Plans for birth control?

[AdalynsMama]

I haven't put much thought into what I want to do about BC after LO arrives but I guess I should start thinking about it. I had a Paragard before I started TTC and ended up taking it out early because of severe cramping so I'm feeling hesitant to go that route again. I've also considered using regualr BC pills as a way to lower my milk supply (had SEVERE over supply with last two babes) so I guess that's also an option. What is everyone else's plan?

[danipoppins]

I'm considering the copper IUD.  I'd like to steer clear of hormones and really, I'd like to just be able to chart and use barrier methods when fertile, but since I'll be FT BFing, who the heck knows when I'll be fertile or not and it is just not going to be an option for me to get pregnant again any time soon. I've heard pros and cons about the copper IUD.  I may end up just giving it a go and see if it works for us and if not, figure out a plan B.

PS. Your oversupply could be caused by a food intolerance, I know MANY mommas whose supply dropped to normal levels when they eliminated dairy from their diet. Something to think about esp if you're babies have a tendency to be colicky - which is also made worse or caused by dairy in mom's milk and/or oversupply.

[justduckyangie]

I'm pretty set, but not 100%, on getting my tubes tied. (I know I need to hurry up and decide) If I don't I'd do the Mirena IUD. I've heard pretty good things about it...like alot lighter periods..oooo! But haven't researched it much on how it would affect BF'ing.

[QuestionGal]

vasectomy!!  Excited for it to not be my responsibility. But in the meantime we'll stick to condoms as hormonal BC doesn't work well with my system.

[thebigfam]

I had a merena and HATED it!  I have no Idea what we are going to do.  I don't know if we want more kids and how I feel about preventing pregnancy at all.  It is so hard!  Oh and Big daddy has double the normal amount of sperm so.... yeah he is super fertile.  I guess I am going to just hope that exclusive nursing is affective until I figure things out!

Big Momma

[stormgirl]

We have a vasectomy consultation appt on thursday, then a 30 day waiting period...then the snip!  There's no way on earth I want to go thru another pregnancy, we'll both be 40, and we'll have 5 kids between us, that fills the mini-van....we're happy.  And very fertile, even at 40!

[Mom_enjoying_life]

I have been thinking about it because we are not sure if we want to try for #3 or not.  With DS, as long as I was nursing I never got my period.  Even when he was nursing 1-2 times a day, I still didn't get my period.  It wasn't until I completely weaned and then a month later I got my period. I don't know if I should I expect that to be the same again?  I have been trying to do research, but haven't been successful.  I am not sure if women have similar fertility patterns with all their children while BFing?  Whenever we decide we are done though, DH is getting a vasectomy...which he is fine with!

[SumnerRain]

We are just waiting for the all clear from his vasectomy he had Dec 3rd.... but I am not sure if we had enough time to get rid of the sperm before DS arrived.  I had the paraguard after DD was born, and loved it, but my body did not.  I expelled it twice and the 2nd time bled so much it was like the 1st day postpartum for 30 days straight, then like the 1st day of AF for the next 30.  It was HORRIBLE.  My GYN thinks I have a copper sensitivity. 

[AdalynsMama]

SumnerRain, I felt the same way! Loved the copper IUD but my body did not. Over the span of two years my cycles only got heavier and SO much more painful. Ugh. Such a great option if it works well with your body though.

Danipoppins-- that's so interesting about the dairy!! I noticed last time that the biggest problem was sugar. If I consumed the smallest amount of refined sugar or carbs my milk supply would go crazy in the next 30 minutes. I think cutting out processed foods and sugars will be my first step. If that doesn't work I'll definitely look into the dairy. Thanks so much!

[LM96]

A form of NFP (natural family planning) because of religious reasons (and really, I'm not a fan of any form of BC anyway).  I'm thinking of doing the Marquette method this time because it doesn't require temping at the same time each day.  I've had pretty obvious returns to fertility each time before so I'm hoping I'm the same this time.  I should really get my monitor ordered though because I'm already at the 6 week post-partum mark.  Eek!  That's hard to believe!

[DaisyMae08]

Infertility.  LOL.  It took us three years and a gazillion IUIs and then several IVF cycles and finally IVF with microarray CGH to get pregnant (diagnosed with "unexplained infertility") so I don't think we'll do anything. 

[dejagerw]

LAM then NFP (symptothermal method).

[BaileyB]

Hi. I'm crashing from the Feb DDC (I'm due the first week of Feb.). Anyway, after my last baby I wanted to continue doing the NFP and it ended up being really confusing and I got pregnant 7 weeks postpartum...so just a warning. I wasn't breastfeeding (baby was stillborn) and I found it extremely difficult to know what was going on while I was waiting for my first period to start. I had my normal postpartum bleeding and then it ended and then I had some spotting and cramping for 12 days then randomly took a leftover hpt I had in the bathroom, because I was having to pee so much, and ended up finding out I was 3 weeks pregnant at the ER. (I went to the ER because I was worried that I was pregnant and having so much cramping and spotting. I thought it was ectopic or something.) This time I am thinking I will be going with the mini-pill and hopefully FT BF-ing.

[Pirogi]

LAM, then NFP for me as well.  We used the same after DD.  I have some pretty detailed "rules" that I condensed based on the old CCLI Art of Natural Family Planning manual, if anyone is interested to see exactly what we planned/did.  Despite nearly "perfect" mothering that should have resulted in at least 6 months amennorhea, I ovulated at three months PP.  BUT, my luteal phase was too short to be fertile for a year after the birth.  Then everything rapidly returned to normal.  We were able to sucessfully use NFP/FAM to avoid pregnancy until we decided to start trying again, a little before 3 years.

[danipoppins]

Originally Posted by DaisyMae08 

Infertility.  LOL.  It took us three years and a gazillion IUIs and then several IVF cycles and finally IVF with microarray CGH to get pregnant (diagnosed with "unexplained infertility") so I don't think we'll do anything. 

I would bet the farm that.  One of my co-workers tried to get pregnant for 8 years (IVF, etc) and had a beautiful baby girl last July.  About 12 wks ago she found out she was pregnant, surprise, all on her very own.  My ex-SIL used fertility treatments to get pregnant with her first two... but not the last four :)

It took us 18 mos to get pregnant with this little one (without any fertility treatments, eventually using Chaste Tree Berry) and while I'd like to think we're 'safe', I know I'm not ready to get pregnant again for a while so we're going to use some kind of protection. 

[SumnerRain]

Originally Posted by DaisyMae08 

Infertility.  LOL.  It took us three years and a gazillion IUIs and then several IVF cycles and finally IVF with microarray CGH to get pregnant (diagnosed with "unexplained infertility") so I don't think we'll do anything. 

That is how we got #5.  ;)  I have PCOS, he has varicocele.  Both my OBs/REs and his urologists told us we probably would not ever have any more kids.  (#1 is my step son I adopted, #2 was an oops when we were teenagers) we tried for 6 years for #3 with RE assistance.  #4 was 2 years and IUI.  #5 was "didn't use a condom one time" and we were depending on infertility for backup.  I say go for it if you are complacent to the idea of another.  We chose not to use any form of birth control after #3 because we knew we wanted a 4th.... I was hoping it would have been easier to fall pregnant, but I guess it is only easy for me when we are trying to avoid pregnancy!  lol

[jessica_s]

I'm going the infertility route as well. Even though I know it's a crap shoot sometimes! 

*ALL* of my 5 pregnancies have been sought after and at the very least took 3 months of trying (and in a couple of cases over a year) and very specific timed sex with a lot of luck thrown in, I think we'll be good with at least a NFP method until we've decided that 2 is enough. We've already decided we aren't going to try for a third, but if it manages to happen, it happens! 

I've not been on any sort of birth control in the last 7 years, I think my time with that is done! DH's turn for some poking and prodding! 

[allisonrose]

My first son was conceived after infertility. While I was not having a period due to bfing, we used condoms. Once my period came, we used a lax version of NFP to avoid. We decided we were ready for another child and began going out of our way to DTD near ovulation. We were surprised to get a BFP the third month of this.

I might look into an IUD after this one because we're a bit up in the air about a third child. I'm hoping that once we decide we ready for more permanent means of BC that hubby will step up.

[greenmulberry]

I don't know.

I don't do well on hormonal birth control (like, I have three week periods), although the Nuva Ring had the least side effects so I may go back to that. We hate condoms and will often just opt for sexual activity that won't result in pregnancy when condoms are our only option, so that's an option too.

I miss the trying to get pregnant phase, it was nine months of spontaneous, unprotected sex before I concieved. I know TTC conceive isn't so fun for some people, but we we not in any hurry and I have fond memories.

[Beverly]

This is a a concern for me as well, and I still don't know what we're going to do.  I'm another who doesn't do well on hormonal BC, and NFP has never been successful for us long-term (only #3 of our kids was planned).  I'd really like my husband to have a vasectomy, but he has a surgery phobia and flat refuses.  I've mostly resigned myself to the fact that this won't be our last baby, even though I'm 37 and he's 43.  At some point I'll probably end up taking another one for the team and having my tubes tied.  I'm a little resentful that after all these years of pregnancy and nursing and hormonal BC that I'll have to put my own body on the line again, but I don't know what else I can do (besides keep having babies).