Moms- BEST birth control? Help.?

Question

I have a 2 year old daughter, love her to pieces but don't want anymore anytime soon....lol.
I have an app. w/ my obgyn the first week of May to talk about options but I was wondering what other moms are using.
I can't do the pill. Was on it b4 and it was messing w/ my heart rhythm. And I'd rather not have the 'thing' they insert in you for 5 years or so...something a little less 'permanent' would be nice.
THANK YOU ladies.

Answer 1

I also prefer hormone-free birth control, so I opted for the ParaGard IUD (or IUC, as the company now calls it). You can have it removed at any time you choose. You don't have to leave it in for the long term. I would honestly look into the ParaGard if I were you. If you're not looking to have a baby for at least 2 years, IUDs/IUCs are actually very good options. If you're a good candidate, it's actually cheaper than almost any other form of birth control when used for at least 2 years, and the ParaGard company provides payment plans for those who don't have insurance (or those whose insurance doesn't cover it). Mine was covered completely by my insurance, so I didn't pay a penny, fortunately.



I've had it for almost a year, and I love it. No hormones, no need for barrier methods like condoms (I'm in a long term, mutually monogamous relationship), and the side effects have been minimal for me. I don't even notice it at all anymore. I've saved a lot of money, and it's actually a more environmentally friendly birth control method as well. We also enjoy being able to have spontaneous sex without putting something on or in first.



You can see their site for more info: http://www.paragard.com/home.php



There's also a great LiveJournal group called IUD Divas. You can find a lot of info there as well: http://community.livejournal.com/iud_divas Check the FAQ section at the left first: http://community.livejournal.com/iud_divas/218168.html



Also, FYI, the patch, Nuvaring, and Depo all contain hormones like those the pill.



If you're still not interested in the ParaGard, and you want hormone-free birth control (it's likely the hormones in the pill that were messing with your heart rhythm, so you should probably avoid all hormonal birth control), your options are fairly limited. You can always use barrier methods: condoms, diaphragms, sponges, or cervical caps. Those are hormone-free, although they should be used with spermicides, and some women are sensitive to the chemicals in spermicides. They also take a lot of the spontaneity out of sex, and in the heat of the moment, a lot of couples decide to forgo the use of a barrier method so as not to disrupt the moment (I'm not necessarily saying that you or your significant other would do this, but it's a definite downside to barrier methods).



There's also FAM, NFP, and other similar methods. FAM stands for "fertility awareness method", and NFP stands for "natural family planning". Basically, this means that you'd have to monitor your fertility signs and ovulation signals very, very closely in order to avoid having sex during fertile days. I do know many couples who have used these methods with great success, but they require a lot of dedication. You have to be militant about monitoring your ovulation and fertility signs, and you either have to avoid sex on fertile days, or use a barrier method on those days. It also takes a lot of education and preparation to learn how to read your body's signals accurately, and one little slip up, and you can end up pregnant. It's a very involved system.



You can read more about it here: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/birth_control/102539 If you're interested, I'd also look into getting the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility".



There's a good birth control comparison chart here: http://www.womentowomen.com/sexualityandfertility/birthcontrolmethods.aspx



And another here: http://www.birth-control-comparison.info/

Answer 2

I used contraceptive sponges and condoms because I could NOT get pregnant due to meds, but the Pill was not an option (messed with my blood pressure). The sponges do get kindof expensive if you have an enthusiastic sex life, but I liked them better than other options.



I can only take Loestrin and use that only when my periods become a problem. Perhaps that is also an option. Anyway, the link below lists some options you may not have thought of.



Note: if you had a vaginal birth, the Sponge may not be an option. I had a c-section, so it wasn't an issue.

Answer 3

Here are your potential options:



Condoms/Female Condoms



Spermicides - Spermicides kill sperm and come in foams, jellies, creams and fi lm. Put them in the vagina before sex. They work best if used with a condom.

Birth



Birth control patch - not sure if you can do this. The patch is a thin,stick-on square with

hormones that is placed on a woman’s body to prevent the release of an egg. A new patch is used

once a week for three weeks and the fourth week is patch-free.



Vaginal ring - This small ring has hormones to prevent pregnancy. Women place a new ring in

the vagina every month. The ring is easy to use and works



Depo- Provera: A doctor or nurse gives a hormone shot to a woman to prevent pregnancy. Depo-Provera shots work for three months. The shot is very good at keeping women from getting

pregnant.

Answer 4

We'll you sort of routed out the two best.



The others that work well are:



Condoms (male or female) and spermicides together which together are very effective.

Patch - The patch contains the same forms of progesterone and estrogen found in many birth control pills. A new patch is applied each week and the hormones are absorbed through the skin

*Pull out which is only 70% effective.

Nuva ring which is very effective.

Answer 5

I have the IUD which is "inserted" but it's also removable at any time. The thing that I like about it, is it has no hormones (you have to chose the one with no hormones ParaGard). So it will not affect my body / blood / heart in any way. I had it the first time for 8 years, no scares, got it removed when we were ready and had our baby, I now have it again. I 100% recommend it!

Answer 6

Well that narrows down your options drastically. You could do the patch, depo, or NuvaRing. However, they all contain hormones which may have been your problem with the pill. Your only other options are Paragard IUD (non-hormonal), Mirena IUD (contains hormones), Norplant (contains hormones), or barrier methods (condoms/diaphragm/sponge).

Answer 7

i use the IUD which you can have removed at any time but since you want something less permanent i would recommend nuvaring. my sister in law uses it and you only change it once a month. its a bit pricey but she likes it.