Thinking of coming off the Pill

[PrettyBlues]

I actually would seriously consider an IUD, but I can''t use one due to previous problems with my cervix

And I would certainly like to get off BC pills, I was just talking to my SO about this last week. I just don''t know what to use, and we won''t be TTC for another two years yet. Not the end of the world if it happens, but...

Jas, interested to hear that you liked the sponge, although were you using it when you got pregnant?

And isn''t sex drive supposed to INCREASE for women in their 30''s?

 

[Sha]

Thanks Pandora and Tacori. I''ll ask my doctor some more about the mini-pill at my next check-up... I think I read somewhere that the mini-pill has the same breast cancer risk as the traditional pill, but not sure.

Robbie, I would love to believe your doctor, but I don''t. There''s so much info on the Internet that says otherwise... Libido returns to normal 24 hours after stopping the pill? Most of the research I read says the return is typically gradual, and even if it were to happen that quickly- I doubt it would be within a day. I would have liked to hear what she would have said if you had shown her the studies.

Jas, that''s funny! Don''t know if I''ll be trying the sponge, then!

I read that it''s about 87% effective when used correctly, I think.

Indy, that''s a good question. I don''t know what the ages were in the study, I don''t think it was mentioned in the report I read. But I''ve always heard that women''s sex drive increases in their 30''s?

PrettyBlues, yeah, I wish there another option out there that was as effective as the pill....

I think it''ll be condoms for us. I hope you find another safe method though, if that isn''t an option for you.

 

[anchor31]

Date: 3/17/2008 10:36:54 PM
Author: Sha
Thanks Pandora and Tacori. I''ll ask my doctor some more about the mini-pill at my next check-up... I think I read somewhere that the mini-pill has the same breast cancer risk as the traditional pill, but not sure.

Robbie, I would love to believe your doctor, but I don''t. There''s so much info on the Internet that says otherwise... Libido returns to normal 24 hours after stopping the pill? Most of the research I read says the return is typically gradual, and even if it were to happen that quickly- I doubt it would be within a day. I would have liked to hear what she would have said if you had shown her the studies.

Jas, that''s funny! Don''t know if I''ll be trying the sponge, then!

I read that it''s about 87% effective when used correctly, I think.

Indy, that''s a good question. I don''t know what the ages were in the study, I don''t think it was mentioned in the report I read. But I''ve always heard that women''s sex drive increases in their 30''s?

PrettyBlues, yeah, I wish there another option out there that was as effective as the pill....

I think it''ll be condoms for us. I hope you find another safe method though, if that isn''t an option for you.

I don''t know if I should call it my sex drive since we''re not intimate yet, but I would say that my "interest" in sex has been gradually returning since I stopped taking the pill. After almost 3 months, it''s almost back to what it was when I started the pill when I was 18... The wedding is in more than 4 months. Oy. FI and I plan to use FAM then until we are ready to TTC.

I hope the transition will be smooth for you!

 

[mercoledi]

I'm still waiting for mine to come back

, but it's only been a month since I've been off the pill, and I have other stresses in my life that may be contributing...

Anyway, just to clarify, mirena isn't metal, it's plastic and it does release low levels of hormone (levongesterol?). Paraguard is copper and non-hormonal. I went with mirena because I had sinus surgery a year ago and may have to in the future and they use an electric thingy to cauterize, so misplace metal means bad burns, etc.

Also, just FYI, the failure rate on condoms is high enough (and I know enough people who have become pregnant using them) that it just doesn't constitute birth control for married people to me. 98% effective means that if you have sex once a month, you have even odds of getting pregnant about once a year. Sha, I know this isn't a big deal for you, but for some of the other ladies on the board, it's something to think about. Condoms should pretty much always be used with a secondary method for effective birth control.

As to the foreign object aspect; yeah, it's weird. I was very weird the first few days but personally I'm ok with it if it prevents another foreign object from growing there

.

ETA: Ok, the chart I uploaded isn't displaying but it's a comparison of the efficacy of various forms of birth control, both when used perfectly and when used 'averagely'. You can download it if you're interested. Here's a very long, informative and slightly convoluted thread on IUDs from Indiebride a while back if you're looking for more personal experiences.

 

[Independent Gal]

Mercoledi, the % failure rate for birth control methods is calculated over the course of year, not per encounter. In other words, if you use bc type X for a year, you have a 2% chance of getting pregnant THAT YEAR, not 2% each time you have sex (meaning a high probability you'll get knocked up in a year). See what I mean?

I've also heard that women are supposed to peak around 30. I have to say, I'm very suspicious about this. I wonder if it has to do with increased self-worth and self-confidence rather than with hormones. Most of my friends agree that we are SO FAR from our teen selves in terms of hormonal nuttiness.

 

[ladypirate]

I had a TERRIBLE time with the pill--I must have tried about 5 different brands and none worked well with my body chemistry. The first one--ortho tri cyclen I think--made me have the worst mood swings/depression. After trying to deal with these, I tried going on the depo shot. It was fantastic! No side effects (not even weight gain or lack of sex drive) and I didn''t have to worry about taking a pill every day. Unfortunately, you can''t stay on it more than 2 years, so I need to look into something else pronto (my last shot''s effectiveness runs out on the 1st of April). I''m thinking along the lines of Mirena, but I need to talk to my doctor about it since I don''t have any children.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

hey sha- i was on yasmin on/off (mostly on) for about 6-7 years- right when it came on the market. i went off it in late december as we''re thinking of TTC-ing this summer. i kinda thought i was nuts going off it sooo early, but i think i made the right decision. my cycles are NOWHERE near being back to normal (whatever that is!). they''re at about 6 weeks right now. i have to say that i hate not knowing when AF will be visiting, but i certainly don''t miss being on the pill! i haven''t experienced any other side effects.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

CG, don''t worry! You can still get preggo with weird cycles (like me!) I didn''t even know when I was ovulating.

 

[Sha]

Anchor, that's great that your libido is on the way back. Will you be using FAM exclusively, or with condoms? Just wondering, since the failure rate for FAM is relatively higher than for other methods.

Mercoledi, it's true that condoms fail, but I know of a few married couples too who've used them (exclusively) for years without problems. It seemed strange to me at first to hear of married couples using condoms, but I can understand the reasons more clearly now.
Thanks for posting the IUD info. By the way, where can I find that comparison chart you mentioned?

Indy, yeah.. I think I read somewhere that women's greater confidence with their sexuality may account for that sexual peak. But I would think that child-bearing/rearing and job, marital stresses would dampen that somewhat.

ladpirate, thanks for sharing your experiences! I hope you find an option that works as well as the depo for you.

ChargerGrrl, hmmm...I guess that would be about three months off the pill for you, right? I think that's the time frame most doctors give. Hopefully your cycle regulates soon. One thing I will miss about the pill is knowing when AF will come every month. Guess I'll have to walk with pads now.

Tacori, did you have weird cycles on the pill or when you came off it?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Sha, my doctor wanted at least one cycle off the pill. I went off the pill in Nov 2006 and didn't get my period until Dec 27 (weird I remember huh?) It was a 40 day cycle. We started TTC Jan 2008 and have NOOOO idea how long that cycle would have been b/c I got preggo sometime that month. I was on seasonale (3 month pill) so maybe that made them more wacky. I don't know. But my point is I was on BC for 13 years straight. I thought it would take awhile but was thrilled it didn't! For insurance reasons we need to be very careful now. Plus I cannot imagine 2 in diapers at the same time. Or dealing with m/s when my baby still doesn't sleep through the night. Yikes! Makes me a little nervous though I am on the mini pill.

ETA: I still haven't had my period yet so I cannot comment on how the mini pill has affected my cycles.

 

[anchor31]

Date: 3/18/2008 9:43:48 PM
Author: Sha
Anchor, that''s great that your libido is on the way back. Will you be using FAM exclusively, or with condoms? Just wondering, since the failure rate for FAM is relatively higher than for other methods.

Mercoledi, it''s true that condoms fail, but I know of a few married couples too who''ve used them (exclusively) for years without problems. It seemed strange to me at first to hear of married couples using condoms, but I can understand the reasons more clearly now.
Thanks for posting the IUD info. By the way, where can I find that comparison chart you mentioned?

Indy, yeah.. I think I read somewhere that women''s greater confidence with their sexuality may account for that sexual peak. But I would think that child-bearing/rearing and job, marital stresses would dampen that somewhat.

ladpirate, thanks for sharing your experiences! I hope you find an option that works as well as the depo for you.

ChargerGrrl, hmmm...I guess that would be about three months off the pill for you, right? I think that''s the time frame most doctors give. Hopefully your cycle regulates soon. One thing I will miss about the pill is knowing when AF will come every month. Guess I''ll have to walk with pads now.

Tacori, did you have weird cycles on the pill or when you came off it?

We decided to try abstaining during the fertile phase of my cycle and using condoms during the non-fertile phase. If we end up feeling that we''ve done enough abstaining pre-marriage to last a lifetime (

), we''ll probably fall back to using 2 barrier methods throughout the cycle (probably condoms and spermicide). I like charting though. It''s great to be able to figure out what''s going on.

 

[Sha]

I see. Thanks!