Ideas for Birth Control?

I just want to say I am so happy to see how many people are sugesting NFP. Having practiced it myself, I think it is a great way of understanding the female body and a great way to prevent the side effects of medical birth control.

I'm not a very charitable person, and I'd say 'I've had two 9 month long pregnancies, two births and two recoveries from being pregnant and giving birth. When you get to that, you can beg off taking the easy, quick and cheap route, pal.'

As I said... I'm not real charitable about this. He's essentially saying 'you do something this time, because I'm up to quota on what I need to do about it.' He's comparing his trauma (ha ha) to nothing, rather than taking seriously the possibility of you becoming pregnant again, of major abdominal surgery (your only permanent option) or of increasing risks associated with drug-based options (the risks increase as you age, period).

I don't think he's considered this very seriously, or you've seriously conveyed what he is really saying about the issue. Perhaps he's fantasizing about another baby, and digging his heels in quietly?

I agree with the other posts that highly recommend the Sympto-Thermal Natural Family Planning method taught by CCL (www.ccli.org). It works great for both postponing pregnancy or for achieving pregnancy if you ever decide you want another. :-)

If you want to go more natural, check into the standard days method....
It depends on your cycle length... Working for us and if stuck too (off limit days = condom or no action.)is 98% effective.

My husband and I have been useing Natural Family Planning for 6 years. It is 99% effective when used properly. It is natural so you are not useing medication when you are not sick and best of all after you either pay for the class and/or book it is free. Check out the wed site http://www.ccli.org/.
Many blessings,
K.

I also was on the pill for many years. I turned 40 last July and my doctor started talking to me about other options about two years now. I'm a non smoker and not over weight so he wasn't too concerned about staying on the pill for a couple more years but he suggested Essure. Essure is a small device that they implant into your tubes and your body takes about 3 months to create scar tissue to block the tubes. This is a permanent fix. You do have to go through some testing to make sure your a candidate but the procedure is done as an out patient thing. The only complaint I have about it is that my periods are not like clockwork anymore. Being on the pill since I was 17, I got used to knowing exactly when I was going to start! Now it varies. I've had the Essure since last May.

You can go to www.essure.com to find a doctor near you. Not all GYNOs do this procedure. They have to be certified. Also my Blue care network paid about 50%. I'm working on payment arrangements for the other portion.

Good Luck.
D. R.

Hello A.,

My husband and I used natural family planning (NFP) for 25 years and taught it to other couples for 20 years. It is 99% effective if learned and used correctly. Communication between spouses is usually enhanced and it is amazing to watch the female fertility cycle work! A woman is fertile only part of her cycle--NFP teaches the couple to know when this time is and to abstain from marital relations if they are postponing pregnancy. And there are, of course, no negative physical side effects. I recommend it! See www.ccli.org for more information.

F.

A.,

I highly recommend the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It is outstanding.

S.

I would recommend the 5 yr IUD. Its painless to go in and it completly effective for 5 years, and if you want to try for a nother child before then, you can always have it removed and your fertility will almost become immediate. It doesnt hurt to get put in but there may be some cramping on the first day. Just keep some advil handy for the first day, but this method is totally effective, inexpensive and guarenteed for 5 years! Its more convenient than the shot because you dont have to go back every couple months and get another one, easier than the patch because those have been linked to heart problems and stroke lately, and frankly didnt stick that well and I would go through more than I was perscribed because they would come undone. Its just a thought and I hope it helps! God Bless!

If he doesn't want to get snipped again (which I understand) and you are tired of being on BC (also understandable), then the other alternative is for you to get your tubes tied. It's less invasive than it used to be. I had mine done after our 2nd was born and I'm glad that I did. If surgery isn't for either of you, you may need to talk with your Dr or do some research on your own. I hope that this helps.

My dad had a vasectomy after I was born. Seven and a half years later my baby brother was born. (He just turned 29...Hard to believe!!!) After David was born my mom had her tubes tied, and that worked for them.
So, when my husband and I decided we were finished having children (We had three without ever "trying." In fact, with each one we were trying harder NOT to get pregnant...Go figure!) I opted to have my tubes tied. If it worked for my mom, I trusted it would work for me, too.
It's been almost six years since my surgery. Seems to be working! *grin*

I'm a 36 year old working mother, who like you was tired of being on birth control so I talked to my doctor about my options as my husband & I did not want any more children. The procedure I had a couple of weeks ago is called "hysteroscopy with essure" (www.essure.com). Unlike a standard "tubal ligation" there are no incisions and I was back to work in two days. My doctor loves this procedure (insertions of springs in the tubes) because it naturally forms scar tissue in the tubes without cutting/laser. I loved it because it has proven equally effective, and I didn't have to recover from a laperoscopy (inflation of the abdomen) which was very uncomfortable for me. Talk to your doctor about it, I have to go for a follow-up in a couple of months...but the idea of not adding the hormones to my "pushing 40 body" let alone saving the expense, is worth it. A.

I've had the Mirena IUC for almost a year now. I love it! There was some cramping for the first couple of days, and some spotting for the first couple of weeks, but that was it. I haven't had a period since! It's been great. They say the Mirena IUC is more effective than sterilization and it lasts five years. There may some initial co-pays associated with it (check with your insurance company) but then you don't have to think about it again for five years! It's very cost-effective. Anyway, this is what works for us. Good luck!

i have the merina iud and love it!!! nothing to remember is the best part i think. this one is good for 5 yrs but i think theirs another one that is good for 10 yrs! i read someplace that this type of bc is better for the money in the long run since you don't have to re-fill it, and plus by the time you add up your co paies thru the years this one comes out cheaper. i can say when they put it in it sucked but i like mine i have had no problems with it, i know a friend of mine also has it and she like it also. good luck with your choice

I took a Natural Family Planning class through the Catholic church with my hubby (need to do it together)! The class was by donation and then I had to purchase an oral digital thermometer, but other than that, it is free!

I also recommend that you take (after you've taken it) or at least teach it to your step-kids and eventually your kids. Too many people have no idea what a woman's body actually goes through every month and don't know exactly when they're fertile, etc. This class was the best thing I could have ever done for myself & my hubby. I had no idea that the things my body was doing every month (with me it was actually more constant) were "normal" and was too chicken to ever ask questions. I believe that all kids should get this education in health class so they know what everything is all about.

I also have a great book in my basement from a Human Sexuality class I took in college. While I really didn't learn too much about women's or men's biology in the class, I learned way more than I wanted to about the negatives of "sex for fun". It might be a good one to share with the kids too (after talking to the other parents involved for clearance). If you want the name of the book, email me and I will look it up.

Anyway, I strongly recommend the NFP class (for everyone in your house at an appropriate age, it does not encourage promescuity). It'll make "the talk" much easier when laying down dating rules.

Hope this helps.

K.
www.shop4miracles.com

Have you considered a tubal? They are not all that bad. If you are truly done, its permanent-like a vasectomy.