Birth Control

Jwilliams777

Ha! Yes.. Already thinking about birth control... I am just wondering what everyone's plans are. It took us a while to get pregnant so its crazy to even think about going on somthing. We want to wait 2 years in between kids. Has anyone ever had an IUD in between kids? I dont want to hurt my chances of getting pregnant again.. but DO NOT want to get pregnant right away after. And the pill just sounds awful! How soon can you get an IUD after birth?

WashingtonQueen

I got the Mirena after DS. Got pregnant with DD 3 cycles after taking it out. Now I have the Paragard. I like the Paragard better than the Mirena. You can get an IUD put in 6-8 weeks postpartum. 

JustinaGS

I got an IUD after my first child and I really regretted it. It may be different for you, but after I got it, I heard so many horror stories about them and I was paranoid every month if my period was a little late. Also, I almost totally lost libido and my hormones were a wreck. This is not to say that it will be the same for you. This was just my experience. 

jcartz

I got the mirena about 6-8 weeks after having dd1- had my 6 week check up & scheduled the iud shortly after. I had it in for about 2.5 years, but I was not one of the lucky ones who didn't get a period. I was regular, 28 days, and really crampy. Eventually I just started bleeding all the time, so I got it taken out and went back on bcp. My OB said some women just don't take to it, but she had recommended it instead of paraguard because she had a few patients with breakthrough pregnancies on that one. It has no effect on your chances of getting pg in the future.

naturaloaklandmama

Agree with WashingtonQueen. I am going to use the Paragard IUD just as I did before I got pregnant with this little guy (my first) because it has no hormones. It took me 10 months to get pregnant after I got the IUD out but we were not trying to hit the right date or tracking anything so the timing could be influenced by the IUD or just how it would have gone regardless. It does make your period more intense and you get crampier but for me, it was totally manageable. Super easy, nothing to think about it, and far more effective than the pill, which is only as effective as you are at taking it on time every day. My midwife said I could get it at 6 weeks depending upon how the healing is going. Finally, the original OB who put it in told me if she were to be on birth control, she would choose the IUD and suspected that many other docs felt the same way. The IUD got a bad wrap because of a specific brand that did cause all sorts of horrible issues including infertility/sterility. But the current versions are considered safe (even for those who have not yet had a child) and VERY effective. They are very popular in Europe where they didn't get the bad wrap that they did here in the US. 

jnnfrrose6

After DS we just used condoms until we were ready to start again, but that was only for about a year and my sex drive was low (which DH respected) so it wasn't a big deal for us. After this one, I'm probably going to just temp and chart and we'll take extra precautions during my fertile window. Once we know we're done with kids, then I'll look into an IUD.

oughtonk

I had a mirena IUD put in 6 weeks after DS was born. It was the best decision I made in terms of birth control, I had no issues, didn't have a period, no cramping or anything. I had it removed in September, almost 5 years later and was pregnant November. We are done with our family after the twins are born but I plan on going back to the mirena.

Jwilliams777

I obviously don't know how its going to be after baby... but it took us so long so get pregnant because I have very weird cycles. I have my whole life. Iv never had a period 28 days apart. Its 35 one cycle, 45 the next, 3 months the next.... never the same. Besides an under active thyroid they cant really find why. This method wouldn't work for me, unfortunately. It would be nice to keep hormones out though!

ncbelle

We just used condoms between kids as I refuse to do hormonal birth control again and have known too many women who have had their IUD perforate their uterus (even though it's supposedly very rare!). 

Hubby is getting a vasectomy after this baby as he will be our last.

jnnfrrose6

Jwilliams777 said:

I obviously don't know how its going to be after baby... but it took us so long so get pregnant because I have very weird cycles. I have my whole life. Iv never had a period 28 days apart. Its 35 one cycle, 45 the next, 3 months the next.... never the same. Besides an under active thyroid they cant really find why. This method wouldn't work for me, unfortunately. It would be nice to keep hormones out though!

That's what temping is for.  To confirm ovulation and then give you an idea of when AF will come (the time between O and AF is pretty consistent month to month by day usually, it's the time leading up to O that can vary).  I've always had "irregular" cycles too, so I prefer to temp to have an idea of when to expect AF and when I am fertile.

spacepotatoes

Jwilliams777 said:

I obviously don't know how its going to be after baby... but it took us so long so get pregnant because I have very weird cycles. I have my whole life. Iv never had a period 28 days apart. Its 35 one cycle, 45 the next, 3 months the next.... never the same. Besides an under active thyroid they cant really find why. This method wouldn't work for me, unfortunately. It would be nice to keep hormones out though!

That's exactly why temping WOULD work for you, actually. My cycles went wonky like that after I stopped hormonal birth control and without FAM, I would have been totally clueless. My cycles ranged from 33 - 81 days but I always knew when I was ovulating (OPKs helped there, too) and when my period was coming.

Once you figure out how to tell that your fertile period is coming, regardless of when that is, you can just start using a barrier method or avoid sex for those few days.

They do make non-hormonal IUDs, but I have no experience with them.

jenb_99

I got Paragard after I had DS. I had it placed in December 2011 but HATED IT. Horribly heavy periods that lasted forever and made me feel tired and week, intense cramping throughout my whole cycle. I couldn't take it anymore and had it removed in June of last year. In July we decided we were ready to try for another baby. August was our "wait and see" month. In September I charted and used OPKs and PreSeed and got a BFP.

I'm going to try Mirena this time.

jessicarene09

this is my first child, so I'm planning to go to Nuvaring & condoms when I recover. I'm still really young, so I'm not comfortable with the longevity of the IUDs (and too have heard the horror stories). I have used the ring in the past with no issues (I wasn't on BC when i got pregnant, obviously.)

seells

I had the Mirena after having DD. Had it for 3 years and LOVED it. No periods, no pills, nothing to remember. It was awesome. I will be getting it again. If when the 5 years are up and we are sure no more kids DH will be getting snipped.

ljs4117

I think I'll be trying paraguard.  I like the idea of no hormones.  I worry about how it will make my periods though... Looks like it varies greatly from person to person!

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TugboatSheila

I am skeptical of anything that takes away your period or gives you only quarterly periods and I do not want anything implanted in anyway into my body (my friend had her Mirena get stuck in her uterus and it was VERY painful to remove) and while I don't want to go back on the pill I think that's what I'm going to do becuase that option, IMO and for my life, sucks much less. 

bitsybubbles7

We didn't use anything between lo and this pregnancy, it took us almost 21 months to get pregnant.  Two months we used condoms because there were events (a wedding and a camping trip) that I wanted to be able to drink at, but otherwise nada.

Empireceo

Condoms for us. I don't want hormones of any kind and I've heard too many bad experiences with Even non hormonal IUDs. Condoms have never bothered me.

jckeown89

I was on the pill for about three years. I am also diagnosed with PCOS. I guess I need to talk out implications of not going back on the pill with my condition with my doctor. However, I really don't want to. When I came off the pill I had the most intense ovulation cramps of my life. We also want our kids pretty close together. We will probably start trying for a second after about a year. We have discussed just doing the charting/temping and condom route.

Notperfectbutworthit

I'm planning on going back on the pill. I have PCOS that was only found out after I got off the pill and I started developing cysts and crazy hair growth and everything. 

lbonga1

A note of caution about the depo shot...I was on it for 3 years. When I first started I menstruated for 2 months straight, then 3 months straight when I stopped. I had decided to stop getting it done because my joints started aching badly despite taking calcium supplements, and my hair started falling out.

Mommy2Elijah

Had the Mirena put in 8 weeks after my c-section.  I loved it and never had any issues.  I didn't have a period or any cramping or pain.  I had it removed at the end of August and found out after one cycle I was pregnant.  With DS it took us two years and fertility treatments to get pregnant.  With this one all it took was having the Mirena removed.  I plan to have it again.

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hfooter

We will just go back to using condoms. I hate birth control and can't wait till they create an option for men!

Maladroit

We won't be using anything to prevent.  It took 3+ years and IVF to have this one...not to mention we don't BD all that often, so I'm not going to make things harder on myself later on.  If it happens, it happens.  After a second pregnancy, if DH wants to prevent, he can get a vasectomy but I'm done with birth control other than temping, tracking, etc.

bewilderingstar

I am getting the Paraguard IUD again once I've been cleared by the OB. So hopefully 6wks after Little Dude is born.

We will try again when he is about a year and a half - two.

tbarker14

After this LO, my DH and I will go back to charting and when needed use condoms. We plan to have another not too long after...once we feel our family is complete DH will be getting a vasectomy. I haven't used Birth control since forever... It disagrees with me so we just stuck with charting.

starsinger17

I used the mini pill between DS1 and DS2 but after I have DS2 I will be getting the Paraguard.

NADA-H

my mother got an IUD, not sure what type, put in 6-8 weeks after she had my sister. she was also exclusively breast feeding yet she got pregnant when my sister was 6 months old and the IUD fell out so I'm worried about trying IUDs, the fact that something would be stuck in me for long period of times scares me. 

My aunt just went to the hospital and had to undergo surgery after some bad vaginal bleeding, apparently the IUD had punctured her Uterus and caused inflammation.

I know this isn't the same case for everyone but it's enough to scare me off

ready-or-not

This is our 4th & we're done & it's DHs turn in the stirrups ;o) I've always done BCP tho as it helped regulate my cycles.

Pepper6

I was on the BCP for 8 years before we started TTC this one and I didn't have any issues, so that's most likely what I'll go back to.  Ideally, we'll wait 2-3 years in between children, and then DH will have a vasectomy once we're done with kids, so going back on the pill is a short term solution anyways.

JuneRunner14

I loved the pill so that is what I would pick. It sounds like you never tried it. Maybe give it a shot? 

Russiandea12

I got the Paragaurd IUD 7-8 weeks. As I didn't think I would be able to successfully remember to take the pill and we wanted some time between kids.  I had my IUD out when my DS was 18 months.  I got pregnant again the first cycle after having it out, but m/c.  Not sure if this was due to the IUD but I did see this was common.  If I could go back I would have chosen nuva ring or some other non pill non IUD method of BC instead since we wanted to have more children.  This time around this will most likely be getting Mirena, since we are not planning on having any other children.  I didn't like how strong my cramping/PMS side effect with Paraguard, and missed having a medicated BC.

glreding

Before having my son, I tried the BCP, Yaz, and another low-dose BCP. After having him, my OB recommended the Depo shot. The regular BCP gave me bad headaches (I get them easily anyway) and made me crazy (I.e. getting mad much more easily). All the low-dose options gave me constant light bleeding. I also didn't like the thought of putting something into my body that tricked my body into thinking it was pregnant. So, we stuck to the calendar method. It worked well for us to avoid pregnancy and to conceive. I know you mentioned your irregularity, so watching a calendar wouldn't work, but the other natural methods of paying attention to your body's changes should. After this one, I'll be getting a tubal ligation.