Birth Control

[gwenneh 7]

On the pill now; yes, there's weight gain.

Tried the patch but since I'm fairly athletic the sweat and grime (horseback rider, so I'm not in a cushy gym) used to get to be too much; they'd get grubby around the edges and then fall off, completely disrupting the cycle.

Shot screws with the hormones WAY too much; avoid at all costs.

Nuvaring might have been okay, but for some extreme body mods my hubby has-made it very uncomfortable to leave in, was annoying to take out every time.

So we're back around to the pill, until it's officially baby-producing time!

Edited July 22, 2006 by Gwen666

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I've done the pill and the patch, but right now, I'm sticking to the ring. I like not having to think about it for three weeks. You just have to check to make sure it's still there occasionally

[rebeccajo 14]

Ryan and I will see a gyno about this later...

I don't have an opinion on b/c methods as I am 49 this coming Monday and have had all that taken care of.

What I do wonder is why you and Ryan will be seeing the ob/gyn. It's YOUR body and YOUR health and in my opinion it's NOT any of the man's business what method you use, other than to respect your choice.

Edited July 22, 2006 by rebeccajo

[Lizzy 0]

No birth control needed here...we are trying for a baby

Edited July 22, 2006 by Lizzy

[CarolineM 0]

I SWEAR by the ring. I had been on the pill for ages...(Like Gwen by soccer playing was bad for the patch...too sweaty all the time). I would miss a day cause i'm forgetful and then take two and then throw up...it was bad.

I mean it...I SWEAR by the ring. It's so easy - you just put it in and forget about it! In on the 10th, out on the 15th...so easy, you don't even feel it and neither does the guy...at least mine doesn't.

Honestly it's great and my periods are down to TWO days!! I used to have five day periods with lots of blood and MAJOR cramping.

TWO DAYS That's it! It's been a godsend

[Kathryn41 3,205]

This topic reminds me of a very bad joke I once heard:

Did you ever hear about the Canadian Post Office birth control method?

You put a stamp on his forward and it takes him two weeks to come.

(running and ducking!)

[keltic 1]

ive tried several birth control pills... done the depo shot (had NO period for nearly a year on that)... all of them added pounds to me that exercise and diet hasnt budged... i get down to a certain point and thats it

ive heard the nuvaring is good (got a couple of testimonials in this thread already)... and then there is also a product called mirena that is a 5 yr option... and there is also something called norplant which is another long term option

i cant advocate for any of the last 3, since i havent used them... just thought i would mention them

good luck!

[cheeky^Wolf 0]

I have a 3 year implant in my arm called Implanon. This is my second one and it's fantastic. I suffered really badly with painful and heavy periods, was on the pill for 15 years and my doctor wanted me off of it.

I was skeptical about the implant at first but no periods is a HUGE advantage for me. It's inserted just under the skin, takes 10 mins to fit, contraceptive is in your body within 8 hours and that's it for 3 years. I've had absolutely no side effects, sometimes I get a day when I feel like i'm going to have a period but then it goes! After it's removed, the contraceptive is out of your body in 8 hours. I still have my old one, it looks like a piece of wire with plastic covering.

I know it's very popular in the UK and my father in law told me last night the US has just approved it.

http://www.implanon-usa.com/Consumer/index...389207013657407

I'm planning on having mine removed later in the year (either here or UK) so we can't start trying for a baby, and to be honest, the thought of a period is daunting now! I hope I remember what to do

Helen

[Mandi+Ryan 1]

Ryan and I will see a gyno about this later...

I don't have an opinion on b/c methods as I am 49 this coming Monday and have had all that taken care of.

What I do wonder is why you and Ryan will be seeing the ob/gyn. It's YOUR body and YOUR health and in my opinion it's NOT any of the man's business what method you use, other than to respect your choice.

Ryan wants to be there for me in all aspects, and I want him there.

[MrsAmera 41]

Well I'm skeptical of all birth control now because I think my husband or I are extremely fertile. I got pregnant on the shot and had a miscarriage last summer and I'm pregnant now but got pregnant while using the Nuvaring. *sigh* No user error just in that 1% it doesn't work for I guess. Depending on how long you want to wait to have a child maybe an IUD is a good idea? They are good for 5 years but you can take them out before then. They are a bit expensive but I think covered on most insurance plans. If we wouldn't have gotten pregnant that's the route I would have taken.

[Alex+R 0]

I have a 3 year implant in my arm called Implanon. This is my second one and it's fantastic. I suffered really badly with painful and heavy periods, was on the pill for 15 years and my doctor wanted me off of it.

I was skeptical about the implant at first but no periods is a HUGE advantage for me. It's inserted just under the skin, takes 10 mins to fit, contraceptive is in your body within 8 hours and that's it for 3 years. I've had absolutely no side effects, sometimes I get a day when I feel like i'm going to have a period but then it goes! After it's removed, the contraceptive is out of your body in 8 hours. I still have my old one, it looks like a piece of wire with plastic covering.

I know it's very popular in the UK and my father in law told me last night the US has just approved it.

http://www.implanon-usa.com/Consumer/index...389207013657407

I'm planning on having mine removed later in the year (either here or UK) so we can't start trying for a baby, and to be honest, the thought of a period is daunting now! I hope I remember what to do

Helen

Helen, this is EXTREMELY intriguing. Thanks for sharing... I'm going to check it out.

[Aymerlu 3]

I think I took literally every kind of birth control under the sun. Not necessarily for birth control, but for endometriosis, since taking hormones did help. I've never been much on putting any type of medication into my body unless I absolutely needed it. These hormones cause migraines, weight gain, moodiness, etc. I finally settled for the ol' diaphram. Not as convenient as the others, but I felt 100000% better living with the hormones that God gave me.

Edited July 22, 2006 by Aymerlu

[Mandi+Ryan 1]

I SWEAR by the ring. I had been on the pill for ages...(Like Gwen by soccer playing was bad for the patch...too sweaty all the time). I would miss a day cause i'm forgetful and then take two and then throw up...it was bad.

I mean it...I SWEAR by the ring. It's so easy - you just put it in and forget about it! In on the 10th, out on the 15th...so easy, you don't even feel it and neither does the guy...at least mine doesn't.

Honestly it's great and my periods are down to TWO days!! I used to have five day periods with lots of blood and MAJOR cramping.

TWO DAYS That's it! It's been a godsend

Well, with just my job, I sweat a lot. So, the patch is not an option.

This topic reminds me of a very bad joke I once heard:

Did you ever hear about the Canadian Post Office birth control method?

You put a stamp on his forward and it takes him two weeks to come.

(running and ducking!)

LOL!

ive tried several birth control pills... done the depo shot (had NO period for nearly a year on that)... all of them added pounds to me that exercise and diet hasnt budged... i get down to a certain point and thats it

ive heard the nuvaring is good (got a couple of testimonials in this thread already)... and then there is also a product called mirena that is a 5 yr option... and there is also something called norplant which is another long term option

i cant advocate for any of the last 3, since i havent used them... just thought i would mention them

good luck!

I don't want anything long term. We would like to try for kids in a couple years. Just narrowing down my options here. Ha. I just started this new pill, so I will see how it goes for a while, then I may take some advice from you guys with a different method.

[ChristinaM 0]

I have the Mirena IUD, and I would NOT recommend it. I suffer from random, severe cramping and occasional spotting. I haven't had a period since I had the thing fitted (2002), but I get PMS when I least expect it and inconsistently.

[Karen_L 1]

Ok ladies, I have heard many things about many types of birth control. So far, I have only tried the pill. There are many types of pills and I've heard they cause weight gain. About the shot, I've heard that it can cause infertility. And well, there is the patch, haven't heard much about it, other than it costs more. So, what type do you recommend, from personal experiences? Is there one I'm missing, besides the other contraceptives?

I take Ortho trycyclen-lo, which I got at Planned Parenthood ($20/pack). I know they say NEVER to do this, but I usually go off of them when I'm not with my fiance' and just start taking them again about two months before when I know I will see him (i.e. not consistently for the last 2 years). Now that he will be here, I will take them consistently. I can say that I *prefer* how I feel when I'm not on them. They make me feel kind of bloated, but I wouldn't say that they've made me actually gain weight. I'm in the midst of a weight-loss plateau right now anyway, and I've been feeling lazy and discouraged lately, so I haven't been exercising as much as I should be, but I still haven't gained weight from the pills. Also, they have a low level of hormones and the period is usually pretty reliable, so I'm over-all pretty happy with 'em.

BUT if you happen to have high blood pressure, the doctor won't put you on them. My friend went to the doctor to get them and the doctor refused because of her blood pressure (the pills raise it moreso, so if it's high to begin with, it can be dangerous).

Well I'm skeptical of all birth control now because I think my husband or I are extremely fertile. I got pregnant on the shot and had a miscarriage last summer and I'm pregnant now but got pregnant while using the Nuvaring. *sigh* No user error just in that 1% it doesn't work for I guess. Depending on how long you want to wait to have a child maybe an IUD is a good idea? They are good for 5 years but you can take them out before then. They are a bit expensive but I think covered on most insurance plans. If we wouldn't have gotten pregnant that's the route I would have taken.

I heard that the IUD is only really good if the woman's already had a baby. I could be wrong and thinking of something else though, but I THINK that's what I've read.