Podcast Diaries: The Bark on Menstrual Cups

Why we love it:

It's ALL about menstrual cups! They talk about the Diva Cup - which is unfortunate - but hey, each to their own on their menstrual cup journey! 

Have a listen, or read along! Just be sure to do your own research on why so many people prefer the BeYou Menstrual Cup to the Diva Cup!

Listen & Learn:

 

The Transcript:

Oh, thanks for listening. This is our episode about Cups. My name is Rachel.

My name is Chelsea.

My name is Indira.

Julia.

I'm Taylor.

And I'm Ian.

Welcome.

Welcome.

Welcome.

So, for those of you who don't know what a Diva Cup is, it is a alternative form to a menstrual ... What would you call it?

Like buying pads and tampons and things.

Yeah.

It's also reusable.

Yeah. [crosstalk 00:00:43]

So it's a one time buy for the next 10 years, I think on average is how-

10 years, really?

Yeah, 'cause you can clean them, which is really nice so.

Right, right, right, right.

So it's a small silicone cup like the size of like an egg. And I thought about it, I was like, "What will I compare it to?" And it's open on the top and then at the base of the cup is a, like extended piece of Silicon plastic that you could use to pull it inside and outside of your vaginal canal.

I see that happening, 'cause I think we get to picture like a fully.

Yeah, it's a little solid I think. [crosstalk 00:01:15] It depends on the egg.

Yes.

Yeah, it also comes in two sizes most of them. Like one's before you're 35 or before you've had a child, which is like how they measure it. So I guess after 35, something just changes whether you've had a kid or not. [crosstalk 00:01:28] I don't know. I was like, "That's such a weird measurement." Like-

How did ... Oh, sorry.

No, go ahead.

How did you guys first find out about Diva Cups?

A friend.

I think I saw like an ad on Facebook to be honest.

Yeah, I think that's where I saw it too.

I work at Whole Foods and I saw them in the whole body section.

Nice.

Yeah.

Cool.

I did. I actually did yesterday. I literally found out about this yesterday and then you guys all put me on this podcast today.

Man.

So like pretty awesome, good timing.

What did you think it wasn't you first saw it?

I thought it was a form of birth control 'cause I'm an idiot. But don't sue me.

Well, there is a thing shaped like that, that is a birth control.

Right, there's like-

Cervical cap.

Cervical caps, yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's not what it is. I now know, so here we are.

Did you read the box to find out?

No, you just told me.

Oh, so you saw this thing and you just-

I just now found out.

In this moment learned what it was. [crosstalk 00:02:16]

Like about five minutes ago, learned what it is, yeah.

Oh my God.

Yeah.

Oh, that's great.

Nice.

Yeah, but it sounds cool. I mean, it sounds like ... I mean, 'cause I've never heard anyone really say a good thing about tampons. No one enjoys using tampons, do they really?

No.

Yeah. How much do they-

I definitely prefer tampons over pads though.

Yeah me too.

Okay, gotcha.

Prior to the Diva Cups, I would say tampons are better than pads.

Right on.

I don't know. Tampons always kind of scared me 'cause I'm very forgetful.

Oh, toxic shock? Yeah, you don't want that.

Yeah. 'Cause well, the thing with me is like the ones that are super absorbent, like the super plus ones are like, you have an increased chance of toxic shock and like I'm really, really heavy. So I always have to use like, those ones. And they just scared me. So I never really used them in the first place. So like they just were weird and I don't like them very much.

I believe that, 'cause I also like, I fluctuate from a heavy period in the beginning to pretty light, and I would use super. And if I pulled it out and it was like, but I didn't have that much period, it would rip out. It feels like you're like pulling apart cloth from a wound or something.

Yeah. It's like, yeah basically.

What I like about them is that, 'cause I have a fairly light period so I can, instead of wasting like a tampon, like a few days before my period actually starts, when I know it's about to come, I can just put that in and like if it doesn't start it's okay, but if it does then I didn't waste anything.

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

That's cool. I didn't-

I've never used it preventatively like that.

And that's one of my favorite part about it, is just that it's so much less waste and it's so much less money. It's like maybe 30, 40 bucks one time. And then-

And you obviously don't need a prescription or anything like that to get it right, yeah. Right, we sell them at Whole Foods, so [crosstalk 00:04:03] ask that question.

It's a valid question for sure.

Yeah, good question.

I was going to say speaking of money, I did the math one time and I probably spent at least 15 or more dollars a month previously on tampons and pads. So this has paid for itself many, many, many times over.

Yeah, I would say so.

Do you feel like it's more hygienic than?

I don't know. When I was talking to Julia about this, I found out how often you should really clean it. Like, when you clean it by boiling it in water for like 10 minutes. I clean it, but I would just wash it with soap and water and I just recently boiled it for like the first time.

No, yeah. Same.

Yeah, that's another thing too is like keeping it around. Like my friend Isaac had a roommate that would just like leave hers in the shower. I was like, "Okay, this is another side of you."

I mean, I do clean it in the shower, but like as far as I just leave it there.

Yeah, it's going to accumulate stuff you don't want in there.

Yeah, showers are pretty dirty, I wouldn't want it- [crosstalk 00:05:00]

Yeah, like flushing a toilet, you get fecal matter on your toothbrush.

Yeah, it's flies like six feet.

You get fecal matter on your toothbrush?

Yeah, when you flush with the seat up. That's why you're just supposed to-

I'm never brushing my teeth again. [crosstalk 00:05:11]

Like there's other measures you can take before that step.

Yeah. No, there's no middle ground whatsoever. Straight to never brushing again.

How did you guys feel about first using it? Like did you know how to put it in correctly?

No.

I had a general idea. I just like ... I was really confused because it suctions up really quickly, it's just like ... 'Cause you fold it and you put it in and it just goes whoop! And then sometimes it doesn't unfold right away, so you're walking and all of a sudden it's just like, pop! And it's such a weird feeling. It's hard to explain. I don't know if you guys ever experienced that. Like it just doesn't take it's full form right away.

I simply try to make it suction, 'cause I read the instructions, I don't know if you guys did but-

Wow.

Nope.

But it says, like to push your vaginal walls, like to make more room for the ring to open up, so if you're struggling with that. And it also says to twist it around to make it pop open.

Huh?

Oh? I didn't know that.

You also have to put it in when it's not off. Like you have to let it expand to its full shape or else it's not ... I've been having problems with it leaking pretty much the whole time, until we talked about this about a month ago and I was like, "Maybe I'm doing it wrong." I would have problems with it leaking a lot. So I'd always also wear a pad and I was like, "Cool, why am I ... this is-"

Yeah.

But then I thought, I just spent some extra time literally practicing on my last period. And it minimized the leakage a lot. You just really got to get the full ... You have to get it back into its full form, open, like not ... I know that sounds so obvious, but I wasn't doing it.

Well, I mean your vagina has ridges, so it's going to have a hard time to fully expand, I guess, unless you move it.

Yeah, I do have a weird vagina too.

We all have weird vaginas.

I still haven't figured out how to use it quite properly, but I have one. So I'll start practicing, I guess.

Yeah. [crosstalk 00:07:04]

Do you want help in the next episode?

I've actually offered my friends before I got one. They're were just so into it and I'm like, "I'll help you." I don't know, maybe that's just 'cause I'm weird. But like-

Yeah, my friend [crosstalk 00:07:15] help-

I wish someone helped me.

We all have the same. Yeah, it's like-

My friend helped me like fold it the right way, 'cause there's like a specific ... You can't just obviously stick it in. And there's like a good way to fold it where you kind of roll it up.

Yeah. [crosstalk 00:07:28] I always like push it in a corner even though it's a circle and then like push the top of it down, so it kind of makes a triangle inside.

Yeah. [crosstalk 00:07:36]

I think we should have a tutorial video, like seriously.

Yeah, with a brand new and clean one though.

Yeah, the listeners are missing some serious handling tips for this stuff.

Yeah, I don't want ... Yeah.

[crosstalk 00:07:44] Diva Cup.

But more than putting it in, for me it was like pulling it out was really weird. I didn't realize that you kind of have to like birth it slightly to the front and then you can kind of start to grab and break the seal with the finger to pull it out, like create an air bubble. But that was really hard for me in the beginning. I was like-

Oh, was that scary?

'Cause it was like suctioned in, and I was like, "What?"

It's really weird 'cause the first time I did it, I was like super heavy flow and I just grabbed it and yanked it out and it went-

Oh!

I'm not going to go into detail, but I made a huge mess and I was not in my own bathroom.

Oh!

It was a really bad time, and I was like, "What am I going to do? I'm in a public restroom."

Oh no.

Well, I didn't know what to do and I was at work and stuff. So I was like, "I don't feel comfortable leaving it in there for 12 hours like it said." So I just yanked that thing out and it was just ... It was a bad time. And that's the thing, it's like you can't really change it in public if you need to, which I always feel the need to.

Yeah, that's unfortunate. I end up just like ... I don't know. Sometimes I have to do it in a public bathroom, but I really do everything I possibly can to empty it in a bathroom where it's private, where I can wash my hands in the same space without being in the stall.

I usually do it in the shower just because, in case anything spills out that can wash it all off.

Takes care of it.

Yeah.

Makes sense.

About removing it though, someone described it to me as you have to bear down, like you're going to have poop.

Oh yeah, like with the legs?

And that's how I think of it. Yeah.

Yeah.

And well I mean yeah, like be in a position where you'd also poop and use all the same muscles.

Like kegels or whatever?

Yeah, it is kegal.

It's kegals not keg ... I thought it's kegals. I was like, "Oh?"

I used to say kegals, and then I heard that it's kegals.

And I guess they're like squatty potties.

Yeah.

Another topic.

I love those.

Yeah, I want to get one.

You've used that?

Yeah. Well I mean, I don't actually like own one. I just use like anything like a few feet off the ground.

Oh, yeah [crosstalk 00:09:46] like an expensive high end product.

Oh, to like get your feet up?

It opens up your tract.

I've heard that before. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Opens up your butt.

Yep.

Makes it easy.

Got to get your butt open. Major key.

Do you think a lot of women know about Diva Cups, or men? I don't want to-

I feel like they do, I just feel like it's really intimidating.

Yeah. Even tampons on just like young girls, I know I was kind of scared to start using them, and I know women who don't use them because they don't want something foreign up there I guess.

Yeah.

I feel like it's also a cultural thing too. Like in Nepal or from what I've heard, they don't use tampons, they use pads and like that's just how it is. And there's just a whole stigma around it too.

Have you guys heard of free bleeding?

Yes.

No.

There was a woman that ran a marathon and totally just freely just bled.

Yeah, to make a statement, yeah.

That's exactly what it sounds like, right?

Yeah. Nothing to stop it, yeah. I mean that's how we did it back in the day, I'm sure.

Yeah, I mean absolutely, yeah.

That's how a lot of women in poor countries do it to this day.

And some women spend like a whole week out of school or work like in Africa or Asia, I don't know where, but like-

Oh, they just feel like I will-

They miss everything because they can't go out.

Yeah.

Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if that's better for you? Is it bad that we're just trapping our blood inside of us for a while. With tampons, it seemed probably a little bit worse.

Right, 'cause I mean, it's obviously coming out for a reason, like it's supposed to-

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. That's what I like about pads. It's like, it just feels like it's going onto something instead of into something inside of me. I mean, they have reusable pads too, except that just feels ...

I wanted to try those underwear, the things ... Although it's so heavily promoted on my Facebook, like ads that I'm like, I kind of resent it. But I want to, 'cause it sounds interesting. I don't know how they ... Maybe next time we should all like get them and try them.

Yeah.

I mean yeah, I've been wanting to try it too, Thanks Underwear.

I feel like they'd be nice just for like nighttime.

Yeah.

I mean, I don't know if I'd wear them during the day just 'cause ... I don't know, I'm just so heavy. I feel like it wouldn't work, you know?

No, I can't imagine it working on a heavy day.

I don't know what they're made out of, but yeah they're underwears that absorbs most of the period blood, so-

Are you guys' periods pretty like consistent like regular?

No.

I'm on birth control, so like it's always whenever I'm on the sugar pill or whatever.

Yeah.

Yeah, mine's pretty regular.

Well, I started birth control when I was like 13 or 14, just because it was like so heavy and like horrifying. But it's still like, it never really helps. Nothing has ever made it consistent, and just recently I got the next fond implant and I didn't get it for a year. Like after I got it, I just didn't get it. And then all of a sudden I had it for almost a month straight.

Wow.

And ever since then, it's just like, I don't know. It's never been normal for me. Maybe something's wrong with me, but I don't know. I always just thought I was like-

[crosstalk 00:12:43] People have irregular periods.

Yeah.

The aspect of the Diva Cup compared to other forms of menstruation prevention, like how tampons have chemicals in them. We should talk about that.

Yeah, it makes me feel better using the Diva Cup instead of whatever the hell is and tampons.

Yeah, we don't know what's in it.

Yeah.

So at least we know with the Diva Cup, it's just silicone.

It's one ingredient basically, it's just an ingredient? One-

I haven't looked at what it's made out of but I'm sure it's just that and maybe plastic or something.

Yeah, I recently went out, 'cause I was trying to buy a new Diva Cup for my last period. But they are kind of expensive, like we were talking about 30, and so I was looking at some comparable thing and I ended up buying the Duchess cup. And yeah, it was like $13 or $14, and I really like it. The shape is the same except for the little thing that you pull at the end, it's like ribbed, so you can like grab onto it even with minor nails.

But when I was shopping, there are some that are FDA approved and some that are not. And I didn't think about it. I got one that ... Yeah, the Duchess is FDA approved. But it makes sense 'cause you're putting it in your body and you want it to like ... So yeah, I think just be careful of that. But the Silicon seems pretty good in your body, pretty safe.

Yeah, it's what sex toys are made out of, so.

Yeah, it's supposed to be surgical grade silicone, right?

Yeah. And yeah, that's what Pam wanted us to mention too. Our plug about chemicals and pesticides inside the cotton and tampons. Yeah, having that inside your body all day is probably not great.

Not ideal, yeah.

And I mean, they're bleached to be white too.

Bleached to be white, yeah.

Yeah. That's so weird.

Yeah.

And just a lot of waste. Yeah, wrapper, the insert-

Yeah, applicator.

Applicator, Yeah.

Yeah. So Diva Cups are definitely the most eco-friendly option as well.

Yeah, that's it, yeah.

Yeah, definitely.

Oh yeah. Well, we were also going to talk about related kind of PMs-ing. I don't know, I just had like a really low day on Wednesday and the next day was fine again 'cause I was PMs-ing. On Wednesday was like, I can't even tell you guys. That's when you called me that day and I was talking to you and I was like, "I don't know what I'm doing with my life." [crosstalk 00:15:03]

And Thursday, you got your period?

Yeah.

Yeah. That's what it does, 'cause it's always the day before I get so depressed and I'm like, "What's happening to me."

And then you get it and you're like, "Oh?"

"Thank God, yeah you again."

Yeah, I'm not really sure how PMs works to be honest. I just know that anywhere from a week or two weeks before, I'm just a cranky bitch for no reason. I don't know, I just get so upset over nothing. And then I get my period and I'm like, "Oh, okay. Now I get it, like that makes sense."

And I feel weird when you're irregular too 'cause then there's not a lot. Like for me, it's predictable a little bit.

Yeah, like on a regular schedule.

But if I didn't know it was coming, that would be even crazier, I think.

Yeah, well that's the thing. It's just like I never know, like there's never any like, "Oh, it should probably come today or tomorrow." It's like, "Well-"

It might be today, it might be next week, it might be-

Do you track it on a calendar?

It might be next week. I've tried and honestly it's like sometimes I'll get it twice in one month, and then sometimes I don't get it for like a month or two or like, I don't know. It's really weird.

Can you tell still like right before you're going to get it?

Kind of 'cause I'll start to cramp a little bit, like two or three days before, I'll start to cramp.

Oh, okay. So it's like it's totally-

But then even then like ... Oh, sorry no.

So it's not like a total, total surprise, like?

Yeah, I mean it's not a total surprise, but like I don't know. It's just so hard to explain because I just ... Also I have a lot of stress which can definitely affect your flow. Like you just get so stressed, so it just puts it off even longer. So I feel like maybe that has something to do with it too.

You know about that? [crosstalk 00:16:30]

Yeah, I kind of had a time too and then mine be would be like two days and it'll stop for a day and then it'll be like one more day and it's done. But it's just like it's weird. Like I always have like a break, I mean like a day off and then it's like [crosstalk 00:16:42].

A day off.

It plays a peek-a-boo.

And it's like, yeah. 

So you just wear the Diva Cup the whole time?

Well, I still haven't managed to use a Diva Cup. [crosstalk 00:16:49] Yeah, I bought it and then I just ... Yeah that's why I wanted to ... Okay. [crosstalk 00:16:55] now that I-

I usually only get cramps like the day of, and they're not that severe. And then my period is only like three days long, three to four. I feel like I have weird periods even though they're consistent.

So I know Julia doesn't use the actual like Diva Cup brand. So did like Rachel and Chelsea and Indira, you guys all have the actually like Diva Cup?

I have diva, diva, yeah.

Yeah, I actually lost one.

The diva, diva cup.

The diva, diva cup.

The diva, diva cup.

I still don't know where my first one went. I still feel like it's going to turn up one of these days. [crosstalk 00:17:27]

My intuition is that it went all the way up inside and it's just in my uterus now.

Rachel's first boy is [crosstalk 00:17:42]

Oh my.

Embedded into me, like.

I was just curious 'cause I wanted to warn women against the one that I originally bought. It was the XL flow cup, which I recently-

That sounds like a Little Uzi Vert song.

I does. This is not, it's a podcast Ian.

That's all right.

No, well okay. So it's called XL flow and it was like $40 at community market, and I was like, "Okay, it's like organic. It's cool." Then I was at work and I was trying to take it out and I was trying to work it out and I break this suction, and all of a sudden I pulled on it thinking that the suction is broken and the thing snapped.

Oh, that's not good.

It hurt really bad, like I yelped in the bathroom. And so, 'cause it has like three little balls thing, like three little balls on it. And so the first one snapped off. So I'm like, "Ow! Okay." So I grab, like I try to get up to the third one and I try to pull it out, and it fucking snapped again. Imagine like snapping rubber band on your lady bits, like it hurts. So yeah. No one buy that cup 'cause it was very cheaply made. It only lasted me like three uses.

Wow.

And it was $40.

And it was $40. Like it was ... It sucks, 'cause that's the whole point, it's not to waste money or like resources and stuff, and it totally just like ...

Yeah, that sounds dangerous.

That sounds like [crosstalk 00:18:56].

Yeah. Like died out on me in the worst possible way.

Yeah at work too. That's just a nightmare.

I mean, thank God it was like kind of towards the end of it. So it was kind of just like "Whatever." I just free balled it I guess.

Free balled it. Well played, well played.

I have a question for you guys. What how would you like recommend it to other people? I mean, I always tell everyone I like the Diva Cup and I'm always like, "Yeah, try it." Is that what ... I don't know. I'm curious what you guys tell people if they asked you about it or if it comes up.

I would tell people to have it, but it is a lifestyle change. Like I don't know if everyone's down for the nitty gritty work 'cause it's easy to just have a tampon and throw it away and have that be someone else's problem. But to like reach down there and like get blood on you, it's gory and ... But I don't know. I recommend it to people who look like they're down for that kind of work.

I feel like you could work your way up to it, you know? 'Cause there's like the tampons with the applicators and then there's the tampons without them. So you can kind of be like, go from this to that like, yeah.

Right.

A step by step process.

Work your way into it.

I have an IUD and you're supposed to check the strings like every ... I don't know if you guys know that. You're supposed to check it like every month, and I never do 'cause I hate checking.

How do you do that?

It's going fine. You got to reach all the way up there. It's hard. It's like so weird, but you're supposed to do it. What?

The strings are just like-

Is that the copper one?

Yeah, like the copper one. The strings hang down just past the cervix. That's the part that's the opening to the uterus, right?

Yeah, yeah.

They hang just past the cervix and you can feel them if you reach really far, on you're supposed to check and make sure they're still there 'cause there's I guess a possibility every time you menstruate that it might come loose and come out. Although, I think that's accompanied with pretty bad cramping. Although I do get really bad cramps, so I should probably check every month.

Yeah.

It's still there.

That's good.

So like I have this routine that I should be doing. I should be reaching up there and checking it. I just don't like doing it and I never do, and even the Diva Cup was hard to get used to in that way just 'cause I'm not familiar with doing that. But then I got used to it and the Diva Cup is a cool way to live.

Yeah, a way of life. That's definitely.

Oh, should we talk about period shama?

Stigma?

Oh, stigma. [crosstalk 00:21:18]

I think we should probably talk about period shama too.

You know, what's your opinion on periods and like women on their periods?

What's my opinion?

What's your opinion.

I mean, it's nature. [crosstalk 00:21:37] My opinion is that it's nature I guess, I don't know.

Do you have guy friends who get grossed out about it?

Oh, totally yeah.

Really?

But I don't. I mean, I don't care.

What do they say?

Yeah, I'm curious.

Yeah.

Ew, she's on her period.

Oh?

You can mention stuff, yeah.

That's about it, yeah. But no, I mean it's just a part of ... It's a thing that everyone goes through, I mean every woman goes through, and girl I guess who start getting like what, 12, 13 it is usually.

It depends. [crosstalk 00:22:01]

I feel like it's getting earlier now.

Really?

Yeah.

That's actually very true. [crosstalk 00:22:05]

What they say too is it's like the hormones that-

Yeah, hormones that we eat.[crosstalk 00:22:07]

Hormones in the water.

And water. Yeah, it's like in the meat and stuff, right? [crosstalk 00:22:13]

It's just we're exposed to so much more now.

Yeah.

Like there are like nine-year olds, eight-year olds and I just can't imagine.

Nine-years old, really?

It's very common, like I have a lot of friends that got their period when they were like nine-years old.

Wow.

I was 13. I don't know. Yeah, I was 13.

I got mine the first week of seventh grade. I bled through my pants.

So yeah. Wow.

Wow, that's like straight out of a movie.

Chelsea. [crosstalk 00:22:37]

Were they white pants?

No, they were light colored jeans. So not good yet, anyway.

No ideal.

Was anyone like jealous that all their friends got it before they did?

Mine was really late, so I was like, "Why?"

Well, my two best friends got it the same exact day as each other, and I didn't get mine for like another year and a half. I was so upset. 'Cause they were like, "Oh-"

Like feeling left out.

Well, yeah it's like ... I don't know. I guess it's just like a girl thing. It's like, "Oh I got my ... Like I'm a woman now." And that was just like, I didn't get it. And I was like, "Huh, fine."

I didn't have that 'cause I got mine kind of earlier on when I was 12, but some of my friends did feel that way too. Even my cousin told me she felt that way. I'm like, "Less time in your life to have your period? Cool."

Yeah, I feel that way now. But at the time, I was really ... I was more upset than I should have been.

Speaking of stigma though, I do feel like I wish that ... I feel like it's a self perceived thing that we have to not speak about it very openly.

[crosstalk 00:23:31]

Yeah, like you have to like put your tampon up your sleeve when you go to the bathroom and all this stuff. And like when we talked about it, when we all ... Just so everyone knows, we all went to this journalism conference say about a month ago us women, and several of us were on our periods. We already basically had this podcast episode back then. And we were walking to the elevator in the hotel where we were staying at and just like would go in the elevator, and every time a dude would come into the elevator, we'd like stop talking.

And then like when they leave, we'd keep talking about it. And I'm just like, it's funny that we try to censor ourselves. Like I know that there are probably times where you should maybe censor yourself, but I think we do it way more than we need to, and I don't know why. Like everybody knows about periods, men know about periods.

Yeah, I mean it's not like it's a secret. Like, yeah everyone knows it. Yeah, exactly.

And I think we should talk a little bit more about some of the things you have to deal with related to your periods. I'm pretty lucky like I don't have debilitating periods like some people do, like endometriosis or whatever, which apparently results in like a lot of things, but one of them-

It's like the bleeding of like outside of your uterus.

Yeah.

Like the walls are shedding off.

Don't you have like cysts?

Yeah.

I feel like there's a lot people that have issues with it.

I think when you have endodimit-

Endometriosis. [crosstalk 00:24:45]

I don't know. I think it has something to do with like cysts, like-

Yeah, something-

That would be so painful.

I mean, without knowing all the details about it, I do know that one of the problems related to that is like this really debilitating cramps. Like I get bad cramps, but this is like you can't go to work cramps, and like people don't talk about that. So, I do feel like in general it would be nice if we didn't like feel like we had to stop talking when the elevator door opens, just cause the dude walks in.

Yeah.

Or a kid. I don't know. What do you guys think?

As far as like kids.

Well, people in general. Like we'll whisper about it and just not talk about ... And not just the period thing itself, just everything related to it. Like, "Oh, it's complicated for me to go to this beach trip this weekend 'cause I'm like on a heavy flow." And it's like obnoxious and you know, it just impacts your life more than when people talk about it.

I think that's one good thing about the Diva Cup, because you could probably do more.

That's true.

Like you could go into water and like not worry about like the water seeping into your tampon or whatever.

Yeah. I think ... I just don't like the fact that like ... Fuck, I lost my train of thought. I had something really good to say and then I forgot what I was going to say.

I want to talk about period sex. I've never had it, but like what are your guys' thoughts?

Extra lubrication.

Yeah.

But honestly it's never really felt like anything different. Like it just felt like normal sex, just a little messier, that was all. Actually no, it always causes my period to start.

Me too.

Oh yeah.[crosstalk 00:26:13]

I've noticed like a lot of the time, I'm just like, "I'm not on my period. It's fine." And then like we'd do, and he'd like turn lights on and he's like, "Um, Yeah." He's all, "Um."

"Oh, right now? Okay." Yeah, mine will be like a day after, but it would be like a week early or something. That's the only time it's like kind of irregular for me.

Yeah, for whatever reason it just like kick-starts.

Yeah, like a suction cup.

I feel like if my partner is okay with it, I'm okay with it. But it can be pretty messy, like crime scene.

Like Law and Order. [crosstalk 00:26:48]

Right. Just all you need to do is like put a towel down really. That's the solution, that's the golden rule. You don't want to ruin your sheets.

So a towel down.

Yeah. [crosstalk 00:27:00]

Throw a towel down.

Solutions to everything. Do you guys have like your special period underwear?

Oh?

Yeah.

That's amazing. Wait you-

Oh yeah, like you have underwear designated for when you're on your period.

Really?

'Cause it gets messy.

Oh yeah, of course.

It's kind of like the throw away pair, right?

Yeah, totally. Yeah, those pairs.

Okay.

I don't think I care about that as much now that I'm on the Diva Cup, because I don't have any like spillage or anything like that. So I'm like, "Okay, I'm good."

'Cause Chelsea is a master of the Diva Cup.

I must be doing it wrong. I need to consult you two 'cause like it's still amateur.

Let's do a hands-on tutorial. Well, I didn't know you had to like fold it in. I just thought you like folded it.

That's what it says in the direction.

Into like a C shape, I don't know.

C shape?

[crosstalk 00:27:45] The cover for this podcast should be a picture of a Diva Cup so people have like an image, if they're actually listening.

Let's make a gift of how to like fold it.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

You have yours with you, right?

Indisposed.

Indisposed.

It's not available. [crosstalk 00:28:02]

I mean, I have mine, but I don't want to pull it out, 'cause it's broken for a one.

Oh yeah, that won't work. That's crazy. You should take a picture and send that to them and be like, "Okay." What's the name of that Diva Cup brand?

XL flow.

XL flow.

They sell it at community market. It took me a while to actually find which one it was 'cause I didn't want to drive all the way back. But I was like looking through ... It sells like 50 different brands of Diva Cups. And I finally found the one that I had of course at the very bottom of the list alphabetically obviously. And I find it and I was like, "Oh, okay." And it's like they sell it on this website called Glad Rags.

Oh man.

That's funny.

Yeah, it's super weird but-

So you still use that, but it's with [crosstalk 00:28:44].

Well, I just have it. I just don't want to throw it away.

Oh, yeah.

Well, it just came with this like really cute little like sack to carry it in.

Yeah, they usually those. [crosstalk 00:28:52]

I've got one of those.

A diva sack.

When I first bought the first Diva Cup I bought, I was being rung up by the cashier and she was ringing me up and there was a dude who is bagging my items, and he was bagging that and he was like, "What's this?" He looked really young too. "What's this?" [crosstalk 00:29:11]

"Oh, what's this dude?"

Poor guy. And then the cashier, before I could say anything, she said, "It's a shower cap for your cat."

Genius.

Of course she was joking and I was laughing, and this poor guy, he was so confused. He could tell we were kind of laughing at him and he's just trying to laugh too. He was like, "Hahaha." I wonder if he ever figured it out.

Oh my God.

A shower cap for your cat.

But why censor ourselves, like we can be honest.

Well, something like that kind of happened with my little brother. I told him to get something out of my purse, and it was in it's like cute little sack and he

The diva sack, right?

Yeah, the diva sack.

Yeah.

So I think I asked him to get my phone or something, and he goes in and he pulls it out and he's like, "Oh sis, what's this?" I just like snatched it out of his hand. I'm like, "Nothing. It's pot." I guess it's I didn't want him to get the stigma.

Yeah, I know.

I didn't want him to know that he was holding something that's been in me, so I was like, "It's pot. Give it back." I swear to God, I'm not even lying.

It would stigmatize him a lot, yeah. But yeah, that's a hygienic issue, I guess for him.

Yeah, and then he's also my brother. I didn't want him to know. He still doesn't know.

I think we should get one of the girls in the Oak leaf to get one, if they haven't already and then they could be our test subject.

Our Guinea pig. [crosstalk 00:30:31]

I still have to figure it out.

Well yeah, I mean, if you haven't used it yet, we could use that for like the picture or two.

I'll have to find it.

Yeah, I want to use it. They don't get that same clear color again after that I feel like. I haven't asked you guys, is it ever, like I don't even know, weirdly satisfying is maybe the way to describe it, to like take it out and dump it in the toilet when it's super full and you're like, "Bye bye."

I've never really thought about like what consistency the blood was. I always just thought it was just like loose, like runny blood, but it's like the actual lining of the inside. So you could see like-

Inside the shade.

Yeah, it's like a film on kind of.

Hey, come on Chelsea. Take your damn [crosstalk 00:31:07].

And if this is the top layer, it's like a lot. I also heard it's good for your plants.

Have you guys seen that Buzzfeed video where they paint with their menstrual blood?

Buzzfeed?

Say that again?

Yeah, Buzzfeed.

Wow, that sounds some like Yoko Ono stuff.

Buzzfeed has really put up some cloudy content recently, before all this stuff. [crosstalk 00:31:24]

I know a performance artist who did, I feel like some period blood art too.

Yeah, I've seen that. [crosstalk 00:31:30]

That's kind of something that I was thinking of too.

What was their purpose of that? Just to like end the stigma or just like?

I don't even know. I saw it like two years ... Yeah it's been awhile.

I feel like reinventing the paint one day.

I just remembered it. [crosstalk 00:31:42] and I just remember them.

So Ian, would you recommend the Diva Cup now?

Oh, 100%. Sounds like you guys are pretty into it and Chelsea has got it locked down.

So all the women in Whole Foods will just be like, "Okay."

Oh yeah, yeah.

Diva Cup ambassador. [crosstalk 00:31:55]

Even if they're not even like in the section, they're in the produce section.

Like go to isle four, check out this.

"Hey, you got to go. You got to check out the Diva Cup."

Do you have a girlfriend?

I do not.

Well, if you had a girlfriend, you'd just like go get it for her one day. It's like, "Here, I got you something."

Yeah, and that's the plan. I'm going to get it for just to everyone.

First date.

I'm just going to hand it out on, yeah first date.

I bought you a gift.

Tinder. That's my first message. Do you use the Diva Cup? And she's like, "Uh, bye." But yeah, I mean from what you guys are saying, it sounds like a pretty cool product, it's eco-friendly and it allows you to do things while you're on your period. So, that sounds pretty cool to me.

That's a perfect synopsis.

Yeah.

You guys, thank you for coming.

Hey, anytime, my pleasure.

We literally just like called him in, "Ian, you want to do a podcast about Diva Cups?"

Yeah, and I came in and I said, "I'm more of an IUD guy myself." I learned-

[crosstalk 00:32:53] got to fly.

I learned in this podcast, that was good.

Well, do we have anything else to say?

No, I think it's good. Send us questions guys. You can email ... What's the Oak Leaf email?

Oakleafstaff@gmail?

Yep.

Yeah, oakleafstaff@gmail.com

You can ask Willow about it too. [crosstalk 00:33:10]

Oh.

Yeah.

Yes, Willow.

Yeah.

Facebook, Instagram, follow us on everything.

Yeah.

FaceTime.

We definitely could use some follow up about this topic, especially I'm sure people have questions from the topic. [crosstalk 00:33:22]

Oh, I don't doubt it, yeah.

All right, thanks guys.

Cool.