Birth Control Post Partum

[pele]

I just spoke with my doc at my most recent appointment, and she brought up BC. I admit I was stumped because I hadn't thought of it (very unusual for me, I felt dumb).

She suggested progesterone while I BF because I am a long time user of Yazmin. But she warned me that it wasn't completely effective. This made me extremely nervous.

So how about it ladies, thoughts? What do you plan to use?

[cwbandthenewbie]

We will use NFP I think, which is what we did after the birth of DS1. I have considered an IUD and the mini pill, but we both are happy with NFP for now.

[bitsybelle84]

My plan is to get an IUD at my 6 week post-partum check-up. I have been on oral BC before and I just forget it too often for it to really be effective. I have heard that the mini pill while breast feeding is not always effective as well. We are at the point of saying this one is probably our last, so I wanted something a little more long term without being permanent just yet.

[pele]

IUDs give me the heebie jeebies. I may start using Fertility Friend again and temp.

[winningcolors]

Well, my ovaries took an early retirement, so I'm not too worried about getting pg again. But it appears I am heading into perimenopause (fuck that shit) so I'll need something to help with my whacked out hormones. I'm guessing I'll have to go on HBC. I'm going to talk to my OB about it soon.

[rquinlin]

I'm doing an IUD this time, since were probably done. Last time I did the shot, because we knew we wanted more. I'd used oral BC before, but I was nervous about using the ones you can use while BFing. The hormones are really low in the oral ones you can take and you have to be really exact on the time of day you take them. I have multiple friends who went the oral route and having a newborn would forget to take them on time. They ended up having 2 under 1 yo.

[gen]

I'm considering the iud but I hate the idea of it. I've heard good things about that one that goes in the arm, but clearly I need to do more research since I don't even know what they're called.
Thanks for reminding me I need to think about this!
Edit wrong smiley posted -

[citybee]

I haven't been on birth control in years, but I am planning to get on something after this baby is born because we know we don't want anymore children for at least 3 years or so, if we have anymore at all. I feel pretty clueless about all of it at this point, but I am leaning towards an IUD so that I don't have to be thinking about it all the time.

[bitsybelle84]

Jan 29, 2015 21:44:06 GMT -5 pele said:

IUDs give me the heebie jeebies. I may start using Fertility Friend again and temp.

I agree about the IUDs, but at the moment it really seems like my best option. The idea of the implants weirds me out more.

[Deleted]

My hb asks me what I am planning. I wasn't that good at taking the pill before. I thought about the nuvaring not sure haven't talked to Dr yet.

[snarkysparklefart]

I had an IUD placed after DD, then had it removed pretty soon after because I didn't like it. I don't think I gave it long enough. I went with NFP after that, and we had trouble conceiving this time, so I'm up in the air as well. Ideally we are done, but neither of us want to take a permanent step yet.

(The running joke in our house is that I should have a tubal when we decide we are ready for something permanent, since I only have one in working order, maybe they'll give us half off)

[playlawook]

I lovingly say that I'm going to cut my husbands balls off. Really though, he's going to get a vasectomy.

[coozieinmypurse]

We successfully used NFP, pull-out and condoms for six months before TTC, so we will probably do that again. I think we want a second in about two years. After that, we will do something permanent (probably a snip for DH). I will do pretty much anything, including getting KU earlier than planned, to not use hormonal BC again.

[mrsh924]

I haven't been on BC for years, as I don't do well on the added hormones. We were using condoms only before TTC, and then NFP for our marriage prep and during TTC. I'd prefer going back to only NFP, but dh probably doesn't want to go that route. I've thought about an IUD, but want to make sure that if we plan on having another by the time LO is 2, maybe an IUD isn't the best option... all in all, I'm not sure yet.

[earthian]

This has been giving me a lot of grief because I just don't know. I'm crappy at remembering to take pills everyday, much less at the same time.

IUDs scare me, I mean, its inside you for up to five years! The convenience sounds amazing but it freaks me out.

At this point we're talking about using condoms with the pullout method. We think that we are done having kids after this little guy but we don't want to take any permanent measures until we're at least 30.

Before dd the pull out method worked for about five years, but I'm just not willing to risk it.

[goofygoff]

Since we're 95% sure we're one and done, looks like D will be getting the ol' snip snip.

[zebraleg4lunch]

My OB wants to get the iud since the pill wasn't super effective for me and she won't prescribe anything but the mini pill if I'm breastfeeding. Now we just need to decide between the copper iud or the hormone based one.

[NatashaBromanoff]

We're looking into getting my husband a V. He want's me to get a tubal, but I already had to carry the kid and have to push it out, I'm not going through invasive surgery when he can have a week tops of discomfort and a non-invasive procedure done as the alternative.

Until we cross that bridge though we'll probably continue family planning. Hormonal BC and I aren't friends and I'm not interested in an IUD, especially considering this is for sure our only child.

[mommyofkaylin]

I used the iud for almost two years after I had my dd. It was great. I spotted off and on for about a month or so after I had it implanted so that sucked. But after I had it a few months, I only had a light period for about two days which was great. The only part that really sucked was the removal but only because I apparently have a long uterus and they needed to use an ultrasound to find it. We got pregnant the second month after it was taken out so it easy didn't mess with my hormones either.

[ac123185]

gen the implant is called Implanon, I had it after dd but didn't like because I basically spotted all month long. I really am at a loss for what we're going to do. I definitely don't want to get pregnant again for a while. I think this may be our last but I'm not ready to make a permanent decision. I was thinking the pill, we used the pullout method and were successful, but I don't want to risk it.

[phnjenna]

I'm thinking Paragard IUD, I had it before and had no problems with it. Or possibly NFP but that makes me a little nervous because I know I don't want to be pregnant again for at least a year or two.

[saltyfins]

I don't want to use any BC (pills and such) until we're completely done having kids. I imagine we'll use condoms until then.

[chilibeansm0m]

I really don't want to go back on the Pill. I feel like that shit jacks me up. I'm also not loving other options. So honestly we will probably stick to condoms again like we did after R. We never needed anything more than that with bf I didn't get pregnant til 4 mos after weaning R and 4 cycles after stopping bf. so for me, at least with R, bf was birth control enough with condoms.

Since we aren't for sure about having a third baby or not i don't want to do anything long term. Also if i do go for soemthing like this like an implant or something i want something that shortens or lessens the frequency of af. Af still sucked for me Pp even though everyone tried to tell me my cycles would be better after having a baby.

pele i also was dumbfounded when my ob asked about this at my last apt. I was like uhhhhhhhh.

[racegurl87]

I'm going to get an IUD. I think it's the best option for us. I know I'll forget to take BCP at the same time every day and we would like LO to be at least 2 if we're going to have another one.

[Deleted]

I will probably end up getting an IUD. We did condoms after my daughter and I would really prefer to not do that again. I have never had an IUD though so we shall see.

[playlawook]

coozieinmypurse and earthian, just a word to the wise... My h and I successfully used the pull out method for years. We got pregnant with our first on purpose. This baby? Pull out fail. We wanted another one so it's not like it was any kind of disappointment, but if you're serious about not having any more kids, definitely use a back up method!!

[mango]

AH! My specialty. Please allow me to ramble...

I will probably go with another Paragard. I always hated IUDs (they just skeeved me out) until I started putting them in & realized how fucking cool they are. And there is literally nothing easier than putting an IUD in a woman who's 6wks postpartum. I want Paragard because hormones kill my sex drive & I'm terrified of having acne with Mirena (it's rare, but I have terrible acne issues & I'm not risking it).

That said, the majority of my patients choose Mirena & don't just like it -- they love it. You do have to give it few months... it can cause irregular bleeding, and even possibly increased bleeding, for like 3-6 mo. But by 12 months, it decreases your average bleeding by 90%. Most women end up without periods at all. And it is more effective than a tubal ligation.

I would never consider a Skyla. It's like a baby Mirena, lasts only 3 years -- but causes more spotting/irregular bleeding. That's annoying. You want an IUD? Just get a freaking Mirena.

Nexplanon (used to be Implanon -- the arm implant) -- lasts 3 years. Safe for breastfeeding (progestin only). The manufacturer says only 10% of women have it removed early, but in my experience it's much higher (double AT LEAST), even with careful counseling about side effects. The #1 reason for people to get it taken out is irregular bleeding -- constant spotting, constant heavy bleeding, frequent/prolonged periods, unpredictable bleeding... over half the women in my clinic complain of bleeding as the reason for having it taken out early. Headaches are also a fairly common reason for it to be taken out. Personally -- get it if you want to try it, but don't be disappointed if it's not for you. About 20% of women have no periods with it, and about 20% have terrible bleeding patterns, and everyone in between has unpredictable bleeding (which is often not much more, in total # of days, than you would have without birth control). So you have an 80% chance of unpredictable bleeding, though most people won't have it be frequent/heavy enough to be annoying.

The mini-pill is technically as effective as the combined pill (I can't believe it either, but that's what all the literature says) -- but you MUST take it PERFECTLY. If you are more than 3 hours late on the pill, your CM can thin out & allow sperm to get through. It doesn't always stop you from ovulating, so thickened CM is a main mechanism of preventing pregnancy. One late pill & boom, you're pregnant. If you're exclusively breastfeeding the mini pill is not such a terrible option in first 6 months postpartum, as you're technically ALSO practicing the lactational amenorrhea method (i.e., not ovulating b/c you're breastfeeding). Plus generally, the mini pill just doesn't control your cycle the way combined pills do. You can have irregular bleeding, late/early periods, no periods at all -- can be very annoying. And personally I'd constantly be freaking out that I was pregnant, knowing it was such an easy thing to mess up & also knowing that my periods could be totally off because of the pill OR because I was pregnant...

Methods with estrogen (combined pills, patch, ring) may interfere with milk production, but once your supply is well-established it could be worth considering (but might still interfere with supply... or not... conflicting reports). If not breastfeeding I would absolutely use one of these over the mini pill...

Depo shot? Meh. Not my fave - side effects/bone risks... plus it can take like a year to start ovulating after you get off it. So if you're trying for another kid, keep that in mind.

I'm still not sure what I think about Essure. Personally I'd probably go with an IUD and wait to see what I think about Essure -- it's a bit new for me to use on myself, though I do think it's an awesome concept.

[luckystarz]

My OB labeled me birth control intolerant, and we are 100% done after this one. H has a consult appt 3 days after my Induction date (consult appt came first, and was all they had), and his vasectomy is scheduled for 2 weeks after that.

[mango]

PS I'm also a huge fan of NFP --- It can be super effective. But only for motivated couples who would not be absolutely devastated by an unplanned pregnancy.

[earthian]

Jan 29, 2015 22:53:44 GMT -5 playlawook said:

coozieinmypurse and earthian, just a word to the wise... My h and I successfully used the pull out method for years. We got pregnant with our first on purpose. This baby? Pull out fail. We wanted another one so it's not like it was any kind of disappointment, but if you're serious about not having any more kids, definitely use a back up method!!

We're planning on condoms and pullout method used together. This momma is not taking chances!