Birth control--what's your plan?

[ArgyleEnigma]

So, what are your pp plans? Personally, I've had so many problems with hormonal options--and I've tried many iterations-- that I'm not willing to try any more. What have people thought about diaphragms and non-hormonal IUDs? Condoms are what we were using, and meh.

[frecklesnbrains]

I'm so glad you posted this! We're looking for something short term (to leave the option of TTC#2 as open as possible) and avoid hormonal options (I'm almost 39 and have never taken hormonal BC - it seems like a bad time to start). Condoms are our current plan but I agree with you, meh.

[GOmamab15]

Jul 1, 2016 12:16:23 GMT -5 frecklesnbrains said:

I'm so glad you posted this! We're looking for something short term (to leave the option of TTC#2 as open as possible) and avoid hormonal options (I'm almost 39 and have never taken hormonal BC - it seems like a bad time to start). Condoms are our current plan but I agree with you, meh.

+1
Condoms and NFP are my plan.
maaaybe I'll try the mini pill for a bit but idk, it took us years to conceive this one so I'm not too worried about it with #2 coming too quickly. Although if I actually could pick the spacing I'd have 12-24 months not pregnant before starting this up again.

[sandandsea]

We are done with kids so idk what our best long term option is. I've had great luck with the extended cycle pill in the past and will do that for a while. I will do the mini pill and condoms while BF. After that I'm open to an iud or something long term but have no idea about those!

[babyzebra]

I'm getting a Mirena placed 12 weeks PP. I don't know if we are done having kids, but if we do have a third, it won't be for a few years. I don't think DH or I will ever do any permanent measures, so hopefully I like the Mirena.

[vivela]

I think I'll go back on the pill. I've always had completely crazy periods (months long, totally unpredictable, etc.) so hormonal BC, while not ideal, will at least keep my cycles more regular. We will probably start ttc #2 within a year or two so if my cycles are behaving when we start all the better.

[athn64]

We're 2 and through. So DH is planning on getting a vasectomy. I'll go on the mini pill til that happens though. DNW 3U3.

[happyday]

A combo of NFP and condoms until DH is ready for his vasectomy.

I found last time the NFP was too hard while breast-feeding and waking at night. So I imagine will use a lot more condoms until I get my period back and it's easier to track.

[amiet79]

DH is getting a vasectomy in the Fall. We'll use condoms until then.

[bighair12]

I had my tubes removed during my c section. We are done!

[shoogars]

Abstinence.


At least for now. Mama does not need any more babies. I don't think DH would mind having another ...but he's not the one home with them all day.

In reality, I will look at an IUD or some such thing. TBH I really don't know much about anything., except that in the past I've had trouble remembering to take a pill at the same time every day. I know DH will not consent to being snipped, so it's on me.

[manybellsdown]

I'm not doing anything hormonal. As I breastfeed, we'll probably do a fun combo of NFP and abstinence. I know things can go differently, but I didn't have my first pp period for 14 months, and then I didn't ovulate for another 2, and then I didn't have LPs longer than 8-9 days until I totally stopped nursing. So I'm not feeling too worried. We're undecided about #3, so more permanent options seem further down the road.

[woodengirl07]

We have used condoms (or nothing) for so long due to our loss, I didn't really think much about it until my 6 week appt this week and my dr asked. My dr recommended an iud, but haven't had it yet. I guess I'll give it a go. We aren't planning on any more kids (and if we want another one I'd consider adoption due to my pregnancy health issues) so I might talk to DH about a vasectomy. I don't know if he'd be willing and there is this itty bitty part of me that is scared that I'll suddenly really want to get pregnant again and we'll be unable to.

[microworm]

I was thinking nonhormonal IUD too ArgyleEnigma. Would love to hear from others who have done this.

[txmommy14]

We will probably use condoms around the time I'm ovulating each month for the first year or so. We do want a third, just need to decide whether we'd like to start trying sooner or have a bigger gap. Although, I learned last time that you really can't "plan" the spacing of your kids since you never know if it'll take you a long time, no time at all, experiencing a loss, etc.

[birdhut]

Does pulling out count? but seriously that is probably our plan. It wouldn't be the end of the world if something happened. We've been pretty lucky so far with that. I am really sensitive to condoms and have trouble with birth control. Eventually DH will have a vasectomy but I'm not ready to say it's our last yet. That's all the plan I have for now. We will see what we decide in a couple weeks.

[Flair Underwood]

I will go get my tubes tied when C turns 1... Until then probably the pill + another option (condoms, pulling out)... We have always doubled our BC efforts like that because, well, we're worriers. DH is planning a vasectomy as well but we know 3
Couples who conceived after the husband was snipped.

[mladerri]

I haven't been on birth control since I got married 6 years ago. I hated the way it made me feel. My doctor is really pushing an iud since we do not want a third (or atleast do not want a third right now). For 6 years we just used the pull out method. I'm going to have to research nonhormonal iud because that sounds like a better option to me. If you have experience with it please share any negatives.

[bighair12]

Flair Underwood they actually remove the tubes now due to cancer. They had found that ovarian and uterine cancers occurred more frequently in the tubes so now they remove them. I thought that was pretty cool.

[Flair Underwood]

Jul 1, 2016 15:14:26 GMT -5 bighair12 said:

Flair Underwood they actually remove the tubes now due to cancer. They had found that ovarian and uterine cancers occurred more frequently in the tubes so now they remove them. I thought that was pretty cool.

Really?! That's interesting.... I hadn't heard that. Our plan had been to have a tubal with my C but I chickened out in the final hour. N

[pbandj714]

Jul 1, 2016 13:12:29 GMT -5 vivela said:

I think I'll go back on the pill. I've always had completely crazy periods (months long, totally unpredictable, etc.) so hormonal BC, while not ideal, will at least keep my cycles more regular. We will probably start ttc #2 within a year or two so if my cycles are behaving when we start all the better.

This is me exactly. The cycle we conceived the twins I O'd on CD 68, so NFP would be really hard for us. I have no idea if we'll have any more kids, but if we do, it will likely be at least 3-4 years before we try again.

[carolinaheart]

+1 for probably pulling out. It worked for us for a loooong time. Haha We plan to start TTC #2 next fall so no IUDs or the pill.

I was on nuvaring very briefly before TTC And I really liked it. Is that safe while nursing?

[nymama917]

Good question. I don't know yet. After DD1 I got a Mirena IUD and it was a disaster. Within a month of having it in it perforated through my uterus and I had to get it surgically removed. So needless to say not doing that route again. LO didn't try the mini poll last time because I was so afraid of messing with my supply but I will probsbly go that route this time I think. Honestly with DD1 I was so exhausted and never really wanted to have sex. In hindsight that was not good for our relationship and I need to do a better job that tone considering our relations magoo and not just the kids. Easier sad than done but if I'm not terrified of getting pregnant it will be much easier

[frecklesnbrains]

Jul 1, 2016 15:21:28 GMT -5 carolinaheart said:

+1 for probably pulling out. It worked for us for a loooong time. Haha We plan to start TTC #2 next fall so no IUDs or the pill.

I was on nuvaring very briefly before TTC And I really liked it. Is that safe while nursing?

Check with your OB to be sure but I think nuvaring should be totally fine while nursing because it delivers hormones locally, similar to the Mirena IUD. It shouldn't disrupt the circulating hormones like a pill would.

[cattuccino]

Jul 2, 2016 6:48:15 GMT -5 frecklesnbrains said:

Jul 1, 2016 15:21:28 GMT -5 carolinaheart said:

+1 for probably pulling out. It worked for us for a loooong time. Haha We plan to start TTC #2 next fall so no IUDs or the pill.

I was on nuvaring very briefly before TTC And I really liked it. Is that safe while nursing?

Check with your OB to be sure but I think nuvaring should be totally fine while nursing because it delivers hormones locally, similar to the Mirena IUD. It shouldn't disrupt the circulating hormones like a pill would.

I was told it was fine while nursing by my OB. It's what I've been using for the last 5 years.

I'm considering an IUD this time but undecided.

[pdxlaurens]

We are likely going to have another and will probably TTC in 15-18ish months. I debated an IUD because I know they are often an easy, problem-free option but when they go wrong it seems like they go really wrong, which scares me.
I'll either talk myself into the IUD or we'll go back to condoms, which is what we used between DS1 and LO. When we are done having kids MH is getting a vasectomy, which he volunteered to do.

[vivela]

Jul 2, 2016 8:38:20 GMT -5 pdxlaurens said:

We are likely going to have another and will probably TTC in 15-18ish months. I debated an IUD because I know they are often an easy, problem-free option but when they go wrong it seems like they go really wrong, which scares me.

I feel the same way. I know complications are rare but even the chance doesn't feel worth it to me. nymama917 isn't even the only person I know who has ended up with the perforated uterus. Sorry that happened to you, it sounds awful!
I also know two couples who had a baby after the husband got a vasectomy. Just FYI! I have no idea what the stats are, but I might be the one who goes the surgical route because I want to be stress free about it when we decide we are done. I would probably wait until I was in my 40s though, just to be really sure we were happy being done. So that might be 5 or more years of the pill, which will suck, but what can ya do.

[lakecountrygal]

My original plan was the mini pill, except I got my period back on day 2 of the mini pill and it was so heavy that it was worse than my PP bleeding. I'm only on the mini pill until I can get my IUD in on July 13th.

[Andrea]

Using condoms right now. Back on the Mirena July 26th.