So, I have been using Soft Cups for a while now, about 3 years or so and was on the fence about going the route of the Diva Cup (or something similar). I saw a post in one of the PCOS groups I'm part of on facebook and finally moved the item from my saved for later list to the cart and checked out. It arrived 2 days before my period started (score!).
One cool thing I did not realize is that it has measurements on the size, ml and ounces. Which then made me turn to Google to see how much the average women bleeds during her period. The answer, typically 30 ml (1 ounce) but can range from 10 to 80 ml. So, when I filled up the cup (15 ml) the 1st day, I was like - damn! Add another almost 7.5 (ok, let's say 7.5 ml due to all spillage, leakage, etc) for the hours after work and before bed, because I had changed it out again, before the cup was in for the night. I had almost another full 15 ml again this morning. DAMN. So, my normal period in the first 24 hours is MORE as the average woman's 5 day period! No fucking wonder I get so tired!!!
Now yesterday, day 1, I did drink a lot of my Moon Day tea and Organic Ginger tea (3 cups of each). They both are really good for flushing your system and helping your uterus out. I will be doing the same today. My periods are usually about 3 days long now. Which is a lot shorter than they were in the past. No need to go into all those gory details!
Because of PCOS, I take Pregnitude (and no, I am not TTC (trying to conceive) I am pretty sure that ship sailed!!) because it comes in this nice little packets that contain 2 grams of Myo-Inositol. I take 2 packets a day. Sometimes 1 at a time and sometimes both at once.
From my pcos-information-herbs-and-supplements page:
Myo-Inositol " Encourges Ovulation in women with absent or irregular menstrual cycles with PCOS. Decreases Leptin, and helps with Wieght loss in PCOS. Improves Mood, and can help depression according to studies. It is really good for your liver. Helps hirsutism. Decreases androgens. Helps Insulin Resistance. Decreases acne. Lowers total and free testosterone levels. Improves quality of eggs."
For me, I take it for the mood, liver (I have a fatty liver, stupid body), IR and helps with my minor hisutism (and by minor, I mean that I pluck every day let's say 10 little stupid hairs off my neck/upper lip/chin or wherever facial area). I have not experienced any weight loss with this. But I REALLY like it. I am not some angry pissed off freak of a monster with hormones raging all through me. Yay no jail time ;)
I also take progesterone cream - "can help to supplement your body’s own progesterone levels and lead you back to a state of natural balance."
Because those of us with PCOS are typically LOW on this. Ha, Google low progesterone and PCOS and you will see a lot of info out there.
One of the things I've read is that it helps your uterine lining shed more, which is important because a thick uterine wall is one of those "things" that gets associated with cancer. And with my family genetics, I need to be aware of shit like that. My grandmother on my Dad's side had Ovarian cancer.
So I am happy to know how much I am shedding, at least to some degree, by using this Diva cup. Of course, I could still have a thick wall but some things I just can't help. I know that when I was about 19 I saw an OBGYN for a pap and she had said my was thicker than normal, like I had already had a kid (which was a negative in that!) and I've always remembered that comment because I thought it was a bit unusual.
I have this learning curve with the Diva cup, which I knew would happen. As long as I can get this thing down either this cycle or the next one or 2 I will be happy. It's a better long term solution for my period and better for the environment. No major leakage thankfully, just minor tweaks so far.
I seem to rotate what I am taking for my PCOS, depending on what I need at that moment...and also because it's good to change things up every now again, you know, get off that plateau and shift the scenery.
Oh and did you know? That when you get a cramp during your period, it's your uterus contracting, like it does in childbirth? Uh huh. I get back pains with my period as well as cramps and it wasn't until last night that I realized, NO WONDER I had back labor with my son!! Ahahahahahaha. I knew cramps were muscles, well, cramping, but for whatever reason I didn't think of my uterus doing gymnastics was my period as such.
