September 2017 Moms

Birth Control post-pregnancy

A chance to discuss various birth control methods post-pregnancy. As long as it doesn't interfere with nursing, I'm leaning towards either an IUD (never had one before) or oral contraceptive. All forms have their pros and cons. If this subject concerns you, please discuss! 

Re: Birth Control post-pregnancy

  • I've heard mixed reviews on IUDs during breastfeeding. I think some of them can tank your supply so you need to be really careful about which one you choose. I was looking into it but realized an oral contraceptive would be more cost effective since we knew we would want to try for #2 within a few years. 

    I took the mini pill (no estrogen) which was safe during breastfeeding. I do have a couple friends who got pregnant while taking it though. You have to be very vigilant about taking it at the same time every day.

    I'm not sure what I'll do this time around
    Lilypie Maternity tickers
  • I'm planning to get a hormonal IUD. I was previously on birth control pills and they worked well for me, but since the mini pill is the only option when breastfeeding and I've heard you have to be super careful about taking it at the same time (which seems challenging with a newborn!), it doesn't seem like a good choice for me. We do want a second child, but not immediately, so I don't want to risk an oops. I have a number of friends who have gotten an IUD post baby and been happy with it. My OB actually asked me a couple of weeks ago if I knew what I wanted to do and when I told her IUD she said it was a good choice. From what I've read, the copper IUD comes with a risk of heavy bleeding and I'd really rather not have that, so I'll go for the hormonal one.
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  • With my 1st I went back on the pill. I've never had any other kind. It just took awhile for my cycle to get back to normal. I only BF for 3 months. 
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  • I want to go back on my birth control pill that I was on before - no mood swings, clear skin.. give it back to me! I will need to talk about what the effects on BF will be.

    Me: 27 years old            DH: 27 years old
    Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
    Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
    Married in July 2014
    TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
    BFP #1 3/29/16     MMC: 5/5/16
    BFP #2 7/6/16    SCH, D&C 8/4/16
    BFP #3 12/26/16     EDD: 9/6/17
    My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
    My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: 
    Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
    A1Cs:
    1/12/16 6.7%
    5/25/16 6.0%
    11/2/16 6.1%
    3/22/16 5.8%
    4/27/17 5.4%
    6/13/17 5.3%
               
    "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
  • I do not plan to use any hormonal birth control post partum. I had terrible experiences with both the oral contraceptives and the nexplanon implant previously. Plus DH is wanting to try for a second shortly after our LO is born. I will likely be temping / charting my cycles and avoiding sex during the fertile window until we are ready to TTC again.
  • @JNR6510 Same here, we did the rhythm method after DS, and I know it's definitely not a sure thing, but it took us over a year of trying while temping everyday to get pregnant this time. So if I get pregnant with our 3rd baby on accidentally without trying, I'd be good with that.
  • @Sugargirl1019 definitely check with your OB to be sure, but I'm pretty sure you can only take progesterone-only pills while breastfeeding, unfortunately. Others will kill your supply. The pill I was on previously was also really great for me (clear skin, really light short periods), but unfortunately can't go back to it while BFing.
  • I didn't take anything after DD because I wanted to BF and was worried about my supply while on birth control. I'll probably wait a while after the boys come to make a decision, but once the time comes I'll probably do IUD since we are 99% done having kids after this. 
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  • I used the non-hormonal IUD before & after our first, plan to get another after this kiddo, too. It did cause heavier and longer periods for me (each period was about 6-7 days or about 2 days longer than before), but I was having blood pressure issues a few years back and switching to a non-hormonal birth control helped me get it in check without needing medication. Loved that I could breastfeed while on it and I didn't have to take a pill at the exact same time each day. 
    ***TW***
    RAD born 6/2015 |  mc at 7 weeks 9/2016 | rainbow baby RHD born 9/2017
  • I have PCOS and don't ovulate without fertility drugs (at least I haven't ovulated naturally in about 10 years, but I was on the pill for a lot of that time). Every time I've gotten off the pill, I've gone several months without a period and I've had to take progesterone to get it to start. Honestly, I'm not that worried about accidental pregnancy. I am worried about how screwed up my hormones get when I'm not on some sort of hormonal contraceptive. I'm going to discuss with my OB. I definitely need to take something, but I'm not sure how long we want to wait to try for baby 2 given that it took some time and medication to get baby 1. 

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Me 34 DH 34 
    PCOS

    DS1 born September 2017
    Baby number 2 due 4/11/20
  • I had a hormonal IUD beforehand, after being on the pill for 10 years, and absolutely loved it. Not being tied to a medication alarm every day was so freeing and my cycles were amazingly short and light. Since they're progesterone only and safe for bfing, I'm going to have another one placed postpartum. We'd like at least two years between children, so it seems like a good way to go. 
  • After DD was born it was awhile before I was interested in sex anyway.....but we used condoms. I don't like hormonal BCs and shouldn't take them anyway bc of a history of blood clots in my family. I did end up pregnant when DD was about 9 months old bc we had unprotected sex once, so I guess we will be more careful this time  :D

    For people who want to temp/chart, I would just say to be careful and maybe use backups. My understanding of temping (which I did with success for awhile) is that it is less reliable when your sleep is disrupted. With a newborn, I would not be 100% confident in it.
  • This decision is pretty overwhelming!
  • @IdleFancy Did you still produce a lot with the Hormonal IUD? I know someone who had the same thing and her supply was super low. I wanted to put one in, but I don't want my supply to go away.

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  • efrey1986 said:
    @IdleFancy Did you still produce a lot with the Hormonal IUD? I know someone who had the same thing and her supply was super low. I wanted to put one in, but I don't want my supply to go away.
    My friend had a hormonal IUD after both her kids were born and she BFed the first one until 15 months and is stil BFing the second one at 2 years. She has never had any supply issues.
  • I used the mini pill for a while after my 1st, but it was causing migraines, so we switched to temping/charting to make sure we used condoms during the fertile window. I am going to ask about a hormone free iud this time. I'm not ready to say if we are done having kids and I would prefer my husband get a V when he is ready, since it is far more reversible.
  • Oh man, I haven't even really thought about this! I just assumed I'd go back in my microgestin oral BC pills, but I guess that won't be an option. I don't want to get an IUD because my sister ended up with uterine cysts and all kinds of uterine problems from hers, so I'm kind of scared of them now.

    I am one of the few people that feel better on birth control pills too. I am sort of like @bridge-and-wall in that I can go a months without a period while not on birth control. I'm not sure if I have PCOS, but I do have a lot of symptoms - and it took nearly a year to get pregnant while actively tracking all the the "natural family planning" things. It's hard for me to imagine accidentally getting pregnant! I guess maybe I'll do the Natural Family Planning method again, but this time I will use it to try to avoid getting pregnant until I can get back on my glorious microgestin!
    BabyFetus Ticker
    Me: 34 | DH: 31
    Married: Nov. 7, 2015
    TTC Since: February, 2016
    BFP: December 20, 2016



  • I'm leaning towards the pill, especially after reading what some of you have said about IUDs.  I just don't know because I've never had one, and it would be a major bummer if it caused unanticipated issues...
  • I haven't thought much about this. I was on the pill for 15 years before TTC, but I don't know if I want to go back to that. I'll have to discuss with the doc to review my options. I don't want anything that could affect breastfeeding, but not being on anything makes me nervous, since we probably want to wait 2 years for another. 
    Me: 33 DH: 33
    Married: 10.15.16
    BFP: 12.24.16
    DS BD: 8.20.17
    TTC #2 1.1.19
    BFP #2 7.3.19
    EDD #2 3.13.20
  • @stephy_p My own experience with pregnancy is that sometimes it can change your body chemically. I have pcos and before my first,  I couldn't ovulate on my own. Post pregnancy, my periods became regular and we were able to conceive without any assistance. I don't think I became super fertile or anything like that, but there was definitely a huge change for me, so your fertility could be different post baby. I had a couple moms in my circle get unexpectedly pregnant shortly after their 1st, because of previous IF and assuming it would take them time or intervention. 
  • I don't plan on going back on BC after this LO was born.  DH and I are fine with using condoms, and I discovered when I went off of it (for the first time in over 10 years) a year before I was pregnant with DS1, that I'm a much happier person without.  My skin cleared up, mood swings disappeared, the weight that the doctors *swear* you don't gain on BC dropped off, and my libido came back.  What's the point of BC if you don't have any sex drive?

    I did BCPs for a while, and had Mirena IUD for 5 years.  I prefer the IUD because I literally didn't have a period for 5 years.  Sometimes DH would hit the IUD during sex, but I think that's something that would be less likely if you've already had a child (I had not at that point), since your uterus will be bigger from having a child.
    DS1: Born 11.18.15
    DS2: EDD- 09.08.17

    Babysizer Cravings Pregnancy Tracker
  • I took the mini pill before pregnancy because of how sick I get with any hormonal BC and I liked it so I'll probably just st go back to that. Not too bad to remember to take it at the same time every day, I normally do 8 pm. 
  • I plan on using Paragard IUD. It is the copper IUD with zero hormones. I suffer from migraines, so i need something without hormones, and feedback from Mirena is that you don't have any real cycle just random spotting. I would rather have "cycles" than just randomly be bleeding. 
  • @labby18 I had spotting for several months after I got the mireba, and then nothing until I had it removed.  It was magical!   However, I realize that doesn't help if you need a no hormone option.
    DS1: Born 11.18.15
    DS2: EDD- 09.08.17

    Babysizer Cravings Pregnancy Tracker
  • IncandescentIncandescent member
    edited July 2017
    I had the mirena for 2 years and it was great. No periods, and it worked. Took it out to conceive, had a baby. I felt so much better without birth control, but that's how we ended with this surprise baby(we were using the natural family planning and pull out method and we obviously sucked at it lol). Hubby has agreed to get a vasectomy but until then im getting the mirena again.
  • Discussed briefly with my doctor this morning. DH has a blood clot in issue, so a vasectomy carries extra issues (blood thinning medication bridging to start). And my hospital is a Catholic hospital, so they CAN do tubal ligation, but call it something else (risk reduction). She said if I end up with a c section it's easy to do right after. So it's something I'm considering. I'm almost 35 and while I'm confident that we are a one and done family, if we WERE so moved later I think I would want to adopt anyway.
  • Might not be everyone's experience.... but FWIW, I was on Paragard for a while and the warning about heavy bleeding that @Rhubarb7216mentions was FOR REAL.  I would soak through the strongest available tampon within 30 minutes and would bleed through my pants at work.  I took it out after 1 year.  
    aint nobody got time for that GIF
    *TW* 
    Me: 35 | DH: 38
    Met: 2007
    Married: 2013

    BFP #1: 06/21/16                MMC: 08/04/16
    BFP #2: 01/08/17             DD: 09/23/17 <3
    BFP #3: 06/10/20             EDD: 02/11/2021

  • Anyone have experience with ortho tri-cyclen Lo? Norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol
  • lap018lap018 member
    I'll be going back to natural family planning combined with the diaphragm, hormonal BC screws me up and turns me into the devil! I would do the hormone free IUD but since there isn't any official science saying the IUD would not terminate a fertilized egg, I'm not comfortable with that. So all that to say, charting/temping and diaphragm for us! 
  • I plan on getting a mirena...at this moment. I keep changing my mind on condoms or a mirena. We don't want a third but aren't quite ready for a vasectomy. I BF my DS and didn't get a period back until he was 14 months old.
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