any help? non-hormonal BC

[ColoradanMom]

I really really want to try something new, but I'm scared of getting pg. My son's three - after he was born I got Mirena and kept it for a year but I hated it. Zero libido, mood issues, breast pain, frequent YIs, etc. I got it out and switched to regular BCPs. Its a ton better than the Mirena, but I still really don't like the way I feel being pumped with hormones. I still get a YI at least once a month, and the times where I decide to treat it I end up with a rebound case of BV for another week :eww I'm still just not myself. I also really think it contributed to my weight gain (I know there's studies that say it shouldn't)

I'm done with my current pill pack in 2 weeks and then 3 days later I have an appt scheduled with a new CNM I'm gonna start getting my paps with. I think my plan is to finish out this pack and just not start a new one (using protection those few days, of course) and save myself $48 and talk it out with her.
I've thought about Paraguard but its expensive (I have catholic university student insurance so no way will they pay) and i'm still a little traumatized from Mirena insertion and I want to TTC in a year and a half, so I don't know that its worth it.

I've thought about diapragms (the failure % scares me) and about FAM. I am really motivated to comply with the "rules" if I were to do it and to maybe use condoms for a few months until I get comfortable with the charting and everything.

Does FAM really work? I'm so scared and part of me thinks if I were to try it and get PG everyone would roll there eyes at me for not using "real BC" but I really want to trust it. Where's the best place to learn how to do it right?

Thanks for any advice!

[*MamaJen*]

I can't stand hormonal birth control either. The pill just totally kills my libido.
In your situation, I would probably do a combo method. For example, you could do diaphragm, spermicide and withdrawal, or condoms, FAM and withdrawal, that kind of thing. The elements that you could pull into it are:
--condoms
--withdrawal
--FAM
--diaphragm
--spermicide
--sponge

Personally, I would always use withdrawal anywhere in the remotely fertile period, in addition to other methods. Also, and I just learned this a couple days ago, withdrawal (or condoms) can actually help you cut down on BV or yeast infections.
I love my paraguard IUD. Some women get killer cramps on it, but my cramps actually got milder, oddly enough, which actually wound up being slightly annoying because if I forget to look at the calendar, I can't tell that I'm about to get my period. But if you have to pay for it out of pocket, having it for just 18 months certainly wouldn't be cost effective.

[ColoradanMom]

Thanks! That's what I've thought of is combo-ing it up. I thought about getting a diaphragm and then charting to be extra careful.