Contraceptive Choices

Many years of the pill dorking around with my hormones were getting on my last nerve. I was OK with the diaphragm but not excited. There was a rash on him from one spermicidal cream. The rash appeared literally overnight. The sponge was great to use, but I was not excited about the failure rate. Nobody was going near his precious parts so I got myself sterilized.

Implanon!! One time implantation (in your upper arm), you don't have to think about it again for 3 years! And it doesn't have estrogen, just progesterone, so you can avoid a lot of side effects.

After a sudden, scary rise in my blood pressure after six years on the pill, my gyn stopped them immediately and we brainstormed what my next step was. In that 'time off' I realized the hormones had been making me far too emotional.

I absolutely don't want kids, so I wanted something with a very low failure rate. She suggested a diaphragm, but that was too risky for me. I persuaded her to let me have a Paragard (copper, no hormones).

Since I haven't had kids I'm not the optimal user, but it fit and it's been great in the 3.5 years since. The first few cycles were kind of rough, but it's been pretty great since then. I really like being able to check the strings, which she left long, so they're softer and not pointy, because it's a kind of assurance that it's there and working.

I tried the patch and it made me extremely emotional. I would cry for almost no reason at all. I didn't feel like myself. I was much better off with the good old oral contraceptive.

I have been on many birth control methods. I prefer the Para Guard IUD I'm very happy with it and I'm in the process to have it removed! after almost 4 year's to have another baby. It does not hurt, no hormones, no remembering, and forgetting! and you can have a NORMAL period.
And you can have it put in right after your 6 week check up, and you can breast feed with it, I wish I knew about this 9 years ago!

I use the patch. I like only having to worry about changing it once a week - but I do see some cons with usisng it. It seems like one patch out of the three in the package always falls off days before my switch time. I dont know if it is the position of the patch or what - but I do see that it does fall off sometimes - it also leaves a mark on my skin for weeks. I am thinking of switching to a different contraceptive - but I am unsure of which to change from - I have tried the pill and constantly forgot to take the pill at the same time each day due to my schedule changing each day.