Long term Birth Control that is not permanent...TMI

[ame]

So my Mirena is about to come out, and I am asking for it to be removed emergency tomorrow because I think it's trying to like...escape and I don't want this to be a problem on vacation. I don't know what to do about BC though. I liked Mirena in that I didn't have to worry about pills or anything, but my body was always trying to force it out. So it was always kind of a problem. We don't plan to have kids, but DH immediately freaked at the word permanent in a few of the options my dr suggested last year and neither of us really likes the permanence of permanent. I suck at pills so I don't know if I want to go back on OTC again. I HATED the ring. I loved the patch but my skin did not.

What do you use, and how does it work?

 

[packrat]

ARGH stupid internet I just lost my post.

I've been using the ring for about 6 years and hate it. Looked into Essure I think it's called but passed b/c of scary reviews-lots of pain and cramping. I have a thread on here about it in FHH. JD is supposed to be getting a vascectomy but it's been 6 years now so who knows when that's going to happen. I'm not sure what other options there are for non-permanent bc options. What does your Dr. suggest?

 

[mrs jam]

Before my husband had his vasectomy, we used good, old-fashioned condoms. I'm a bit cuckoo about avoiding anything that artificially disrupts hormones, so I've never been on any type of hormonal birth control. Once we decided about a year ago that we were not interested in having kids, he had a vasectomy. I definitely prefer the way things are now, but condoms were never a problem for me, either.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

i use the ring and i love it!

I tried the mirena at the beginning of the year, and while the insertion was super easy, no pain, etc - after 1 1/2 weeks i started to have such bad pains i couldn't even stand up straight, i couldn't sit...i couldnt do anything...well it tried to "escape" and it succeeded...LOL. After that i went back to the ring (i had been on the ring for 4-5 years previous to the mirena attempt).

They have the one you can implant into your arm...i think it's called implanon and theres a new one called nexplanon. Before trying the ring i was about to try implanon but my gyn said that it is very unpredictable in how it would act...you could spot for months, get your period, or not...etc etc...and its a minor surgical procedure to remove it - so i decided to NOT go with that.

 

[ame]

ARGH stupid internet I just lost my post.

I've been using the ring for about 6 years and hate it. Looked into Essure I think it's called but passed b/c of scary reviews-lots of pain and cramping. I have a thread on here about it in FHH. JD is supposed to be getting a vascectomy but it's been 6 years now so who knows when that's going to happen. I'm not sure what other options there are for non-permanent bc options. What does your Dr. suggest?

They have said Essure like three times since we don't want kids. That's the one I keep saying no to, otherwise another Mirena since they know I suck at pills and haven't been happy with the rest. I am just nervous I'll have to deal with this same stuff if I get another IUD, even copper, because it's a thing in my body that my body doesn't want.

The implanon thing I can't get apparently, because of other conditions.

I did suggest a vasectomy but again, too permanent, and we don't want permanent.

 

[Niel]

I used the pill until it gave us my DD

A friend of mine used shots, I think. You'd get one like once every three months or something.

 

[iLander]

I don't like a 24/7 chemical solution to an intermittant problem. Have you looked into the sponge?

 

[ame]

Yes, and as childish as it sounds, I don't "do" inserting things....lol I hated the ring, and that was one of the primary reasons.

I used the pill until it gave us my DD

A friend of mine used shots, I think. You'd get one like once every three months or something.

Yea I did depo and it did not go well.

It was very similar to this, plus CONSTANT bleeding:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/10234

 

[rosetta]

Honestly, nothing beats the Mirena if you can tolerate it. My second choice is the implant. Third choice is condoms.

I can't remember to take pills so that's out for me.

I would seriously consider getting the Mirena again. Low dose hormones, great for painful periods, lasts 5 years minimum (licensed for 7 in some countries) extremely good contraceptive.

 

[Kelinas]

The depo shots were.one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
When my migraines were diagnosed, they told me no more estrogen included bc. that knocked out Combo pills, patch, ring.
I did the shot because it was something I could do instantly.

it Worked great!....too great as it killed my drive if you know what I mean.
I gained 20 lbs, got such bad acne, and became..mean.
it took 7 months for the shots to wear off(I got 2 shots, so 6 months + 7 to wear off and my skin is finally going back to normal, after 2 years.)
plus.there is a black box warning for the shot
just keep it in mind, and hope you will find what works for you.

 

[rosetta]

If you get Essure then I think you have to use another form of contraception for 3 months. So yeah, not cool if you're just about to go on holiday!

 

[aviastar]

So not exactly in the vein you are talking about but have you ever considered charting to avoid pregnancy? You do have to remember to take your temperature every morning and pay attention to other signs like cervical fluid, but it identifies exactly when you're fertile so you can avoid or use condoms for those 4-5 days and then you're good to go!

 

[ame]

I'd just go without sex.

I like the mirena for the ease. But I don't want to have my body reject it all the time.

 

[amc80]

So not exactly in the vein you are talking about but have you ever considered charting to avoid pregnancy? You do have to remember to take your temperature every morning and pay attention to other signs like cervical fluid, but it identifies exactly when you're fertile so you can avoid or use condoms for those 4-5 days and then you're good to go!

Yep. We've used this exclusively, since I don't like the pill. Or the idea of hormonal BC- you are basically breaking a perfectly functioning system. Once you chart for a while it becomes easy to know when it's safe.

 

[Niel]

So not exactly in the vein you are talking about but have you ever considered charting to avoid pregnancy? You do have to remember to take your temperature every morning and pay attention to other signs like cervical fluid, but it identifies exactly when you're fertile so you can avoid or use condoms for those 4-5 days and then you're good to go!

Yep. We've used this exclusively, since I don't like the pill. Or the idea of hormonal BC- you are basically breaking a perfectly functioning system. Once you chart for a while it becomes easy to know when it's safe.

get some nice diamond menstrual beads

Id consider this but im 1 too lazy, 2 marrying into a ridiculously fertile family

A mixture of charting and spermicide might work? or a lady condom? though i suppose it has the same issue of you not wanting to put anything in.... hmm this is a toughie.

 

[amc80]

get some nice diamond menstrual beads

Id consider this but im 1 too lazy, 2 marrying into a ridiculously fertile family

A mixture of charting and spermicide might work? or a lady condom? though i suppose it has the same issue of you not wanting to put anything in.... hmm this is a toughie.

We use pull and pray during danger times. We are crazy fertile too- the two months we tried I got pregnant. So we are either really good or really lucky at this method.

 

[Niel]

get some nice diamond menstrual beads

Id consider this but im 1 too lazy, 2 marrying into a ridiculously fertile family

A mixture of charting and spermicide might work? or a lady condom? though i suppose it has the same issue of you not wanting to put anything in.... hmm this is a toughie.

We use pull and pray during danger times. We are crazy fertile too- the two months we tried I got pregnant. So we are either really good or really lucky at this method.

I got pregnant on the pill, and his brother and (x) wife got pregnant pretty much ON their wedding night... plus the women on my mother's side are prone to "surprise blessings"... so the two of us together are living in a tinderbox

 

[sonnyjane]

Bummer that you didn't like NuvaRing because I've been using mine for 7 years now and love it. I was horrible about remembering pills too but am too chicken to get Mirena.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I have had implanon and recently had it switched out for nexpanon. I've had weird cycles at times but nothing unbearable and I would def. get it again.

 

[liaerfbv]

One of the women I work with uses progesterone (pg) cream as BC. I am by no means an expert and I have no personal knowledge of efficacy, etc., but she's talked about it enough that I have a general gist. They have pg-only bc pills you can take, but she hates the medically engineered pg, so her obgyn gave her some pg cream that is bioidentical to what your body produces. She uses the cream like bc pills, daily application for 21 days. It might be worth looking into if you don't have a problem with putting on lotion everyday as opposed to taking a pill.

 

[distracts]

I use NuvaRing. What didn't you like about it? It's the best I've ever used - everything else made me super nauseous and vomity all the time and I thought I'd be stuck with condoms forever even once married. But NuvaRing saved me from that. I always sound like a shill when I talk about it, haha.

Otherwise really I think the best option really is a vasectomy. If your husband doesn't like the idea of permanent, have him freeze sperm.

 

[texaskj]

This was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this thread. We used to pass his cartoons around at work (pre-Simpsons days). This one came out of the Dallas Observer.

 

[ame]

I use NuvaRing. What didn't you like about it? It's the best I've ever used - everything else made me super nauseous and vomity all the time and I thought I'd be stuck with condoms forever even once married. But NuvaRing saved me from that. I always sound like a shill when I talk about it, haha.

Otherwise really I think the best option really is a vasectomy. If your husband doesn't like the idea of permanent, have him freeze sperm.

I felt it, it made me nauseous for the first two days, he felt it, we knew it was there, and I do not "do" inserting things or removing things.

 

[ame]

I was able to get an emergency appt today to get the Mirena pulled. Every time I sit to pee I am in pain, and I keep getting pains down my leg. So it has to have moved.

 

[packrat]

I don't feel mine, but sometimes we ended up playing um...ring toss (wink wink nudge nudge) and that hurts like crab crawling backwards to get away hurt. So I have to take it out whenever extra curricular activities are happening.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

I don't feel mine, but sometimes we ended up playing um...ring toss (wink wink nudge nudge) and that hurts like crab crawling backwards to get away hurt. So I have to take it out whenever extra curricular activities are happening.

i've always been afraid of playing ring toss so i ALWAYS take it out for recreational activities. This backfired on me once as i usually slip it into its package on my nightstand then wash it before putting it back - but this time i left it on the bathroom counter wrapped in tissue...so yanno - i go in the bathroom after and imagine my horror when it was GONE! Me: "uhhhh babe, what did you do with my ring?!" SO: "Uhhhhh what ring? i flushed the kleenex that were on the counter.....OH.." Of course, only halfway into the month and we take a trip to the 24h pharmacy - since i do mail in thru the pharmacy (CVS Caremark) im hoping by some grace of god (at 2am) they can fill it somehow...UHHHHH pharmacist: "Sorry, since its not business hours we cant get the script from their system..." UGHH. It was a nightmare...LOL - i ended up having to take the morning after pill and riding out the rest of the month to start a new ring.

 

[distracts]

I don't feel mine, but sometimes we ended up playing um...ring toss (wink wink nudge nudge) and that hurts like crab crawling backwards to get away hurt. So I have to take it out whenever extra curricular activities are happening.

I've never had any issue with the ring during sexy times. He is aware of its presence but it never does anything except travel up a little farther than it would go on its own. I am not even sure what you mean by ring toss.

re: nausea - I have nausea for the first two/three days that I put it in. But once I put it in, I just take it out four weeks later to switch, and only do the ring-free week three times a year, so I only get the nausea those three times.

 

[dreamer_dachsie]

Perhaps trying the Mirena again with a different practitioner would be successful?

Apparently expulsion is a more common side effect when women have not had kids and use the Mirena. I love mine, its the best thing since sliced bread. But I two kids and my doctor told me that after that, the uterus is more forgiving of foreign objects. I have friends without kids who had some issues and had to have theirs repositioned or even removed. "Virgin" uteruses are moody

 

[madelise]

Why not try another try at an IUD? I've known a few ladies that had them move or reject… and the second or third insertion stuck. I use Paraguard (I don't do hormones!) and I've loved it for the last 2-3 years. I never worry during romantic times.

 

[iluvshinythings]

Back in college I used spermicide. I became a mom at 21 so I don't recommend it.

I used the pill (yaz) for years and liked it. I probably went through 10 different samples of BC pills before I found one that didn't make me fat / cry / cranky. I set an alarm on my phone to go off at the same time every day to remind me to take it and I kept the pill pack in my purse so I'd have them wherever I was when the alarm went off.

After deciding I was too old to take the risk of getting pregnant, I went with the mirena since I know several women that swear by it. I ended up with constant migraines and finally had it removed. I never had a period while it was in and that was the best thing ever.

I also tried the sponge. The insertion and removal weren't ideal but not terrible. Since I have a child, the odds of conceiving while using it were a bit high but if you don't have children it's worth trying.

My bf has had a vasectomy and it's AWESOME. We've both had children and are 100% sure we don't want more so it's the best option for us.