cervical cap

[naturegirl7]

what do you think about it?

I have a latex allergy so my options are really limited.... I was interested in tryng the cervical cap - but my MW said that almost every single woman she prescribed it for ended up with severe, recurrent yeast infections...and that it isn't an issue with the diaphragm. She thought maybe it was due to the cap's design and how it rested on the cervix....

I don't know if it is due to the cap, the spermicide, the fluid exchange, sensitivity issues in general, etc....

I am wondering if anyone else has noticed a correlation?

[GrrlyElizabeth]

I used one for a while, and while I didn't experience any yeast issues, I don't think I'd use one again. My main memory of using it is of hating having something on my cervix -- just gave me the heebie jeebies for some reason!

FWIW, I would go for the cap over the diaphragm any day, since that gave me a series of UTIs. Gosh, I'm really helpful, aren't I? Have you considered fertility awareness as a method?

[SaraC]

I used the cervical cap for two years between DD#2 and DD#3 and didn't have any problems with yeast infections. I loved my cervical cap and would love to have another but they don't make the Prentif latex cap that I had before. They do make some silcone versions of them and I tried those when I was about 8-10 weeks PP with DD # 3 but my MW couldn't get them to fit right. She thought it might be because my cervix was still being affected by nursing hormones. I got my first one with DD #2 was way over a year so I wasn't nursing. I am going to try again once DD#3 is weaned because I really loved the ease of it. I didn't use spermicide which does make it less effective but I don't like using it so it was worth the small risk of pregnancy to not use.

[Midwife Kris]

Cervical caps aren't sold in the US anymore to the best of my knowledge. There is a new one on the market: FemCap made of very soft, flexible silicone. The website had a lot of good information and video presentations on it. It doesn't require as much spermacide as a cervical cap because it fits the cervix and surrounding vaginal wall tissue much differently. Dr. Alfred, the FemCap's creator, has stated that vaginal lubricant like Replens can be used in lieu of spermacide that tends to cause irritation to the woman (and man). My most unscientific explanation of how it works is the sperm's head will absorb the fluid of the lubricant and "explode" their enzyme cap rendering them powerless to penetrate an egg.

[naturegirl7]

Thanks! We do FAM already and use condoms too - Just wondering if I could use the cap instead of the condoms...they are awfully expensive and kill the spontanity of it (what little there is with a toddler running around LOL).

As for the nursing hormones - DS is 2.5 yo and still nursing - my hormones should be stablized enough though right??

I think I will bring it up again at my annual in a few months...

anyone else want to weigh in??

[teachermom]

I had a cervical cap for years and loved it. I have never seent he femcap before, though it looks like it might be easier to remove than what I had.

[barefootamy]

I've never had a diaphragm or cervical cap but I've been using the femcap since last August. I haven't used it in a few cycles because I procrastinate too much and feel that it ruins the spontaneity. However, if you're better at planning when to have sex it might work better for you. I just hate having to have it in a solid 15 minutes before arousal.

[doctorjen]

I was fitted for a Prentif cap between dc #2 and #3. I had used diaphragm with no trouble for years and developed an allergy to the spermicides and wanted to try the cap since you can use so much less, or even none. I had a midwife who was quite experienced fit me, but we had a hard time getting a good fit. In the end, the second time I used it, it got dislodged. Even though we figured this out immediately and replaced it, ds #2 arrived about 9 mos later! I didn't try it again after that (and I'm thrilled to death to have my little ds, even if it was a bit of a shock at the time.) I don't think I'm the best cervical cap advertisment out there!

[mwherbs]

I thought that there was some evidence a while back saying that it had a lower efficacy than a diaphragm- I don't have that info at my fingertips would have to hunt it down.

[Charmie981]

I too had a prentif cap and loved it, though when I weaned DS it no longer fit . The prentif cap is made of natural rubber. I'm not sure how that would work with your laytex allergy?

Since the prentif cap, I've tried a FemCap, which is HUGE and very had to place, and which DH can feel because unlike the prentif cap, it has hard edges. It is not the "soft silicone" it's advetized to be and I didn't like it AT ALL. Plus it's hard to remove because it gets really slick when it's covered with vaginal secretions...removal strap or not.

I've also tried the Oves cap, which I like much better. It's supposed to be single use, but I have used the same one multiple times (on months when we were not wanting to conceive...so as not to have a Christmas baby, for example). The silicone is much more pliable than on the femcap and it is THIN, so DH can't feel it. As long as the removal loop is placed in the posterior fornix, that's not detectable either, and I've not had any problems with it dislodging. I was quite happy with it and will probably use it after this baby is born.

The Lea's shield is an interesting option to me also, but I haven't tried it or seen one in person, so I can't say much about it except that it looks interesting.

All of these devices are available sans prescription from www.ladytobaby.com, FWIW.

[Maggi315]

thanks charlotte for that link, I have been looking around for an option for my clients, some want the diaphragm, but I can't get it for them without a hassle. I will look into these other options. I have been teaching NFP, using temp and cervical mucus, and some will use condoms, but most want something else.