Inserting the femcap step by step
But wait…. How the heck do you even put the darn thing IN?!
Because the FemCap is designed uniquely to conform to your vaginal walls and snugly cover your cervix, knowing how to properly insert it is paramount!
But fear not because inserting the FemCap properly is Easy as 1,2,3!
Well, maybe more like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, BUT let’s go through these super easy steps together, shall we?
First, open her up! Look at that cute lil’ box!!! It’s like a clamshell and the FemCap is your pearl. Except this pearl doesn’t go around your neck, you wear it… in your … vagina? Ok, not the best metaphor but moving right along!
When you take out the FemCap, it’s critical to know which side should face UP and which side should face DOWN to properly pop her in place during insertion.
While this orientation might look nicer, this is technically UPSIDE DOWN.
You want to insert the FemCap in this orientation because your cervix is like a round little button that will sit right here, in this little bowl.
You’re doing great! You now know which side is considered right side up or upside down.
But now let’s discuss how you determine which side faces the back (pointing towards your back or your butt!) and which side faces the front (towards your belly or your pubic bone)
See how the rim of the FemCap has different lengths? You want the LONGER edge of the FemCap to point towards your back, or your butt! While it’s natural for the FemCap to rotate a little bit when it’s inside or during intercourse, you want to insert it with the longer side of the rim facing your back.
When you are getting ready to insert the FemCap and will inevitably be looking down at it, it will look like this!
(Orienting the FemCap for insertion from a bird’s eye view)
Fan-TAS-Tic! You’ve currently oriented the FemCap both up, down and side to side. Way to go!
Now, you need to locate your cervix with your finger to know what you’re aiming for!
Insert your index finger into your vaginal canal until you hit a dead end. Do you feel that round warm knob? The one that has a hole in it. That’s your cervix!!! And that is precisely what you are aiming for.
If you can’t feel the cervix, try deeply relaxing, taking big deep breaths while relaxing the stomach and pelvic region. You might want to prop up your legs on a stool or crouch down and push down like you’re trying to poop! (Except try not to actually poop!) This will encourage your cervix to lower into the vaginal canal so that you can reach it.
Now that you know what you’re aiming for, simply PINCH the FemCap between your fingers, making it as flat as possible. Make sure you keep the longer side of the rim facing BACK and DOWN.
Then, insert the FemCap through your vaginal opening as high as it will go, sliding it back into the upright position, snugly fitting the dome of the FemCap over the cervix.
Here is that visual from both the bird’s eye view and side-view.
(Inserting the FemCap, bird’s eye view)
Now that you’ve inserted the FemCap, you shouldn’t be able to feel it internally. The cervix has very few nerve endings and therefore It should feel like nothing is in there! Amazing right?
However, if you can feel it, The FemCap might not be properly in place. If it isn’t properly in place, hook your finger in the removal strap to pull it gently down and try again.
If it is inserted and you can’t feel it, give the dome a few extra pokes around the sides to really ensure all sides are hugging the diameter of your cervix snugly.
(Poking the FemCap over the cervix, side view)
A quick and important note about these visual aids. In the previous GIFs, the fingers on the model’s right hand represented the vaginal opening, whereas, in this GIF, they are holding up the FemCap in place to represent the top of the vaginal canal. In this GIF, imagine the FemCap is at the very top of the vaginal canal as high as it will go, and the cervix is sitting in the dome.
Unless your cervix is very very low, your FemCap will not sit low towards the vaginal opening. It is much more likely that the cervix is higher up in the vaginal canal, and it will escalate even higher during sexual arousal. Therefore, it is crucial to put the FemCap in place before sexual arousal.
Removal
Removing the FemCap is easy! Just hook your finger in the strap and gently pull it out.
But first, you must consider the timing of your FemCap removal. Perhaps you want to remove it because you are trying to get pregnant, you are not sexually active, you are about to get your period, or just because mind your own business thank you very much! Simply remove, clean and store in your clam shell case for the future.
If you want to be prepared for pregnancy prevention, you wish to keep the FemCap inserted to track your fertility, or you just like having it in place as much as possible for your own peace of mind, you can leave it inserted for a full 48 hours before removing, washing and then immediately reinserting.
Most importantly, if you engage in sex involving a penis penetrating the vaginal canal, you must wait at least 6 hours to remove the FemCap before washing and reinserting. 6 hours is the amount of time it takes to properly introduce sperm to the acidic environment of the vagina or to oxygen, neither of which it can survive. Therefore, removing it before the 6-hour mark runs the risk of introducing fertile sperm to the cervix and increasing your chance of pregnancy.
Congratulations!!! You now are fully empowered to start using your FemCap.
FemCap: Better Birth Control at Your Cervix.