S/O Post- Thoughts on Birth Control?

thefanciestbeckler · February 2016

@littlemushroom's post got me thinking about different forms of birth control and the pros and cons of taking the pill. I have been on the pill for several years, and I'm starting to worry about the long-term effects it may be having on my body. DH and I have only been married for 4 months, but I'm thinking it may be time for us to have a serious conversation about changing contraceptive methods. We are definitely not ready for kids yet, but I'm not sure that the pill is the right option for me anymore.

What are your thoughts and concerns about taking the pill for years at a time? If you don't take the pill, what brought you to that conclusion?

ETA words

kimmiinthemitten · February 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

@littlemushroom's post got me thinking about different forms of birth control and the pros and cons of taking the pill. I have been on the pill for several years, and I'm starting to worry about the long-term effects it may be having on my body. DH and I have only been married for 4 months, but I'm thinking it may be time for us to have a serious conversation about changing contraceptive methods. We are definitely not ready for kids yet, but I'm not sure that the pill is the right option for me anymore.

What are your thoughts and concerns about taking the pill for years at a time? If you don't take the pill, what brought you to that conclusion?

ETA words

I'm very sensitive to oral medications. Nyquil puts me in a sleep coma for a good 10 hours, the caffeine in Midol makes me jittery and traditional BCP intensified my already intense PM symptoms. My girlfriends in college actually locked me in my dorm room one night.

I am also a former smoker, so when I wanted to start a new birth control regimen, I discussed my options with my OBGYN and she put me on the NuvaRing. I've been on it for almost 10 years and love it. I've only had 2 problems with it ever. The first was when I had to have colposcopies (I just skip it that month) and the other was when I decided to use it to only have quarterly periods instead of monthly. My period after that was intense so I won't be doing that anymore.

STARMOON44 · February 2016

My thought is that the best person to have a serious conversation about appropriate birth control methods for you is your doctor, not the internet. They all have pros and cons.

thefanciestbeckler · February 2016

STARMOON44 said:

My thought is that the best person to have a serious conversation about appropriate birth control methods for you is your doctor, not the internet. They all have pros and cons.

Totally agree. I'm just interested in getting the opinions of others. I'm going to my doctor soon to discuss my actual plan going forward.

monkeysip · February 2016

I don't use BC for personal morality reasons, so I do Natural Family Planning instead. The positive is that I don't have to worry about any of the long term health effects, and charting my fertility did help me recognize my low progesterone, which helped when I did get pregnant (I knew to call my doc and supplement progesterone immediately. I could've miscarried without it). So I'm a big proponent of using NFP as part of a healthy lifestyle.

At the same time, there are drawbacks to NFP as well. It's not my business to tell other women what to use for family planning. Obviously you need to weigh the pros and cons of all the available methods and talk to a doctor . I just wanted to throw my experience in.

tigerlily6 · February 2016

I was on the pill for several years, and also felt iffy about long term effects. Over the past year, I quit as FI and I have both ended up returning to the Catholic faith, and we are now abstaining until marriage, at which point we plan on practicing NFP. I've started already keeping tabs on my body's clockwork, and it just feels very healthy and freeing to feel like I'm working with my body, not making it work for me with drugs anymore. But that's my opinion.

My MOH, who is not religious at all, also doesn't do the pill; she is very big into healthy, organic living, and doesn't like the idea of adding extra hormones in her body one way or another. She recently got a non-hormonal IUD. She said it hurt like hell getting it inserted, but that overall she is really happy with it. It has a benefit of allowing her to remove it at any point if her and her SO decide they are TTC.

WinstonsGirl · February 2016

I'm on a copper IUD, and we use condoms depending on the time of month. I was on BCP before, for about 10 years. TMI possibly, but I stopped cos I have practically no sex drive and was curious if it was BCP related. Well, nothing changed, but now that I have the IUD, I don't see the point in going back on BCP. This is my second copper IUD, cos they're only good for 3 years in Canada.

spockforprez · February 2016

You have way higher risks of blood clots when pregnant than you do taking oral contraceptives, if that makes you feel better. Huge hugs to littlemushroom, though. Reading that post really scared me. I'm so glad she is okay!

I use an IUD. I am basically an IUD evangelist. I love it. An uncomfortable but brief insertion and you've got 3-10 years (depending on brand) of extraordinarily reliable birth control. The risks are very low, although obviously there are risks, like pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. You have a smaller dose of hormone because it's being delivered right in the area it needs to go (and I think this also lessens the environmental impacts of hormonal BC/urine/wastewater issues, although I don't know the stats). And, the hormonal versions frequently lighten or stop your periods. The copper IUD (hormone-free) will make your period a 10-day crampy bloodbath, but it can be worth it if the hormones disagree with your body chemistry.

I am pro-condom but dislike them personally. They sort of rub and burn IMO. I would rather choose the copper IUD than use condoms. I can't use any timing-based method of contraception because I have PCOS and ovulate infrequently, if ever. (Which is actually great for me because we do not want children, so I feel I have a double-whammy contraceptive regimen, but is absolutely awful for women who do want to conceive.) Hormonal IUD is a good option for women with PCOS because over time it thins the uterine lining, which helps reduce our elevated risk of endometrial cancer.

If you read anything about IUDs online you'll read lots of scary stories. That's to be expected. Women like me who have easy, breezy, literally-never-ever-think-about-my-BCP-ever experiences don't seek out forums to talk about it, usually. I really could not be happier with this method of contraception.

I have the Mirena IUD but they make a smaller one designed for women who have never been pregnant called the Skyla. It's only good for 3 years (vs. 5 for Mirena and 10 for copper). Also, sometimes older OBGYNs refuse to place an IUD in any woman who hasn't been pregnant but this is a pretty outdated view from what I've read. You can get them placed at Planned Parenthood. Also, under the Affordable Care Act, the placement and removal is free. (The consultation where you discuss if the IUD is right for you is not free, though, lol.)

KeyToHisHeart2017 · February 2016

I have the Mirena and i love it. I'm on my 2nd one now. Before I got pregnant with my son, I was only using condoms as birth control. I had a hard time taking a pill every day at the same time. The Mirena is great for me because i only have to remember to get it changed out every 5 years. I rarely have a period anymore but i do still get PMS every month. It's definitely not for everyone. I have a few friends who tried it and didn't like it, but i love mine.

monkeysip · February 2016

I don't think it's fair to compare risk of blood clots during pregnant vs. while using contraceptives. Most women spend a few years being pregnant, while some women spend 20 years using contraceptives. Overall, your risk is much higher over the extended period of time using contraceptives...

monkeysip · February 2016

Also, I have pretty irregular cycles, and know of people with even more irregular, PCOS cycles, and they can still use NFP. It's not a calendar method where you assume 14 day ovulation and 28 day cycles. THAT would be REALLY ineffective. In fact, NFP can help identify cycle irregularities so that they can be treated as well. I just don't want any woman who might be interested turned off because she thinks NFP can't work with her cycle. It can... you just need to find the one that fits you best, and learn it well.

kimmiinthemitten · February 2016

STARMOON44 said:

My thought is that the best person to have a serious conversation about appropriate birth control methods for you is your doctor, not the internet. They all have pros and cons.

While ultimately I agree with this, I do believe it's helpful to hear about and learn from people's personal experiences. Like @spockforprez warned, I'm one of the people whose doctor recommended an IUD and then I read horror stories and went with the ring. I'm still happy with my choice because it's working for me, but I have now heard so many more first hand accounts of women who successfully use an IUD that I may have made a different decision then.

NavyBlue143 · February 2016

I have pretty severe PCOS, so birth control was the only way I had a regular cycle, and without it, when I did have my once a year period, I was in bed for a week and bled for two. I also had constantly rupturing cysts. Birth control saved me. The extra hormones actually helped me since I hardly make any. Going off of it when we were TTC was hell. I haven't gone back on it because coming off it was so hard for me that I didn't want to go back on until we knew for certain we were done trying.

Basically, I loved birth control, and miss it so. There's been a lot of studies that couldn't find long term risks of being on birth control if you didn't have underlying risk factors, but obviously it is going to mess with some women, if not the majority.

lovesclimbing · February 2016

I use the diaphragm with spermicide. I did not want to use hormonal BC for numerous reasons. I know quite a few people who have gained considerable weight on it. I have a bad enough time gaining weight I don't want to risk that. I also know one woman who had such horrid mood swings on it, she almost ruined her marriage before she got off it. I also just plain don't want the hormones in my body. I'm not super into clean living - I don't buy organic everything - but I do seek to eat healthy and avoid taking lots of pills and going to the doctor for every little thing, so I don't want hormones in my body. Also, my cycles right now are about as perfect as a woman could ask for. Little to no cramping, and only on the first day or two, no PMS. I don't want to worry about hormones affecting that when I eventually would go off it (which I would at some point because H and I plan to have children.)

I like the idea of a non-hormonal IUD, but it was and is too expensive.

The diaphragm is not perfect. It's a bit annoying to go put it in, but I definitely prefer it over condoms (we both hate those!) and putting hormones in my body.

They say the diaphragm has a pretty low prevention rate. The CDC says 12 percent of women will experience an unintended pregnancy within the first year with typical use. But that typical use includes people not using it correctly.

H and I have used it for over three years and no babies yet. My mom also used it with no pregnancies for a year and a half (and got pregnant within a couple times having sex without it. They know this because of my dad only being home for a day or two between work trips.)

I also know other people who have used it with perfect success.

Casadena · February 2016

I've reacted poorly (mood swings, really intense depression-like symptoms) with every oral BCP I've ever tried. I hated, DH hated it, so we have been perfectly fine with condoms. While it's not the sexiest BC method and has a slightly higher failure rate (last time I checked) than BCP, it works for us.

drunkenwitch · February 2016

Hormonal birth control destroys me, the IUD I tried was rejected and I came down with PID, I have severe endometriosis and a slew of other problems with the plumbing. I never wanted kids, couldn't handle birth control, thankfully at 29 I found a doctor who had been an advocate for reproductive rights her entire career, so I got my tubal. Best decision ever.

WinstonsGirl · February 2016

spockforprez said:

I use an IUD. I am basically an IUD evangelist. I love it. An uncomfortable but brief insertion and you've got 3-10 years (depending on brand) of extraordinarily reliable birth control. The risks are very low, although obviously there are risks, like pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. You have a smaller dose of hormone because it's being delivered right in the area it needs to go (and I think this also lessens the environmental impacts of hormonal BC/urine/wastewater issues, although I don't know the stats). And, the hormonal versions frequently lighten or stop your periods. The copper IUD (hormone-free) will make your period a 10-day crampy bloodbath, but it can be worth it if the hormones disagree with your body chemistry.

I will disagree with this. My periods last about 3 days, no heavier than before when I was on BCP. I do cramp slightly on the first day (like gas I guess), though I cramped more when I first got it. After about the first 6 months, no bad cramps. I did go from a 28 day cycle to about a 22-23 day cycle though, so maybe that's why they so short. And to think I used to be up over 30+ days before BCP.

ETA - Obviously everyone will be different

Lala9414 · February 2016

I've had problems with BCP mostly because I couldn't take it right. I couldn't ever take it at the same time every day (even with alarms ect, I'm just horrible at those things). So then I went to the depo shot and that basically sent me into a horrible 9 months. The depo made me sick, my mood swings were off the charts and maybe tmi but I was bleeding every single day and the dr's kept telling me it was "normal to have irregular bleeding like that until my body gets used to it". Then I started getting really fatigued all the time, I would have to take multiple naps in a day and I'd still be completely exhausted, I finally said enough and stopped and then got tested to see if I was anemic since I was so tired and was constantly bleeding. It took about 3 months or so for my body to regulate itself after that. I'm now on the Nexplanon implant and it working so far for me! Although like a PP had stated my sex drive is low, like non existent so I'm going back to the dr just to check everything out lol

eta spelling, because it's one of those days

holyguacamole79 · February 2016

NavyBlue143 said:

I have pretty severe PCOS, so birth control was the only way I had a regular cycle, and without it, when I did have my once a year period, I was in bed for a week and bled for two. I also had constantly rupturing cysts. Birth control saved me. The extra hormones actually helped me since I hardly make any. Going off of it when we were TTC was hell. I haven't gone back on it because coming off it was so hard for me that I didn't want to go back on until we knew for certain we were done trying.

Basically, I loved birth control, and miss it so. There's been a lot of studies that couldn't find long term risks of being on birth control if you didn't have underlying risk factors, but obviously it is going to mess with some women, if not the majority.

@NavyBlue143 , I also have bad PCOS. In 2012, I went 5 month without a period (not sexualy active). My ob-gyn put me on progesterone every month to trigger a "period" (I put it in quotes because it wasn't truly a period .... just a progesterone-triggered flow). Mine actually got to the point where my ob-gyn suggested that I have an ovarian wedge resection surgery (which I had in March 2014). Since then, my cycles are much more regular. Obviously, surgery isn't feasible for everyrone (and this procedure is not commonly done).

PCOS can make things difficult for when you are TTC. The ob-gyn I have uses NaPro Technology to help identify the underlying causes for PCOS and treat it. Here's a site, including a listing of doctors. http://www.fertilitycare.org/

TrixieJess · February 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

@littlemushroom's post got me thinking about different forms of birth control and the pros and cons of taking the pill. I have been on the pill for several years, and I'm starting to worry about the long-term effects it may be having on my body. DH and I have only been married for 4 months, but I'm thinking it may be time for us to have a serious conversation about changing contraceptive methods. We are definitely not ready for kids yet, but I'm not sure that the pill is the right option for me anymore.

What are your thoughts and concerns about taking the pill for years at a time? If you don't take the pill, what brought you to that conclusion?

ETA words

I was on the pill for 20 years. I ended up in a medication that interacted with it and boom, pregnant. I also know several people who have gotten pregnant within a cycle or two of coming off the pill. It depends on your health and your fertility. You can always consult a gynaecologist before you decide to get pregnant.

banana468 · February 2016

I was on the pill but for a variety of reasons including moral ones I won't go back. Now I use a fertility monitor as part of an NFP method. We avoid on fertile days and are good to go on others.

Now, I'm just not a fan of messing with nature.

climbingsingle · February 2016

Talk to your doctor. Every person is going to have a different experience with birth control.

emmaaa · February 2016

Obviously every person reacts different to hormonal BC. Personally, my body went crazy when I was on the BCP. DH and I used condoms and avoided fertile windows before we were married. After we were married, we stopped using condoms but still avoided fertile windows and the withdraw method.

The main reason I decided to stop the BCP is because I did not like how my body reacted (I was 18). I did consider going back on it when I was about 20 or so but ultimately decided not to because I'm not a huge fan of adding hormones to my body "unnaturally."

cupcait927 · February 2016

I was on the pill for 12 years and recently got an IUD over the summer. I've been having an awful experience with my IUD (severe cramping, mood swings that are uncontrollable, cystic acne that I never had before), so I'm going to see my gyno on Thursday and go back to the pill. I never had an issue with it and I'm not worried about the long term effects on my body. I would still advocate an IUD (I have a Mirena), despite having a bad experience myself.

[Deleted User] · February 2016

Like you - I wanted to discontinue taking the hormones before I turned 30. Had been on since I was 17 except for 2 years of TTC with my 1st and while I was pregnant with both kids. I got pregnant with my 2nd on 1st cycle after stopping BCP.

December 2014 I had a Copper IUD inserted (non-hormone). It didn't work for me and my body. I had horrific sharp pains during sex and after about 3 months, my cycles started to get longer and longer (I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 20, but thought it was "gone" since I lost a lot of weight, guess not!). I didn't like the unpredictability of my cycles and the pain was too much to take so I had it removed about 8 months after. I went back on a low hormone BCP (Junel Fe - I love it!) and things have been great! My periods are literally 48 hours or less and SUPER light. My BF had a vasectomy about a month ago, so I would LIKE to discontinue the BCP at some point in the near future, but I am afraid the crazy cycles will come back again...

ThxSugar · February 2016

I am on a BCP currently but was in depo on and off for 10 years. The only time I ever had an issues with it was when I went from No birth control straight into it. Then I had irregular spotting/ bleeding for about a month. If I did BCP for a month or two before getting my first shot there was no problem. I loved depo so much. No periods, my moods were super stable, I never had any issue with weight gain, didn't have to remember to take a pill everyday. Loved it.
The irregular bleeding might just be a me thing too b/c this happened again recently when my doctor switched brands of BCP on me.

thisismynickname2 · February 2016

Everyone reacts differently.
Me? I don't think I went on BC until I was maybe 24 or so. Before that, I exclusively used condoms. I went on BC because my boyfriend at the time (we were together for a total of 3 years) was really paranoid about pregnancy.
Because I felt forcing a woman to take a stupid pill every single day to control for pregnancy was ludicrous (can we get some male BC up in here please??) I chose Nuvaring. After that guy and I broke up, I went off it for awhile, then back on when I dated a guy who hated condoms (and rest assured I waited for STD testing before allowing that). During that time I also tried one of those implants, but I can't remember which one. I tried for 6 months and basically spotted the whole damn time. It was terrible. Talk about birth control- I didn't want to have sex!
Basically, if I was between boyfriends, I was off hormonal BC because I didn't like how it made me feel- lower libido, bloated... I just feel more natural and myself not being on it. No issues with cramps, long/short periods, nothing. Just my bitchy self for one week a month but that's really it.

Then, dating DH, I went back on, then back off right after the wedding. We figure if we have a condom accident now, then it'll just mean we get a kid earlier than we planned.

scrunchythief · February 2016

We also use NFP, and I use myfertilitycycle.com to chart. It's worked very well for us:)

I used to be on the BCP from ages 14-22 because of an ovarian cyst I had that caused me to lose an ovary. I'm still bitter that the doctor, who had just performed my life saving surgery and I therefore trusted a lot, didn't bother to really explain the risks and side effects. Like that it increases your clot risk or that it can make contact lenses burn your eyes. The latter happened to me, after I wasted money on nice contacts. So, yes talk to your doctor, but this is why I think it's valuable to talk to other people about their experiences.

littlemushroom · February 2016

Honestly, this is not something I had ever given much thought until my recent hospital stay made me. My previous BCP worked great for me. After a phone call to my gyno, apparently I can choose between progestin only pills, depo provera or an IUD. All are covered by my insurance at $0 cost to me, so it really is up to whatever I think is the best option for me. NFP is also an option, obviously (or condoms only).

After some basic research, I think I am going to be choosing between an IUD and NFP. I am not good about taking the pill exactly at the same time, which is a must with POPs. Also, my friend had some major issues with Depo when she came off of it. I am also slightly concerned about the hormones in that because from what I have read so far there has not been very much research into the effect progesterone only BC has on clot factor.

A copper IUD is not recommended for someone on blood thinners, which I will be on for the next 3-6 months. I could potentially still go that route and just use condoms until I am off of blood thinners. Skyla looks like the best option of traditional BC because it is even lower dose progestin than Mirena and doesn't have any warnings about clot effects.

I know next to nothing about NFP. I will be reading Taking Control of your Fertility to get an idea about whether it is something that could work for us.

I am grateful for this thread because hearing real person perspectives will help me consider methods and questions that I hadn't before.

banana468 · February 2016

littlemushroom said:

Honestly, this is not something I had ever given much thought until my recent hospital stay made me. My previous BCP worked great for me. After a phone call to my gyno, apparently I can choose between progestin only pills, depo provera or an IUD. All are covered by my insurance at $0 cost to me, so it really is up to whatever I think is the best option for me. NFP is also an option, obviously (or condoms only).

After some basic research, I think I am going to be choosing between an IUD and NFP. I am not good about taking the pill exactly at the same time, which is a must with POPs. Also, my friend had some major issues with Depo when she came off of it. I am also slightly concerned about the hormones in that because from what I have read so far there has not been very much research into the effect progesterone only BC has on clot factor.

A copper IUD is not recommended for someone on blood thinners, which I will be on for the next 3-6 months. I could potentially still go that route and just use condoms until I am off of blood thinners. Skyla looks like the best option of traditional BC because it is even lower dose progestin than Mirena and doesn't have any warnings about clot effects.

I know next to nothing about NFP. I will be reading Taking Control of your Fertility to get an idea about whether it is something that could work for us.

I am grateful for this thread because hearing real person perspectives will help me consider methods and questions that I hadn't before.

I've become a convert to the Marquette Method. It doesn't require taking my temp at the same time every day and I've made the investment in the CBE fertility monitor and buy strips when I see them on sale. After having two kids who wake me up periodically, the STM wasn't for me and I wasn't feeling confident in CM observations. Yes, it means abstaining for a decent chunk of time ea month, but the monitor is catching my peak, I am feeling confident in my cycles. I also like that I'm not adding unnecessary hormones into my system. I say that not to preach but just because the older I get the more I'm not a fan of trying to stop my body from doing what it's supposed to do as part of normal functionality.

Gustafson28 · February 2016

spockforprez said:

You have way higher risks of blood clots when pregnant than you do taking oral contraceptives, if that makes you feel better. Huge hugs to littlemushroom, though. Reading that post really scared me. I'm so glad she is okay!

I use an IUD. I am basically an IUD evangelist. I love it. An uncomfortable but brief insertion and you've got 3-10 years (depending on brand) of extraordinarily reliable birth control. The risks are very low, although obviously there are risks, like pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. You have a smaller dose of hormone because it's being delivered right in the area it needs to go (and I think this also lessens the environmental impacts of hormonal BC/urine/wastewater issues, although I don't know the stats). And, the hormonal versions frequently lighten or stop your periods. The copper IUD (hormone-free) will make your period a 10-day crampy bloodbath, but it can be worth it if the hormones disagree with your body chemistry.

I am pro-condom but dislike them personally. They sort of rub and burn IMO. I would rather choose the copper IUD than use condoms. I can't use any timing-based method of contraception because I have PCOS and ovulate infrequently, if ever. (Which is actually great for me because we do not want children, so I feel I have a double-whammy contraceptive regimen, but is absolutely awful for women who do want to conceive.) Hormonal IUD is a good option for women with PCOS because over time it thins the uterine lining, which helps reduce our elevated risk of endometrial cancer.

If you read anything about IUDs online you'll read lots of scary stories. That's to be expected. Women like me who have easy, breezy, literally-never-ever-think-about-my-BCP-ever experiences don't seek out forums to talk about it, usually. I really could not be happier with this method of contraception.

I have the Mirena IUD but they make a smaller one designed for women who have never been pregnant called the Skyla. It's only good for 3 years (vs. 5 for Mirena and 10 for copper). Also, sometimes older OBGYNs refuse to place an IUD in any woman who hasn't been pregnant but this is a pretty outdated view from what I've read. You can get them placed at Planned Parenthood. Also, under the Affordable Care Act, the placement and removal is free. (The consultation where you discuss if the IUD is right for you is not free, though, lol.)

I had Mirena and I loved it initially. No periods initially seemed like a perk but I started to wonder what that would do to my body long term.

The biggest thing for me was when I started having debilitating pains in my lower abdomen, travelling into my groin area. Had numerous tests, CT, MRI, sooo many ultrasounds.. They basically told me there was nothing wrong.. I have a health care background so I decided after a lot of research that it might not be the IUD but there was a good chance it could be. So I had that sucker removed and I instantly felt better.. The wires coiled up inside my uterus and was causing it to essential charley horse. Ouchie. Just something to keep in mind if you have weird stuff going on if you do for the IUD.

For sure people talk about bad more than good but this did wipe me out of everything for about 5-6 mo so it's not something I'm partial to any more lol.

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