The Keeper (Women's Issues)

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Ladies i of course realize this is a very personal issue, but i don't make a habbit of purchasing a $40.00 item with out input. I am talking about the keeper, a rubber devise for menstral cycles. Does anyone have any thing to advise?

I have an allergic reaction to pads, I had Toxic Shock Syndrome many years ago and spent a long spell in the hospitol, dropping down to 86 pounds. I also get infections from tampons. I have tried the homemade ones. Is this better, easier, more practical? Are they comfortable?

I am sorry for the personal subject matter. You may use my private email instead, if you wish. I hope i have not offended.

-- Shau Marie (WI) (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001

Answers

I personally love the keeper. I have used it for about 4 years now. It took a little getting used to but it is very handy to have, better for the environment. I would just be sure that you weren't allergic to it. For when I spot I took some unbleached flannel, triple layered it, sewed it into a pad shape and pin it to my underwear. They are very absorbant and washable, cheap too. Good Luck

-- BB (facif10@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.

Shau, I love it also, especially during those heavy days. It does take some getting used to, it is also not as easy to remove (cleanliness wise) as tampons or pads, keep wet ones by the toilet :) But for cleanliness (delicately here but with no blood subject to the air, you simply can't have any smell) and cost it surely has all the other methods beat hands down. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.

I tried to submit this once before, so you may be reading this twice. What is the keeper? I also have an allergic reaction to most pads. It is the bleach that they put in them to make them white.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 24, 2001.

Shau Marie, I'm glad you asked. I've wondered myself. I have made washable pads and really don't care for them. I don't like any kind of pads really. And organic cotton tampons are expensive. If this is something that works, I'm all for it!

For those of you that have used a keeper, does it feel like a tampon? Do you notice it being there? It sort of seems like a diaphragm. Is it?

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), January 24, 2001.


It is a smal rubber cup like devise that fits inside of you. So far it sounds like it works too :) Thanks for all your responses so far.

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.


Nan i forgot! I have tried the all natural undyed pads, but they are very expensive. Try the homemade cotton ones or buy the keeper. I think i am!

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.

For me it is much better. I don't usually feel it. It certainly doesn't dry all of my insides out. I have used it horseback riding, backpacking, all sorts of activities.

-- BB (facif10@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.

Not to be gross, but does it leak? I have a very heavy flow!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 24, 2001.

I just went to the keeper site listed under health in the classifieds in C-side. It says you can get one for 34.90 including S&H. That's a little savings compared to 40.00.

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), January 24, 2001.

I'll answer the gross ones :) Yes it will leak if you go to long. Geeze I'm 43 and know my cycle pretty well, so I just change much more often the first couple of days.

Yes it is exactly like putting in a diaphram only much smaller. In fact they used to have a cap type birth control device that I thought was great, fit right over the cervix, instead all the way around the world the diaphram fits over! But just like when OB tampons came out without applicators, my eldest daughter loves them, my middle daughter hates them, and you would hear folks commenting on appying them with your finger? If you would have a problem with non applicator tampons, or putting in a diaphram than the keeper isn't for you.

I also love the fact that you can have sex when you choose, the keeper like the diaphram, keeps your period a secret. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.



Wow, I tried something five years back that went by a different name, "options" I think. I had trouble putting it in so it wouldn't leak. Is the keeper easier to put in? I'd like to try something that isn't harmful. Did you know that non-organic tampons have material in them that actually makes you bleed more??

The keeper, it is one you wash over and over and re-use?? I'd like to read or hear more about them, too. I'm a little embarrassed talking about this stuff, but it is just "part of it" so to speak.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 24, 2001.


When I took the literature to my doctor at my annual physical, she nearly blew a gasket. She said she couldn't see how the thing could be effectively cleaned, thought it would cause blood clots to back up into the cervix and be a medium for infections and a few other subtle comments that she didn't think it would be a healthy alternative. Later she admitted being upset when the OB tampons were no longer available because she liked them so well. She also mentioned that she uses 2 tampons simultaneously. Hmmm. My initial flow is too heavy for the "safe" tampons and the pads are very irritating to me regardless of frequency of changing them. I keep hoping that at nearly 52 I'll just get on with menopause and be done with all the nonsense.

Has anyone ever sifted through all the stuff in the Canadian and US Depts of Health to see what is there? I know it's called something else in Canada, Ministry of Health maybe. Even seeing on the literature that it was approved in both countries didn't change my doctor's opinion. I haven't bought a keeper because feminine hygiene products were another item I got for Y2K (useful as bandages too).

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), January 24, 2001.


I heard about the keeper thing years ago. Have to admit I was a bit squeamish about the whole idea and didn't get one.

Tampons have given me trouble in the last few years so I've just been using pads. My pads however are just my last child's pre-folded cloth diapers. Fold them lengthwise in thirds and then in half and lay them in the underwear. I don't pin them either. However, I do use those lycra panties that hold you snug and the pad doesn't slip. I usually only wear those for periods. It kind of feels good too to wear the control panties when my abdomen and back are achy.

Hope the thing works out ok for you.

-- Heather (heathergorden@hotmail.com), January 24, 2001.


Marty the web site is at http://www.keeper.com

I am so happy to see the number of responses. I want to be well informed on the issue. I use the cloth pads also, i just heard with the keeper the odor is less.

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.


I was trying to explain the Keeper to the ladies in my Bible study. You just can't describe it. I put it in a ziplock baggie and took it with me. They could see it and feel it and bend it, yet didn't get any germs on it, because it was in the baggie.

It has a "stem" that you grip to remove. I found that, I had to find a happy medium between leaving it long enough to grip easily, -yet short enough that it didn't poke and pinch me when I sat. Sometimes, when my back is really bothering me and I'm a little stiff and sore, I have a time getting bent around to fish it out.

I filled the Keeper with water and measured it. About an ounce. All the medical literature says an entire period yields about 2 ounces of flow. I'm like "Where are you from?" I have emptied my Keeper four times in a fornoon on a tough day.

The Keeper is the way to go. It is a completely different idea and it takes an open mind to try it. Mine paid for itself in the first three months.

At 47, it looks like God has smiled upon me and I won't be needing mine anymore. I will wash it up, disinfect it and pack it away. In serious hard times, I will have it to share and some female will thank me.

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), January 24, 2001.



Just thought I'd say a few words on the subject of the Keeper. I have been using it for, three years now, and I only wish I had been using it for all the years beforehand. While I didn't have any medical problems when I used tampons, I just couldn't afford to keep buying them every month. It took me about two cycles to get used to using the Keeper, "to work the quirks out", so to say. After that, no problems whatsoever! I still use sanitary pads on my two heaviest days for leakage (which will happen if you don't empty it routinely, especially for heavy bleeders). For myself, I couldn't even guess how much money I have saved since using the Keeper. Probably a couple hundred dollars. I'm very satisfied with it, and nothing could sway me to ever use tampons again. The $40 was worth spending!

-- Carter,C. (elin7@hotmail.com), January 25, 2001.

OK, I ordered one this morning. They have a guarantee that you can return it if you don't like it after 3 cycles. I figure you should know by then if it's going to be a "keeper". Ha ha!

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), January 25, 2001.

I bought one a year ago. Yes, it does have a money back guarantee for three cycles. However, I found it took me longer than that to get used to it. I didn't send it back, because I wanted to believe it would work. It does for the most part and I am not sorry I bought it, but it does have it's problems - spotting, has to be positioned correctly, it is messier to handle than pads and the first time I tried to insert it was a juggle. (It is rubber). Some women swear by it. Go to the website and read the testimonials. A lot of them have info in them in how other women insert them and got used to them. You will have to buy it and try it for yourself to discover if it is worth your money or not.

-- R. (thor610@yahooc.com), January 25, 2001.

I have had mine for about a year. It can be cleaned well if you take a couple minutes to bother. I too have had trouble with leaks, especially at night so I use a super over night pad at that time and leave the Keeper in the bathroom for morning. On slower flow days I can leave it in for hours with no problems at all. It did take a couple of cycles or so to get used to the insertion etc but I am not sorry I got one even though its not that great on my heavy days (gotta empty it so much I just use a pad instead). For the rest of the cycle its fabulous! Plus I don't get the painful cramping Iused to get from tampons on day one of my cycle.

-- Alison In Nova Scotia (aproteau@istar.ca), January 26, 2001.

How easy would it be for a 13 yr old who was just beginning her period to learn to use?

-- Maylene (zedanka@aol.com), January 27, 2001.

I wish that I could use one! I am, unfortunately, allergic to latex, so there goes that. I would wonder that a 13 year old would be responsible enough to clean it well enough (the EEWWW factor is somewhat stronger in "young ladies" than in their later years) and she might be tempted to give it less than a thorough sterilization and perhaps might be tempted to leave it in too long. The younger generations are more susceptible to long-term damage from vag. infections simply because they don't recognize the symptoms quickly enough and this may exacerbate this type of problem. Any comments? I remember that when I was about that age, I had a yeast infection for over a month before I finally told my mother that something was wrong, and it took forever to clear up. The problem was that I A) was embarrassed to talk about these things and B) I just thought it was summer heat itch or some such (no experience with anything else).

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 27, 2001.

I would have to agree , 13 is young .My daughter I think would barf with the thought .My other thought is it would be uncomfortable for her .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), January 27, 2001.

I have been using mine for a year. I am glad I bought it but I do have lots of trouble getting it into a "just right" position. If it's not just right it leaks or worse yet irritates me. I don't find it to be meesy although I prefer the toilet is right next to the sink when I empty it so I can wash it without tracking blood all over the bathroom. I am not unhappy with it but if you are a person whose bladder has dropped a bit like mine then it can be tricky to get it in just right. I was hoping it would fit better than it does, but the odor thing and not having to change it often is a real plus.

-- Evelyn B. in NY (peontoo@yahoo.com), January 27, 2001.

Since it is just us women :) Hopefully we have much better relationships with our daughters and sons than what was foisted upon us. I snuck using tampons with no information, and didn't use them for several years, because they were uncomfortable, with no guidance I was using them with part of the applicator still on them :) My favorite story is my girl friend who once the pads with the sticky film to stick to your underware (remember the belts!!) she commented to me that doesn't it hurt to pull them off, she was wearing the sticky side towards herself! I wouldn't think the keeper would be anymore of a problem with our daughters than making sure they understand about not keeping tampons in to long. As mom's in this age, we have alot more responsiblity to our children than our mom's did. Hopefully part of your talks with your kids, is how to correctly put on a condom and also that oral sex is not HIV/STD safe sex. You would be amazed at how many young adults do not know this. With the open free flow of information about menstration, for our boys to, they need to know this information, the next logical step is to talk about birth control, abstinence (with other information, since how many of us were virgins when we were married?) So with my daughters older, I can tell you the least important talk you are ever going to have is the keeper, pads and tampons!! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 28, 2001.

I would like to thank everyone for their responses. It isn't easy to post something personal and i am greatful. I am buying and i think from what i see here, i will not be unhappy. Thanks again! Shau Marie

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 30, 2001.

I started using my diaphram about 20 years ago as a method for controlling menstral fluid. I now use the KEEPER during menstration, which sometimes fills up too quickly. I am extremely comfortable with using this device. I am never squimish using it. The squimish thought for me is thinking of all of those sanitary napkins filling our landfills! Use a Keeper! Use flannel, washable napkins in Your panties. You'll feel better about Your contribution to keeping excessive paper products out of our landfills. Whatever You do, always consider the environment.

-- Kate Williams (kateahimsa@yahoo.com), April 15, 2001.

This isn't an answer, but another question. I've tried to use my diaphram for the same purposes as products such as Instead or the Keeper, but it tends to leak. Any ideas why? the rounded edges? The shallowness? I ask because it is making me paranoid that I have been inserting my diaphram incorrectly all this time (well, saying "all this time" makes it sound like I've been using the diaphram for years when it has really been less than a year, but there were plenty of fertile days in there to worry about).

-- Martha Bekerman (eyeleg@hotmail.com), May 03, 2001.

Go to the site and look at what the Keeper looks like. It is a cap that nestles against and around the cervic only. It is positioned like your diaphram. Remember with your diaphram it is made to keep things (sperm) from getting in, and the keeper is made to keep things from getting out. Sort of the opposite seal on them, and the reason the diaphram leaks. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 03, 2001.

I hate pads with a passion and when I read about the keeper I jumped at the chance to try it. After only one cycle I already loved it. I ome how lost my first one after a year, but loved it so much I wanted to order another one. I told my mother about it and she decided to try it, so I wrote an email and they gave me a little discount for getting two. My mom likes hers. She said it was nice to not have to run to the store because she forgot to get tampons!

I will say two things though that I dislike and this may just be me. I tend to get wet inside a bit when I shower and that tends make the outside of the Keeper slippery and not sill as tight. So I wear a tampon after I shower then wear the keeper later. Also I've noticed that the keeper leaks on me when I lie down so I don't wear mine to bed.

However, in wearing it during the day I have saved WAY more more than I spent on it and it was well worth it. And when you consider the price of a box of tampons, panty liners, and pads--the normal monthly items, it is so cheap!

-- Abbey Colbert (zoe_star@hotmail.com), June 18, 2001.


It is great. Yes, there is spotting, but it is better than having what I call "clot bypass" where you basically have an unused tampon covered by a clot. It also is easier to use than that "instead" brand-- now THAT was difficult to use, and even more environmentally unfriendly if you ask me. Also, if you decide to switch, keep your supplies on hand for visitors, or very young bedwetters, or emergency pads for your first aid kit. Someone gets a nasty cut--you're prepared! GT (remove "no spam" from address to reply)

-- GT (randomnotznospam@yahoo.com), June 25, 2001.

I wanted to write to share my thoughts on the Keeper. I am 29 years old and have spent the last 17 years of my life trying to find comfortable alternative protection for my period. I started wearing OB tampons (with out applicator) after I saw a PETA ad of a sea bird with a tampon applicator stuck around its’ neck, the bird had almost died from starvation when it was found. It was my belief that I needed to be more environmentally aware. After all, something was natural, as your period was not meant to cause harm.

The unfortunate thing about the tampon, besides the fact that they are disposable, is that they are so drying. I suffer from an incredible amount of yeast infections and the tampons just seem to irritate them further. My girlfriend had started using Instead and had suggested I give them a try. The seal was good, but if I inserted it too low, it felt like I had a Frisbee stuck sideways in my vagina. And of course, the fact that they were disposable and I was throwing away a plastic ring/cup really concerned me. Looking for something similar, yet reusable - I purchased the Keeper through Eco-Logic two weeks ago. The Instead took a lot of getting used to, my period is not due for another week, but I’d be happy to update anyone who has an interest as to how well the Keeper works. One note: They have two sizes A: for those who have had at least on vaginal birth and B for everyone else. I ordered the wrong size, I haven’t had children yet but when I spoke to the folks at Eco-Logic they suggested I give the larger size a shot. My periods are a little heavier and the larger size should help with the flow. Since there is a 3 month guarantee, I'm willing to experiment a bit.

-- deneine swokowski (moss@seven-stones.com), October 02, 2001.


After reading about the Keeper on this thread, I too ordered one and have used it for two cycles now. I am thrilled with it! I only have to empty/wash it once in the morning and once at night. No other protection is needed. None!!

The cost for me was $32 something or other, and that included shipping. It's worth every penny.

-- Sharon/WI (pinnow@inwave.com), October 02, 2001.


GT.. thanks for mentioning the INSTEAD product, i was begining to think i was the only one out there that had used them. i was wanting to buy the keeper but was afraid to spend that much $$$ on something that could be as hard to insert as the instead. the person who invented them must have very long fingers!! i couldnt get them up far enough.too bad, it was a good idea. myabe ill try the keeper. thanks cody

-- cody (urbusted@alltel.net), January 15, 2002.

Well, this is not an answer,but a question,and it is a little hard to ask. I have been married for two years and have had alot of problems with intercorse, I finally went to my gyn. and had a check up done, turns out I have a very rare condition where my vagina has to much muscle wich causes sex to hurt. I have used tampons since I was 13 (I'm 22 now)and because they dry me out so bad, I have even more problems. Do you think the Keeper would be a better alternative, I need any help I can get with staying as naturally lubricated as possible, thanks Quinn

-- quinn loftis (qloftis@cteh.com), March 22, 2002.

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