem. Again since I sometimes found the Diva stem bothersome I thought a longer stem would be even worse but the design actually turned out to be more comfortable. The flat stem of the Lunette seems to bend and conform much more easily than the more rigid round stem of the Diva. Another point for the Lunette!

All in all in my Diva - Lunette comparison I didn't really find any draw backs to the Lunette and I did enjoy several advantages. Does it solve all of my concerns I had with the Diva?
Not completely. I still like to wear a back up pantyliner because at times I do get a little leakage. Nothing major and I might just have to reread my previous blog post ' Hold The Kegels' to get some ideas on strengthening my pelvic muscles. ;)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Hold The Kegels!

I know many of our customers use Domino Pads not just for their period but also for incontinence so I wanted to briefly touch on this subject.
You've probably seen the suggestions for Kegel exercises. Hardly any pregnancy book is without it.
You are urged to do them even more later on especially if you are experiencing any form of incontinence. Kegels seem to be the answer to everything!
Help I pee when I sneeze/run/laugh - do Kegels!
Help my reusable menstrual cup is suddenly more leak prone - do Kegels!
How super frustrating it is though when you do those Kegels and nothing improves.
Outsiders offering advice on discussion boards and forums are quick to say you are not doing them enough or you are not doing them right or else - of course- the Kegels would have shown results.

If Kegel exercise could be measured in miles I probably have already kegeled my way around the world!

A few months back I came across a blog post about this very subject and instantly felt excited about it.
Yes sure the woman is also selling an exercise DVD so that's always a little suspicious but I strongly felt she had some really good points about the cons (yes cons!) of Kegel exercise and ideas about alternatives.

Rather than reinvent the wheel I am posting the link to that blog article here for you to consider and make up your own mind:

Pelvic Floor Party: Kegels are NOT invited