Diaphragm - anyone using it? How was having it fitted?

[DIYandEatCake]

Just wondering if this might be an option for me. Our family is complete (2 dcs) but we're not ready for anything final yet (I'm thinking I'll get sterilised once I hit 40 - am 34 now). After being on the pill for 10 years pre-dc, I'm done with hormonal contraception (I suffer from migraines which in retrospect were loads worse on it). I'm also breastfeeding and probably will for a couple of years. We don't dtd that often, and have fertility issues too, so copper coil feels like a hammer to crack a nut. Dp and I don't like the feel of condoms. So... diaphragm looks like it might be worth a try, but I've read up on how it's fitted and that puts me off a bit - the checking you're putting it in properly yourself bit, I hate the thought of rummaging about down there with an audience! Can anyone share experiences of having one fitted please?

Before I had the coil fitted, I went to the clinic and a nurse put a diaphragm in for me. I found it very uncomfortable when she did it, possibly because my cervix is turned slightly to the side.

She went back behind the curtain and said 'now you try taking it out' I managed that but could not get the thing back in at the right place! Was so uncomfortable.

It certainly didn't feel like something I'd want to be faffing about trying to do before having sex.

Nurse stuck fingers up me and had a feel, then explained what to do, then left the room for me to put it in in private, then had another feel to check I'd done it ok.

I am pretty confident so YMMV, but I had no problem at all with it, found it perfectly comfortable, it's a bit tricky to put in because it's all slippery with the jelly but ok with practice, and you can put it in hours before you have sex if you want to.

Go for it, it's no more intrusive than getting a smear test done.

Thanks, that's reassuring, I was thinking they'd be watching me try to put it in and that was the bit that was putting me off!

I tried it years ago when I was first with DP and it was pretty awful TBH. It's very messy and the spermicide made DP's bits sting a bit and gave me thrush. I don't really remember the fitting so it can't have been that bad.

I ended up with a copper coil, for similar reasons to yours except I wasn't BFing then. It was brilliant and I'll be going for that again once I get round to it.

Actually now I remember they sent me home with it for a week or so to practice wrestling with it - and accidentally firing it across the room - in the comfort of my own home. Then went back a week later with it in to show I had mastered the art. They really are very slippy, apparently absolutely everybody at some point pings the thing across the room while practising. Lots of fun.