Tubal ligation? Vasectomy?

[atpeace]

Please share your experiences with tubal ligations or vasectomies. How did you find the procedure, how was the recovery, how did you or partner come to make the decision (of one over the other), do you ever regret it, and any other tips, issues, or things nobody told you about.

Thanks!

[KBL7]

I can not give you the popular go-for-it answer. We wish we would have searched a bit more before making the decision to have a vasectomy. I suggest that you search "vasectomy problems" and "tubal problems". There are issues with both that are either downplayed or completely omitted.
We have since 'met' many of the unfortunate ones for whom these procedures became a nightmare.

The vasectomy surgery is the easiest to do. However, undoing either is major surgery with no guarantees.
My DH had a vasectomy done which we very much regretted later. He has had some improvement in his immune system since doing the reversal, but there are other new complications and we have not gotten pregnant. We have a friend that has had a constant infection since his vasectomy was done. There are many health concerns now being associated with altering the body in such a way, on both the male and female side.

Please do the search I suggested so that you can make the most informed decision.

[Bokonon]

I had my tubes tied with my c-section when DD was born (repeat c-section). I had severe preeclampsia and premature deliveries with both kids, so the decision to not have any more kids was an easy one.

Since the procedure was while I was already in the OR, there was no additional discomfort or trauma. The recovery was not any different than with my first c-section.

I have no regrets and would actually like DH to get a vasectomy so we can be absolutely sure I don't get pregnant again.

[spedtchr]

I had my tubes tied during my c-section with DD #3. Unlike the PP, the decision was not easy for me, and I have since regretted it terribly! I was having a difficult pregnancy (thus the c-section) and I knew that DH wasn't interested in having more children. I also felt like the midwives and doctors I talked to pushed the procedure when I asked questions and expressed doubt about it. I agreed to the tubal in hopes of pleasing DH, which actually lead to us hitting an incredibly difficult time in our marriage - I had PPD, and I think at least part of it stemmed from the tubal, and my unresolved feelings from that.

As far as recovery, I'm not sure how to answer. My recovery in general was pretty difficult, considering my first 2 births were vaginal and unmedicated and I bounced back from them very easily. I was recovering from the surgery, from the tubal, as well as from having an ovary removed. At the same time, I had 2 other young children to care for, and DH was working graveyard at the time, so was gone a lot. I was in a lot of pain for many weeks (though only on pain medication for the first week out of the hospital). My midwife confirmed that the additional procedures I had probably made my recovery more painful then a typical c-section alone.

If I had it to do over again, I would absolutely not have had the tubal. It has been emotionally devestating to me, and has been a physical difficulty as well. Knowing that we can't afford to go back and reverse the procedure makes it all the more difficult for me, even if I thought there was any way of changing DH's mind about more kids.

On the other hand, the day before my c-section, my sister underwent the Essure procudure to have her tubes tied. Her recovery was incredibly easy - she was able to take it pretty easy for the few days after the procedure as she drove 8 hours to be with me for DDs birth, so left her kids at home with grandma. She was thrilled to have it done as an outpatient, has had no problems from it, that I know of, and was very confident that she and her DH were done having children. I know she wouldn't change a thing about her choice.

[Mamacitac]

I regret ever getting my tubes tied..and just hours after getting it done too.
I remember sitting in my hospital bed with my fresh new baby, crying in the arms of a nurse because I just knew I made the worst decision ever. My youngest is now 6, and I'm only 31 and I crave a new baby SO bad. I sometimes snap back to reality though, and say "4 is enough!" but I still want to have THAT option, kwim?
If I had my time back I would have waited at least a few weeks or months even...after he was born to get them done. I decided to get them done while I was 40 lbs overweight (preg weight) cranky and just wanting that baby OUT..not a good time to plan such a huge decision. Yanno?
I've recently started to investigate the costs of a reversal, but unfortunatly even IF I could afford the procedure, I may just be too high risk to get it done. I had high bp while pregnant and had 4 sections..so it may just be a NO GO anyhow.
As for pain; the procedure itself was done immediately after my c-section; so the pain from my tubal wasn't even felt. I was up and around even after the section within hours..walking around the hospital hallway with my baby.

I'm not here to scare you off of getting it done..some people just KNOW 100% that they're done..I wasn't sure at all. It was just a snap decision..that has caused me so much grief.
But thats ME..and not everyone is like ME. Thank god! ha ha

[Maela]

Dh just had a vasectomy a couple of weeks ago. So far, no regrets. We both are very sure that we just want two kids. I was "tricked" by my hormones once that pregnancy and early infancy were not that bad, and I will not be tricked again. I don't enjoy pregnancy and, while I love babies, I prefer it once they are past that stage. I know that 9 months of pg + the first 9 months of life = a very small part of my life. But I'm ready for that part of my life to be over.

I'm really hoping Dh has no complications that show up later. He did his research and knew the risks and still wanted to go through with it. It's been two weeks and he's now able to take walks and lift the kids. Every now and then he has a pain "like someone is squeezing me down there", but we're pretty sure that's because he's still not quite recovered. Or he's doing too much too soon.