what to do re: contraception?

[Danni]

Ok, I have my 6 week check up nexy week and not sure what to do.

As some of you may know, it took us a long time to conceive Mason.

We certainly plan on having more kids but I dont know if I could handle two babies so close in age, yet I dont want to put hormones into my body.

So what did you do?

[Trish]

Abstain. LOL. What about just using condoms hun ??

Easy to use. Nice and clean for you

[Astrolady]

I have been hopless at taking the mini pill since having Ashton so we are backing up with condoms as well, as we both definitely don't want anymore kids LOL.

Love

[visitor1]

Im not a good example..lol but is say stick to condoms in your case...however Trish had a good idea too...lol

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

We're using condoms, but then I wouldn't object to being pg again right now! (I keep teasing DH whenever I get upset that it's hormones again LOL.) I told DH there's no way I want chemicals near DS and I'm BFing, the mini-pill needs taking at the same time each day and like I'll remember that when I was bad with the Pill without a baby!

[Jodie259]

Another hormone free alternative is the diaphram. I used one of those for years, because I either reacted to the pill, or just forgot to take it most of the time. Google it if you want to find some more info about it..

For some reason, they are not hugely popular in Australia. Very popular overseas, particularly in the UK.

I recommend it.

[~Raven~]

You could learn Billings Danni and use condoms if you're not totally confident with it.

[Cherie]

That's what I was going to say Sammi - charting/temping, only using it to avoid conception, and avoiding DTD around ovulation time.
ETA: it's obviously not foolproof though, so it depends on how safe you want to be. Perhaps you could combine charting with condoms or a diaphragm.

[~Debbie~]

i have been thinking the same thing....
i dont want to go back on the pill, but, i dont want to fall preg straight away either.
How effective will charting be considering the sleepless nights, lack of routine etc?
Is it safe to assume that no AF means no Ovulation?

[Willow]

Danni, I agree with Cherie and Sammi - I'd just do charting etc, and abstain on your fertile days. This is what I did after I went off the pill but was not quite ready to TTC with DD. It worked great for us.

We'll be in the same boat as you guys after this bub is born but with all the trouble we've had and the chances of a natural conception happening, there's no way on earth I'm taking anything.

At the end of the day if it happened, it would be a fluke, but I'm sure after the initial shock, we'd just be delighted to not have to go down the AC/LTTTC road again.

[Cherie]

We're the same Willow - not actively TTC but not using contraception. It would be extremely unlikely for us to fall pg without help, so we think we're pretty safe, although wouldn't be upset if a surprise BFP came along.

[Danni]

not actively TTC but not using contraception. It would be extremely unlikely for us to fall pg without help, so we think we're pretty safe, although wouldn't be upset if a surprise BFP came along

I think we will be the same!

[MantaRay]

Yeah Danni, I relied on bfing after DS1. Because it didn't really matter if a BFP came along. But if you are exclusively bfing and have at least one feed through the night and no AF, then it is considered about 98% effective for the first 6 months anyway. It certainly worked for us and then DS#2 was on the way after just 3 AFs.

This time it has been different - we really don't want another bub yet. I relied on bfing for 5 months this time and was ok, but was too scared to rely on it any longer. AF returned after 6 months. The usual options for bfing mums are all hormone based except billings and condoms (or more permanent options like sterilisation). The hormone options are mini-pill, implanon and mirena IUD.

GL with your decision. It has been a big issue for us recently as the mini-pill isn't an option for me and DH hates condoms.

[paradise lost]

Hmmm, an IUD?

I have an IUS (mirena) which has very low level hormones (1/10th what is in the Pill) but there are non-hormone ones too. I love mine. Research so far shows that you've exactly the same chance of concieving in the first year after removal as a woman who never used hormonal contraception. So i don't think it'd risk your fertility at all. Unlike the combined pill it doesn't stop ovulation, just prevents a lining that a pregnancy can develop in, and changes your musuc so it's very thick and hard to swim through and very unfriendly to sperm, so it doesn't send your ovaries "to sleep" as some hormonal methods can.

I can't stand condoms and we don't want a baby yet so that's what led us to the IUS. But the IUD is similar (once it's in you don't have to think about it) and hormone-free. Just a thought.

Bec

[Rachel]

I wasn't keen on the mini pill idea either as at the moment if my head wasn't sewn on I would leave it behind so I would have no hope of remembering to take a pill at the same time each day. We opted to use condoms - we had very good intentions but had wee woopsy last week (got caught up in the moment, you know what it is like) and we are really really hoping that because I haven't seen AF that I haven't ovulated yet and that we are ok. Let me tell you though, there will be no more oopseys!!! We want more kids just not quite yet!

[Impatient]

I'm using the billings method. I used it to prevent getting pg before we started TTC, and then used it to fall pg. Using it now with no problems. Once I learned what the signs were I found it really easy.

[MantaRay]

Bec, glad to hear you are happy with your Mirena. I am having one fitted this week. They are called IUDs here - what does IUS stand for?

[paradise lost]

Intra Uterine System (as opposed to Device - don't know why i think just to make sure people know one has hormones in it...).

Overall i am happy yes. I don't do too well with hormonal contraception, the Depo Provera injections made me bleed/spot continuously for 9 months (had 2 injections, 3 months apart) and i am, it seems, one of the 10% of women who still have AF with the Mirena fitted. But my AF is MUCH lighter (just a liner is fine, not even a proper towel), and though it was irregular/frequent for a few months it seems to be settling down now . I do get cramps, but more in my back than anything else and my GP says that could be that my uterus is in a slightly different position than before DD. I never have to take painkillers or anything, i don't even drink my RLT for it anymore, which i did before my pregnancy.

I love that spontaneity is fine and we don't have any "oh no!" moments like i did with condoms. I used Billings/Persona Monitor for years with success but then my cycles went out of whack and Bob's your uncle, Esme's your kid! I think the first 6 months or so are when the device releases the most hormones (it starts off a wee bit stronger then evens to a steady for the rest of the 5 years, then gets weak enough they have to change it) so now that period is over it really does seem to be settling down. I had it put in in November so we'll see if i still get AF in December

Having it fitted the gyno said "this may be painful, and some women feel dizzy", in went the rod they measure you with (to make sure there's room i think), a tiny cramp, not as bad as AF, then in went the Mirena, another, even tinier cramp. The nurse is squeezing my hand, i see the scissors go to trim the strings shorter and i'm like "is it in!?". So just in case you are, i wouldn't worry too much about the pain, i think they talk it up! The worse part of the whole thing for me was, when the speculum was in, the gyno asked me to cough - does anyone know why she'd do that?- and coughing with a speculum in hurt my scarline from my little tear (when my PC muscles tired to close against it). Even that was NOTHING compared to what i was expecting. LOL.

I'm glad i opted for it, it was something DP and i decided together and so far it's working out really well.

HTH

Bec