We are excited to welcome Haley B. to the DivaCup blog today! As a teacher, track coach, wife and mother, as well as a tackle football player, there were a lot of reasons Haley decided to give the DivaCup a go, even though she was skeptical at first. In today’s post, Haley shares those reasons, as well as why she loves the DivaCup and why she’ll never go back to traditional period products. 

My name is Haley. I’m a mother, teacher, track coach, and I play tackle football for the Utah Falconz.

Shortly after my second child was born, our family made the switch from disposable diapers to cloth diapers. I loved saving money, avoiding chemicals, and the lack of waste our family was creating.

Soon afterwards, I realized my traditional use of tampons and pads likewise needed a reevaluation. I was sick of the cost and waste associated with traditional feminine hygiene products, not to mention the serious dangers of TSS.

Besides that, traditional pads and tampons never truly worked well for me. I always ended up leaking due to my active life and heavy cycles. I have always cursed my “monthly gift” for slowing me down and forcing me to take constant breaks from my active life just to change my tampon.

I first heard about the DivaCup from a friend on Facebook who was brave enough to share that she switched from tampons to the DivaCup and loved it.

I admit, when I first heard about it I thought, “Ew… I could never do that.” But the more I researched, the more I realized that a menstrual cup could really fix a lot of the problems I had with traditional feminine hygiene products.

Can Divas Play Football? Yes, yes they can!

I decided to be brave and take the leap. I’m glad I did.

My first couple days using the DivaCup was a bit of a learning curve, but I quickly caught on. By day three I felt like a pro.

Football practice was coming up and I was excited to see how it would hold up while sprinting, blocking, diving for balls, and being tackled. Women’s tackle football is definitely an “extreme sport” and I wanted to see if DivaCup’s claim that their product could handle the most extreme sports would hold up.

By the end of practice, I was sold. I finished an intense three-hour practice without one leak. Even hard hits and tackles didn’t cause the cup to slip or lose the seal and I didn’t have to leave the field once. I didn’t actually empty my DivaCup till that evening!

I love the freedom that my DivaCup gives me. As a busy mom, coach, and athlete, the DivaCup has made my life so much easier. It’s convenient, discreet, and incredibly effective. With tampons, I was lucky to get 4 hours of protection. With the DivaCup, I can go up to 12 hours before emptying it.

The DivaCup can handle both my heaviest and lightest days, so I no longer have to purchase a variety of absorbencies to fit the different points in my cycle. I also no longer have to pack an entire purse full of feminine hygiene products just to get me through a day (or trip!). And… I no longer have to fear the consequences of underestimating the number of tampons needed. (Yes, we’ve all been there!).

I can’t wait to use my DivaCup on my next backpacking trip to the Uintahs. As a firm believer in leave-no-trace camping, I can tell you from experience that packing out used feminine hygiene products is not fun. The DivaCup is going to make outdoor adventures much easier.

There were a couple other perks I wasn’t expecting. Since making the switch to the DivaCup I’ve noticed I noticed less cramping and my period is lighter and shorter.

I love the DivaCup and I’m never going back to the traditional feminine hygiene products. I’m happy to share my experience so that other women will know there is an alternative out there and it’s definitely worth giving it a try.

Haley B.

Can Divas Play Football? Yes, yes they can!

Haley is a teacher, track coach, wife, and mother to two beautiful daughters. She plays wide receiver and corner for the Utah Falconz. Her favorite pastimes include camping, backpacking, baking, knitting, and crocheting.