Steps for Self CIC: for women
- Collect the equipment needed: Catheter, clean cottons swab clean tissue or gauge pieces, dish for urine collection, lubricant, mirror if required, clean water and soap to wash hands, mackintosh and towel.
- Get into the position you find comfortable: sitting on the toilet, wheelchair or reclining on bed. (lie on back or sit with legs apart and knees bent.)
- Get the clothing out of the way.
- Spread the waterproof protection.
- Wash hands
- Squeeze out two blobs of Xylocaine/KY jelly on clean tissue or gauge pieces, discard the first blob. For anyone with a sensitive urethra it may also be advisable to squeeze some jelly directly into the urethra.
- Separate and clean the lips (labia) using tissue or cotton swab, with a mild antiseptic solution. (In case you have a heavy menstrual flow, it might be a good idea to use a tampon or tissue to control the flow.
- Place the dish between the legs ready to catch the urine.
- Adjust the mirror.
- Take the catheter out of its container, wash in running water and flick dry. Dip the tip into the second blob of lubricant jelly, taking care that the jelly does not block the holes in the catheter.
- If you need to let go of the catheter while finding the opening to the urethra, lay it on a clean tissue or return it to its container.
- Without a mirror by sliding the finger back along the ridge from the clitoris in front to the vagina behind. For anyone who has not lost sensation in this area, the urethral opening is a very sensitive spot so that you soon learn to recognise the feel when the catheter touches the opening.
- Having located the opening hold the catheter about 2 cms from its tip and insert it about 5 cms or so until the urine flows. If the catheter has slipped into the vagina no harm is done, just try again to find the hole in front of the vagina.
- When urine stops flowing make sure that the bladder has completely emptied by bearing down, inserting the catheter a little further and twisting it gently.
- Take out the catheter slowly and if more urine starts to flow, stop and wait until it has finished before removing the catheter.
- Rinse through the catheter with running water, flick dry and return it to its container.
