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going off the pill and questions
No, we aren't TTC. Don't get too excited. 
I stopped taking my birth control pills yesterday. I feel like they make me a mean and angry person with a high level of anxiety. When I was off the pill while TTC and pregnant, I felt so much better. Not sure if it was for sure being off the pill that made me feel better, or pregnancy hormones but it is worth a shot to see if it helps how I feel. Anyone else feel like this while on the pill, but better once off it?
I'm nervous about just using condoms. I'm not ready to be pregnant again any time soon and I'm scared of an accident. I'm guessing I should learn to chart to avoid. Is it worth buying TCOYF or just finding information online about it? I know nothing about charting.
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Re: going off the pill and questions
I'd buy TCOYF or borrow a copy from a friend. You can use multiple barrier methods as well if it makes you feel better. DH and I rely on spermicide. It comes in these nice little tubes that insert like a tampon and clean up is no less messy than unprotected sex. It worked for us, even without charting, for about a year. I tried the little suppository nugget ones, but they foam, so that was just weird. Feeling like your vagina is erupting is just not a sexy thing, plus you have to insert them like 10 minutes before hand. Not cool.
I got off the pill because of cholesterol issues, but my mood improved as well.
If you are going to chart, you should still plan on using condoms for at least the first 3 months or more. It takes a while to understand your chart, and also for your cycles to become regular after going off birth control.
And yes, BCP made me cranky and moody. I was easily irritated over the most irrational things. Thing PMS, but all the time and worse.
Also, to correctly follow TCOYF, there is a pretty long window where you should abstain from sex or use back up methods, like condoms, every month.
Reading TCOYF is definitely important if you're going to chart. Heck, I'd recomend it just for the understanding you gain about your body!
I live pretty close to you (off Brodie) if you want to borrow my copy!
My friends have used these for years and have never had a problem... they are on my list to buy
https://www.vcf-contraceptive.com/
We use condoms + the pull and pray. The method has never failed us.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! And honestly, this is what we would do. I'm allergic to condoms.
No advice, but when I was on the mini-pill I was a complete hosebeast. I didn't even recognize myself and I was so pissy, angry, sad, alone, depressed. UGH. Never doing that again. The regular pill does not do this, so I have no idea what was going on. I was fine (just tired) before, and I was fine after, so I know it had to be the pill.
I never charted to avoid, only to TTC, but I also never read TCOYF. I did sign up for the free version of Fertility Friend, and received their daily lessons, which were very helpful, and everything else I learned on here.
When I charted, I never was able to temp because I worked nights and my sleep schedule was always screwy - the one time I tried temping my chart looked cah-razy, and I got frustrated and gave up. But, my point is, unless you just want the in-depth understanding of your body that you'd get from reading TCOYF, I would say you don't have to read it in order to track your cycles on a chart (especially if your cycles are regular, which you might not know for a couple months after stopping BCP).
When 3 Became 4
I went off the pill to TTC. I didn't really know what I was like off it so it was a huge wake up call when it was finally out of my system. I recently went back on it after taking a 2-3 month break and I have never felt better while I was off it. I kinda hate to go back on them. I felt so much better! I wasn't bloated, my moods were easier and I just had a lot more energy.
Are there other options you can use besides BC and charting that you feel comfortable with?
Yah, I said you "should" abstain. I didn't say we did. We did the 'ol pull and pray for 2 years. My doctor told me after DD was born that it's 85% effective! I actually thought those odds were pretty good.
Not good enough for me right now. Right now, we're "abstaining." Meaning, I'm coming to bed mad at him every night for not cleaning up after himself, so we never do it
I'll loan you my TCOYF book if you're interested. When we get around to re-evaluating the baby thing, it will come in handy, but for now it's just hanging around. It's a very informative read, for sure and will help you get a rough gauge for safe and non-safe times.
I got off the pill almost two years ago and life is so much better. I had to take the pill at night bc it made me feel sick and missing a night was the worst thing possible so I just decided it wasn't worth it.
For a variance from condoms, those VCF films work great.
The pill makes my psychotic. Now, I would love to get pg, but I'm never going back on the pill regardless. Charting does not work for me because I don't ovulate. Well, I guess it works; it shows that I'm not ovulating. I told DH that I was going off the pill in January and that if he didn't want a baby it was up to him to prevent it. He decided that our chances were low enough that he's not worried about it.
I have terrible, never ending periods so when we decide we're done having kids I'm probably going to have to have a hysterectomy or that essure (?) thing done.
Side note: If you've never used spermicide before, try it on your arm before you try it during sexy time. Apparently, DH tried condoms with spermicide once (before he met me) and he is horrible allergic to it. I won't get into the horrific details, but I offer it up as a cautionary tale.
The Blog
If by chance a condom breaks and it's during a known ovulatory time, you can take the Plan B birth control which is available over the counter at the pharmacy. It's ~$50 but it's cheaper than having a baby! However, in 6 years of using condoms we never had one break. Twice it sort of came off I guess and had to be located manually
... but both times were just before my period anyway so I didn't worry too much about it. I only ever got pregnant when I wanted to be (when we had unprotected sex).
I don't understand exactly how PNP works since there's no way I'd ever do it but it can't be much fun for the guy. Yeah, I know they "finish" another way but I just don't think it would work for us. As for it being birth control, I personally can't afford to leave a 15-25% opportunity to get pregnant. Even with IUD's, tubals and vasectomies in place, I still see my fair share of "surprise" pregnancies. And those are 99%+ effective!!!
Until I posted here I had no idea adults used pull and pray as a method of birth control. I thought it was something high school kids did because they were embarrased to buy condoms. You know what they say. They have a name for people who use the pull-out method. They're called parents.
All that being said, when condom use is done poorly, the studies show pnp and condoms have about the same failure rate. *shrug*
Ugh! I can totally relate to not wanting to be on the pill. I was on Ortho tricyclen before I became pregnant with both children. It really suppressed my libido and made me feel emotionally cloudy at times, crazy witchy at other times.
Prior to that pill, I was on Loestrin. That shiz made me want to off myself. I was flipping depressed all.the.time. As soon as I got off it, I noticed an instant change.
Personally, I don't enjoy condoms. They're just not a good time for me (DH doesn't seem to mind.) I have a Mirena and the amount of progestin in that doesn't seem to affect me the way the combined hormonal pill does. We're 99% sure that we're done with having children, but the thought that nothing, even permanent BC methods, aren't even 100% surefire makes me a little nervous.
That being said, I'm fairly confident that DH will be getting ye ol' snippy-snip in the next couple of years.
I always just enjoyed the "no cleanup" factor for ME! Just roll over and go to sleep
LOL!! I have never thought about that.
Good point.