Still on the pill at age 46. Never had kids, never wanted any, never even tried to get sterilized to avoid the inevitable “but you might change your mind!” discussion.
Tubal ligation after my second child at age 28.
Same system I’ve used for the last 25 years - a sterile spouse. It’s effective, but not always available to a particular individual.
I have a copper IUD. It’s good for 10 years. I’ve had it for 7 and have never had any problems at all. I thought it would be impossible for me to get pregnant (I only have one tube and I conceived my children through IVF/GIFT). Hmmmm, birth control at 40, given my history… is this really necessary?? My doctor just looked at me and said “stranger things have happened”. I opted for the IUD.
42 here. I have an IUD (Paragard–the one with no hormones)
I spoke to my doc about a tubal ligation, and she suggested I get an IUD instead and avoid the surgery. She said that if I happened to have other surgery in the area in the ensuing decade, I could just get snipped at the same time. I wasn’t committed to the idea of the tubal ligation so I took her suggestion.
I’m very happy with the IUD. No worries, no surgery, and it can be yoinked at any time if need be. I’d still go ahead with the tubal ligation if I had a good opportunity though.
Mirena, an IUD with hormones. It had the awesomest side effects EVAR of completely eliminating my migraines and also shutting off my period (with an occasional day of spotting every 4-6 months) as well.
my auntie was born 6 weeks before my brother was. She was an “oops I thought I was in menopause” baby.
None - still hoping for a miracle, but resigned to non-parenthood. (42)
My wife had a ligation at 35 after our third child was born.
I had a cousin who was born her mother was 48. In 1942 or '43, well before there were any fertility treatments.
There’s some evidence that fertility actually has a resurgence and new peak during perimenopause - and to make matters worse, twinning (both identical and fraternal) seems to be more common in older moms. Not enough so that you should delay fertility counseling if you want to become pregnant, but enough to radically complicate many life plans among couples who didn’t want to become pregnant. So definitely don’t depend on hope!
I don’t want a hysterectomy, whoever said that was the best. Essure was an IUD, too, so really nothing is affected, my fallopian tubes are just blocked. But at 46 you probably can get by with a more short term solution. I was looking at app 20 more years of pointless fertility. Do not want.
Nothing since I turned 33 and realized if I wanted another (I have boy and girl twins) I better get on it. 17 years later I sometime think if I don’t want another, maybe I should get on preventing that.
Mirena IUD. I’m on my second one and this one will be good until I’m 48, at which time I don’t plan to use anything unless I happen to be in a relationship. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen again, so I think further birth control after 48 will be a pointless waste of money.
I have a friend, now in her fifties, whose mother was 48 when she was born.
Loved my Mirena. Just had it pulled out to work on kidlet #2. The migraines are back with a vengence. It is a good motivator to have daily sex.
Not true; it’s very uncommon, but not impossible.
Actress Adrienne Barbeau naturally conceived identical twins at age 51. Totally unplanned pregnancy, but by all accounts, she was very happy about it and she and the babies were healthy. And there was that much-publicized woman who had triplets at age IIRC 54 - again, spontaneously conceived. They had 8 or 9 other children, most of them already grown. :eek: And after his death, Dylan Thomas’ wife had a baby with her second husband when she was about 50 years old.
A gynecologist can draw hormone levels and determine whether a woman is likely to still be fertile.
And my method? Involuntary celibacy. :rolleyes:
My wife’s method is my vasectomy.
My husband had a vasectomy while I was still on the pill. Since then, I’ve had to go off the pill, so the vasectomy decision has really benefited both of us.
A friend of ours had a vasectomy years ago. Meet “Bobby,” their youngest son, born some time after that.
Asexuality is really great birth control.