birth control

[mom2tatum]

wondering what everyone is doing as far as birth control. Please fill out the poll and tell what/why if you want! I am dying to hear many responses on this. Such dilemmas. For now until I get my period, I plan on using condoms...I wish I could trust LAM - and was considering it until I heard some other mamas on here say how they've always gotten their periods back super early regardless of how often they nursed their babies. AND, with my ds I got mine back at 3 mos - although he slept many nights 7-8 hours being swaddled - I believe thats why - but what if I'm one of those mamas that just gets it back early regardless? WHOA. Scared me a bit. So, condoms it is. ugh. we, read: dh, is not happy...although he agrees its best for us for now.

I want to hear some things more about IUD's. I don't know how I feel about them, truly...and, a friend just got prg with her 4th, with her IUD in after only 3 yrs! So, I guess nothing is 100%...condoms are pretty damn close, though!

[Devaskyla]

LAM. Maybe condoms, too, although I got 11 months after both the older 2.

Considering IUD, but still on the fence. Dh was going to get a vasectomy. but he has enough health issues without taking the risk.

[Conchobhar]

I chose other because I got Implanon. Hasn't caused me any problems, so far. It still feels a little weird under the skin of my arm, but nothing horrible. I got it because my insurance runs out at the end of this month and I wouldn't be able to afford BC pills without insurance. With this, I don't have to worry about it for 3 years, don't have to pay anything additional, either.

[YayJennie]

Diaphragm! No hormones, very effective, easy to use, and works well for us. We were using it before we got pregnant (which was a planned pregnancy, not failed contraceptive) and my midwife just refitted me

[filiadeluna]

Condoms. I don't like how they feel at all, and neither does DH, but we used them effectively for over 3 years before we decided to TTC (and admittedly he never puts them on until the last minute ). Even then it took us 9 months to get pregnant.

I refuse to ever go on hormonal BC again like I was before we were married. It makes me really , and it made me gain a lot of weight. I also don't want anything long-term or permanent since we plan on having at least one more in the next few years.

[galincognito]

we use condoms because it's easy and the easiest to reverse for when we are ttc. we like our kids spaced under 2 years so we'll be going for #3 when dd2 is close to a year old. gosh, all of a sudden that doesn't seem that far away! i can't believe she's two months already!

[Mrsboyko]

Sofar? Abstinance.

Long term, i have no idea. Porbably condoms, maybe I will look into a diaphragm. Definately no hormonal stuff, it messes me up. I thought I had DH convinced to get a vas, but now he wants to put it off for a while. I threatened his life if I end up pregnant again, so we shall see.

[javilu]

haven't had sex yet and probably won't for a while, but we're just planning on condoms, even though i'm nursing a ton.

[herins]

LAM...I had to quit breastfeeding my son at 16 mos. for my cycle to return when we were ready to ttc. So, this time around I think I'll assume I'm safe (or use condoms). Last time we used condoms.

[JMJ]

LAM, though I plan to continue it way past 6 months, though I might start charting CM then. When my cycles come back, I'll be charting for sure. Mom2tatum, LAM still works if you get your period back early. It just only works until you get your period back. If you get it back that early, the odds are that you will not ovulate before your first period if it comes back that early.

[GoddessJ]

We just talked with our midwife about this and she recommended Ovulens...you put your saliva in it and it tells you if you are ovulating. My only concern about it is that sperm can live inside you for a number of days so I would still have to worry abou that. My partner is considering a Vasectomy, which sounds realy good to me. I do not want to get pregant again. We will be using condoms for now, but I am allergic to the latex, female condoms tend to slip, and lambs skin freak me out for some reason. I have never been a big condom user so I am not excited about it at all. I think I might get my period soon (the midwife said that there was a lot of mucus on my cervix which could signify that I am ovulating already). Maybe I should just go ahead and get my tubes tied, since I am 98% sure I don't want another child. Oh, birth control!

[javilu]

goddess - have you tried polyurethane? i like them alright...

[eewieew]

right now i'm doing abstinence (not by choice ) but am planning on getting a copper iud at 3 months pp. i refuse to do anything hormonal because i always get the absolute worst case scenario of the most random and bizarre side effects. it's like i'm pms'ing ALL.THE.TIME. not fun for whoever my partner is.

i have honestly always been really lazy and irresponsible about birth control, but now that i'm back in the dating world and a single mom, i can absolutely, 100% not afford to get pregnant. i'm also extremely fertile, like get pregnant without having sex fertile (kidding, but you get what i'm saying). i do think i would like to have another baby eventually. obviously i'm not going bare with strangers, but two methods is better than one, IMO.

[momto4kids]

I listed other option...only because right now we are using the mini-pill, even though I don't begin to ovulate until 6-9 mos PP. BUT ~ my hubby will be going in to have a vasecotomy done sometime in the next few months.....we have 6 kids now & he is 100% sure that he is done. I am 99.99% sure ...seriously though, this is the first time after a baby that I feel like our family is complete......

so for now ~ LAM topped w/ the mini-pill
in the next few months ~ a permanent solution....

[Purple Sage]

LAM for now, vasectomy in the near future.

[MomtotheMAX]

Ugh..this is a major issue causing a lot of tension at my house at the moment. I am basically too terrified to have sex because I'm afraid I'm going to get pregnant. I don't trust any method. I was kind of holding out, hoping my husband would go through with a Vasectomy. But he went to the consultation appointment today and came back with a package of condoms, saying he wasn't going to mutilate his body! Ahhh....lovely. Glad I could go through 4 pregnancies and births (including two nightmarish epis. jobs), and he can't go through a Vasectomy and one weekend resting in bed. Can you tell I'm bitter about this?!?

Anyway, right now I'm too ticked to have sex with him again, so we'll see what happens....I wish I could trust some method. But, ultimately, at this point, taking a vow of celibacy sounds a whole lot more appealing than risking another pregnancy. I am so DONE with that stage of my life.

[SaraC]

I am doing something called Essure. It is a form of tubal ligation where they insert something into my tubes to cause blockages. I am really happy with that choice b/c it can be done in office without a general and long recovery. I am 100% sure we are done.

[mom2tatum]

Originally Posted by JMJ

LAM, though I plan to continue it way past 6 months, though I might start charting CM then. When my cycles come back, I'll be charting for sure. Mom2tatum, LAM still works if you get your period back early. It just only works until you get your period back. If you get it back that early, the odds are that you will not ovulate before your first period if it comes back that early.

yeah, I talked it all over with my mw and we all decided I need something pretty effective though because I absolutely do NOT want to be pregnant again anytime soon. I mean, really NOT. CAN'T. I just cannot trust LAM, I wish I could but its just not safe for us right now. I am having a little moral dilemma with the idea of IUD, but I wish I could just accept the facts with it and process it enough to be comfortable getting one, but I can't see that happening...ugh. this is tough. condoms are so effective, but they SUCK. gosh.

[Aly22681]

LAM for us....Although my husband will be deploying so I shouldnt have to worry about it for a while, but when he gets back I might go back on the nuva ring, I'm kinda torn though bc we had to go through IVF to get pregnant this last time but we CAN get pregnant on our own it just might take a while. So better safe than sorry I guess. If we got preg again it WOULDN'T be the end of the world but I would really like to have some time to really enjoy London before having another. I guess we will just have to cross that bridge when we get there.

[Altair]

I just got the IUD (copper) inserted at my 6 weeks visit. Nothing like getting an IUD inserted on your own couch with your little one sleeping right next to you! I've had no side effect so far, but it's only been a week or so.

I've tried almost every other form of BC and hated it. Condoms... one broke for us early on in our relationship and we did Plan B. Hormonal (nuvaring and pills) made my libido go away and made me feel awful... and then the lovely diaphragm, which I LOVED, resulted in Mr. Sion himself.

So it's IUD or bust!