Birth Control

[jigglypuff]

was on the pill for several years. i wouldn’t go on any form of hormonal bc ever again cuz it just makes me feel like a zombie, & ime it seems to make some guys think they “don’t have to” use condoms, which is ugh. i don’t share a preference for unprotected sex.

my partner & i use condoms

[Limes]

Fuckin ell.

Lol.

That's evil.

Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat is evil.

[starla]

Did the shot when I was young and it was awful. Been doing mostly the pill since, with stints of condoms, pull out, and more recently just relying on my aging ovaries to be unproductive.

This thread reminds me, I need to go pick up my pills.

[Lilith]

Used condoms when I was into casual sex. Condoms and spermicides during the first 3 months of marriage. I got pregnant. Switched to pills after giving birth. My doctor prescribed Apri when I'm done lactating. Hormonal changes coupled with mental stress from work, I experienced postpartum depression. There were weeks I would throw up after every meal. I suffered severe headache and abdominal cramps. It was awful. I quit my day job and talked with my doctor. She changed my prescription. I am feeling much better now with Sprintec.

[oxyjen]

I've used condoms, spermicide (dissolvable film) combined with pull-out, three different birth control formulations, natural planning methods (ok but not really, only used to conceive so I guess that doesn't count), and Mirena IUD.

As far as "pseudopregnancy" state, I'm fairly certain I still have ovulated at times with my IUD. I love that the Mirena only has a low dose of progestin hormone, no estrogen. I have way fewer hormonal side effects than with the pill (minus the mini-pill, but the user error rate on that is catastrophic that I refused to stay on it for very long).

Also with the copper IUD, it makes your period heavier and cramps worse. Granted I have only a year and a half of mileage on my Mirena but knowing it has a better success rate at preventing pregnancy than having my tubes tied, with absolutely no effort at all on my end, is fucking awesome.

[TeresaJ]

I tried depo on and off and never had any problems, but it's less reliable than other methods so I continued to shop around.

I really liked the Mirena at first, but then I started having random abdominal cramps, random spotting, and it seemed like my hair was getting really thin. I don't know if it was actually the Mirena causing all those problems or just me being paranoid, but either way I did not like it. I got it out after barely a year.

Then I did natural family planning, but was not super strict about it, and wound up getting pregnant. My EDD from the ultrasound never matched by last menstrual period because I had ovulated at a weird time.

Now I have a Nexplanon. For the first year it was great. No bleeding, no random symptoms. Then for about six months after that my periods started coming back, which was disconcerting but not really a problem. For the past couple of months, though, the bleeding has gone into overdrive - periods that last 10 to 14 days, spotting in between. It has fucked up my vaginal pH.

Now I'm shopping around again, hence the inspiration for the thread. ...I don't think I could do another IUD. I just do not like the idea of a device inside my uterus.

[Madrigal]

Wait, this shit thins your hair?

[oxyjen]

I tried depo on and off and never had any problems, but it's less reliable than other methods so I continued to shop around.

I really liked the Mirena at first, but then I started having random abdominal cramps, random spotting, and it seemed like my hair was getting really thin. I don't know if it was actually the Mirena causing all those problems or just me being paranoid, but either way I did not like it. I got it out after barely a year.

Then I did natural family planning, but was not super strict about it, and wound up getting pregnant. My EDD from the ultrasound never matched by last menstrual period because I had ovulated at a weird time.

Now I have a Nexplanon. For the first year it was great. No bleeding, no random symptoms. Then for about six months after that my periods started coming back, which was disconcerting but not really a problem. For the past couple of months, though, the bleeding has gone into overdrive - periods that last 10 to 14 days, spotting in between. It has fucked up my vaginal pH.

Now I'm shopping around again, hence the inspiration for the thread. ...I don't think I could do another IUD. I just do not like the idea of a device inside my uterus.

That's unfortunate about the Mirena side effects. I've not had any cramps except for usual period cramps and once or twice it felt like ovulation pangs (CM and bleeding exactly fourteen days later confirmed it).

I don't blame you though, I was always very wary of IUD's. They had a bad reputation when I was young. However circumstances in my life have changed and I feel 1000% done with having kids. My spouse and I originally were fine with raising a kid from an accidental pregnancy that would arise, but now I have moved away from that stance while he hasn't. Thus, an IUD which has the lowest average user failure rate it is.
Device inside uterus >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> embryo up in there

[oxyjen]

Maybe the Mirena has more side effect potential than I realized.

I’ve had days where I have a sharp, but not terribly severe, pain in lower left abdomen. Process of elimination of web diagnosing leads me to think it could be an ovarian cyst. Apparently 12% of women on mirena get them. Ugh.

[Sinny]

Well, I came off the depo for a year, went back on it at the start of mine & revs relationship, but came back off it because I wanted to check my plumbing was working fine.. took months to get my periods back, so I thought we'd be safe with condoms... But condoms aren't ideal when you're having sex up to ten times a day, and Rev successfully split about 4

Now I'm pregnant

I honestly thought it would take me a couple of years to catch after the depo... Sods law, we conceived on makeup/break up sex.