Please tell me about your birth control!

leneae10 · April 2011

It took us 6 years and about $40,000 out of pocket to produce a living child, yet I'm scared sh!tless of the thought of getting pregnant. Right now I'm on the mini-pill since I *was* BF'ing, but I stopped pumping yesterday so I need to call my OB and tell her what I want.

I can't have an IUD unless I want to have a D&C to place it (I have a permanent transabdominal cerclage).

Anyone have the NuvaRing? The thought of it seems kinda ick to me, but I'm really not good with taking pills. Is there still a patch?

Thanks ladies!

ashley542 · April 2011

A lot of people like that nuvaring but I was a little weary about it as well so I just stuck with the pill. I have an alarm set on my cell phone that goes off daily to help me remember to take it

Kristy Gray · April 2011

I have always taken a pill so I am not 100% sure if they offer this or not but have you thought about the Depo shot? You could call and set up an appt to talk to your doc about other methods that will work for you. I have a friend that tried the Nuva Ring and the dosages in that were too strong for her to handle and made her sick. You could always try that too though. Just have to change it out once a month.

rosesandpeonies · April 2011

took me 15 months and medical intervention to get pregnant with DD1.

I got pregnant with DD2 after one time....one time literally, and we weren't "trying". I obviously wasn't careful, but it wasn't really in our thoughts for #2 yet, although we were incredibly happy and blessed.

We are going to use condoms. I am also very worried about fertility issues occuring from other forms of birth control, and I am just not ready to do anything like the nuvaring. I am terrible with pills.

I know we have to be consistent or we could end up wih 3 under 3 so that is always in the back of my mind too. I have no good answer for you because I am struggling with it also.

abell77 · April 2011

I know it's not convenient, but consider sticking to condoms. Since you had such difficulty conceiving the first time, even though you're not ready for another one just yet, you might want to think twice about screwing with your hormones like that if you want the option of conceiving again down the road.

Sleep2Live · April 2011

To answer your actual question, I have the NuvaRing, and really like it. I can't tell that it's there, I don't have to remember a pill every day, and (TMI) my husband really likes it. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's expensive. With my insurance, I still pay $35 per ring.

Phil&Corinna · April 2011

I was on the nueva ring for 2 years prior to TTC, and the BCP for about 8 yrs before that.

I had some atypical cells/cervical dysplasia and went off the bcp - then I went without a period for 5 months and my OB wanted me to go back on hormonal bc to jumpstart my cycle again. I tried the patch... I HATED IT!!! It left nasty glue on my skin, like a bandaid. You have to switch sites every week when you change it, shoulders, hips, butt cheeks, so I had sticky all over my freakin body. When I wore it on my hips/butt, my underwear rubbed on it and then tried to pull it off... it was just a disaster. After 3 months, I switched to the ring and LOVED it!!

My doctor is a male, so his view on it is strictly from pharmaceutical reps/patient feedback and he told me that I wouldn't feel it during sex and my partner shouldn't either. Wrong but DH and I are comfortable enough with each other that "ring toss" was funny, not embarrassing. It got to the point I'd take it out during sex, and reinsert immediately after (it's safe to have out up to 4 hrs). That was really my only "dislike" but it wasn't really an issue.

After coming off the ring, I got a period right away (as you should), but then it took 55 days to get my first real "period" and 45 days the next cycle and so on... It was all over the place. It took 7 months of trying (with no idea when I was ovulating) when I found out I was pregnant. I am hesitant to go back on hormonal birth control because of how it messes up my body - so that's the only thing I'd caution you about.

My sister used Depo and it totally buggered her system, non-stop period for months, then none, then breakthru spotting etc... I would never go on it personally.

HTH!!

myszko · April 2011

I had Nuva Ring and HATED it. You aren't supposed to feel it, but it made me have a constant dull ache in my abdomen, like I had an infection. My BF and I could both feel it and sex was uncomfortable to me, so I always took it out. I had BCPs before and after NuvaRing, but I would never do those again either. I thought I was depressed for a large period of my life, turns out the pills just made me crazy. No more hormones for me. We are pulling and praying for now and I will chart when AF comes back.