help from those who have used/ are using estradiol cream

hey everyone, a couple of months ago i had my first gyno visit which went well. the doctor was very kind and did not do a physical exam as she knew it would be uncomfortable and cause a lot of distress but she still listened very attentively as i explained my symptoms to her.

at the end of the visit she prescribed me estradiol cream to use vaginally every day in order to improve the elasticity. she said that in 3 months time we will be able to see if any progress is starting to be made with the cream.

so my question to those who have used/ are currently using estradiol cream is, do you find it difficult to insert the applicator? i am frustrated because i can never seem to get it in far enough and so every morning the cream just ends up all over the inside of my underwear. i feel so helpless because this is supposed to be helping me and instead it’s just causing more frustration. am i going about this the wrong way? should i first practice dilating (have not started doing so yet) first so that it is easier to use the applicator? but at the same time, i feel that i’m just going in circles because how can i dilate unless i address the elasticity issue first? i’m really at a loss here.