Contraceptive Choices

After my son was born I knew I wanted to wait awhile for another little sweetpea, but I had never taken birth control before. I wanted something I didn't have to remember everyday and I wanted something reversible. My Husband and I chose The IUD. Insertion of the IUD hurt but after some Aspirin I was good to go. We didn't have to wait to have sex like you would with other birth controls. My periods became lighter and eventually didn't come. So I was loving the IUD!!!
After two years with my IUD, my husband and I decided we wanted to have another baby:) I made an appointment and went to see the Doc. Well after about 40 minutes of pain, scraping, embarrassment, the Doctor told me he couldn't locate the IUD strings. "But not to worry its happens a lot." He got up and said we're just gonna have to surgically remove it!
So after me freaking out and crying for the rest of the day due to disappointment of my IUD, the birth control that says it's easily removable. I had surgery to remove the IUD, which was horrible, NO ONE should have to have surgery because of birth control, in March and are now able to start trying for another.
I will NEVER EVER choose the IUD it may have a lot of pros while it's inside doing whats it's supposed to do. But because of what I had to go through just to get it removed , my honey is getting snipped after this one!!!:)

For me, the IUD pros outweight the cons. Pain during insertion is NOT fun (don't know, but I'm pretty sure it is better than giving birth!:). My periods are longer, (7 definate days)and more painful, but good ol ibprofin takes care of the pain. What I love about it (I use Paraguard) is: it is hormone free (birth control pills made me psycho!) My period follows its natural cycle. I tried "natural" family planning in the past, which I recommend every woman should learn despite their BC method, because it tunes you into your body, insight every woman should have (the "oops" factor was too risky for me.) No worries about missing a dose, putting anything on or in, no messes or cleanup, no systemic effects, it lasts almost ten years, but if and when I am ready, I can have it removed and fertility is restored immediately. Boy! I sound like an infomercial! I'm not an IUD saleperson, I swear. I am on my second one, and I swear I tried everything out there before I tried this method, I am just happy to share my "research"! The shot was AWFUL!! Huge weight gain and mood swings, not to mention a nine month period when I got off it! Oh, insurance doesn't cover the cost of an IUD and they are about $450. (again, cheaper than a baby and averages out under $5 per month)

I'd asked my doctor about birth control pills before, but she told me it would not be a good idea for me since I have such a close family member (my mother) that was diagnosed with breast cancer and therefore I was at a higher risk of getting breast cancer.

I've had the Paraguard IUD for about a year now. I did a lot of research on it before hand so I could be sure it would work for me. It's worked great for over a year now! I don't have to worry about it and don't feel it at all. I don't worry about remembering to take a pill and also the one IUD will last for YEARS! I'm not saying that I'm completely worry-free even if it is 99.9% effective (that pesky 0.1%), but I do feel a lot better knowing I have the IUD. Also, it allows for spontaneity with my fiance.

The drawbacks? Heavier and longer periods (my periods used to last about 6-7 days, now they last about 9-10 days. YUCK!) and of course more intense cramping. The worst part of it is having it inserted. It felt like first day cramping times ten.

Even with those drawbacks, I definitely know the IUD is for me! I'm confident (but not overly so) with it's working ability. I highly recommend it!

I took the pill for 11 years, from the time I was 22 until I was 33. I chose to go off of it because at that time I hadn't had sex in almost 2 years and I wanted to see if my moods would improve. I found that my moods improved immensely.

When I first went on the pill I was very depressed and sick, but I managed to get used to it over time and the symptoms dissipated. However I was amazed at how much my moods improved after I went off of the pill.

Now I'm 35 and at this age from what I've read the risks associated with taking the pill increase. Plus another 2 years had passed until I had sex again. I knew that going on the pill or other options that included synthetic hormones was off the table for me.

I discovered the fertility awareness method. I've been charting since August which was months before I began a sexual relationship with my boyfriend. I'm very religious about checking all the signs and I use precaution.

The advantages here are that I know what's going on with my body and what to expect usually on a day to day basis with each cycle, give or take. I've been more alert to when PMS is expected to hit so I've been far less likely to become irrational and irritable unexpectedly. I'm not saying I don't continue to get these symptoms. I've just noticed that i have a much better handle on them.

Best of all for me anyway is that my moods have been so much better since I no longer take the pill and I know what's going on within my body. It does take precaution though.

i personally used the sponge for a while, however it has a tendency to dry you out.

so then i found vcf the film has seemly no side effects. its comfortable and not a pain at all.

IUD: I am currently using the IUD for birth control. The IUD was inserted September or October 2004, one to two month before I married. Pros: no pills, no inserting anything; Con: moderate to severe cramping premenstrual,during period and post menstrual

Pill: In the past I have used the pill but I do not do well with oral medications. I sometime forget them. I just don't like pills, medicine, etc.

Shot: I have also tried the shot. Pros: No pill to remember; Cons: I gained weight and I had prolonged bleeding.

Help! I would like to switch to something that is natural--no homones, chemical, etc.