Caya, menstrual sex and lactational amenorrhea

The Photo: Caya is a one-size-fits-most silicone diaphragm available (by prescription) in the U.S. as of June 2015. However Caya has been available without a prescription on-line through contraceptive suppliers outside the U.S. for several years. The device is 75mm long (from the relief arch and removal dome at the anterior end on the right in the photo above to the posterior rim on the left) and 67mm wide. The six bumps on the right end of the rim and a corresponding set on the opposite side are ‘grip dimples’ and provide gripping traction for fingers on the rim during compression for insertion. Caya was designed to fit women who take the four most commonly prescribed conventional diaphragm sizes; 65mm, 70mm, 75mm and 80mm and who have a pronounced (1 to 2 cm deep) post-pubic vault to hold the relief arch. Caya has a medium tension nylon spring that arcs downward when compressed to aid in slipping it under the cervix. On average, the ectocervix (the part of the cervix that protrudes into the vagina) is 3 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The cervix cup is 55 mm in diameter and 3 cm deep which will allow it to accommodate most women’s cervix.

The 3 cm length of the anterior cervical wall and the anterior vaginal wall form a gap called the anterior fornix which along with the cervix is covered by the dome of a contraceptive diaphragm. Thus the anterior fornix is typically a 3 cm cleft into which the stretchy silicone membrane of a Caya can be pushed by the force of a thrusting penis, assuming the shaft is long enough to reach and penetrate the anterior fornix of an aroused partner.

Menstrual sex with Caya: Returning readers will recall that in my entry for February 17, 2016 “So many men, so little time!” I discussed the advantages of the Caya contoured diaphragm. However, I didn’t discuss using it for flow control during menstrual sex and readers have asked about that so I’m sharing my menstrual experiences with Caya.

Caya as a menstrual cup:  For comparison a Diva Cup can hold one full ounce of menstrual flow (30 ml) and the average woman flows approximately 1 to 2 ounces (30-60 ml) per cycle. Depending on the size of the cervix the Caya cervix cup can hold up to 20 ml of flow if it is just being used for flow control and it has a strong seal. If Caya is to be used for flow control during penetrative vaginal sex then it should be emptied cleaned and reinserted prior to penile penetration as a thrusting penis will cause a dome even half-full to overflow. However, unless the user is flowing very heavily Caya should give the couple at least three hours of flow protection. Of course each woman is different since cervical size and flow rates will vary so there will be an interval of trial-and–error when determining the maximum interval and amount of flow that can be contained effectively depending whether it is on light or heavy days during active penile thrusting especially if a partner can reach into the anterior fornix. 

When I’m menstrual and wearing a Caya for flow control and sex I’ll carry two so I can remove one and give it to my partner who enjoys drinking the contents of the cup clots and all while I insert the fresh empty one to collect flow during our penetrative encounter.  With a Diva Cup positioned below the cervix and the woman sitting or standing the cervix isn’t immersed in flow, but with a diaphragm cupping the cervix it is submerged in flow so when the Caya is removed there is a bit more flow as vaginal discharge than with a Diva Cup.  Of course the beauty of using a diaphragm for flow control is that you can have sex while minimizing the flow contributing to the coitial discharge afterward. 

Increasing and checking a diaphragms vacuum: The wearer will want the best fit and strongest suction possible in the dome/cervix cup. The fit is first a matter of pelvic anatomy size and condition. However, if the bladder or colon is beginning to prolapse into the vagina (not uncommon in women who have given birth) the Caya may not seal effectively. A poorly sealing diaphragm can still be effective as a contraceptive barrier by using plenty of spermicide in the dome. However, it is not a good choice as a menstrual cup as it can leak flow since the weight of flow can break the seal.

After insertion and checking proper placement, by feeling the cervix under the dome with the anterior rim tucked up out of the way behind the pubic bone, the seal of a Caya can be increased by using the fingers to express the remaining air from the dome. When expressing air from the cup care should be taken to ensure a fingernail does not puncture the cup. With a strong vacuum the silicone membrane collapses against the cervix and may be pulled up slightly into the anterior fornix. This will increase the vacuum and the dome will gradually fill with flow and with strong suction the weight should not break the seal.

Strong seal test: The seal on a Caya with a strong suction fit should not break when gently tugging on by a finger in the removal dome or if there is flow in the dome while being penetrated from behind when the cup is upside down such that the flow is being held in the dome only by the strength of the seal.  A good test of the seal is having intercourse entered from behind (doggie style or during ballet-sex (en pointe a la seconde bent over a table, chair or holding on to a barre) while menstrual with the Caya dome expressed to maximize the suction. With 10 ml (two teaspoons) or less in the dome it should not leak when thrust into. However, because of the dynamic movement of the rim against the vaginal rugae during penetrative sex there will be a slight sheen of flow on the vaginal walls. To minimize the likelihood of staining a man’s trousers with flow while having sex in public a condom can be used.

Lactational amenorrhea: lactational amenorrhea is the temporary infertility that occurs when a woman is amenorrheic (not menstruating) and fully breastfeeding. Since I’m lactating and still want to have a regular menstrual cycle I have to limit the number of times I breastfeed to prevent becoming amenorrheic since I enjoy the swings of my hormones when I’m fertile and menstrual. I’ve found that if I limit my breast feeding sessions to about one every six hours or not more than four in a 24 hour interval I can avoid becoming amenorrheic and still cycle regularly. 

Lactating is not without its challenges: A wonderful source of information about breastfeeding problems is at WebMD. It covers painful lumps, blocked ducts, yeast infections or thrush and engorged Breasts. I use a lanolin-based cream made specifically for nipple inflammation. It’s PureLan 100 Nipple Cream by Medela which for me minimizes the likelihood of further problems. The WebMD article can be read HERE

The Flowers graduate: On Saturday March 26^th the six remaining Personal Assistant candidates completed the nine week Pelvic Intensive course that I conducted at Blackthorn Castle. I am very pleased to say they have already been placed with executives in major corporations. Returning readers will recall that Heather had a seizure during a dive-sex encounter and was hospitalized in a private dive medicine facility in Milford Haven. She was released after several days of tests and observation and was released from the PA candidate program for medical reasons. She will still remain in Taryn’s organization, but with a far less rigorous physical schedule.

Harvesting a dead woman’s diaphragm

One of my 80mm latex Reflexions flat spring diaphragms

The Photo: A Reflexions latex flat spring rim diaphragm, the type I wear for flood insurance during dive-sex and when with rubberists who crave the experience of thrusting into the stretchy latex membrane while thrusting into my anterior fornix. I also wear Reflexions for flow control while I’m menstrual and since I’m CD2 today I have one inserted as I’m writing this.  

A cautionary tale: The deaths of two navy divers at an east coast training facility. Read the article from the Washington post: HERE I agree with one of the commenters on the article that the divers were very poorly equipped as the situation seems far too risky with the air they had.

Of course we are civilian recreational divers and while dive-sex can be risky we try to be properly equipped. There is a lot of heavy breathing during dive-sex and when we go to the bottom or even below 100 feet for very long we have deco tanks hung in case we need them, we dive with a buddy and there is a divemaster on duty to monitor the dive. Of course all Adolph’s dives are videoed and the most erotic are sold on the porn market, which is why my girls and I always have our FFMs on and AB valves open when we leave the dressing room and are on the surface.

Dive-sex flood insurance: To my women readers I can’t over emphasize the importance of cervical protection during dive-sex. Cervical barrier protection is needed to minimize the possibility that the hydraulics of a partner’s thrusting will force water into the uterus when the vagina floods, which often occurs during dive-sex. However, women with IUDs inserted should be aware that using a diaphragm or FemCap with an IUD could pull the IUD out during barrier removal if the strings stick to the device.

A properly fitting FemCap can be used as protection during dive-sex when shallow diving in a typical twelve to twenty foot deep commercial pool, but any deeper and the dome of FemCap can squeeze the cervix painfully as water pressure forces the cervix deeper into the caps dome void. An Oves cap (the style I use) can be comfortably worn at any depth because the dome is so small and soft that there is no void to cause squeeze. Since Oves is no longer made this option is not available as flood insurance unless a user stocked up years ago as I did before Oves was withdrawn from the market.

The currently preferred flood insurance device is the latex Reflexions flat spring diaphragm. Women whose vaginas have deep post-pubic vaults and thick soft rugae that allow the diaphragm to seal securely can safely and effectively use the Reflexions as flood insurance as the flat spring rim makes it almost impossible to even intentionally under-thrust the rim. The translucent latex membrane is wonderfully stretchy and has excellent heat transfer properties so men can rarely feel the rim and most, and especially rubberists, enjoy thrusting into the thin rubber dome.

Death Rubber replenishment: Returning readers are familiar with the term ‘death rubber’ that I use to describe a latex Reflexions diaphragm I’ve personally removed from the vagina of a woman who died while having sexual intercourse. Being a sensitive, I’ve found that a latex diaphragm worn at death during sex contains a portion of the dead woman’s Chi which when the diaphragm is worn by a new owner can add to her Chi and significantly enhance the new owner’s libido and confidence. Since the Reflexions is latex heavy usage will cause them to deteriorate much quicker than silicone diaphragms so its important to test the domes integrity before each insertion to check for pin holes, thin spots and cracks in the rubber around the rim to minimize the possibility of dome failure and uterine flooding even if not needed for contraception.

Given the relatively short life of heavily used Reflexions I’m always watching for other Reflexions in my size, 80mm, worn by women who died during intercourse. And when I find one I need to harvest it myself from the dead woman’s vagina so there will be no decrease in the dead woman’s Chi before her Reflexions passes into my care. My clinic has a list of all the women using Reflexions in my size in the area so I can watch for the death of a possible donor during sex as that sort of news travels faster than light. However, most of my death rubber devices come from Adolph’s deep water training facility and occur during dive-sex at depths of one hundred feet or more.  

The donor: A 31 y/o French Courtesan, ‘Julie’ had come to Adolph’s dive training facility to learn deep dive underwater sex techniques with Adolph as her trainer. He had sent her to me for a Reflexions diaphragm fitting, for ‘flood insurance’ before she began training and an 80mm fit her perfectly. She was on the European progestin-only-pill (POP) Cerazette which uses a progestin with a long half-life allowing a twelve hour late window w/o decreasing its effectiveness.  Each Cerazette tablet has 75 micrograms of the progestin Desogestrel which is metabolized into Etonogestrel, the same progestin used in NuvaRing and the single rod implant Nexplanon.

When I fitted Julie for her Reflexions I also routinely tested for hCG and she was pregnant. At that point I urged her to terminate the pregnancy or delay dive training until she was no longer pregnant. She said she felt fine and was determined to continue her scheduled deep water training. I pointed out that in a commercial 15 -20 foot deep pool and diving with a buddy if she was in trouble she could get to the surface in seconds. At the bottom of Adolph’s facility, The Well, she would be breathing Trimix and tethered to the bottom at 216 feet too deep for an emergency ascent to do her any good if she vomited in her FFM. If her mask and lungs were filled with vomit even Adolph’s multi-bed hyperbaric chamber couldn’t save her.

She was adamant that she would continue to dive and wanted to experience dive-sex at 216 feet below the surface. I documented my recommendations and sent a copy to Adolph urging him to refuse to train her in his main deep water pool. He refused and they began her deep water training that afternoon.

Julie’s Reflexions is Harvested: In the evening two days later I got a call from Adolph. He said that Julie was unresponsive at the bottom of The Well after vomiting as she was being penetrated from behind while tethered to the bottom.  And that if I wanted it I should come and harvest my new death rubber and bring her body to the surface as he needed to alert her sister, her only living relative, and send her body back to France.

That night I took Willow with me. It would be her first dive breathing Trimix and to the bottom of The Well. During the dive she could learn how I harvest my new death rubber, so she would know what to do when her time comes to harvest her own. The facility is heated so we wore bikinis with our OTS Guardian FFMs’ and twin 130 cu ft hp steel tanks filled with Trimix. We emptied our bowels and bladders, inserted our Reflexions and applied 10ml disposable vaginal applicators of DiveGel+ because I had asked two male escorts to meet us at the deco stop on our ascent for dive-sex while we decompressed.

I took a new 80mm Reflexions with me to replace the one I was going to remove from Julie’s vagina. We took our time on the descent checking the oxygen tanks and transfer valves at the deco stop at 30 feet before we continued to the bottom in case we needed them on our ascent though we hadn’t planned to stay long enough or work hard enough to use all our Trimix. Neither of us had trouble equalizing our sinuses and ears on the descent and we saw her floating tethered by ankle leashes to the bottom with her long hair down. While her FFM spider held it to her skull the other 18 inches was fanned out around her head like a halo. Adolph has a thing about women diving with our hair down which is really troublesome as loose hair gets tangled in the valves and zippers on our equipment, which is why I always wear a swim cap or hood.

On the bottom before we opened the cuffs of the ankle leashes Julie was weighted so she was floating face down with her legs spread and bikini thong pulled to one side so her vulva was totally uncovered. Her labia were parted and her introitus was still a bit open as though Adolph had just pulled out.  I was wearing nitrile exam gloves and inserted two fingers to feel if her cervix was still under the dome which it was then gripped the anterior rim of the Reflexions and tugged it from behind her cervix then pulled it the rest of the way out. A large quantity of semen came out with the diaphragm suggesting she was not having orgasms or giving him contractions by clenching her muscles when she died. There was spotting in the dome as well as some of her natural arousal lube. I could feel it slippery on the inside of the dome before it washed away.

I tucked the harvested device in my mesh specimen bag and took out the new one compressed the rim and carefully inserted it along the posterior vaginal wall and up behind her cervix. Then pushed the anterior rim further in and up into her post-pubic vault and felt for her cervix under the dome so I was sure it was properly placed. And I did all that while hovering over her body so the HD cams couldn’t video what I was doing. Once the new Reflexions was in place I pulled her thong back over her vulva giving her a small measure of modesty in death as I inflated her BC and Willow released the ankle leashes and Julie began her final ascent.

Well bottom cleanup: While Willow and I were on the bottom we still had plenty of gas to allow us to collect the debris that had fallen to the bottom during training sessions in the last few months. I had brought along two large fine mesh specimen bags and we began collecting the bits and pieces of women students suits and contraceptive devices and training equipment that dad been dropped during training sessions.

There were torn bikini tops and thongs that had apparently been ripped from under tank harnesses and BCDs.  There were All-Flex, Milex, Semina and Reflexions diaphragms in various sizes and quantities from 60mm to 90mm. There were swim fins, pool-pointes and a pair of latex ballet-boots with lead weighted toe-box platforms. And there were a few FC2 nitrile female condoms and vaginal toys like Pyrex dildos, several very expensive ones, as well as Glass, steel and jade Ben Wa balls of different sizes between .5 and 1.5 inches in diameter. Tellingly, there were also three small pairs of needle nose vice grip pliers that Adolph uses to crimp closed the air hoses of female students who displease him.

And not surprisingly, because we were at the bottom of Adolph’s fetish training facility, though I cringed when I saw the first one, there were a number of IUDs littering the bottom as well.

A German Goldring Medusa gold and copper IUD.

The IUDs were mostly Mirena a few ParaGard and German version of the copper T a German IUD I’d heard of but never seen before with a gold core; the Goldring Medusa (Gold/copper) AuCu IUD. The Medusa (pictured above) looks like it was invented by a sadist and must have hurt when Adolph pulled them out as I can’t imagine a Goldring Medusa being spontaneously expelled. 

When we finished cleanup we sent the debris up on a lift bag and began our ascent which was uneventful until we reached the 30 foot deco stop where we were met by our dive-sex partners. We attached ourselves with ankle leashes and enjoyed a lovely slow dive-sex encounter during the 30 minutes we stayed at 30 feet degassing. Both men were rubberists and enjoyed having their glans squeezed by the stretchy domes as they thrust into our anterior fornices before they got us off with twin G-spot rim-rubs. It was a fun evening for all, except Julie of course, and an amazing learning experience for Willow. The next day an assistant coroner who Adolph knows ruled Julie’s death was “death by misadventure” and the body was released for transport back to France. 

 

Fisting diaphragms

A compressed flat spring diaphragm showing the folds in the latex dome

High-vac diaphragm play: Returning readers will remember that I’ve written about the advantages of wearing a flat spring latex diaphragm (better heat transfer characteristics and it’s nearly impossible to under-thrust) for dive-sex and about the amazing feeling that I’ll call ‘cervical grip’ when wearing it with the dome under significant vacuum while diving or in a hyperbaric chamber under positive pressure. You can get a somewhat similar effect with a silicone (Ortho or Milex) diaphragm, but because a silicone dome is thicker and less elastic the amount of stretch to be had with a latex dome is far superior and the voids left unfilled by a silicone dome can cause painful squeeze.

In my experience as a cervical barrier fitter less than half the women correctly fitted with diaphragms have the vaginal wall structure that will allow developing and retaining a very strong vacuum in the dome. Diaphragms for the rest will work perfectly well for vanilla sex when spermicide is used in the dome, but their rugae – the transverse ridges that allow the vagina to stretch during childbirth - will not allow the rim to seal tight enough to sustain a high vacuum. A woman having a pronounced post-pubic vault and soft thick rugae is an ideal candidate to wear a latex diaphragm and achieve a high vacuum in the dome to enjoy its cervical grip even without penetrative sex. I thought high-vacuum diaphragms would be of primary interest to the young rich Europeans at The Lorelei, but it turns out that a few menopausal guests, whose rugae are atrophied, find their diaphragms often seal very well, and love them as much as reproductive age women. The older ones seem to like the clandestine masturbatory aspects of wearing a ‘fisting’ diaphragm (more about them below) w/o the mess of being mounted by a man regardless of how magnificent his body. With the availability of multi-bed hyperbaric chambers small groups of friends in this amazingly erotic fetish can all insert and establish the vacuum in their diaphragms before they go hunting men or just clubbing.

High-vac ‘Fisting’: It’s not nearly the experience of having a partner’s fist in your vagina, but still there is a lot to enjoy. With a strong vacuum in a latex dome the membrane will be stretched down over the cervix filling all the voids in both posterior and anterior fornix. In a properly fitted diaphragm the rim never fully opens because it is gripped by the muscles in the vaginal walls and the flat spring rim will not fold at a right angle to the plane of the rim so it provides a stable base to take the strain of the stretched latex w/o deforming. The folds (shown in the photo accompanying this entry) will be stretched out to fill the anterior fornix and flatten the rugae on the anterior wall causing the dome to be stretched upward putting pressure on the bladder as though the woman is being fisted by her diaphragm. So empting the bladder prior to inserting a diaphragm for high-vac play is very important. Under vacuum the dome also puts pressure on the woman’s G-spot causing some of us to become aroused and far more easily taken to orgasm by inserted fingers, vibrator or a thrusting penis. The problem with using a latex diaphragm for high-vacuum applications is that the dome failure rate is quite high for diaphragms in use for more than six months.

Latex fatigue dome failures: In high-vac dome-fisting applications the domes of properly cared for latex diaphragms will rarely tear, but will develop a thin spot or spots which will fail during use and in some cases no thin spots can be seen when checked just prior to failure. What we recommend for escorts and individual clients using latex diaphragms for high-vac applications is that regardless of how structurally sound a latex diaphragm appears to be during a stretch test no latex diaphragm should be used for high-vac play for longer than six months.

Women who enjoy high-vac diaphragm play usually use another method for contraception, typically hormonal; the pill, patch or shot, but some few have IUDs inserted or are menopausal. Since a silicone gel is used in the dome to reduce the likelihood of rugae squeeze the lube also reduces the possibility of the IUD strings sticking to the diaphragm and being pulled out when the diaphragm is removed. I of course wear an Oves cap under my fisting diaphragm. With a flat spring under high-vac I can compress the rim with my muscles and caress my G-spot in a solo orgasm so intense it’s addictive.

Establishing dome vacuum: This discussion assumes the woman has been tested and found to have the necessary pelvic anatomy to retain a significant dome vacuum at ambient atmospheric pressure. The woman should be on another effective method of contraception if a sexual encounter is anticipated in case there is a dome failure. She should also take a decongestant an hour ahead of her chamber appointment if she is prone to ear and sinus pressure equalization problems when diving or cycling in a hyperbaric chamber.

The flat spring latex diaphragm is checked for obvious signs of latex fatigue. If none are found silicone gel (we use DiveGel+ which includes a spermicide) is applied in the dome to lubricate the cervix and prevent rugae squeeze, then the diaphragm is inserted and checked to ensure the cervix is under the dome. Then the client goes into the chamber with an attendant and the pressure is increased by the desired amount

Over time we have found that a pressure of two atmospheres (the equivalent of a dive to approximately 30 feet), which puts a vacuum of about -14 psi in the dome, is sufficient to cause the dome of a Reflexions diaphragm to be sucked into all the voids on the anterior wall and surrounding the cervix. This can take a few minutes depending on how well the client adjusts to the pressure cycle and if the vacuum holds when the chamber is returned to ambient pressure. It’s a weird feeling having the vacuum push on the bladder and grip the cervix and it can take a bit of getting used to even by fisting diaphragm fetishists. Once the client’s diaphragm is under vacuum and she is comfortable she is free to leave the chamber to continue her day.

Exclusivity: High-vac dome play had, until recently, been limited to dive-sex, or a very few airline cabin attendants who could insert their diaphragms while still at altitude, but with the availability of multi-bed hyperbaric chambers at Adolph’s club, Splash, his resort/spa, The Lorelei, and another at his deep dive training facility the ability of guests to walk around during daily spa or shopping activity while enjoying the tight cervical grip of a latex diaphragm is available to those women with the necessary pelvic anatomy and money to afford it. In addition to pelvic anatomy the number of possible high-vac users is limited further because many women can’t stand the continuous pressure, the ‘cervical grip’, of the dome. It just freaks a lot of women out to have continuous pressure on their cervix. So with the small number of women, who are actually aroused by the feel of their cervix gripped by a fisting diaphragm under vacuum as a prelude to sex, the circle of women interested in the fetish is quite small and they often form close and lasting friendships.

Side effects/problems: Of course with latex diaphragms they can’t be used by couples either of whom have or develop a latex allergy, but aside from that: As mentioned earlier the dome under vacuum puts pressure on the bladder and cause the need to urinate frequently so we recommend that women prepping for a high-vac experience avoid diuretics, such as coffee.

We are finding that prolonged continuous use of a latex diaphragm under high-vac can lead to exhaustion, vaginal muscle soreness and the possibility of tears in the rugae if not lubricated with a silicone gel. Another problem can be releasing the vacuum in the dome when the wearer wants to remove her diaphragm. The hard flat spring rim has been pulled tightly against and seemingly buried in the soft tissue of the rugae making the rim very difficult to get a finger under to break the seal and fingernails can easily tear rugae. What works well as a removal aid is a flat handle ice tea spoon. The spoon can be warmed and the tip of the handle lubricated and inserted carefully under the anterior rim just behind the pubic bone. It’s not as difficult as it sounds and it just takes a time or two to develop a removal technique that works for you.

Like wearing negative rise shoes to stretch the achilles tendons after spending hours in pointe-shoes, the use of Ben Wa balls for toning before and after wearing a diaphragm at fisting vacuum is highly recommended as the vacuum can stretch the wearer’s muscles and if not countered with toning exercises may result in reduced vaginal grip.

High-vac and death rubber: I find it especially erotic to wear a latex diaphragm that I’ve harvested from the body of a woman who died while having sex. Returning readers will recall that any rubber apparel or devices I harvest for my own use I call ‘death rubber’. When we found that the life of a frequently used fisting diaphragm was only six months I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to harvest enough FS latex diaphragms in my size to keep me supplied. However, because there is a high turnover of Towel-Girls at Splash and because many of them are tall show-girls moonlighting there a very high percentage of them wear my size diaphragm for fetish encounters. So far enough of them have run into difficulties – usually during exotic off-prem encounters - that there has been no shortage of death rubber. Fisting diaphragms are a niche market, but since the demand for latex flat spring diaphragms is increasing - from young escorts offering fetish encounters - I think with the usual casualty rate in that line of work I should have a steady supply for my personal needs.