Birth Control ?

pinkmoonlight · June 2012

I have my 6 week pp visit coming up in a few weeks and one of the topics is going to be BC. Prior to getting pregnant in 2009 with my DD I was on the pill. However I had a lot of issues with the pill. I had migraine headaches all the time, which I feel were from the pill as they stopped as soon as I stopped taking the pill. It also took me a long time to get my cycles back to normal and ovulating again after. After DD we chose not to go back on the pill as we wanted to TTC again soon. DS was conceived without any issues at all.

This time I am unsure of what I want to do, we want to wait at least 2-3 years before we TTC baby number 3 and 4 (we would like them to be 2 under 2 as well). This is so that I can finish nursing school (career change). I am currently EBF and plan to do so until DS is at least a year old. I would like to skip BC all together and use condoms or temping. However with a history of ovarian cancer in my family my doctor has suggested that I go on some form of birth control as I guess this can help with the ovarian cancer.

If you are on BC what are you using? If you have had headaches from BC what are you using? Is an IUD something that is possible after multiple c-sections? If on the pill, What pill do you use?

I would like to go into my appointment with an idea of what I want so I can talk with my doctor about it.

LisaJ_MOH · June 2012

I love the Bradley Method of Natural Family Planning. Works great while breastfeeding, you don't have to take your temp (and wake up at the same time each day), and no artificial hormones (migrane headaches)

Temp6313048411121614 · June 2012

Not sure with the ovarian canncer, but I was going to suggest a diaphragm or IUD. You could also check out the Nuva Ring (my doc sasid that IUD and Nuva Ring are pretty low hormones). GL with your decision.

mben1119 · June 2012

I'm using Mirena now, and love it. After a bad first 2 months, my periods are short and light, I don't even know its there, and no pill to remember!

MrsCali_Bride · June 2012

I have the Mirena IUD because I didn't want to worry about remembering to take a pill at the same time every day while tending to a newborn (or a pair of newborns, as the case was the second time around). I had one in place for over three years after my vaginal birth until we were getting ready to TTC #2 and then had one placed at 9 weeks pp after the twins. It completely stopped my periods and I didn't have any issues with BFing (still nursing the twins 3x per day). My friend has had three c-sections and her doctor had no problem with her getting one.

HotChocolate79 · June 2012

Hormonal BC is not for me, and due to some other stuff I am not a candidate for Mirena or the copper IUD. So I hate to say it but we are going to wing it and do the pull&pray thing. Considering that it took me almost 4 years to get pregnant and both of us have issues, I am pretty sure dear old IF won't let us down. And if it happens, well, it wouldn't be the end of the world as we definitely want two kids (ideally 3 years apart though). When we are sure that we are done, DH will probably get the snip.

skio · June 2012

I went off the pill a couple years ago because my migraines were getting way too frequent, and I swore to never go back on hormones. We were planning to TTC within a few months so didn't use any BC, and I got pregnant on my fourth cycle off the pill.

Two months after having DD, I decided to try to mini pill, since it's a low-hormone (progestin only?) pill that is safe to use while BFing. I was okay with the headaches until I got my period back at a year pp, then they came back with a vengeance, so I dropped the pill. I had some other issues that made me drop BFing about a month afterward.

I've decided to chart/temp and use other natural methods for now. We've tried condoms and failed miserably - neither of us can enjoy ourselves at all - and I'm not comfortable getting the IUD (non-hormonal) between pregnancies.

pinkmoonlight · June 2012

Thank you for all your input. I am going to talk to my doctor about some of your suggestions.

teachermother · June 2012

I had the same issue with migraines I know your pain! I switched from the pill to NuvaRing and it helped tremendously with my migraines. My OB did tell me in the hospital that I need to be thinking about BC options for my 6 wk check up because I will not be able to go on nuva ring while BFing

He said my options were a IUD or the pill

I go next week for my appointment and I am unsure what I want to do...he said the IUD can be used but only if I do not want another child in 5 years which we do so I guess I will try the pill again

If my migraines come back not sure what I will do...(although my migraines have been showing up since the birth of my daughter...)

MrsCali_Bride · June 2012

teachermother:
he said the IUD can be used but only if I do not want another child in 5 years which we do so I guess I will try the pill again If my migraines come back not sure what I will do...(although my migraines have been showing up since the birth of my daughter...)

The Mirena is good for up to five years and the Paragard is good for up to 10 years but each of them can be removed sooner if you want to TTC again before then. I had my first Mirena for just over 3 years and had it removed during an annual exam so that we could get ready to TTC the second time around.

One thing I would suggest is finding out if your insurance covers the IUD or if you would have to pay for it out of pocket. If you do have to pay it out of pocket, they aren't cheap ($725 or so for mine, if I remember correctly) so that might sway your decision if you don't plan to keep the IUD for the full amount of time.

thefarmchick · June 2012

What does the Depo shot do for you?

I chose this as my method of BC after DD#1 and I really liked it. No periods and breastfeeding friendly. Not to sure about the hormones/headaches for you though.

I'm using it this time until DH gets his vasectomy.

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