Birth control & your libido (sex drive)... FYI

[musey]

OH, other symptoms--my skin was breaking out but that''s subsided. I''m SUPER dry now, which I''m not used to, so I''ve been moisturizing like crazy! I use OCM and I''m thinking about switching my oil (currently using grapeseed).

Mood has significantly improved, I''m higher energy and more laid back, for sure.

 

[AllieLuv83]

I feel like BC TOTALLY and permanently stunted my libido, pre bc and during the first few years sorry if this is TMI... I was a sex machine, now its like ehhh sometimes I am in the mood and other times I am not this is after being on the pill for 7+ years. I finally went off during the summer, because I was tired of the side effects and the moodiness. I hope I recover

 

[luvmyhalo]

I''ve got 2 weeks left in my pack of Pills, after that, I''m DONE!!!!! It''s been 10 years, I''m ready to try something new. I think the front runner is the Paraguard IUD. We''ll see what my Gyno says.

 

[CollegeForever]

Date: 12/17/2008 2:25:26 PM
Author: elledizzy5

Which pill are you on? My obgyn put me on Ortho Tricyclen Lo, and I had nonstop breakthrough bleeding. I switched to a higher hormone pill (Regular OTC), and that solved the problem.

However, that was nearly 5 years ago, and now I''m going off again because of the libido issue.

I don''t know where you live, but some states will pay for birth control for women 19-44 - I know for certain that Michigan will. So that would cover pills, depo, implants, IUDs, and everything like that.

Personally, the switch to condoms has been so awesome for us, that we may just keep the other methods away for a while. I am still considering an IUD, however.

Good Luck!

I''m on the generic form of Ortho Tricyclen Lo. I spoke with my doctor at our college clinic and she said that if the break-through bleeding persists next month that I''ll have to switch to a higher dosage pill. Doesn''t that mean that that will effect my libido even more?

I feel irresponsible just using condoms and spermicide.

I''m so confused.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/19/2008 10:22:50 AM
Author: CollegeForever

Date: 12/17/2008 2:25:26 PM

Author: elledizzy5


Which pill are you on? My obgyn put me on Ortho Tricyclen Lo, and I had nonstop breakthrough bleeding. I switched to a higher hormone pill (Regular OTC), and that solved the problem.


However, that was nearly 5 years ago, and now I''m going off again because of the libido issue.


I don''t know where you live, but some states will pay for birth control for women 19-44 - I know for certain that Michigan will. So that would cover pills, depo, implants, IUDs, and everything like that.


Personally, the switch to condoms has been so awesome for us, that we may just keep the other methods away for a while. I am still considering an IUD, however.


Good Luck!

I''m on the generic form of Ortho Tricyclen Lo. I spoke with my doctor at our college clinic and she said that if the break-through bleeding persists next month that I''ll have to switch to a higher dosage pill. Doesn''t that mean that that will effect my libido even more?


I feel irresponsible just using condoms and spermicide.

I''m so confused.

I''m not sure if it will effect it more or less. I mean, it seems higher hormones would effect it more, but sometimes medicine is not all black and white.

OTC didn''t effect my libido until nearly 4 years later. It took a long time for me, and some people it never affects.

Basically, birth control is trial and error. You just have to keep looking around until you find one that works for you. I simply cannot deal with not having a libido. Mine wasn''t even low, it was simply non-existent.

I''m using condoms also, but if I did happen to get pregnant, it would not be the end of the world. It wouldn''t be the best timing, but we could deal. That''s the only reason why I''m taking the chance on condoms right now.

 

[musey]

Hmm, no one else''s boobs getting bigger and tender? You all are going to make me paranoid that I might BE preggo if no one else is having this symptom....

 

[princesss]

Date: 12/19/2008 8:26:44 PM
Author: musey
Hmm, no one else''s boobs getting bigger and tender? You all are going to make me paranoid that I might BE preggo if no one else is having this symptom....

Mine aren''t getting bigger, but they''re not smaller and I''ve been losing weight, so maybe mine are and I just don''t know it? They''re not tender, really, but I''m noticing them way more!

I had a weird feeling today. I was at work and I started thinking, well...kind of naughty thoughts. And I was thinking about what I was feeling, and do you know what it was?

I was mildly turned on. I haven''t felt like that in over a year. And wouldn''t you know it, BF won''t be off of work until 1 AM!

BF also noticed that I''ve been cuddlier lately. When we''re on the couch, I''m cuddling, instead of curling up on the other side of the couch, or barely touching him. I didn''t even notice, but apparently I haven''t always been doing that. So I think this is good.

I may also be PMSing? I had a crazing craving for icing yesterday, and I usually only get cravings around that time. If I am, it''ll be amazing news, because without BC I almost never get my period. So, woohoo for being regular (maybe). LOL!

Also, even though I''m having a minor breakout right now, my skin''s been clearer than it was on BCP. Man, I don''t know why I kept using it for so long! I feel great!

 

[sukiisukii]

I am finally jumping on board tomorrow! I am on the last day of my patch and can''t wait to take it off after 5 years. I was finally able to prove my points to DH as I have been having spotting problems and serious mood issues this cycle and I think its my body telling me "enough!". I am going to peel that sucker off tomorrow and hopefully things will get better. Fingers crossed!

 

[mia1181]

AllieLuv- I used to be a sex machine too! I remember I used to tell everyone how I was always the hornier (sp?) one between my DH (then BF) when I was younger. Now the poor guy has to beg

. When I was 19-20 years old and in college, I worked with a bunch of teenagers and college kids my own age and I remember I had a reputation for being a highly sexual person (although in a monogomous relationship

). That was right around the time I went on BC and have been on it since. I''ve only been off for one week, we''ll see what happens!

LuvmyHalo- Enjoy the next two weeks! Hopefully you won''t miss the pill. DH and I are doing the FAM method to avoid pregnancy along with condoms. But if I have to go back I would look into paraguard. I''m definitely "over" hormonal BC! Hopefully your gyno will say you are a good candidate!

CollegeFever- I agree with Elledizzy, BC is a lot of trial and error, sometimes you have to keep trying. Have you considered Nuvaring? I was on it for years and I thought it was definitely the best of the hormonal BC options I''ve tried. It''s supposed to be low-dose and I never experienced any breakthrough bleeding or spotting that wasn''t on my scheduled period. It''s also nice because you don''t have to worry about it every day. You put it in for 3 weeks and then take it out for 1, then put a new one in and repeat. Very easy.

Musey- Nope no booby symptoms for me, but I am only at 1 week post-BC! If I were you I''d be tempted to pee on a stick, but that''s just because I usually freak out at any sign of pregnancy.

Maybe it''s just a PMS symptom. It really wouldn''t surprise me if it was a result of being off the pill since boobs and hormones are usually related. If the tenderness persists, I would give your doc a call and make sure it isn''t something else.

sukiisukii- Yay for peeling the patch off! That''s funny how you had to prove your points to DH. I thought I was going to have to with mine when I was thinking of doing it. DH surprised me though, before I could ask him what he thought he was like "well just go of it then." So I''ve pretty much spent the past few weeks explaining just how much more we are at risk of having an unplanned pregnancy. I want to make sure he knows fully what he is getting into. He still is fine with it though.

As for myself- Well I am charting my BBT and fertility signs and just waiting to ovulate! I know it is veeery common for women to have anovulatory cycles immediately after going of BC until their bodies begin regulating hormones on their own, but part of me is hoping I will just go back to normal! Yeah right, like it''s that easy!

Anyway, I just want to ovulate so DH and I can DTD without condoms! We''ve been using condoms and they SUCK! I never really realized how much less you feel with condoms because we used condoms every time for YEARS even when I was on the pill. When I was younger I never knew what I was missing because we just always used them. Well we haven''t used them for a while and now I know what I am missing! Oh well, sex is still great it just feels a little different! I am so grateful my sweet hubby is putting up with it for me.

Is anyone else charting? I''d love to see some Post BC charts!

 

[musey]

Mia, I'm charting, but only got my thermometer last week. I'm not used to it yet so I missed a temping day. I'll try to remember to post a complete chart for this next/current cycle.

I suppose my chart was basing this on my CM, but I was supposedly "fertile" Dec. 5-10 AND 15-17 lol

My CM's been all over the place.

And I am for sure not PG. My cycle was only 26 days post-BC, which is on the short side obviously (I was on 28-day pills). Last time I went off BC (for 3 months in 2007) my first cycle was about 6 weeks with only spotting, and this is back to the usual pre-BC period for me. Weird.

TMIIIIIIIIIIIIII

You can look up charts similar to your own on FF. Mouse over Community and click on "Chart Gallery." Then click on "Find Charts Like Yours" and select "With" and "After Birth Control Pills."

 

[Elmorton]

What do y''all know about ovulation tests? I saw them next to pregnancy tests the other day and was immediately curious. Anyone using them?

 

[ladyciel]

So, last night was my last blue ortho tri-lo pill, I''ve read TCOYF cover to cover, and I started FAM yesterday. Technically my first cycle won''t start till Tuesday (sigh....the one thing I''ll miss about the pill is knowing almost to the hour when to expect AF), but I wanted a couple days practice. Plus, I''m curious to see how my temp changes. Mia, I''m a little behind you, but I definitely plan to post my chart for you/others who are curious. Also, if you go to TCOYF''s website (tcoyf.com), their chart gallery has an entire section devoted to charts from women who just stopped the pill. I browsed through a few, and the basic lesson seemed to be that ANYTHING can happen.

I, too, am hoping I''m one of the rare few who jump straight into a normal cycle...

 

[mia1181]

Musey- Glad there are other Charting TTAers out there. Have you tried setting an alarm just for temping? I have two alarms on my phone so one I set for everyday at 6am just to wake up and temp, and then the other one I use for when I have to get up for work. It works well for me, but I can usually fall right back asleep afterwards. I''m trying to decide if I should just use the free FF software or pay for the Ovusoft. I like that on Ovusoft I can just go by my temps in the beginning until I figure CM out. My CM has been wacky too. I am getting small amounts of what appears to be eggwhites, but I''m not sure. I''m just marking what I think it is and hopefully as time progresses I''ll figure it out. Also Cervical Position feels the same to me every time! I know TMI!

Elmorton- My understanding of OPK (Ovulation prediction kits) is that they only give you a day or two warning of when you might ovulate. But, sperm can live up to 5 days before ovulation so it is possible that by the time you find out you are going to ovulate it is too late and the sperm are already there waiting to feritlize. But along with charting it might be helpful because charting only confirms that you have ovulated. So you could use them together. They also can be expensive because in theory you would pee on one everyday. Anyway this may/may not be accurate, it''s just my understanding.

Ladyciel- I just finished TCOYF too! It was very informative and easy to read/understand the FAM method. The only thing I didn''t really like about the book is that it seemed like it was trying to be a bit too persuasive and that kind of writing drives me bananas! For example, when she was touting it as a form of BC that both partners should take part in. Puh-lease! It''s still MY body. I''m the one who has to lay in bed to take the temp. I''m the one feeling around in my Tee-Tee-La-La for CM and cervical position!

Sure DH could do the charting, but it only takes one person to do that and since it''s MY body I''m okay with that person being me. Anyway, I digress.... still loved the book and love FAM (so far!) I just get annoyed when I feel like it''s a sales pitch. So anyway, your totally right about the charts showing anything can happen! I did check out the charts and found that there is no trend. I know I just have to wait and see, but one day at a time seems a bit slow to me ya know? Lets hope we are both freaks of nature and resume normal cycles immediately!

 

[mia1181]

Oh yeah and guess what happened to me today....

My temp this morning was 97.75. I couldn''t believe it so I temped again 97.75. I went back to bed so excited because surely this was a high enough temp to mean I ovulated! Here''s what my chart looked like, 2 more high temps and I would have crosshairs for sure.

 

[mia1181]

But after plugging it into my chart and feeling pretty good about how neat my chart was looking I decided to check again. That''s when I realize the thermometer actually read 97.15!!!!!!! Yuck! Now my chart doesn''t look quite as pretty anymore! Oh well I''ll just have to wait and see!

 

[musey]

Darnit, second day in a row I''ve forgotten to temp. I don''t think I''m capable of charting

ha

Mia, if I did what you do (waking up early to temp), I would never get back to sleep. Once I''m up, I''m up. I usually wake up before my alarm, which means I''m doing it gradually, which means I have no jarring reminder to temp.

I think if I were TTC I''d remember because there''s more pressure on that temp. I''m just charting out of curiosity, though, so there''s not much importance to it.

 

[mia1181]

He he I am doing better with charting than I did on the pill!

Maybe I would''ve forgotten less pills if I would''ve set an alarm! I am also very naturally curious and into keeping statistics and data! The nerdy side of me is really attracted to the data analysis aspect of all this!

Oh too bad Musey, you are like my DH. Once he is woken up, he can''t fall back asleep either. Actually, maybe most people are like that.... I''ve always been a good sleeper though, I can fall back asleep anytime.

Your right though, when you start TTC you''ll be excited to take your temp every morning it''s a lot more motivating.

Have you and DH discussed when you will start TTC? (I''m assuming you do want children one day or you''d be using a stricter BC, sorry if I am being nosey).

DH and I will probably start trying in 2 years, though we''d be happy with a surprise. I know that probably doesn''t make a whole lot of sense, but that''s our "plan."

 

[musey]

We definitely want children. We've talked about it extensively, and we're planning to wait until we're very financially comfortable or 30, whichever comes first (it'll be 30

). We're only 24 so we're in NO rush at all--we are too young at this point, IMO. A 'surprise' right now would mean a major lifestyle change, most likely a big move and canceling a lot of life plans we have in place. It is just too hard to have kids in an expensive city like LA.

It's so annoying, because we could have a 5-bedroom house with a yard just on my husband's income in most areas of the US. Instead, we squeeze into a 540-sqft one-bedroom apartment

Sheesh, maybe I should go back on hormonal BC....

 

[mia1181]

Musey we are so alike!

We are 27 though, so I am starting to feel old! We''ve been together for 9 years (10 in June!). We both really want children but we want to be financially secure. DH would probably be okay waiting until mid-thirties to try, but I just can''t wait that long. So we made a deal and we will try when I am 29 and hopefully have the first child at 30. We are up in SF so we are in the same housing situation as you! We both make pretty decent $, but like you we are stuck in a tiny 1Bd/1Ba apartment.

I grew up in a city were you could have that "5 bedroom house with a yard" for 150-200k! So unfortunately, I just can''t see having a child without owning a home! Where I come from you get married, buy a house and then have kids. I seriously don''t know how people here do it. Our complex is home to a lot of families with small children and I just don''t want to do that. It sounds stupid but I''d really love to paint the walls of my nursery or let the baby cry-it-out without worring about the neighbors. But if we did get preggo we could definitely make it work. We''d either have to come to terms with having a baby in an apartment or we would move. I mean it would be a major lifestyle change too but overall I think we could handle it without becoming poor and homeless.

 

[Elmorton]

I was gonna say...Musey, with the exception of the part about living in LA, you just explained our situation. We''re 24 and we want kids, but not until we''re 30 or I have tenure. We need stability and maturity.

Mia, thanks for answering my ? and also for posting charts. I need to get my hands on a copy of TCOYF (I went to Border''s and looked at it and bookmarked it on Amazon) - after the holidays, I definitely want to start charting - it''s great to see what a real person''s results are compared with the samples in the books.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/22/2008 10:26:02 PM
Author: mia1181
if we did get preggo we could definitely make it work. We''d either have to come to terms with having a baby in an apartment or we would move. I mean it would be a major lifestyle change too but overall I think we could handle it without becoming poor and homeless.

I didn''t mean to make our situation sound so dire

There would be no poor and homeless for us, we could easily relocate to a less expensive region. But, I would have to give up on my career of choice entirely if I got pregnant now... our plans of moving to London for a year would be put on hold or canceled entirely... we would leave our wonderful friends behind for a city closer to one of our parents... no. Not yet. It certainly wouldn''t put us into destitution, but we would lose many of our dreams.

I think kids are best timed when you don''t have to ''give up'' on things that are more important to you. Once the kids become more important, then it''s the ''right time.''

 

[mia1181]

Elmorton- Yes definitely get the book. Although I just borrowed it from the library. I thought I''d buy it if I felt it was something I could also use as a resource if I need to look something up. But really, I think I''ll just photocopy some parts of it that may be useful in the future. It was simple enought that I don''t think I''ll need to have the book around. Plus the ovusoft software has the "rules" on it. I''m thinking when my trial runs out at ovusoft I might buy the software. It''s a little better than FF IMO (especially if you don''t want to get preggers), but it''s just too bad I can''t enter data online like you can with FF. Unfortunately I think I''ll end up using both because I don''t want to start up my computer in the morning to enter temps, I''d rather do it later online while I am at work or on my cellphone.

Musey- Ha! I hope you don''t think I was implying you''d be in the poorhouse if you got pregnant! I knew exactly what you meant, I caught the part about "cancelling a lot of life plans" part and figured you and DH have some things you''d like to do while you are still young and childless. Perfectly logical. And yes moving to London for a year would be very hard to do with kids in the picture. I agree with you 200% that it isn''t the right time to have kids if it means giving up things that are important to you. You don''t want to have any regrets. And at 24, you have plenty of time to whatever you want before having kids.

Now, why do I feel so old at 27?

I keep thinking of how 24 seems so young but it was only 3 years ago!


As for my charting- Bleh!

This morning I temped at 97.52 (little spike) so I decided to temp again to be sure. Well I temped 5 times in the next half hour and each reading was different(ranging from 97.29-97.59. Ugh! So I think my thermometer might be broken. That really sucks because up until now I though it was super accurate because it always gave me consistant readings right after another! I''ve read your not supposed to re-temp because it can get frustrating, SO TRUE!

 

[luvmyhalo]

Well, I finished up my last pack of pills yesterday. I''m now starting "Operation hormore detox!!!" I''m really excited but also nervous about getting headaches. I''m trying not to think aobut it. How is everyone doing who stopped taking their pills?

 

[ladyciel]

Hmm, well, this is day 2 w/o a scheduled pill (day 9 sans hormones - normally would have started a new pack on Sunday), and no headaches yet. Probably too early to tell. However, I started charting my BBT a few days before AF, and it''s been interesting watching my temp slowly drop since the last pill. I think most women have a pretty quick drop back to their pre-ovulation temp just before or after the beginning of their period. My best guess is it''s taking a little bit for the extra hormones to work their way out of my system. I''m wondering how much longer it will take before my body realizes it''s back on its own and fires up an egg...

 

[mia1181]

Hi Guys!

luvmyhalo- Ha! "Operation Hormone Detox!!!!!!" Love it!

I'll start calling that to DH, he's probably getting so sick of me talking about it!

But I can't help it. I am sooo fascinated and also I am really nervous that I'm not "normal." I mean preBC my periods were pretty predictable. But I don't really know if I was actually ovulating or not.

ladyciel- I'm sure it takes a while to get the hormones out of your system. It has been agonizing for me! But everyday is a new temp to put in the chart so I feel like I am making progress. I didn't start charting until the end of my period so I don't know if my temps went down gradually or not.

So here's what I have been noticing Post-BC: For the first few weeks there were definite headaches. Obviously can't "prove" they were from BC or not, but they were just odd twinges of pain and each time I got one the first thing I thought of was BC withdrawel!

Libido- Not outragiously horny, but not reluctant either. I think i've been a little more enthusiastic with DH about it, but I know I am trying to go easy on him since he is using condoms and risking a potential "oops" all for me! I think only time will tell on that one.

I know this is probably TMI, (but so is this whole thread so I'll continue...) but has anyone else noticed strange bowel issues? I'm definitely not pooing the same but I have no idea if that could be from the BC. My diet hasn't changed either.

Oh and I've had sore nipples for a few days now! Weird, I did have them a few times while on BC but never as a PMS symptom. I'm telling myself I have them as a sign of ovulation, but I've had them for a while. I also might be irritating them by touching them constantly to see if they are still sore! Maybe, it's my bras?

Okay on to the charting.... Well I don't think my thermometer is broken (at least I hope not!) I'm sticking with it and we'll see what happens. My temps are up at the moment and if I get another high temp tomorrow then I will have ovulated on Saturday according to the chart. Wish me luck! I think my body was actually gearing up to ovulate earlier but I got sick. I've read that it could happen but I didn't even have a fever, so don't know if that's what happened to me. It's just weird that I had that little peak right at the time I was sick. Anyway here's my chart if anyone's interested.

ETA- Oh and I realized if anyone noticed my cervical mucas is different from the chart I posted earlier, here's why. At first I thought I noticed Egg Whites on the 11th-13th it was clear and slimy but only stretched an inch or so, it wasn't a whole lot either. But then I didn't ovulate and had the egg whites again but this time more and stretched a lot more. So since I am just trying to figure it all out, I decided to change the first egg white to creamy. I'm not sure what the blank square on the 19th was either because I only use FF as a back up chart and I must have missed that one. I know it's marked at home on the TCOYF software, but can't remember if had 2 or 3 days of Egg whites.

 

[Elmorton]

Hey all!! So I got TCOYF and DH and I have been reading it together (he''s actually further along than I am).

Whoa. That''s all I have to say. The passages about not knowing your body and always thinking there''s something wrong with you really hit home for me. AND - DH has been calling me his "Hot fertile wife" for the last couple days. We are both kinda amazed at how cool my body is. So I''m curious - have other couples been getting into this together or have you been doing your charting basically on your own?

I ordered a basal thermometer and it''s coming in the mail...and I''m on day 2 of my period, and I haven''t charted yet (this is my first one after quitting nuvaring and it''s AWFUL - cramps, heavier than ever) but I suppose I probably could right now, I just can''t temp. What''s the best way to start? With the software? Fertility friend? Make copies off the charts in the back of the book??

Also - does anyone want to start a new thread just for FAM? It seems that this one has kinda turned into that, though its title is misleading. Maybe we should start a new one?

 

[Miscka]

Checking in 3 weeks post-Mirena placement.

So far, I have noticed a few things. The spotting has finally died down somewhat. My breasts are a little sore, and I have some cramping still. I had some mild lower back pain for a day or two last week. I have been able to tell it was there a few times. So far no noticeable weight gain, although I do not weigh myself and it has been the holidays so I could have gained a few, but I am still in the same sizes or even smaller when I shop. I know its early still but definitely no libido drop. If anything it is up. Thank God.

I go to the MD next week for a followup on it. Anyway, hopefully that is helpful to anyone that is considering this method of BC. So far, the discomfort has been something I would gladly go through again, for the worry-free spontaneity it allows. I was never good with taking my pill on time and worried constantly.

 

[mia1181]

Date: 12/31/2008 9:58:00 AM
Author: Elmorton
Hey all!! So I got TCOYF and DH and I have been reading it together (he''s actually further along than I am).

Whoa. That''s all I have to say. The passages about not knowing your body and always thinking there''s something wrong with you really hit home for me. AND - DH has been calling me his ''Hot fertile wife'' for the last couple days. We are both kinda amazed at how cool my body is. So I''m curious - have other couples been getting into this together or have you been doing your charting basically on your own?

I ordered a basal thermometer and it''s coming in the mail...and I''m on day 2 of my period, and I haven''t charted yet (this is my first one after quitting nuvaring and it''s AWFUL - cramps, heavier than ever) but I suppose I probably could right now, I just can''t temp. What''s the best way to start? With the software? Fertility friend? Make copies off the charts in the back of the book??

Also - does anyone want to start a new thread just for FAM? It seems that this one has kinda turned into that, though its title is misleading. Maybe we should start a new one?

Elmorton- Glad your liking the book. It''s very eye opening, no?

I think it is so sweet your man is reading the book with you. And here I was so happy my DH lets me regurgitate all the info to him every night! I do all the charting "work" on my own. Then I show him my chart and we discuss. He was away on a trip when I finally ovulated, so I sent him a text telling him I did. His response was "I told you that you are fertile. Can''t wait to make a baby. I love you." It was very cute. Sorry your period is heavy and crampy.... just waiting to see what mine will be like. My advice on the actual charting is to definitely start now even though there isn''t much to record. If you want to record on paper that''s fine, but I like seeing it on a screen and it''s quicker for me to use S/W. If you are going eventually use s/w anyway, you should try them out and see which you prefer. I''ll do a quick review of the 3 I know of:

1. FF- Free! But I''ve heard it''s not the most accurate because it uses data from other member''s cycles to determine yours, personally I just like to go by the TCYOF rules. It''s really nice to be able to access my chart online wherever I am. The basic (free) membership is pretty good, but if you want to pay for VIP there are more features. You have to have the VIP membership in order to ask questions on their message board too. One significant drawback I see is that the software is really only geared towards women TTC and they even say not to use it to TTA.

2. TCOYF- You have to buy it but once you do it''s yours for life, unlike FF''s monthly, bimonthly, and annual VIP membership. I think it costs like $40. The software is only on 1 computer and while you can upload your chart online, you can''t add info online or away from home. That''s a major downside to me because I don''t really want to start up my computer in the morning before work, it''s much more convenient for me to add my info from work. But a major plus is like the book, the software acknowledges you can be using it to TTA. You can even set the s/w to be conservative with rules to make sure you aren''t having unprotected sex anywhere near the "fertile window."

3. Ivillage- I haven''t really checked this on out other then I think it''s free and it looks like it actually uses TCOYF s/w anyway. I can''t imagine it would be the full software for free (otherwise why would she charge on ovusoft?) but man, it would be really cool if it was, AND you could access it online. Hmmm.... maybe I need to check this out more. I actually found it the day after I paid for the TCOYF, so at the time I felt it was too late and I decided I am too lazy to re-enter all my information to another software!

So what I do now is keep two charts. FF (free version) and TCOYF. TCOYF is my main s/w but I use FF to access the info when I am away from home.

As for my charting, I ovulated and I think my chart looks pretty good for 1st cycle off the pill. Although, I''ve heard some woman have a "normal" looking cycle right after the pill and then have a few anovulatory before returning to normal. We''ll see. I think I ovulated a little later than I would have because I was sick, but who knows. Also some women ovulate fine after the pill, but then don''t have a long enough luteal phase to sustain a pregnancy.
http://www.tcoyf.com/forum/chart.asp?id=mia1181

Oh and one other thing I forgot to mention. Acne! So far so good. We''ll see! I used to have really bad cystic acne both before and while on the pill. It''s really painful and doesn''t look like a traditional pimple. They aren''t usually red, but they are large round lumps on my face that resemble a "bump" or "goose egg" that you get when you bump your head. They are very hard and since they are so deep they take forever to go away. Anyway, I''ve been on meds for this but, I had to stop taking them because I don''t know their birth-defect risks and I don''t want the baby affected if we were to have an oops. I''ll call my Dr. soon to find out if I can take them, I''m pretty sure she''ll say no to the retinoid cream, but hopefully clindamycin (sp?) will be okay.

Oh and I''m okay with starting a new thread (makes sense!) Anyone else?

 

[split_shank]

THis is a very eye-opening thread. SO glad the OP started it and everyone who contributed.
I will join the group of present BC pill poppers and low libido dwellers... Currently on Seasonale (Seasonique) and have found it to be tolerable other than the libido part, which I think started before on a different BC I was on. BAck story: I had endometriosis at age 21, and was started on BC to control it, which ended up not helping until I found a dr who came up with the combination of doing a laproscopy to remove the endometriosis and doing a extended cycle BC like Seasonale to keep the endometriosis from returning. Basically shut everything down to prevent new growth. All was great, but it also shut down EVERYTHING!

Its hard to decide which is worse, having the pain gone from endometriosis, or feeling "dead" from the waist down. My husband is more than supportive and understanding that the BC is causing the low libido, but I cant'' help but feel bad for how he must really feel. The last thing I want is for him to think that there is something wrong with him causing my lack of interest. I feel it is a catch22... no pain, or no pleasure?

I''m sure there may be other alternatives to endometriosis control, but I hate to mess with what is working... although the libido thing is enough to make me think twice! Anyone else with endometriosis/BC issues??

 

[Elmorton]

Hi all - just started a FAM thread if anyone wants to shift some of the FAM as BC convo there.