Better Birth Control?

[Cazzi]

I would recommend the The Mirena IUD, it is effective for 5 years and gives out a very low dose of hormones. From what I have read up on it vs the shot, it is WAY better, no weight gain.

Seconded.. I'm on my second one five year one, and for what I lose every month is just taken care of with a couple of panty liners.

[morgana]

I've had both a tubal, and endometrial ablation. Either will provide very effective birth control, but the only one that will end your periods is the ablation.

That said, either will absolutely end your fertility. I can't recommend either unless you're SURE you will NEVER want kids.

Raps is right, blas. Go talk to a doctor.

[blas]

I'm planning on going to the doctor again anyway sometime in mid May for my next Depo shot and follow up Pap (have to have the damn things every 6 months cuz of abnormal ones). I think when I make the appointment I will ask them to put in a note that I want to talk about switching birth controls.

Pardon my lack of clarity, I did not mean that I wanted permanent birth control as in, to get myself fixed or nix any future possibility of kids, I just meant that I needed a reliable more long term form of birth control (as in something as effective as Depo, but longer lasting, like a few years or more).

As for right now, well Hell no I don't want kids, but you just never know. I definetly don't want any accidents because I am one myself, but if I could have something very reliable and long term enough to get me through the next few years, that'd be ideal. Something that would not bring my fertility back immediately, is really what I mean, if I forgot to take it or replace it.

[Cookie]

This book was the best thing to happen to me as far as birth control goes. Women in my family have very bad reactions to the Pill and the other medical methods frankly scared me. With my medical history, the side effects are too risky for me. This is basically the Fertility Awareness Method which basically helps you chart all of your cycle through the fertile and infertile phases so you know when you can conceive or when your body's conditions will keep sperm alive so that you will conceive later. This allows you to enjoy sex freely while infertile and know when to use a barrier such as a condom when you are fertile (although I consider it best to abstain when I'm at my most fertile point as condoms do fail sometimes).

Even if you decide to use a prescribed method of birth control, it's really eye opening. I learned a lot about my body that I never knew that helps me detect any irregularity or problem. Now that I know, I've actually been able to watch the signs as my ovulation is delayed due to stress or extra strenuous physical activity and know when something unusual is something to worry about or not. Great information to have when you go to a gynecologist!

[MaggieTheCat]

I don't really have any other birth control suggestions that someone else hasn't mentioned already, but I wanted to mention this: NO form of birth control is 100%, including a hysterectomy, so long as you still have one working fallopian tube. I know, I know, if you get your tubes tied, they take your uterus out...but, I have heard cases of women who get tubal pregnancies (where the egg gets fertilized in one of the fallopian tubes -- extremely dangerous and life-threatening.) If this happens, a woman will not carry to term, but it is still a pregnancy and she will have to undergo surgery to have the fertilized egg removed. And I know first-hand a case of a friend of mine's father who had a vasectomy and 13 years later got his wife pregnant.

Regarding birth control pills, they may not have worked for your mom, but they do work for thousands of other women. The worked great for my mom. She had my two brothers when she was in her early 20s, then her and my dad decided they didn't want any more kids, so she went on the pill for about 16 years. When she was 39, she went off the pill and BAM, here I am. I am an accident but not because of the pill. The pill worked great for her the whole 16 years she was on it and obviously she was easily able to conceive both before and after going on it! Also, a good friend of mine went on the pill when she was 21-ish and she is now in her mid-50s and has never been pregnant (but has been married for over 30 years.)

Anyway, I know you said you don't want to go on the pill, and I respect that. But accidents happen with EVERY form of BC, no matter how careful you are.

[fireheart]

If you want to go ahead with the Implanon, the procedure is somewhat simple: first, pick up the prescription from the chemist. you'll need to schedule a day to have it implanted according to what your doctor says.
You then get injected with a local anaesethic at the insertion site. Then they end up injecting in the actual implant itself with the huge needle provided (the prescription comes with the injector). AFterwards, they'll get you to feel it so that you know where it is and to make sure that there aren't any problems. Then you have a compression bandage to wear for the next 72 hours or so.
It's normal to feel some itchiness and for there to be some bruising around the Implant for a couple of weeks. So I didn't get any dumb questions, I just wound up wrapping it up where it was, explaining it away as a tattoo.

[jedimaster91]

Personally I'm quite happy with the Pill. I'm on Loestrin, and while I have gained a bit of weight, it's cut my periods down to either nothing or a light period lasting 3 or 4 days. It's also helped tremendously with my cramps and mood swings. I'm actually a little worried what might happen when Mr Jedi and I decide to have kids and I stop taking it. I'm afraid I'll turn into a raging psycho.

[blas]

It's not just me that was an accident, I know of several girls who have gotten pregnant on it. Sure, I'd suspect one or two or three of them may have forgotten their Pill......I would bet my own life and all my belongings that my mother didn't. She is the most organized person I know and I know for a fact she and dad were trying to make sure they didn't get pregnant.

I understand it's been 24 years since I was conceived and the Pill has came a long way, but I still don't trust it. I need something a little better than bringing my fertility right back if I don't take it at the exact moment I need to.

After reading some of this, I'm a little nervous about Implanon now....sounds a little scarier than I originally thought. I can't afford anymore acne or crazy weight gain.

Anyone who has Mirena or other IUDs....how comfortable are they? Do the little thingies hang out very often?

[Cazzi]

Anyone who has Mirena or other IUDs....how comfortable are they? Do the little thingies hang out very often?

I honestly don't know mines there at all & I can't remember ever feeling the "strings" and my play partner hasn't commented either. I stopped taking the pill after I had my son, who ironically was conceived when I tried the Depo, as I had pretty bad post natal depression & was scared I'd just keep forgetting to take it. I was going to opt for sterilisation, but glad I didn't when I finally worked out it wasn't that i didn't want more kids, it was I didn't want them with my ex (not that I've had the chance since)!

I have it checked yearly, as I said this is my 2nd merina, before that I had a non hormonal copper one.

As for discomfort, I've had kids, but each time one was due to be fitted, was advised to take ibuprofen before hand & schedule an appointment towards the end of a menstrual cycle.

But as Raps said further up, we can recommend but the best people to ask are healthcare professionals

[Shangri-laschild]

After reading some of this, I'm a little nervous about Implanon now....sounds a little scarier than I originally thought. I can't afford anymore acne or crazy weight gain.

I think the process is different based on what kind? I believe there were two different ones presented to me when I was getting info and one sounded a lot nicer than the other. I think Mirena might be the one that I was looking into. It's in a needle like thing but not injected like a shot. More like inserted. From what I understand the strings hang out a little but they're supposed to and it barely hangs out. I had the nuva ring a while back and while you'd think it'd get noticed, it didn't. The strings would be less noticable. I was told that I would go in and after the procedure, I'd be there for a short bit so they could make sure I was ok (less than half an hour maybe?) and then could go home. There'd be a little discomfort for a day or two but that was it. As others have said, definitely speak to the doctor, but just wanted to let you know that it's not quite as scary as it might sound. If you're looking for something like Depo but longer term, this would probably be it.

[Magpie]

A friend of mine, whose mother was on the pill when both of her two pregnancies started, recently got pregnant while on the pill (miscarried ). Now, this friend is probably in the 92% effectiveness group, as I know that she's not in the least bit organized. However, it also makes me suspect that there might be a genetic component to if the pill works for you or not.

And if you're considering the recommendations from incognitocook and me, learn from someone, not from a book. It's really nice to have someone to ask questions of when I don't match what the references say I ought to expect.

While I agree that you want to ask the healthcare professionals, be warned that they tend to push the pharmaceuticals a little more heavily than some people like. Other methods often aren't covered as much in school, so the professionals may not be aware of them. My MIL's doctor didn't know how to read her charts, and so gave her a messed up due date.

[Andara Bledin]

It's not just me that was an accident, I know of several girls who have gotten pregnant on it. Sure, I'd suspect one or two or three of them may have forgotten their Pill......I would bet my own life and all my belongings that my mother didn't.

These days you can't just say "the pill." There are a lot of different pills at this point. Also, there are times when the pill would be less effective due to other medications or dietary issues that weren't as well-known back then.

I know that one time I was on antibiotics that the pharmacist specifically mentioned that they would reduce the effectiveness of oral birth control measures. For some reason, I particularly remember the "use additional measures or abstain for at least a week after finishing the antibiotics," bit. Here's a link to a general article on the subject:
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/...ntid=100138980

However, it also makes me suspect that there might be a genetic component to if the pill works for you or not.

There's also indication that there's a mental component, as well.

I remember reading about a study some time back that women who are adamant about not wanting children appear to conceive less often than those using identical birth control methods who are not as against the idea of becoming pregnant.

I'm not up to looking for the article, and I don't think they've really studied it much, since it doesn't have any real monetary value.

^-.-^

[Pagan]

I understand it's been 24 years since I was conceived and the Pill has came a long way, but I still don't trust it. I need something a little better than bringing my fertility right back if I don't take it at the exact moment I need to.

But that doesn't happen. You don't have to take it at exactly the same time everyday.

I screwed up a while ago and managed to not get my new pack when I should have and missed 4 days. All I did was just start the new pack and everything was fine.

These days you can't just say "the pill." There are a lot of different pills at this point. Also, there are times when the pill would be less effective due to other medications or dietary issues that weren't as well-known back then.

Right. Way back when, they only had one level of one hormone. I can think of at least 15 different ones sitting on the shelves at the pharmacy. All with differing hormone types and levels.

[AccountingDrone]

heh, we joke that if I was an america indian, my kids would have been named Ortho Novum No Work, Ortho Novum No Work, Rubber Broke and But I had a Tubal Ligation 14 years ago...

believe me, I was scrupulous about birth control, some people seem destined to get knocked up

I found that norethindrone is fantastic, totally suppresses the menses, flushes out of the system in 3 months if one wants to gt pregnant. It was given me for PCOS, which was its own special torment. There is absolutely no medical reason to actually have a period unless you are planning on popping out progeny. Back when they were designing the delivery of the pill, they decided to let women have a period so they can feel 'female' or so I have been told by my gyn.

[Magpie]

There's also indication that there's a mental component, as well.

I remember reading about a study some time back that women who are adamant about not wanting children appear to conceive less often than those using identical birth control methods who are not as against the idea of becoming pregnant.

I've heard that one too, but I had always heard it with the assumption that it was "women who weren't as serious about not having kids didn't follow the instructions as carefully". I don't suppose you remember if that was in the study you read? Also, the decrease in effectiveness varies with the method.

There is absolutely no medical reason to actually have a period unless you are planning on popping out progeny. Back when they were designing the delivery of the pill, they decided to let women have a period so they can feel 'female' or so I have been told by my gyn.

I've never doubled my packs, partly because I wouldn't want to forgo the week without suffering side effects, and partly because I had such a bad reaction to the pills (and to menstruating naturally) that I didn't want to screw with it further. However, I had heard that with the old pills (not the new ones) the hormone dosage levels were so high that you needed to go off for your health.