Well, oct. 15th was the last time I’ve gotten any! I think I woulda noticed and all…
The thing is, I don’t have a regular gyno, just a free campus medical center. And it’s a &%*$ing hassle to go, so I can’t go on a whim.
A couple people have mentioned that they would be interested in using FAM if only they had regular cycles. Actually I don’t have regular cycles – since I’ve been using FAM my cycles have ranged from 26 days to 42 days, and I know I’ve had longer cycles than that in the past.
FAM doesn’t work by averaging out your previous cycles and then estimating when your ovulation would occur – that’s closer to the rhythm method. Each month can be different. What you do, and I apologize if this is TMI, is use a set of rules to determine when it’s safe not to use condoms:
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If you had a temperature jump indicating ovulation during the previous cycle, it is safe to assume that the first five days of your current cycle are safe. (Your cycle begins on the first day of your period.)
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Any day prior to ovulation that your fluids are completely dry is safe. If you experience wet-quality fluid at all, you are not safe.
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You should notice a temperature peak the day or so after you ovulate. (There are rules for determining what is considered a temperature jump that I will not go into here.) Four full days after the temperature jump, IF your temperature does not drop back below your baseline temperature (again, there are rules for determining what this is), you are safe until your next cycle.
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Your last day of wet-quality cervical fluid is considered your peak day of fertility. Four full days after this, you are safe until your next cycle.
You have to use all the rules in tandem. You have to be really good about taking your temperature every morning at about the same time, and you have to remember to check your fluids every day. It’s not for everyone, for these reasons. But if you do follow the rules, it is a very effective form of birth control, and you don’t have to have a regular cycle in order to follow it.
Personally I will never go back to using the Pill again… for me, it simply isn’t worth it. (Again, this is just my personal experience… I know that for some people the Pill is great.)
I think how stress affects the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman. Increased stress often causes me to skip my period entirely. If I do get it, it’s lighter, and doesn’t last as long (sort of like your recent experience). During a particularly stressful year, I had my period only three or four times. I wasn’t exactly complaining about that, lemme tellya…
Still, I agree with Soda– check with your doc anyway. The peace of mind will be worth it.
Otay, thanks everyone!
I was on the pill for 3 years during college, went off when I moved out of state, and broke up with that SO.
I was put back on the pill when I got my PCO diagnosis, so that I would have a regular period. When I wasn’t on the pill, I got maybe 3 periods a year. BUT this time, whether it’s cause I’m older, have put on a little weight, or whatnot, the pill sent my blood pressure skyrocketing. When it was extremely high on the second check, they took me off, had me come back in a week to re-check, and told me if it wasn’t down, they would consider admitting me to the hospital-it was seriously that high.
Seeing as how I’m not in a serious, monogamous relationship, the BC I’ve used in the last several years has been the condom/foam combination. If I get to the point that a relationship looks that it will become serious enough, that’s when I’ll talk to my doc about other options. Until then, condoms are my choice-because if I was on the pill, the shot, or had an IUD, I know that I would be much more lax about using condoms.
** relic ** it’s strange you mention having lighter periods in times of stress, because while I tend to bleed less, my cramps are WAY worse, the acne is WAY worse, and while it is a chicken-or-egg thing, my mood is worse, too. (ie: Am I being an irrational bitch because I am stressed out, or because of the hormones pulsing through my veins?)
Basically, if stress if effecting you this severely, you should get into stress managment techiques. That’s what the shrink-in-training in me says. The stressed out neurotic says that if you are concerned about your health, make the appointment. I feel your pain on the doctor front, I wanted to see my doctor a month ago. My appointment is tomorrow. And that’s the soonest one I could get. But I made that appointment, and now I get to go whine about all the things wrong with me. So make the appointment. You’re paying the insurance, so you might as well use it.
I have a a related question. Okay, I am allergic to latex. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on latex free condoms. I am on the pill, so I am not to worried, but I figure that it is definately better to be extra safe then sorry.
On the other forms of BC, my doctor gave me a handy dandy little pamplet that explains the pro’s and con’s of each method. It is called “Birth Control Options” by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and World Leadership in Womens Health Care . Most of them con’s have been mentionned but one thing that I wanted to mention was that the section on FAM says that 20 out 100 people who use this method get pregnany within the first year. It says “Because changes in body temperature or cervical mucus may also be caused by infection or other illness or use of vaginal products, the FAM method can be very unreliable”
As far as Depo-provera is concerned it says in the con category “Women who have used Depo-Provera within the previou 4 years and who are under 35 years of age have twice the risk of developing breast cancer compared to non-users.”
Just thought that I would throw those things out there.
I gotta thank Swiddles for this thread. I think I’ve learned more practical knowledge in this thread than any other. My school days didn’t go in depth, and my life has taken a more or less abstinate course. . .
Much obliged. I gotta keep reading this thread for useful info. Thanks. . .
Tripler
I don’t get a chance to deal with a topic like this that often. But it’s good info to know . . .
I no longer use birth control, since my husband had his vasectomy. In the past, though, I’ve used several different pills. I liked Ortho-TriCyclen the best. My face breaks out pretty often during PMS, and OTC really did clear that up quite well. My periods were lighter, and while there was cramping, it was far less severe.
For those of you who will someday be considering surgical sterilization, I would strongly recommend having the male partner get a vasectomy, as opposed to the female getting a tubal ligation. Vasectomy is done in a doctor’s office, and takes about 20 minutes. The procedure is far less invasive (I can hear the men now–"You trying to say that having a doctor perform surgery on my johnson isn’t invasive???), and the recovery time is shorter than with a tubal. But with both a tubal and a vasectomy, if you’re married, your partner must meet with the doctor as well (not alone–you go together), and the partner must sign a form giving consent to the surgery.
And thank you, Swiddles, for starting one of the most common-sense information threads I’ve ever seen here! This is great!
My husband absolutely refuses to even consider the idea of a vasectomony (when the time comes). We’ll see how he likes using condoms until I reach menopause. I ain’t goin’ back on the pill after we have kids, period! He can handle the responsibility for birth control the next 10 years.
relic, if you’re nervous, why not just buy a home pregnance test kit? I don’t think they are that much.
On the stress issue, it totally throws off my cycle, even on the pill. And it doesn’t have to be some huge amount of stress either; just enough over a long enough period of time. Changing jobs for instance. I left my old job on amicable terms, started my new one with no problems and yet the resulting stress (even if I didn’t notice it all that much) still screwed my cycle up for one month.
Umm, I’m in no way nervous I’m pregnant. I KNOW I’m not. I’m just wondering about the effects of stress on menustration. There’s no way in hell I can be pregnant. Thought I’d clear that up…
Ortho-Tricyclen user here. Being on the Pill hasn’t been a big hassle for me. One of the biggest benefits (uh, besides no kids) is that I finally know when my period is going to come. My cycles used to vary from 3 to 4 months between periods to twice in one month. The only time I could predict my period would happen was whenever I went out of town… without a supply of tampons.
For me remembering to take the pill isn’t much of a problem. Sure I’ve missed a night here and there but never enough to give me a scare. A word of warning: If you skip a dose, do not take two pills at once. Major nausea and stomach cramps were my punishment for doing so. I won’t do that again, believe me.
The only side effect I’ve noticed is the headaches. As soon as my period starts, so do the headaches. Sometimes they’re mild and easy to get rid of, sometimes they’re horrible and last all week long. I never know how bad they’ll be, but I know I’ll have them. I’m going to talk to my gyno soon to see if we can fix this but for now I’ll deal. It’s a small price to pay to now that I won’t have an unexpected visit from the stork anytime soon.
Ummm…I don’t think that this is very good advice. I mean doctors tell you to do this for a reason. The pill doesn’t work as effectively if you don’t do this. Personally, I think that nausea and stomach cramps are better then getting pregnant. Also, I have only had to take two at once, once, and I didn’t notice any problems.