BCP plus VCF?

[sept2008twingirls]

My DH and I do NOT want more children. I'm afraid of what I've heard about the IUD. I wouldn't mind doing something permanent, but am afraid of side effects of tubal ligation and v- too.

I'm on the pill, which has always worked for me, but my DH is SOOO afraid of getting pregnant again that he insists on wearing a condom too. (For some reason he thinks we got pregnant while we were on the pill, though I know I wasn't doing anything at that time, except breastfeeding.) Well, that is NOT working for us.

So, I was thinking what if I continue to take my BCPs plus use a VCF. Would that be more effective than just BCPs? I am not THAT regular with the BCPs, which are the mini-pill, so I certainly don't want to get pregnant. I've used VCFs before, but that was when I was actually pregnant and I didn't know it, so I have no idea how effective they are.

Hope this makes sense. Munchkins have gotten up from their nap. No time to write/edit more.

Thanks,
Sarah Joy

[Mom2SammyJoe]

You probably know this, but the mini-pill is much more time sensitive than other pills because it contains only progesterone. For it to be most effective, it is important to take it every day at the same time. Even then it is less effective than combined pills. I think adding a spermicide is a great way to add extra protection.


Here are some stats I found on VCF alone. Using two methods certainly helps your odds.
Vaginal contraceptive film works because of the sperm killing chemical called nonoxynol-9. It is considered a form of spermicide. The World Health Organization reports that spermicides, including films, have a failure rate of 29 percent with typical use and 18 percent with perfect use. In other words, it is effective 71 to 82 percent of the time at preventing pregnancy.

On the other hand, a much better efficacy is reported by Canada’s Planned Parenthood, whose VCF factsheet puts the rate at anywhere from 79 to 94 percent effectiveness. With typical-use effectiveness rates much lower than that of hormonal birth control methods, it is a good idea to use a back-up method for preventing pregnancy.