What Birth Control Are You On?

I use Naprotechnology. It is awesome! There is absolutely no side effects and if used properly it is the most effective form. It has brought my husband and I much closer and I recommend it to everyone! I have been using it for nearly 16 years.

My favorite was condoms and spermicide. I found that all the hormonal methods I tried ( various pills, Depo, patch, and ring) all had side effects I didn't like.

We are not having any more kids and my doctor did not want me on anything that utilized hormones because of my history of blood clots, so I have the Paraguard IUD. It's good for 10 years and other than giving me heavier-than-ever periods, as well as the periods coming at odd times (like every 35 to 40 days), I have not had any issues. I was sore and crampy for a day or so after it was inserted - Tylenol and a hot bath helped. It can be removed at any time if you decide you are ready to get pregnant again. And I don't have to remember to do anything or take anything every day.

We are on the vasectomy plan :)

Both of us are very happy with our decision.

The regular Pill, for a total of 25 years! No dicernable side effects for me, and it works. You brush your teeth every day, you take your pill every day. Currently on Nortrel 1/35.

Menopause. :)

(Before that a vasectomy.)

Paragard IUD. Love it, Lasts for 10 years. No hormones.

I've heard bad things about the shot - crazy mood swings and a lot of weight gain. I think your best bet is pills or condoms if you plan on getting pregnant again sometimes in the next 10 years or so...

The thing about the shot. . . I think it's depo something, is that if you have a bad reaction to it, or your hormones go hay wire on it, you have to have in your body for that 3 month time period. So for three months you'll be stuck with it. So I personally am not for it.

Well, we've combined forces. My husband had vasectomy when our son was about 8 months old. I've been on LoSeasonique for about 9 months or so, to deal with horrible cramps. (It allows you to "miss" your period for about 3 months or so.) Love it. The extra contraception is just an added bonus.

I used the Mirena for 6 years. Getting it in was uncomfortable (and then they forgot to mention that I should take ibuprofin and rest for 15 min or so before I hop up and go... almost passed out while checking out, lol, but not from pain). I had some mild cramping and spotting for about a month. Then it was great. For the first 6 months, I had 2-3 periods total (about 2-3 months apart, and very light). Then I had no period at all for the rest of the time. Wow, that was NICE!! Mirena uses a low dose of hormones, and generally most stay in your uterus, tubes, etc.

Love being able to be 100% spontaneous, not worry about if my period would interfere with stuff, and not have to remember a dumb pill every night. And, getting it out was much easier than getting it in, period came back within about 2 weeks, and we got pregnant about 9 months later. I've know some women who got pregnant within 2 months.

Mirena is easiest if you've already had children. I think it has something to do with ease of insertion, or how it sits.

I have implanon in my under arm. It's awesome. I just forget about it and haven't had any side effects. I have a light period every great moon but it's very rare and happens with all types of birth control. I just have to get it replaced every 3 years :)

I have used the Nuvaring for about 4 years and I LOVE it! You put it in for three weeks and take it out for a week to have your period. But, you have more options with it that the nurse told me about. You can safely use it like Seasonique where you put a new one in instead of keeping it out for a week and then you only have a period every 3 months. I also like that I can make my husband participate it in it, and so its not all my responsiblity. He can remember to put it in/take out, and he can help with that part too, so its a couple's thing instead of all the woman's responsibility. I really like that part. Good luck finding the right one for you.

The "Today Sponge" is back on the market.

http://www.todaysponge.com/

So currently I am on Mirena. I literally JUST got it so I have no real opinions on it yet. I can get back to you lol.

Since I was 16 I was on the pill. As long as I took the combo pill, I could usually be sometimes forgetful and be okay. However, my doctor for some reason switched me to the mini-pill. I hear you can take this while breastfeeding cause it doesn't have the estrogen in it, but I wasn't even breastfeeding. You have to be really good and diligent about taking it. If your even like 3 hours late, you have to use a back up method for 2 days. They mean that when they say it too cause I was never good at remembering to take the pill the whole time I was on it and once I started taking this one, I ended up having my little boy. I definitely love him, but he was definitely a shocker for us!

I also have used condoms regularly, especially when I wasn't in an exclusive relationship. I do get a reaction though to some condoms cause I'm allergic to the lubricant on some. My friend swears by nuvaring. For some reason I've just never been comfortable trying to get it in and out so I never try it. The pull-out method seemed to work for a while too, miraculously lol

I can no longer afford it, but when I had drug coverage I LOVED the Nuvaring! Even after taking BC for 22 years, with one year off when I had my son (yikes), I still forget to take a pill every day. And when I do take the pill, I hate the side effects, which is probably why I forget. Nuvaring was comfortable, SO easy, worked like a charm and I long for the day I can stop screwing around with these generic pills and get back on it.

I LOVE the Mirena IUD. I used them between my children, and will definitely get another on 6 weeks after this current baby arrives.

I use seasonale & absolutely love it. Yes, you have to take the pill everyday, but you only have 4 periods a year & as long as I take it around the same time every day (within a 3hr period or so) I have no problem with breakthrough bleeding. It's nice cause I dont have to plan trips or nights out around my period anymore!

I just had the Mirena IUD put in a couple of weeks ago. It was painful to have put in, I cramped for a bit, and I am still spotting just a bit. I hear after about 6 months it should be great! Added bonus....can get busy whenever I want and don't have to worry about condoms (which is what we were using before).
L.

When I met my husband, I was wearing...or should I say "on"...the IUD. It was a good choice for ME. Others, sometimes, not so much.
We have had a child.. (she's 4) and like another post says, we're on the "snippity-snip" train....of coarse, had I wanted more children, I probably would have gone back to the copper IUD.

HTH.

EDIT: just read your "what happened"...I did the "shot" YEARS ago...it was NOT for me...it made my periods VERY irregular and I gained CRAZY weight...again, that was MY expierience, not necessarily others.

Paraguarg IUD. Going on 9 years now.

Before my last daughter (11 months old) I used NuvaRing for years, and anbsolutely loved it. Put it in, forget it for three weeks, take it out, have your period, put a new one in. Bonus, literally, when we decided to go for another child, I conceived two days after I should've put a new one in. They say it can take a cycle or two, but it didn't for us!

Now, because of breastfeeding, I am using Depo. I would've preferred something more permanent (not an IUD, but the Implanon or something) but my husband was against it. I don't have any discernable side affects with the Depo, and I also haven't got my period back yet either. I used Depo for a period of about five years before having children and never had my period during use...I loved it!

I tried Ortho-Tricyclen, but it made me feel gross. I went on Alesse and had no problems after that, except when I went off of it in Dec and still haven't gotten my period back. It will depend a lot on your own body's hormones and stuff, you may have to try a couple before you find the right one.

I dont like the side effects of any pill or IUD, so we are using the Natural Family Planning Method.