is this a latex allerrgy or just a problem with condoms? and general contraceptive question

[addictediam]

I have a 10mo dd and am 20 weeks pregnant so am naturally starting to think about contraception as i REALLY dont want to be caught out again!

so I cant use hormonal contraceptives as they send me slightly mental! dh doesnt even recognise the person i become, my personality totaly changes so they are out of the question totally.

next is the coil, but for religious reasons cant use that. so again another thing crossed off the list.

so that leaves condoms. but the problem is when we use these i get swollen, dry, sex is painful and generaly uncomfortable. i usually end up telling dh to get it over with because its hurting so much (the problem occurs even when using lubricant) I've never had a problem with latex gloves but thinking about it do get the same when being examined down there at the drs or hospital.

could this be a latex allergy? is it worth trying latex free condoms or will i still have the same problem do you think? has anyone else had this problem?

is there another form of contraceptive i'm missing?

tia

Could be latex. I would try latex free condoms, from FPC if you can as IIRC they are ££. If you don't want hormones or coil it only really leaves barrier methods - condoms or diaphragm, both prone to mishaps.

Are you planning any more children? Snip for DH may be the best bet if you have finished having babies.

we are planning more in the future tho just not for the next 5-10 years!!

the snip is out of the question (unless for medical reasons) because of religious reasons again.

Do you use spermicidal or non spermicidal condoms? Lubricated or unlubricated? Do you use additional lubricant (a sensitive one). Be worth trying a few diff brands but also a silicone/water based lubricant as condoms can cause more friction than skin on skin.
Have you heard of nuvaring? It's an insertable ring you wear for three weeks at a time. It does contain hormones but they are localised not systemic. Is your religious objection due to egg fertilising but not implanting? Not sure on data for that for nuvaring tbh.

Other options could include diaphragm, natural family planning plus withdrawal method (alot of posters sneer at this but if you do it really carefully and properly studies show 98%effectiveness which is as good as condoms). What about sterilisation or may you want more kids in future?

I have no idea!! we use durex mainly because my mum said its the only brand you can trust so i've stuck with it. and also no one really talks about which brands are good and which arent do they!!

we used a water based lubricant when i had an op in december 08 (it wass given on prescription) but didnt get on with it, we found ky jelly the best for us.

yes thats it, once the egg has fertalised a life has begun so the method need to stop egg and sperm meeting.

we used the withdrawal method and also the 2 week rule (not having sex around ovulation) and ended up with dd1 and now expecting dd2 using the same method! so am now thinking we need something alittle more preventitive!!

i'm only 24 and dh is 30 so a permanant fix isnt what either of us want (and also there is that religious element to it aswel)

i'm just doomed to keep popping them out till i die arent i!

Talk to your family planning clinic, they will be able to talk you through your options in more informed detail (and provide you with free supply of various condoms),
But if you can't do coil or hormones and (understandably) don't want a permanent solution then your options are limited - agree that you may need to look at careful use of natural family planning.

Just to check, have you definitely tried POP/implant as well as the combined pill?

I have a (mild) latex allergy so wouldn't know about the reaction to condoms because I haven't ever used latex ones. For non latex there are Durex Avanti Ultra which are ultra expensive (see what I did there?) and Skyn Mates (I think) which are cheaper and also easier to find.

I'd be surprised if it was a latex allergy but gloves etc are ok. What about balloons? I find that I'm really sensitive to the powder, so if I walk into a sport store with lots of new trainers I can smell it, and if I'm somewhere with balloons I can actually taste it at the back of my throat because the smell is so strong.

Go to the doctor and ask - I had a skin test to diagnose mine. It's really important if it IS latex, because that can affect hospitals (injections often have rubber bungs). With a latex allergy a hospital is the most dangerous place you can be, so it's worth checking out straight away.

i tried the combined pill, but the idea of the implant terrifies me! (terrified of needles)

how do i find my local family planning clinic? i just did a google search and it came up with a list of pharmacy's in the area?

I used to think i had a latex allergy but it's the stuff they put on the condoms that I was allergic to not the condoms themselves.

ooo what stuff is that and can i get 'stuff free' condoms?

But have you tried the minipill (aka Progesterone Only Pill)? Some people who have problems with the combined pill are fine with the minipill. Of course you may believe that its use conflicts with your religion.

nope apparantly the mini pill is fine but a friend of mine tried it (she had similar problems to me) and had the same problems. i guess part of me is just scared at trying and going alittle crazy again

Try the very brilliant but expensive Avanti by Durex which are latex-free.

Natural Family Planning? Billings Method?

Just to add; I found sex uncomfortable/painful for years and only realised it was a problem with the condoms when I was blowing up a load of balloons for a kid's party and noticed my hands and lips getting sore!

Latex-free condoms probably are the way forward, but if you can get them prescribed that would bring the cost down. How about seeing your GP and explaining? As Pastgrace says, it's worth having a latex allergy on your notes anyway (not that I have ).

Hang on, I can get them prescribed?! I've wasted a small fortune on them! The first time I had sex it was ruined slightly by thinking "well this just cost me £1.25. It's free for everyone else").

I don't know for sure, but would imagine if you have an allergy and need special ones you should be able to get them prescribed. But I might be being completely naive! :)

Actually you need to be a lot more scientific about natural family planning. I took temp every day, charted, checked cervical mucus and position, used persona (wee on a stick and it tells you when you ovulated), correlated with other symptoms eg. ov,pain, used previous data to estimate possible ovulation time. never had unprotected sex in "relatively infertile period" but once I was sure 3 days post ovulation then you are in "absolutely infertile period" and can have unprotected sex up to and during your next period. Trick is knowing when ovulation has happened (if only we were baboons with bright red bums!). It took me a good year of charting before I was confident with it and even then sometimes if you are not sure it can be wobbly. So not a method for the faint hearted. But I have used it successfully for 3 years not to get pregnant and given I am now on my 4th pregnancy (although 2 ended early) then I reckon as methods go its a good one if you are a bit of a sciencey loser like me. The family planning clinic can teach you the proper method see here for teachers fertilityuk.org/nfpsa.html#contactsslug
So it may not be method for you- especially actually because of the religious reasons- www.newscientist.com/article/dn9219-rhythm-method-criticised-as-a-killer-of-embryos.html but that was more rhythm method than the sympto thermal method.
So prob best to keep trying with finding suitable condoms.

All contraception provided by a FPC or a GP or Sexual Health Clinic is free. So although they probably wouldn't be prescribed as such, you could probably visit the family planning clinic and come away with a bag of free latex-free condoms, yes.

thanks every one.

thinking about it, i do have a problem blowing up lots of balloons my lips start to swell up, i just thought it happened to every one but according to dh, aparantly not!

will definatly get checked out for an allergy and try some latex free condoms.

thandeka thats the method we used - but not for very long due to pregnancy! i would chart my temp and use ovulation sticks. obviously i'm not very good at it!

:) but :( See I reckon evolution needs to give us those big red baboons bums- much easier. Concealed ovulation is a pain in the ass!

Oh yes, Durex does that to me too ( remembers back to before dh had the snip!)

IIRC we used Mates allergy free ones, not sure if they even make them now though!

I have a website link for cheaper condoms. I'll check of they have avanti and post the link if they do.

ok they don't have avanti but they do have some non-latex ones which might be of use (the lube is good value too)

www.freedoms-shop.nhs.uk/

The copper in the coil actually breaks the sperm so they can't fertilise the egg. Common misconception, but you don't get fertilised eggs with the copper coil.

Oh and the best latex free condoms are Mates Skyns.