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Diaphragm

11 replies

Thatsashame · 18/06/2019 19:57

Hi all I am 8 weeks post partum. Have my pp review tomorrow. İ am on the mini pill and it has made me feel so horrible, irritable /angry and anxious and paranoid. İ hate it. DH had to point out to me that I am quite horrible since using it. This happened before but I refused to admit it to myself. İt also kills my sex drive. So I have decided i would like a diaphragm. İ am so over hormones. I don't want to keep taking tablets or mess with my cycle. Can someone advise me if they can do it tomorrow. I have a nurses appointment for Friday for contraception but will i need another appointment after telling her that's what I want or would she have the things needed available to just get it fitted there and then. I don't want my GP to do it tomorrow as he is is male.

Thank you. Asking here as I think women's health would take ages to get a reply.

Thank you

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Thatsashame · 18/06/2019 21:13

Bump

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Fairylea · 18/06/2019 21:15

I recently went to an nhs clinic to have a diaphragm fitted and all they did was give me the Caya one you can buy from amazon - one size fits all etc. I wish I had just ordered it, rather than waited around for an appointment- they just literally handed it to me. I guess it’s free on the nhs though! We are very happy with it, it’s slightly less reliable than condoms though. Lots of animated videos about fitting etc on you tube.

Thatsashame · 18/06/2019 21:32

Ooo interesting fairy. Thank you

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MemorialBeach · 18/06/2019 21:45

There is an international shortage of the milex diaphragm which I believe is the only, sized diaphragm still being made, so you may find it isn't available at all - my local, sexual health clinic has a notice on their website saying they aren't fitting or supplying diaphragms at the moment.

If they are available then you need to have it fitted by someone who is trained and there are fewer and fewer people around who are. I made an evening appointment with a nurse to talk contraception, wanting a diaphragm, and she couldn't fit it, I had to make an appointment with a doctor to get it done.

Just one thing about the Caya - it is absolutely not one size fits all, it is one size fits most. It's suitable for women who fit a milex between size 65 and 80 (I think - you may want to check). If you need a smaller or larger milex the Caya won't be suitable as it won't fit properly. I was fitted for a, size 75 milex and while I found it really easy to insert I found it really difficult to remove and manged to damage it trying to take it out while practising insertion - I hadn't even used it for sex yet. I ordered a caya online and it's a little fiddler to insert (due to the position of my cervix) but much easier to remove.

Thatsashame · 18/06/2019 21:58

Ok thank you. I have never had one before. But had 4 children soo.... i should get measured?

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MemorialBeach · 18/06/2019 22:34

No problem, sorry it was such an essay! Everyone needs to get measured to ensure the diaphragm fits correctly - if it doesn't it isn't effective. I've just checked my local clinic's website - they have a document in there saying if anyone wants a diaphragm they should purchase a caya and some caya gel or contra gel to go with it. They say they are happy to help and advise with using it if you make an appointment and bring it in, so I would assume they would check the fit too. If you have a clinic that supplies the caya I would hope they would check this fit is suitable before giving it to you.

Fairylea · 18/06/2019 22:37

The Norwich nhs clinic just gives you one and off you go... no check, no fitting etc! I have used one before so I know how to check it’s okay etc but others might not!

Thatsashame · 18/06/2019 22:53

Thank you both of you. İ will ask my gp tomorrow. Although for some reason dh doesn't like the idea of a diaphragm. I'm not sure why as it doesn't effect him at all and I am so done with hormones and want a regular cycle. Oh I hate being a woman some times. The amount of crap we have to go through

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DeathyMcDeathStarFace · 18/06/2019 23:57

OP I have been on the pill for most of the last 23 years, only not on it when having our 4 children, and found it affected me adversely more and more over the years. I realised I needed to come off hormonal contraception completely so we looked at all the other contraception available.

We decided our only options were diaphragm, cap or copper coil. We seriously looked at the diaphragm but it is nowhere near as effective as we wanted and it's a bit of a faff having to put it in and out so decided on the coil. If you are prepared to put it in and take it out every time you need it then it might be good for you, but if you're ever on holiday etc and forget to take it with you then you might have to do without sex or find a shop to buy condoms from. (But you might be more organised than me.)

Would you consider a copper coil? I decided on one for many reasons. It is over 99% effective (most effective contraception other than abstention), no hormones (unlike the hormonal version) and once it is in you don't need to take it out and replace it every time you have sex.

I have only had mine for just over two weeks but so far it is no problem. At the beginning you can bleed for 3 weeks and periods can be heavy for up to 6 months, but so far for me I have had very little bleeding. Yay. And apart from checking the strings are in position once a month you don't have to think about it.

It can take longer to get one than a diaphragm, depending on the area you are in. I had to wait for an appointment at the GUM clinic as doctors surgeries don't fit them here, but in my opinion it was worth it. It is not for everyone but might be worth seriously considering for yourself.

I am in my mid forties and, unlike some, had regular bleeds while on the pill up until about two years ago. Then they stopped and I had to stop the pill to have a period so was wondering how I would know if I was going through the menopause if I was on the pill with no bleeding and didn't have any other noticeable symptoms. I am now looking forward to having normal periods and no interference from the pill, and if my periods stop I will consider if it is the start of the menopause. I don't have to think about contraception every night and if we unexpectedly find we are childless for a few hours we can book into an hotel without having to go home to pick up a diaphragm/condom etc.

I think it is quicker to get a diaphragm compared with a coil though, all you need to do is ask at your surgery how to get one. If you have a nice receptionist they can give you an appointment with the correct person rather than you having to waste time seeing one medical professional only for them to tell you you need to see someone else. (When I first asked the receptionist at our doctors about who to see for a coil she said I needed the GUM clinic, a patient in the queue behinds ears visibly pricked up at the mention of that, so if you don't want everyone in the surgery to know about your contraception it would be worthwhile asking about it in private.)

Hope you get sorted and off those pills asap.

Thatsashame · 19/06/2019 09:09

Thank you deathy.

I'm 27 and dh is a fair bit older than me. I don't want to be on hormones for the next 15 to 20 years or so. İ am really miserable and input up with it while spacing our DC out. (they were all planned) i feel pg with them all very quickly. I'm also a bit panicky as I am solely breastfeeding on demand and just had my first period since my post partum bleeding finished. I never had a period for about a year after all other DC and it shocked me.

I have been asking about the copper coil ever since baby was born and I was told by the receptionist not to bother as there's a 8 week wait for an initial appointment and then a 20 week wait for a fitting! She also wouldn't give me an appointment until after my 6 week post natal check. Baby will be 8 weeks in a few days. So even that took a while. So I had to get the pill from a GUM clinic. Straight away i feel rubbish. So I can wait about 30 weeks for the coil which may or may not be ok for me and take the pill until then. Or hope they will help me with a diaphragm... İt's really stressing me out. I was on the combined pill before DC and that made me horrible too but I didn't realise until I came off for dc 1. I took that for 4 years. I'm at a loss.

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Thatsashame · 19/06/2019 18:44

So I went to the gp. They don't do the diaphragm there as noone really uses it any more apparently. And again he said they rarely fit the copper coil unless the other coil had been tried. First so he has changed my pill to cerazette. He said the pill I ak on is known for adverse effects and they rarely give that one anymore and a go would prescribe it to save money!! So I've been suffering to save a few quid... So now I'm still on hormonal therapy because that's what they prefer and won't give me an alternative... I'm not very pushy...probably as I am anxious due to the pill...

Anyway I will give this a go.

Anyone know how long it takes for the other pill to ware off. ...?

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