Do I really need to consider birth control?

MJC1116

If you wouldn't mind sharing, are you using/planning on using birth control and if so what kind? I kind of feel like the idea of birth control for me is a joke. After two years of struggling to get pregnant, slightly elevated fsh levels, an unexplained infertility diagnosis, and breastfeeding, I kind of feel like it's overkill. I think on some subconscious level, I feel insecure about the difficulty and pain associated with not being able to get pregnant that I want to avoid anything that would contribute to keep me infertile. I know that sounds completely messed up and irresponsible. I don't know if I even can get pregnant again, but I'm not ready to say no to it altogether and I think there's a part of me that feels that going on some sort of BC will make me infertile forever. Clearly I need some concrete, educated facts to get me in line!

Thanks for your help!

TJ1979

We conceived #2 without treatment, and while BFing. I have PCOS. I will be pursuing bc after this one bc we aren't ready for a third.
I know it feels like a cruel joke. But if you aren't ready for another I would use done sort of birth control method.

queenbone

DH plans to get a vasectomy next spring. I used NFP to avoid pregnancy before ttc, I haven't had any unassisted pregnancies in the last 8 yrs so I feel like it is pointless to even worry about it, so I'm not charting. We are currently NTNP.

Ruthie04

My OB was a case of unexplained IF and treatment for #1 with a surprise intervention free pregnancy for #2. Same for my sister. Since I was also unexplained and I had a c/s, the OB was very adamant that I use BC. I never minded condoms, so we used that method for awhile. While we are not feeling ready to ttc, we would be happy about another pregnancy. So, we use the good old withdrawal method now.

I agree with @MrsLee04‌. If another pregnancy would be okay, don't worry about it. But, if you feel like you'd be completely overwhelmed by another NB or pregnancy, definitely take precautions.

CarrieB.

We don't use BC, but I never got pg on my own in 8 years, so it does seem kind of silly. I refuse to take hormonal BC. I'm DOR and almost 36.

I think eventually DH will get a vasectomy, but we aren't too worried at this point, especially since I'm bf'ing and we aren't exacting DTD very often with two little ones.

I do know friends who have had surprises after IF, so it can happen.

PhillyJ33

It might sound irresponsible but I don't plan on using it. I have DOR and there is a slim chance I would get pregnant on my own (I also BF) but I would also welcome it if it happened by some miracle!

jesselayne8

We don't use BC because we would love more kids and are ready now. For the first 6 months after each baby, we used condoms even though I was EBFing.

Mnerani

I didn't use hormonal BC, because I never again want to mess with my body's natural cycles. In other words, I wanted to know when/if I started to have a period on my own and when/if I could ovulate on my own, post-partum. Incidentally, I didn't get a period until after I weaned at 11 months.

This time around, since we don't want #3 right away, we'll use condoms once I start to wean (including any formula or food). Again, no hormonal BC for me.

MoFree

The chances of me conceiving without intervention are about .000001, so I am willing to take the chance. It's not going to happen so why take unnecessary hormones or insert a foreign object into my uterus.
If we were not on the far end of infertility I might consider using some form of BC.

imoverit

We use condoms until hubby gets a vasectomy. In your case it sounds like you arent worried about another LO so Id do nothing.

MJC1116

@mnerani, that's exactly my thinking! I went on the pill for over a year after DD and I felt like my cycles were messed up after that. It took 2 years for me to start ovulating properly.

@imoverit, I'm not too worried about it, but I think DH would have a coronary! 

@chiwifey, I think I secretly/not-so-secretly want a surprise bfp for once.

Thanks for your input, ladies. I really appreciate it! I don't know if I'm ready yet to let go of the dream of having another baby one day (since who knows if that can even be a reality), but for now maybe we'll go back to condoms. Seems like a happy medium.

mcgeeva

I haven't taken anything since I had ds since I had all my test redone before starting for #2 and nothing in my body changed to make me have periods, ovulate etc. So I won't be taking any birth control this time around either. If by the grace of god I get pregnant so be it, but I don't see that ever happening. Just do what makes you feel better. If your fine with the possibility of getting pregnant then don't take anything. If you feel like I do that there is zero chance in hell in conceiving then I wouldn't see the point of taking anything as well. But again I know exactly why I can't conceive where some on here have in fact gotten pregnant with no drugs as well second time around. But again my test confirmed nothing in my body changed. 

STL34

If we weren't okay with having another child, I might consider some sort of birth control.  But, considering I have only been pregnant once (IVF# 3) and we have been trying for 6 years including trying for number 2 since number 1 was born, I would love a surprise BFP.  Heck, I would just love a second child.  I doubt I will ever have a spontaneous pregnancy.  But, if we were at a point we did not want more children, then I would probably use something just to make sure.  

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Mrs.AmyDylan

We are in the no BC camp. We did use condoms a couple of times last summer when J was tiny and my cycle returned quickly despite BFing.

I'm with you on not wanting to possibly mess up my hormonal balance. However, we are trying now since J is 18 mo. 

BabyKsMommy

I am in the no BC camp. I don't have any known IF issues but dh has low sperm count. I've never been pg without assistance so I have been willing to chance it.

After I delivered the nurses were trying to force me on BC but I was adamant. I talked to my OB and she said well if you would want more kids then don't worry about it.

I never got a pp period as I was ebfing and finally induced it with provera when we were ready to start the testing for conceiving #2 when ds was 15 months old.

Saraevh

Ditto those who said if you be okay with a surprise then skip it, if you don't feel ready wrap it up (or go on something)!

I've had TWO (pretty much) unassisted pregnancies since being told we had a 1% chance of getting pregnant . One when my daughter was 6mo old and one when my son was 10mo old! We were thrilled, however we definitely use protection now .

laura1

We didn't use BC after DS, and got pg before I ever even got a pp AF.  We used condoms after DD#1 until she was a year, then just waited to see what happened.  Took 6 months then I had a m/c, then four more months and I got pg with DD#2.  I just got an IUD last week, since we think we are done!  

So I agree with the others - if you want another, go with no bc.  If you don't, use something!

itsmevkb

To sum up - if you aren't ready for another baby then use protection.  Surprises happen, even when you least expect them.

CarrieB.

I just got a Bump ad for some kind of organic condoms, so maybe the Bump thinks I should be more careful.

itsmevkb

@CarrieB - that is really funny and yet spooky how the internet gods always seem to know what we're writing and reading.  Yuck.  I hate targeted ads (specially when I'm looking at flights for my mother and then have to suffer through three months of ads for vacations I can't take!  I wish there was a button I could click that would tell the interwebs "I'm searching this for someone else.")  Anyway, I once posted something on Facebook about having another baby and then all my ads changed to ones for vasectomy places.  I felt like the universe was trying to tell me something.

summererobinson

If you don’t want  another baby, yes you do. I had unexplained and did ivf. When my son was 6 months old and I was 100% breastfeeding, I ended up pregnant.

KDR1979

DH and I go back and forth on this one. Our infertility diagnosis is abnormal sperm morphology. We haven't used birth control in ~6 years and have only conceived with IVF. But, getting pregnant is always on my mind. Could it happen? Did it happen? Would it happen? I feel like I want to turn this off one day. I have normal cycles, I know I ovulate on day 14 and then have a heavy period for 4-5 days every month. My ferritin (iron) level is seriously low and I know my periods have something to do with that). I know that I don't want to take any hormones after years of fertility treatments. So, we are seriously considering vasectomy vs Essure vs traditional tubal ligation in about a year. After getting permanent birth control, I could get an ablation to take away/slow down my periods. If our frozen embryo doesn't work, I almost think that I would be ready for birth control sooner. I know that once the twins turn 5, I wouldn't want anymore. Childcare is expensive and the first 18 months with twins was very hard. We don't have much family to help us and DH works a ton. But, then sometimes I think that I should just leave it up to God and see what happens. This is a hard decision! My RE agrees that it is still recommended to use birth control (even with our diagnosis) when you are know you are done having kids.

Aliki

BCP is recommended if you don't want a surprise pregnancy. For us, a pregnancy would be welcomed, and my DH jokingly says: "B2GO free? Economically we'd be averaging down the cost of having kids!" So if we could have a child without having to do fertility treatments, it'd be a win-win situation for us!!