Choosing a BC option
Number 2??
Not so fast…
One of the questions that every single medical professional has asked since we had the baby:
“Have you thought about birth control options?”
Even my homeopathic doc, whom I spoke with yesterday about milk production tips and the like said, “don’t let your husband look at you the wrong way- you’re Fertile Mrytle right now.”
I’ve got the newest love of my life
(she LOVES the Moby wrap!)
but I think we’d like to wait at least a couple of years until a sibling makes an appearance.
Birth control isn’t prevalent at this second since I haven’t been cleared to resume physical activity, but I’m not quite sure what we’re going to do. I took birth control pills for 12 years, and while it’s a fantastic option for many, I didn’t like how it affected my hormones. I switched over to the Fertility Awareness Method two years before we got pregnant, and was hoping to be able to continue to use that method after the baby was born. Here’s the thing, though: you need to take your temperature every morning, at the same time, after a full night’s sleep. Since sleep and I haven’t seen each other for a while, it’s not going to work right now.
Breastfeeding is supposed to protect you from getting pregnant, but it’s not foolproof because you can ovulate before starting an actual cycle without knowing. Tom nor myself are fans of condoms (TMI but they put a damper on things), IUDs freak me out a little bit, and I’d really like to avoid taking birth control pills again. I think that’s smashing all of the possible options?
Did anyone out there have success with natural family planning while breastfeeding?
Of course, we’ll do whatever we need to do, and if I were to get pregnant again as a surprise, it wouldn’t be any less of a blessing <3
And honestly, a full night’s sleep would be pretty close competition to mattress mambo right now…
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I hardly ever comment, but I decided to just because of the IUD info. I too was super apprehensive about getting one placed after my son was born in 2006 – I mean full on research junkie, questioning everyone I know and asking them to ask their friends and family members. I spoke with multiple OBs that worked in the office that I went to at the time, and after 3 months of looking into it I finally decided to give it a go. I have loved it, but it has not been without a few bumps in the road – but all in all I feel that it was completely worth getting. I am prone to cervical/ovarian cysts… i’ve gotten them as a kid, so the only real issue that i have had with the IUD is that is can make these benign cysts a little more frequent. The first 2 years that I had it I got them pretty regularly – but haven’t had any in the last 2 years and after next year I’m getting my current IUD replaced.
I chose mirena because it typically lightened up users periods, and i was… well without sharing too much, i was a heavier aunt flo type of girl. The first year I was super irregular, i mean I didn’t know whether or not I was on my period, spotting, cramping, confused – and I know my body pretty well. After that it got easier, and while I still have monthly cycles – they are pretty regular and much lighter than they were in the past (which I am gateful for, something about not having that monthly visit kind of throws me off mentally into thinking baby #2 has somehow busted through that 99% protection and infiltrated camp in my uterus).
anyway this is long, just look at all your options – you have a ton of great advice (as usual) in these comments!
I highly recommend the ParaGard!! I too am skeptical of hormonal BC, I would rather let my body do it’s thing so this was a great option and it’s absolutely error proof. And I haven’t had a baby so it was a little uncomfortable to get it put in, but I heard it isn’t bad at the post natal appointment.
You have GOT to find what works for you. I worked with ob-gyn docs who researched birth control for a few years. I know people are iffy about hormones, so you’ve really got to decide (and perhaps try) which option might suit you most comfortably. I will say, however, that I highly recommend the Mirena IUD. It’s got incredibly low hormone levels (lower than most, if not all, bc pills), is cost-effective, and can be taken out at any time during the years it is in (should you be ready to try to get preggars again). The Copper T IUD (the other one, without hormones) usually presents with more intense side effects, which I think some peeps above noted. Anyways, best of luck in find the right option for you!
I had four kids and breastfed exclusively (no bottles/formula). I got pregnant with baby number two when baby number one was only 5 months old. Baby number three was only 7 months old when I got pregnant with baby number four. Be careful, it can happen! We were happy, though. It took me 2 1/2 years to get pregnant with the first due to endometriosis. We went from thinking we’d never get pregnant to delivering four babies within 4 years, 3 months!
I thought I would comment with regards to your IUD comment – I don’t have an IUD, but I do have the implanon? (www.implanon.com)
It’s a small device, about the size of a hair grip, that goes in to the top of your arm, it doesn’t leave any nasty scars, and there is no horrible ‘procedure’ apart from a little local anaesthetic. I really recommend it, it’s there for 3 years (although we can take it out whenever we choose) and that’s it. You don’t need to remember anything at all, or worry about anything. It’s the highest form of contraception over here in the UK, and I can honestly say, I have never had a scare and I am on year 5…. Perhaps worth some research?!
xxx
I’m also in the UK and I have the implanon too. It’s really great and I’d definitely recommend it! I’m on year 3 now and have had no problems at all.
I am personally a huge fan of my copper IUD. It’s been in since 2006 and I have had no problems whatsoever. Insertion wasn’t super awesome (the doctor giggled when I swore) but that’s been the worst. Cramps & period haven’t been much different than no BC.
The other benefit is that I can track my temps for FAM. At some point I’d like to go fully to the FAM but I’m not quite confident enough yet. But because there are no hormones in the copper IUD, it allows you to track temps.
Either way, best of luck sorting something out! I’ve seen enough people preggo only a few months after the first is born to know that it is definitely possible 🙂
Can’t believe after being a long term lurker that I am finally commenting over birth control!! Just wanted to say, though – don’t be freaked out by IUD. I have a Mirena coil (and I’m a doctor!), and the hormone levels in it are REALLY low because it acts locally and it is such a great option for long term contraception but when you would like your fertility levels to return immediately on having it removed (unlike the injection which takes a few months). And in my experience with patients, there are less bleeding problems with it – most people don’t get periods at all. Don’t be put off by the thought of it! Ok, back to lurking….
Katie x
Someone has already mentioned it, I’ve been using NuvaRing for years and it’s great. It has a very low dose of hormones, and does not mess up with liver. That means (for me) zero side effects.
It is recommended that you ask your doc if it’s ok with breastfeeding, though!
I tried nuvaring too, however similar to condoms, they can dampen the mood when you have to take it out before matress mambo… It’s also a tad awkward (where do you put it during that time! on your nightstand?!) Anyways, it wasn’t for me.
Does it bother you? I always leave it there (as suggested in the booklet and by my OB/GYN) and never had an issue. *TMI alert* Over 6 years of use, it happened only once that my partner took it out. Subsequently renamed the “Niebelungenring” 😀
Our dr. wouldn’t allow the iud unless we were done with kids. She said it hasn’t been around long enough to see how it effects fertility. Have you thought about a diaphragm?
We totally had success using FAM after our first. You don’t have to have a “full night” you have to have a full 3 hours of straight sleep which you WILL have here soon. Once she’s on a schedule you can do it. I breast fed exclusively and started my regular cycle only 4 months after birth so using THAT as a birth control would most likely have ended in a baby number 2 WAY TOO SOON! Um no thank you! During the fertile times you do what you have to do to not get pregnant, but yah… Anyway, that was our take on it. 🙂 We used FAM to get pregnant with #1, keep from getting pregnant, and then to get pregnant with #2 due ANY DAY!
I started taking the pill in the spring of 2009, and between then and October of 2011, I went through seven different birth controls, including the NuvaRing. I could not get regularly scheduled cycles, the lasted a week and a half, and many of them turned me into a crazy lady. My doctor, knowing I’d tried pretty much everything, suggested Mirena, and at first I was extremely apprehensive. The only people I knew who had it were moms, but they loved it. With the exception of the first few days (intense cramps) and the first couple of months (irregular spotting — body adjusting to foreign object in uterus), I haven’t had any problems with it. It was put in in October, and my cycle still isn’t regular, but that’s to be expected in the first several months with the device. I like the idea of natural family planning, but since I am not willing to risk a pregnancy at this time, I decided to wait until the husband deploys again to start experimenting with it.
Gina,
My husband and I used NFP to prevent pregnancy for 8 months, then achieved in 1 month of trying. I don’t personally know anyone that has successfully prevented pregnancy with NFP post-partum, but I do know that there are special classes and books out there specially designed for post partum. I know my husband and I will be taking a class in the next few months. Couple to Couple League has a good one–they promote both temp and cervical observations, but I understand that post-partum is mostly cervical observations. Good luck making this difficult decision.
I am a horrible mess on BC pills, and yet I switched to the ring over 7 months ago and love it. Maybe an option?
I second the NuvaRing. Not sure about breastfeeding though? I have had “issues” with other BC options in the past and I feel best with the “ring”. When you first start using it after being off BC for awhile, you may feel a teeny bit “out of whack” but then you are fine :o) . I have tried so many options and this is my fav thus far.
Good luck!
Lindy
The NuvaRing is fantastic! I’ve been on it for 8 years and love it. I’m due to deliver in about 7 weeks and will definitely be going back on the NuvaRing after our little one is born.
I second the NuvaRing. The hormone levels are incredibly low compared to BC pills, because you are getting a constant delivery of the hormone, instead of once a day. Plus, it’s much more effective since you don’t have to worry about taking it every single day at the same time. I think it’s a great option.
Nuva Ring!!! BC pills made me legitimately crazy. I had to make the switch to another method and I have loved this method for the almost three years I have been using it.
I have not had a baby, but I had been on birth control pills for a while and was told that I can’t continue with the estrogen, since I get migraines with auras. Apparently those two things together increase your risk for a stroke. My gyn (Harvard doc, super awesome) suggested Implanon, which, he claimed “Is what he was trying to get his daughter to switch to”. That was pretty convincing. It’s a small implant in your arm, which has to be replaced once every three years, but can be taken out earlier if you want to get pregnant. It does release hormones, but only progesterone, and in WAY smaller doses than the pill. It is a similar option to an IUD in practice (set it and forget it!) but most of the complications that come with IUDs stem from the procedure to put it in (uterus tears, etc), and since this is basically just a shot in the arm (they numb you first), there are almost no potential complications when they put it in, and very few afterward. I have found the only side effect was that my cycle was weird for a while, but nothing like the estrogen on the pill– no breast tenderness, weird libido things, moods, weight gain, etc. I highly recommend!
Nuvaring!
I also tried the “shot in the arm” thing — they put something in your arm (instead of IUD) and can leave it there for 5 years. It was easy to get in, and it didn;t work out for me after 6mo, so we got it taken out, which was fine as well. Talk to your Dr about it.
I used paraguard. It is has no hormones although it is an IUD. It uses copper to repel the “unwanted”. I had it removed b/f a year b/c I swore that it was keeping me from losing weight from the birth of my second child, but 7 years later the IUD was not the case it was just me getting older and more stressed w/ kids and such LOL. Good luck. Right now we don’t use anything and just keep our fingers crossed LOL
I’m still breastfeeding, but expecting my period will return soon (she is 14 months). We don’t use anything and haven’t for years..we just use the rhythm method. Works for us!
I know you mentioned you were a little scared of IUDs, but I’ve had a great experience using the Paragard (aka the copper IUD). Unlike the Mirena IUD, it’s hormone free—hormones in BC always freaked me out! I had the Paragard for 7 years, got pregnant the day I had it removed, had a healthy baby boy, and then had a new Paragard put back in, and I couldn’t be happier. It can be in place for up to 10 years and there’s no “wait time” after getting it removed before you can get pregnant again. And you never have to think about BC! It’s something to consider, maybe?
I have been nursing for 12 months and taking the minipill. it’s not as protective as the normal pill, but it’s breastfeeding friendly AND doesn’t make you crazy because it doesn’t have 2 kind of hormones. it just has progestin. this is what the vast majority of people use for BC while nursing.
when I quit, I’m on the fence about getting mirena. I was on regular BC for like 16 yrs and like you, didn’t like what it did to my body. BUT, as you know, for NFP to work, you must have regular periods so you can track them. and many people won’t have regular periods until they quit nursing (I still haven’t had one).
I recently just stopped taking my birth control pills because over the last few years, it’s been just a mess of hormones and not being comfortable continuing to put that in my body (I’m a firm believer that it might just cover up other issues, which I’m not ok with). However, I’m single and certainly need to figure something out but haven’t been able to find out what that answer is. So I have a request…I know the answer is different for everyone, but can you write a post about what you end up choosing as your BC method?
sure!
NuvaRing! Much less side effects than pills and SO easy!
I second all the recommendations for IUDs and Implanon. I work in family planning at a medical school and have been involved in research for both and they have the lowest pregnancy rate of any method (including fertility awareness), the highest satisfaction rate of any other method, and the lowest discontinuation rate after 12 months.
I just want to defend condoms. It’s fine not to love them, and I know most committed couples don’t choose them. BUT, I do think it’s dangerous to spread the message that they “ruin the moment” or whatever. They’re actually very easy and VERY effective. Far too often, men in particular feed women a load of bs about condoms and pressure women into not using them. For many people who are not in committed relationships, this is incredibly unsafe.
So, for the record, go condoms! I love them, since I’m still single–never go without. Ha ha, and, as someone pointed out–no mess. Ha.
Also, diaphragms are only 80-some percent effective. This may be fine for people who think having kids “wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” but it’s definitely not high enough for me!
I totally agree. Condoms may “interrupt the flow,” but so does an unwanted pregnancy or STD!
Diaphragms actually have a much lower failure rate if used correctly. Part of the 85ish percentage (ir 15 percent failure) rate is attributed to failure to actually use them. For whatever reason it is apparently really common for diaphragm users to just not bother…maybe b/c they are in a committed relationship & think they wouldn’t mind kiddos..?? But according to my doctor anyway, if you actually insert them correctly & use them EVERY time, they are much closer to oral contraceptive rates, although still not quite as fail proof.
I think the copper IUD might work for you??? I’ve been thinking about this since I’m getting married this year and have been on BC, which I swear makes me not want to put myself in situations that would cause a worry of reproduction (hah!). I’m going to talk to my doc in a couple of months when my Rx runs out. I originally thought about FA after the wedding (I read Take Charge of Your Fertility), but my friend basically said, “Well good luck with your pregnancy in 3 months after!” I’m definitely not ready for kids until things settle with my job… maybe in 3 years?
I’m seeing lots of + for NuvaRing… I’ll check it out. I’m too afraid of putting anything in my uterus since I haven’t had kids yet and don’t want to scar anything in there.
We have used a diaphragm for a couple of years & I would highly recommend it. Non-hormonal, not semi-permanently implanted, & if used correctly very effective. Honestly we love it. I was on oral contraceptives forever too & didn’t like the way it was affecting me so we made the switch. We’ll go back to it after we have our baby in a few months. It is safe & easy!
Hi, just wanted to comment on the nuvaring. I used it for 2 years and it was the worse 2 years of my life. I went to the dr. about 5 times in that time because I was so tired all the time had no energy and felt depressed. The dr tested for just about everything and couldn’t figure it out. One night I put two and two together and realized I started having all of these problems around the same time as nuvaring, I stopped using it and after a few weeks started to feel like my old self again. That was about 4 years ago and haven’t look back.
I’m not a new mom, but I’m getting married in May and our plan is to do FAM (were waiting to do the “mattress mambo” until then). I tried BC pills for two weeks decided I was NEVER doing that again. FAM is a bit intimidating because there isn’t a lot of open talk about it. I found a great book that I have been reading though and it gives me a lot of confidence in choosing this method. We are going to use condoms when I am fertile. I hope you have success finding the right option!
I noticed you didn’t mention the Nuva Ring. Do you know about it? I used to be on the pill and I hated taking one every single more for fear if I forgot or took it too late I might have a baby on the way when my body isn’t ready yet (I’m very overweight) to carry a child in a healthy manner. A year ago I switched and now use a Nuva Ring and I love it. You insert the ring and leave it for three weeks and then take it out for the fourth week for your cycle. You can leave it in for a fourth week if you need to extend your month or even go back to back with rings so you don’t get your cycle at all! I choose to do three weeks and sometimes four weeks and still have a cycle. There’s nothing to worry about in terms of TSS like tampons for leaving the ring in–no worries. And also ::ahem:: men very rarely ever feel the ring during sexy time (ha!) and it’s not a problem if that was another question for you. I know it’s still birth control but it’s the only other option I wanted to try. For me IUDs are just too much for me, dealing with sponges and cervical caps are a no in my department and my husband and I also hate the fun hats 😉 so I get that.
Just a thought!
Wow, so no one uses a diaphragm anymore? I would never again monkey with my hormones, low-dose or not. IUDs are very safe bt who wants to pay to have it inserted and removed in a year if that’s your timing? They’re expensive and meant more for longer term, I thought? Plus my mother almost died from a bad IUD in the 70s, though it’s hardly relevant now.
If you do use a barrier method like a diaphragm, don’t make it always your job to get up out of bed and take care of biz. He can share the burden of that.
Hi Gina –
You are amazing for sharing all of this info. I will say this – please use great caution if you again consider hormone regulation as a form of birth control. I’ve been through hell and back – as I’ve shared with you – and now cannot have a baby. Many friends of mine have been on the Mirena, and have had some pretty serious side effects. I was prescribed one – and needless to say it is on my bookshelf in my office….never to be used.
There is a new IUD called “paragaurd” – it may be an option for you….also – speaking frankly – dependent on how many children you may want, Tom can down the road have a vastectomy. Some men have an issue with this – but – more from an ego stand point (ridiculous!)…
I know you realize all of this – but I emplore you NOT to use the Mirena…
One last thing – paragaurd IUD has NO hormones….
I know there are pros and cons for each BC method and every woman is different so I have a hard time with advice about it. However, after my baby is born, I plan on going with Mirena. I don’t want to deal with remembering a pill everyday and the natural method is not an option. I absolutely do not want another baby for a few years so Im not risking natural stuff right now. I know WAY too many women who got pregnant without trying while BFing (one actually had twins-3 babies in one year!!) I figure if it’s meant for me to have another baby sooner then I will be that .1% that gets pregnant and that’s ok. I’m just going to make sure I do my part not to. And for me, Mirena is the best option. If that doesnt work out, I’ll go from there. You’ll figure out what’s best for you too.
Look at those precious ridiculously long eyelashes!!!! So so cute
We didn’t do the BC thing after our first was born, we thought we would just go with the flow. But after our second child, I went on birth control pills right away. I took birth control pills for years before we started a family, but after having a couple of kids, my hormones were not the same and the BC pills didn’t work. The crazy thing is…I didn’t know they weren’t working until I ended up preggers again! So even if you decide to go on the pill again, I would advise using a condom until you know they are working. It’s amazing what pregnancy can do to your hormones…mine are still wacky and my youngest is 3 years old!
One word… Paraguard! I love it! No hormones, it is effective right away and when you want to start trying again there is no waiting period. I was a little weirded out about the whole IUD thing but after doing research I knew that it was the perfect birth control for me.
Just wanted to give my input on the BC issue…I got an IUD (Paragaurd–copper) in 2006 when I got married because we didn’t want kids for a while and it sounded low maintenence. All went well for about a year and then my periods were lasting about 3 weeks with 1 week of no period…it was miserable. This went on for about 3 months before I mentioned it to my MIL and she freaked out and made me go in to the dr (I know, I know, I can’t believe I waited that long…). We found out that it was lodged into the side of my uterus so I got it taken out and then went on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I did like my pills while I was taking them. I went off the pill in March 2011 because we new we would be trying for a baby later in the year and just used NFP method and condoms. I didn’t realize until AFTER I went off the pill and was researching natural birth control methods that there are so many side-effects to hormone usage. My cycles took a good 7 months to normalize (I would have anywhere between 40 day and 20 day cycles) and decided that I will never use hormones again. I am pregnant now but after I have baby #1 we will likely just use condoms and Natural Family Planning method until we want #2. As inconvenient condoms are I feel it is worth it to not have the hormones or the foreign object inserted into my body. There’s my 2 cents!!
We’ve resorted back to condoms because my husband, more than me is freaked out by the IUD and the risks, even though they are minimal. I’m with you, condoms suck. Do not, whatever you do, rely on breastfeeding as a birth control method. I can name a handful of people I know that got pregnant while breastfeeding and never had a period.
There is a mini-pill option that my midwife gave me, but I never ended up taking it because you have to take it at the same time every day religiously and considering I still ocassionally walk out the door for work without shoes, I can’t remember to do that. Unfortunatley NuvaRing isn’t an option because of the hormones.
I’m living proof breastfeeding is not birth control. My girls were born 13 months apart. 🙂
I also had a ton of problems with the hormones associated with birth control pills, shots, and patches. Ive definitely tried it all. I ended up getting the ParaGard (copper iud) and absolutely love it. When I first had it put in I felt a bit of cramping (I have never experienced child birth so I am assuming this will be nothing for you!) The cramping stopped within a day. After that everything was fine. My period was 100% normal, and I didnt have an increase in cramping. I never really experienced intense cramping, so maybe if that is something you have, it may increase with the IUD? But I cant recommend it enough!
I will be in your place in about 4 months so I have been thinking about this too. I was on the pill or nuvaring for 10 years and decided to go off of it about a year and a half ago. I didn’t really have any problems with the pill except I hated to take it and I thought that it lowered my libido (eww sorry I said that). My husband and I weren’t ready for a baby yet so we mostly used condoms for about a year and then FAM. I’m so happy I found out about FAM (from you I think… thanks!). We used it to avoid pregnancy at first and then decided it was a good time for a baby and I got pregnant on the first “try”. After going off the pill it took me a year to get a semi-regular cycle and I had terrible acne so I definitely don’t want to take any sort of hormone birth control again. After reading the comments, I am thinking we will use condoms or maybe a diaphragm and FAM together until I get the hang of taking care of a baby and able to sleep and all that jazz and then just use FAM until we are ready for number 2. I also wanted to suggest trying the Today Sponge instead of condoms. We tried the sponge a few times and I loved that you can stick it in beforehand, there is no barrier and then you take it out later, but I think my skin is too sensitive for it because I found it to be irritating and they are also pretty expensive. I’m intrigued by Paragard, but I want my kids to be 2-3 years apart I think and paragard sounds like more of a long term option.
Hi Gina~
I just had to let you know…you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. I have 3 kids to prove it =) I had my first (daughter) and then got pregnant again (while breastfeeding) when she was 9 months old. I had my son, and then got pregnant when he was 5 months old (while breastfeeding). I had my third (another daughter) and my husband got his junk taken care of. I am not kidding I was pregnant 3 years straight!! I was nursing one while pregnant with another… until the third trimester with each. Right now my kids are 5,6 and 7.
omigosh look at those long beautiful eyelashes….heheh the “mattress mambo”
I have no good suggestions. But your question made me smile, recalling how not so long ago, my cousin, after she and her husband waited TWELVE years to have a second child, had a baby girl. And another baby girl 11 months later. That post-preg fertility is no joke! On the upside, those two little girls are super close BFFs. It’s really sweet!
Hey Gina! A natural method can definitely work postpartum, but with crazier than usual sleep patterns and hormones, you would most likely want to go with an ovulation method (Creighton, BOMA/Billings, etc.), tracking mucus very carefully, versus a sympto-thermal method, which relies heavily on morning temps.
I will say that some couples find using a natural method (even ovulation based/mucus only) during the postpartum time to be particularly challenging- especially if the women has lots of mucus patches. These patches can result from hormonal changes and the body gearing up to resume ovulation, before actually doing so. For women who experience this, there is a way to manage these patches, but it can take time.
That being said, some women don’t experience much or any mucus that is not associated with true ovulation, and some even have their menses resume almost right away, despite exclusively breast-feeding, which can make charting even easier.
Hoping you find something that works for you! Let me know if you want to chat more 🙂
I have the paragard IUD – it is the cooper one because I didn’t want any hormones. I agree that the insertion is a little uncomfortable but that is about it. No complaints and I’ve had it for about a year now.
So, I know you’ve had like a million comments, but thought I’d throw my two cents in!!
I’ve tried pills and implanon, both legitimately made me a crazy woman. However, I did tons of research before giving either a try, and both times I thought there were enough positive reviews that it would be okay for me – it wasn’t.
Finally I saw a lovely lady doctor who prescribed me the nuvaring, and I’m slightly less crazy now. 🙂 but ats about all you can do – see a doctor that you trust and just try and see what works for you.
And if baby number 2 makes a surprise appearance, just count it as a blessing! 🙂
Wanted to comment… lots of history of family sensitivity to artificial hormones, pills made me nuts and there’s too many things that can interact with them (my best GF’s dermatologist and an innocuous prescription for antibiotics are the reason for her kidlet’s surprise appearance).
As far as safety/low dose hormones go, Nuvaring has an excellent safety record and high effectiveness. It’s also fairly foolproof as far as remembering it (I have calendar events on my phone for “in” and “out”) and local acting with very low doses of hormones. I’ve been on it for almost 4 years now with no issues (but again, different people react differently to different hormones). I think it’s a great alternative if you aren’t ready to commit to an IUD. You don’t have to take it out during sex (I never do) and in 4 years, it’s only popped out once. I actually check to make sure it’s still there after sex. My husband rarely feels it (on rare occasion that he does, it totally doesn’t bother him), and many others I know who are on it say the same- the significant other can’t even tell it’s there.
I’m considering the IUD, simply because I would like to not have to think about it AT ALL- and Mirena sounds like it would work well (again, excellent safety/effectiveness records for the number of people using it). My friends who are in medical/PA school have discovered it’s the #1 choice by many MD’s for their own birth control needs.
For me, a low dose of hormones is not a bad thing, as I have really awful cycles and moodiness without- again… that’s me… another thing is I’m a nullipara (never prego in nurse speak) so there are a few more risks associated with IUD insertion… but compared to statistical odds of getting pregnant, those are very very slight.
Let us know how it goes!
As a side note… I would also echo that condoms make it different, not “awful” or “no fun.” Before I was on hormonal contraception, it was simply part of the ritual- didn’t bother me at all, and I have to say the no mess thing is definitely an advantage sometimes. For anyone who is reading who hasn’t had much experience, sex with condoms can certainly be emotionally and physically satisfying, so if you’re NOT in a committed monogamous relationship, DON’T TAKE THE RISKS for a few minutes of “different” fun. It’s not worth risking your fertility (PID, anyone?) or readiness to be a parent over.