Progestogen-only / Mini pill vs Cap or diaphragm

Started this pill as I had horrendous migraines on Rigevidon. Was excited to start the mini pill and to not have bleeds in between pills but was I wrong. The first 5 months I’ve had random bleeding- which I expected (but not for over a week straight) I’ve also been heavily dizzy, nauseous and have had 0 sex drive which has affected my relationship heavily.

Hana has worked like a charm for me. I was a bit worried about starting it, as I had a horrendous experience with the combined pill, but my periods are heavy and painful, and I just couldn't stand it anymore. Not getting pregnant was a reason to start Hana, but I was mostly looking for period relief, and it really has delivered. At the beginning I had a few unusual periods - some shorter, some longer, and a bit irregular, but they were immediately lighter and less painful. After about 3 months, things had evened out, and now 2.5 years later, I can't even remember the last time I had a period, only that it lasted about a day or so and was so light I barely even needed a pad. My partner and I have had no pregnancy scares, and it works wonderfully for me. I think my mood is absolutely fine - it felt maybe a tiny bit flat at the beginning, but more because it was no longer fluctuating so much during my cycle. Now it's like I get to be at the end of the first week after my period, all the time. My main negative with starting Hana is that it really increased my appetite at the beginning - about 6 hours after taking it, I *had to* eat snacks. It felt impossible not to. This contributed to some weight gain, and while I've gotten used to the snack-attacks now and can manage them, I haven't been able to shift the weight, despite using methods of weight loss that have worked for me in the past. I can't say for sure if this is because Hana is making it harder for me to lose weight, or if it's just because I'm getting older. I am currently contemplating taking a break from Hana to see if I can lose the weight off it, but I'm reluctant to as it has had such a positive impact on my quality life. If you're also experiencing an increase in appetite, and want some advice, it really helped me to change the time I take Hana - I moved it to later, so that my craving hits much closer to dinner time, which is perfect. All in all, Hana has worked much better for me than I could've even hoped, and I would recommend trying it to see if it works for you.

I've only been on this pill for two months so there's a chance this may calm down after the full adjustment period, but the side effects have been interesting. Most notably, my cycle has gone from around 35 days to 13 days, and I have been having a period every other week. The first two periods gave me hope because they were significantly lighter - to the point where I was questioning whether or not I should even log it as a period - and painless. However, the next three periods I've had so far have been gradually getting heavier and I'm getting more cramping. It's weird though because, for most of my period it's still quite light, but on around the second or third day, I do have a few hours where it's quite heavy and crampy, then it subsides again and the rest is light. I had spotting between the first three periods but that's stopped now. Other than the annoying cycle changes, I had a constant lingering headache for the first two weeks, I'm getting more acne than usual, and some vaginal dryness before my period. I don't know if this is worth staying on as I'm only on the pill to manage my painful and heavy periods. Current plan is to finish my three months' supply and take it from there.

Apart from the issue I'm currently dealing with (it getting stuck inside of me), I LOVE the diaphragm. I found out I wasn't never fitted (which is why it kept getting stuck upon removal), so my new, awesome doctor actually sized me. It's easier than popping in a tampon once you learn how to do it and then ya pop it out the morning after sex. No side effects, no hormones, no emotional hangover. It's very hard to find though. Pharmaceutical companies don't want women to buy one silicone object that lasts for the rest of your life, so finding the right size and actually getting it has been a challenge. My mom used it and only got pregnant to have me (her only child) and I've been using it for 5+ years with no issues.

I've used Caya several times over the past couple years (they last up to 2 years- due for a new one now). I use it on the edges of my fertile window (with fertility awareness) and/or combined with withdrawal or condoms to boost efficacy during the fertile window. Always use with Caya/Contragel- they come with an applicator to re-insert the gel into the vagina, as you need to reapply the gel each time you have sex. Watching the YouTube instructions on how to put it in (plus the instruction manual in the box!) helped me understand how to use it properly and to have an idea of how it was inserted properly.

I used the caya cap. It has been a game changer after previously taking the pill. I feel in control, no need to remember to take a pill, just put it in when needed. Better than condoms as it is women based and not detectable. Effect of not taking hormonal contraceptives has been amazing. All the side effects that I had ( migraines, reduced sex drive, dryness, breast tenderness, strong period pains, breakthrough bleeding and emotionalness) all gone. I wish someone had told me about it before!

Having experienced terrible physical and mental health side effects from both types of contraceptive pill (Combined and POP), and permanent pain and repeated UTIs with the copper coil, I hoped that Caya diaphragm would be a suitable non-hormonal method to try. Unfortunately, I found insertion very tricky - it seems I have a case of "deep vagina, small fingers", as I could never tell whether I'd pushed the diaphragm up far enough to cover my cervix, and sex was always a bit uncomfortable. I'm naturally prone to cystitis and thrush, and getting both while using the diaphragm also put me off using it long term. However, on the plus side - I didn't get pregnant (though I was still breastfeeding a lot, and my periods hadn't yet returned postpartum), and I did manage to avoid the hormonal depression, skin changes and weight gain/loss that I've experienced in the past with pills.

All in all it was acceptable

Fiddly and a faff. Didn’t bother a couple of times and ended up pregnant. He’s nearly 20 now and I’m still married to his father so not all bad :) Tried the copper coil for a bit after but it gave me very heavy periods and stomach cramps which had never been a problem before. Switched to the mirena coil and now on my third - no periods for 15 years and no menopausal symptoms despite being 52. What’s not to like?

I was only using it shortly, as I wanted to avoid hormones. It was not bad, but the need of using a spermicide as well was the reason why I stopped, I had vaginal discharge caused by the spermicide.

As someone who has struggled with more mainstream contraception, this was a miracle. Zero side effects and non-invasive! You're able to insert it up to two hours before sex so it doesn't have the moodkiller effect of a condom, and neither partner can feel it once it's in, unless you're searching for it with a finger. Inserting and removing it takes a little getting used to, but the initial learning curve is very much worth it. (And any Mooncup users will find it easy enough.) Note you will need to be fitted by a nurse/ health practitioner to ensure its effectiveness. This can be tricky to find unless you live in a larger city/ you have a very thorough doctor, but it was worth persisting for me.

A bit fiddly until I got used to it.

Tried the pill in my early 20s but didn’t like the side effects, felt generally unwell and slightly “down” while taking it. Started using the cap in my mid-twenties, first one fitted at the wonderful Marie Stopes Centre, but subsequent ones refitted after two preganancies by my (female) GP. Used it for about 25 years until menopause (apart from gaps to have children). Brilliant if used properly with gel or cream, no side effects, and means when you want to attempt a pregnancy your body doesn’t have to adjust to your normal hormone levels as it does if you take the pill. Pregnant within 3 months of trying for both my preganancies.