Favorite Non-hormonal Birth Control

[lactatinggirl]

So the more I read, the more I'm convinced some of the things I'm unhappy with regarding my body (low sex drive, acne, etc.) are at least partially caused by my Mirena and I want it out. We're going to start TTC later this year, but I really wouldn't want to get pregnant quite yet.

So what kinds of non-hormonal BC do people like and why? I've only ever used hormonal and honestly, most of them have sucked. Beyond that, I'd like to be as "natural' as possible because when I start TTC, I have an ideal window that I'd like to conceive in and it seems that that's more likely to happen if I don't have hormones in my system. Plus what's the point in taking out the IUD (which is super convenient BTW) if I get all the symptoms back on the new BC?

[SamiPolizzi]

I love my diaphragm. :)

[Smidge]

Condoms

[ElaynesMom]

I'll second condoms. Besides providing birth control, they make sex much more tidy. 

[scarletjane]

really? i get to be the first one to say charting?  yay!  charting!!!!!  The fertility awareness method (FAM)... the. best. thing. i ever discovered, as far as my reproduction. i could not believe i didn't know about it sooner. and the plus (well, there are so so many) but the main one.. is that when you do start to TTC, you will have all of this incredibly valuable insight into your fertility and you will be able to reverse-use it to get pregnant.  i've been charting for four years. I used it successfully to avoid pregnancy for 2 years and then to get pregnant in '09.  I can not recommend it more highly.  The very best resource out there is a thick book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility."  It's not as daunting as it looks, because half of it is devoted to avoiding pregnancy and half is devoted to TTC.  do not be intimidate by this method. you will love it.

[HulaJenn]

Originally Posted by scarletjane 

really? i get to be the first one to say charting?  yay!  charting!!!!!  The fertility awareness method (FAM)... the. best. thing. i ever discovered, as far as my reproduction. i could not believe i didn't know about it sooner. and the plus (well, there are so so many) but the main one.. is that when you do start to TTC, you will have all of this incredibly valuable insight into your fertility and you will be able to reverse-use it to get pregnant.  i've been charting for four years. I used it successfully to avoid pregnancy for 2 years and then to get pregnant in '09.  I can not recommend it more highly.  The very best resource out there is a thick book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility."  It's not as daunting as it looks, because half of it is devoted to avoiding pregnancy and half is devoted to TTC.  do not be intimidate by this method. you will love it.

Ditto this!! Chartiing is most natural and very effective providing you do your research.

[lactatinggirl]

Bleh I hate condoms. :-P

I like the idea of a diaphragm, but my husband is convinced that he'll be able to feel it. Any experience with that?

I also like the idea of charting, but it does seem daunting. Could someone give me a brief overview? I'm going to check out that book from the library too and check it out. Hopefully I can get through enough of it before Wednesday when I have my appointment to take my IUD out. Do I need to use a different barrier method while figuring out my cycles? Do you just not have sex during the 5-ish days when you're fertile? Are cycles always the exact same? How easy is it to foul up?

[HulaJenn]

I thought diaphragms were not recommended for women who have had children (less elasticity to hold it in place correctly and therefore making way less effective?)

[2Peaches]

Throwing in my vote for the Fertility Awareness Method!  I wish I could take back the 10 years I was on the pill in my younger days.  FAM is just as reliable as other methods, probably more so if you abstain during potentially fertile times instead of using a barrier method.  It may seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is just automatic.  I'm new at using FAM for TTA, but I love being so in tune with my body.  And having the unprotected love making during the confirmed safe times is soooooo delicious!  Taking Charge of Your Fertility and The Garden of Fertility are my favorite references.

[sogriffin]

Another vote for FAM. 

We've used it since we got married 7 years ago, and I've only gotten pregnant when we decide to. Taking Charge of your Fertility is probably one of the most "Aha!" books I've ever read. Your body makes so much sense if you know how to pay attention to what it's telling you.

Since I've been doing it so long, I don't even chart any more. I'm comfortable doing it based on cervical indicators alone. During the fertile times, we will use a diaphragm. And we did use the diaphragm in the first year or so after my babies were born, until my cycles returned.

Diaphragms are ok, FAM is better. 

[averlee]

Spermicide! I like VCF, it's a little film you insert, it takes 15 minutes to dissolve. There's also foam, cream, gel, other kinds of goo. I like it because- you can get it at a grocery store or target (no doctor visits), you only use when needed (unlike the iud or birth control pills that are used every day), it is not permanent at all, and it can be used with other methods like FAM or condoms. 

[SamiPolizzi]

Originally Posted by lactatinggirl 

Bleh I hate condoms. :-P

I like the idea of a diaphragm, but my husband is convinced that he'll be able to feel it. Any experience with that?

I also like the idea of charting, but it does seem daunting. Could someone give me a brief overview? I'm going to check out that book from the library too and check it out. Hopefully I can get through enough of it before Wednesday when I have my appointment to take my IUD out. Do I need to use a different barrier method while figuring out my cycles? Do you just not have sex during the 5-ish days when you're fertile? Are cycles always the exact same? How easy is it to foul up?

My partner can't feel my diaphragm. I'm pretty sure as long it's place probably it won't be felt, but I only have my own experience to go off of. 

Originally Posted by HulaJenn 

I thought diaphragms were not recommended for women who have had children (less elasticity to hold it in place correctly and therefore making way less effective?)

That's what I was told by my OB when I asked. I have since found out that is false. However, if you had a diaphragm before giving birth you would have to get refitted to see if you need a bigger size. 

Originally Posted by sogriffin 

Another vote for FAM. 

We've used it since we got married 7 years ago, and I've only gotten pregnant when we decide to. Taking Charge of your Fertility is probably one of the most "Aha!" books I've ever read. Your body makes so much sense if you know how to pay attention to what it's telling you.

Since I've been doing it so long, I don't even chart any more. I'm comfortable doing it based on cervical indicators alone. During the fertile times, we will use a diaphragm. And we did use the diaphragm in the first year or so after my babies were born, until my cycles returned.

Diaphragms are ok, FAM is better. 

I love the idea of FAM, but I still haven't had a cycle since giving birth, so I haven't been able to start charting. But even when I'm able to, I'm not going to do it without a back up since I'm not married. So for now I love my diaphragm, but I'd love to be able to rely solely on FAM someday. 

[lactatinggirl]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to do FAM with a diaphragm during fertile times. I've started reading TCOYF and I'm loving it. I started taking temps, but literally the day that I did I started coming down with the flu, so I decided to wait until I'm done with being sick until I start charting again. I have been paying attention to my CM though and I'm amazed at how much I can tell already! Thanks again for all of the suggestions! 

[2Peaches]

I just started using FAM for TTA as opposed to TTC, so I will plan on using a back-up method (pull and pray!) for awhile the entire cycle.  This is the first cycle postpartum I have been charting and it looks annovulatory, so according to TCOYF I have to treat myself as potentially fertile.  When in doubt consider yourself fertile, don't take the chance!

[JMJ]

You'll want to know that the synthetic hormones in your system from the minera may linger in your system for a while, not exactly sure how long.  They may mess with the mucus observations for a time, so if you don't have textbook cycles for a bit, that's likely why.  It might be a good idea to wait to TTC until they've evened out a bit.

[GoBecGo]

copper coil

though i got pregnant on FAM (after nearly 3 years of using it successfully, so not a newbie error!) which clouds my view of it a little! :)

[ecoteat]

I was feeling really good about using FAM for the time between going off the pill and TTC. Then it took FOREVER for my cycles to do anything at all predictable and chartable after having dd, and I wasn't at all confident about FAM, so I got a copper IUD. I'm quite happy with it. It took a couple months for my body to get used to it (but it may have also been the newness of my temporarily wonky cycles), but I love it now. I would have gone back to FAM sooner if I could, but it just wasn't going to happen. And now I have this IUD, so maybe I'll try FAM again someday when it's time to take it out.

[AlaaJ]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo 

copper coil

though i got pregnant on FAM (after nearly 3 years of using it successfully, so not a newbie error!) which clouds my view of it a little! :)

What is copper coil?? (Sorry if I sound totally ignorant!)

And what was your error while using the FAM, if you don't mind my asking..

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by JMJ 

You'll want to know that the synthetic hormones in your system from the minera may linger in your system for a while, not exactly sure how long.  They may mess with the mucus observations for a time, so if you don't have textbook cycles for a bit, that's likely why.  It might be a good idea to wait to TTC until they've evened out a bit.

That's a big part of the reason why I got my IUD out now. I want to give my body a lot of time to get back to normal before TTC. I'm just planning on using FAM as a BC until we decide to do that. 

 

Originally Posted by AlaaJ 

Originally Posted by GoBecGo 

copper coil

though i got pregnant on FAM (after nearly 3 years of using it successfully, so not a newbie error!) which clouds my view of it a little! :)

What is copper coil?? (Sorry if I sound totally ignorant!)

And what was your error while using the FAM, if you don't mind my asking..

Copper coil is a type of IUD. It's called a Paragard. If I decide to get another IUD, it'll be that one because it's non-hormonal. The downside I've heard with it is that it can make your periods really heavy. 

[JMJ]

Sounds like a good plan.  Just saying that if it's confusing at first, don't give up!  It'll likely get easier.