So I went to the Gyno yesterday to refresh my BC supply and was amazed at all the options I had. There’s the old standby–the pill–but I was wanting something new since I’m a little scatterbrained about taking it the same time every day (just ask my son ;)).
But the whole process got me to thinking (sign you dope too much #397–you’re thinking of the boards when your gyno has his hand up your hoo-ha). We talk about sex an awful lot around here but BC kind of gets the back burner treatment. So I thought I’d share in the interests of evening out the balance a bit. I know, I know–I’m a selfless, wonderful person.
So I talk to the nurse and she brings me a little pamphlet with all the choices. To sum up, I could have went with…
Pill–pretty self explanatory Shots–quarterly (Depo) or monthly (Luminal?) IUD–with or without hormones Diaphram Cervical Cap Patch—change 'em weekly, skip a week each month Ring–this one blew me away, it looked like a small jelly bracelet and you apparently just shove it on up there and go about your merry way. :eek: I’d never even heard of these before, and decided against it for the same reason I’m leery of diaphrams and caps–I’ve got really short fingers.
Anyway, I ended up going with the Patch, figured I’d give it a whirl and see how it goes. Anyone else want to share?
After I had Aaron, I had to choose a contraceptive so as not to give him a sibling too soon. I can’t do hormones; they give me horrific mood swings, so my options were limited to non-hormonal methods. Barrier methods are too icky for my taste, so I decided on an IUD.
My OB gave me the booklet for the device, which I had to read and sign. That booklet had all the information that exists on this particular device. When “uterine tearing” is mentioned, I get a little scared. Fortunately, the odds of that happening are fairly low.
And the instructions were a joy to read. Pain was mentioned frequently, and the way the instructions were written, it looked like it would take a long time to place the device. Fortunately, the whole thing took maybe 5 minutes, start to finish. But it works! I haven’t gotten pregnant yet!
I’ve tried that before, lieu, but I kept dropping the damn thing every time I tried to have sex!
Anahita–that reminds me of the Cialis family–I can’t find the article now but they were all up in arms over the new viagra-ish drug named, obviously, Cialis. Poor things.
How long will your IUD last Robyn? And, forgive the nosiness, but can you feel it in there? Does it have any kind of string that you could grab onto with a little rooting around?
(ps–congrats on the baby quasi-birthday! Before you know it, he’ll be running through the house tracking mud all over your clean floor )
I’ve decided that I love Ortho-Cyclen (pill). No mood swings, no weight gain, no more acne than usual, and cheap as all hell, especially since my doctor gave me two months’ worth for free. The only thing I’ve noticed is that, like Depo, it raises my blood pressure a bit (no biggie, since mine’s pretty low to begin with), and I get headaches. Though I’m pretty sure the headaches I have now are due to the fact that I need new glasses.
Of course, I like to combine this form of protection with other methods (like the condom. well, pretty much JUST the condom).
I’d very much like to try the patch–however, after my craptastic time with Depo-Provera, I’m a little bit leery of changing horses, especially since Ortho-Cyclen works so well for me. I wouldn’t want to do the “insert here” methods, simply because I’m the type of person who has trouble assembling things. One mistake of mere millimeters, and I’m suddenly pregnant? Noooo thanks.
Also, I was told that the IUD isn’t that great of an idea if you haven’t had a child before.
One question: someone in the aforementioned thread mentioned something about getting Depo in pill form to try out before committing to the shot. Anyone ever try this?
Actually, I can’t usually feel it. Occasionally, especially if I’ve also got something else going on in the same area (like abdominal cramping), the IUD makes it a bit worse. And, yes, there are strings that I have to feel for about once a week to make sure the IUD is still in place. And these things are supposed to last for 10 years, although they can be removed sooner, with no delay in fertility like hormonal birth control.
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Thanks! And I can’t wait for him to track mud, although it’ll drive me crazy when it happens. Ah, well. Maybe I can train him to wipe his feet before he comes in. Nah, he’s a guy. He’ll never learn.
Hmm, now I’m thinking I want to ask my doctor about that patch. Does it have the same secondary benefits as the Pill? That is to say, clearer skin and lighter, more predictable periods?
Ok, I have a silly question about the pill (and the patch, too, and just about any other hormonal birth control):
I know there is a week in the birth control pill cycle that are just placebos, and it is to allow menstruation to occur. How long does that menstruation occur? Same as it did before the pill? The whole week? Does the same thing occurs with the patch the week you don’t need to use it?
I’ve read that with the Dep-Provera, the periods go away after a while. Does the same thing happen with the monthly shot? Or with the capsules inserted under the skin?
As you can tell, I’ve never used birth control, nor plan to for the while (no need). Nor do I have a doctor here that I can talk to about these things.
My ex-wife used the Depo shot, and that worked well, although she tended to have 3 weeks of bleeding, followed by 2-3 months of nothing.
No she is on the monthly shot (Lunel, IIR), and she has no complaints. I’m the ex, so I’m no longer privy to her cycle, but I know she’s having them because of the pad wrappers all over her bathroom floor.
This is what I’m interested in - is it a hormonal method like the pill/patch/shot? Anyone have any idea as to where I can find more information? (I am heading over to google now to see what I can find and I’ll post any links I have, but I thought someone may already have something).
I’m currently not using anything - no need, but I still like to keep up on what’s new and different in the BC field.
Karl, I take my first placebo on a Sunday night. My period usually starts on Wednesday (sometimes Tuesday or Thursday). It is kind of heavy for a couple of days and by the weekend usually very very light. Sunday night I take an active pill and on Monday morning even the spotting has gone away.
Is Implanon available on the other side of the Pond? It is a little implant that goes under the skin of your arm, can be inserted by a procedural GP (general practitioner, family doctor, whatever) and lasts three years. It works by releasing progesterone into your blood at a controlled rate. It’s 100% effective (so far), has minimal nasty side effects (not so many problems as with Depo Provera) and can be removed easily any time. AFAIK, your fertility goes back to normal quite quickly after it’s removed. It can cause some irregular bleeding, but apparently most women stop having periods altogether after a month or so.
Myself, I’m on the pill, and have been for five years or so. I’ve never had any problems in the past, but lately I’ve been having some nasty monthly moodswings, so I’m about to switch from Diane to Microgynon (which is the very lowest of the low-dose pills). If that doesn’t help after a few months, I’ll think about trying Implanon.
KarlGrenze, I take my first placebo Saturday night, my period generally starts Tuesday, and is over by the next Saturday. I didn’t notice my period getting any heavier/lighter when I started the pill. I’ve never had any breakthrough bleeding. I can also skip a period just by skipping the placebos and going straight on to the next pack without any side effects.
Lsura—the ring they showed me was hormonal, and it needed to be changed weekly. Just like with the pill or patch, you skip the fourth week to allow for your period.
KarlGrenze—my periods were always at least a day or two shorter on the pill—about three days—than off it. They also tended to be a bit lighter. The biggest benefit though, IME, is how regular it makes you. Once you’ve established yourself on a hormonal BC cycle, you can practically set your watch by when you start bleeding. You can use that to your advantage, too, and skip a period altogether by jumping over the placebo week and starting up a fresh pack immediately. I did that for a vacation one summer, and my doc said it wasn’t a biggie, as long as I didn’t do it two cycles in a row or make a regular habit of it.
As for the Depo question, what I was told was that the average patient could expect two or three months of irregular bleeding and intermittent spotting. After that, the periods either stop altogether or come very infrequently and are quite light. Tristan’s already chimed in on the monthly shot, which is good because I didn’t really have any idea.
DragonBlink—I asked my gyno that exact same question, and his answer was “absolutelyâ€. That was actually what sold me on it. Up until then, I’d been leaning toward the Depo but was more than a little leery of the irregular bleeding.
tritone–that sounds like Norplant. We have it over here too, but I’m not sure if it’s exactly the same as your version or not.
Goo—that’s pretty snazzy! Kind of like an intratubular IUD, eh? I’d never heard of that one either.
It’s pretty amazing, if you ask me. Fifty or sixty years ago our mothers and grandmothers had little, if any, control over their reproductive systems. But here we are discussing a dozen different ways as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I love being a modern girl!
Actually, (given the cooperation of a GYN), you can skip the placebos and stay on the live pills throughout and not have periods. My girlfriend used to skip two and then have one every third month. Other people go longer without. I don’t think it’s been established that it’s entirely safe to never have periods, but what is known is that the birth control pill was designed to produce periods as part of a failed attempt to convince the Catholic Church (back before the relevant encyclical) that the birth control pill was “natural” and therefore not an interference in God’s design. In other words, it has also never been established that there’s any reason to have a period every month, no reason to think that one exists. However, doctors are conservative and pharmaceutical companies apparently believe women would not understand and would think something bad was happening if they did not continue to have periods when they were on the pill.
I found this about the ring. Unfortunately, it looks like that may not be an option for me, as the side effects look similar to the pill, which I had problems with (BP shot way up, weight gain and the like). I thought that perhaps since it wasn’t being taken orally that the side effects might not be as severe - worth talking to the doc perhaps, but use is probably unlikely.
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