Natural Birth Control Methods...

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Yep, it's me again, and Yep, talking about Birth Control AGAIN!!!

Ok, well, Day 7 on Yasmin and I am ready to kill myself. Today I woke up and, after a week of staring off into space and sleeping, my boobs hurt and I have big huge zits on my chin. So......I am giving up. I did not take my pill this morning.


I know, I should have never have switched pills once my body got used to Mircette. But, my GYN thought I may like Yasmin better. Problems is, I am finding out that every time you start a different Pill it is like starting all over from Day 1 on BCP's. Well, minus the horid migraines this time I guess.


I am going to get that book the others mentioned and speak so highly of..."Taking charge of your Fertility", the FAM method. I will still buy some condoms and spermicide, but I really would like to educate myself on this topic.

I want to get off these pills atleast for a while and see what my own body does. It has been over 10 years since I have seen my body without artificial hormones so this will be interesting. If I get pregnant, oh well. I wouldn't die at this point because of it.


Next week you will hear from me I am sure, griping about all the negetives of going off of BCP's. :):) Sorry to be such a pain! Considering all the ladies on here having problems with BCP's, we should just have a check-in for pill related problems!HA!

I did a search for old posts regarding BCP's and that and found old posts from myself. Do you realize I have been thinking about this for over a year? It is time to end it all.:)


Janice
 
Hi Janice,

It stinks to be a woman sometimes! I'm wondering if you've heard about Seasonale BCPs. They cut your cycle down to four times a year. For those of use who dread TTOM, a very good thing. I'm not sure if something like that would help you, but just thought I'd throw it out there.

http://www.seasonale.com

Gina
 
I have a year left on norplant and I love it- the only thing is They stopped inserting them- they are working on new insertion methods though- I highly reccomend them- norplant lasts 5 years...I think the ones they are working on last 3-5 years...not sure but if you do a search for norplant you can find the latest developments- and don't believe all the negative press you see- I love it!
 
Janice and others,

Please keep us posted on how you do hormone free. I would love to go hormone free. Being 38 and feeling premenopausal I'm petrified to try though.
 
I can relate my own fertility history to you and maybe that will help. I had taken BC pills from about age 17-25. I never had a period in all that time and I though it was great! The pill worked too well for me is how the doctor described it when I finally decided to confess this to my doctor. In all those years I would just lie about 'when was the first day of your last period' after every exam.

Well, DH and I start thinking about having children so that's when I figured I better come clean with my doctor and talk about this. Of course he was furious telling me it is very unhealthy for a woman to not shed the uterine lining every month and so forth. I immediately stopped taking the pills on his recommendation so my body could straighten itself out. Dh and I used condoms every time...you do get used to them, I actually prefer them because I don't have to deal with the 'mess' after intercourse.

Anyway, what my doctor told me to do was on the first day of my period start taking my temperature BEFORE I got out of bed and record those numbers for a full cycle. He gave me a sheet to do this on. The purpose for this was to try to pinpoint when I ovulated in the month so I would know when I was most fertile and when I was not. Your body temp. will increase slightly at time of ovulation. Now for me what the numbers showed was that I ovulated around day eleven of my cycle (most women are going to ovulate around day 15 on average). So, what my doctor recommended was if we wanted to start using a natural family planning method was to make sure we were using condoms on my most fertile days...day 8/9 thru day 16 of my cycle. And this worked fine for us. We used this method for 14 years, conceived four kids when we wanted to and then at age 39 Dh had a Vasectomy.

Through all of those years I would keep track on a calender by putting a little 'X' on day 8 thru day 17 as soon as I would have the first day of my period. I have shorter cycles than most woman so mine are not a set 28 days apart.

Also, when you are ready to have children you can also use the temp. method to determine when you conceived because your temp will also slightly increase at time of implantation. That's if you have an interest in that and want to start taking your temp. everyday again before getting out of bed to see when you ovulated. I always did when we were ready to get pg to make sure we did the deed for a couple of days prior to expected ovulation and for a couple of days after...just for good measure! ;)

Natural family planning can and does work. It just takes a little time to get your own cycle down on paper so you know when your most fertile days of the month are.
 
Hi Janice. I think its great we can talk about all these things here! I am 45. I used a birth control pill for 5 months after I was first married. Hated the side affects so I then switched to a diaphragm and used that for the next 20 years. I have said before that I must be the first person in the world using that method and never getting pregnant.

For some reason a few years ago my libido seemed to increase significantly...:)...and I got tired of using the diaphragm. I read about Nuvaring which is a hormonal method, and you insert a ring for three weeks then take it out for a week. Much like the birth control patch. I was a bit leary as my previous side affects with the pill so long ago. Nuvaring has worked very well. Not really any side affects except sometimes before my period starts...I get a bit MORE PMSy...not every month though. It did decrease my cycle from 7 days to about 4 or 5 which is great. I like always knowing exactly what day I am starting too.

I know also, we all react differently to hormones. I hope you have luck finding what works.....:)...Carole
 
Janice,

Six weeks after I gave birth to my daughter (my only child), I had an IUD inserted. I used this method for about 13 years until my ex husband agreed to a vasectomy. Aside from a slightly heavier period, this method worked perfectly for me. I know this isn't for everybody. I had no pain upon insertion, but I had just given birth so maybe that's why.

I live the NuvaRing idea. A friend of mine started this method a few months ago and she loves it.

It's nice to know there are alternatives.
 
Yes, I did this too for many years. I had had one vaginal delivery, which is recommended but not necessary if you have an IUD inserted because it is less painful. I am not a pain weenie, but I thought both the insertions and removals were awful, short intense pain though, so worth it.

I used the Progestasert (?) because it helped reduce the bleeding and cramping that the copper IUD often has. The amount of hormone is so low, they claim, that it cannot be detected in the bloodstream, it just acts locally.

I never wanted to get into the whole hormonal roulette wheel. A delicate system I didn't want to mess with. I used the pill in my late teens because I was not part of the "educated crowd" yet, but since age 20 have been using either barrier methods (ew, yuk, etc.) or IUDs. (Shove it and leave it. Cheap and easy, etc.)

My daughter is now on the pill, which makes me a bit worried, but I know that the pills now are much less dangerous, and I certainly don't want her to get pregnant. Unlike DebbieH, I am in no mood for grandparenthood.
 
I used the NuvaRing for about 7 months, and I had to stop using it. I don't have problems with mood swings, but my skin is exceptionally sensitive and I was very, how shall I say...Uncomfortable down there.
It was to the point that I had to soak in the tub in the evenings to get relief - which I know doesn't help the problem, but when your irritated beyond belief you do what works for the moment.

It actually took me that long to realize the problem started with the Nuvaring. In the week that it was out, I would start to feel fine again. My DH is the one who suggested this might be the cause. SO I stopped taking it. I haven't been back to my OB yet, but I'm going to also look into the book mentioned here and see if I can't just do this myself! Pills and rings are too expensive for me, since we haven't got the best insurance. I was paying $37.00 a month, and I just don't want to do that anymore. If I get pregnant in the mean time, I will be fine with that. (I have an 18 month old daughter now.)

I'm so glad I saw this thread, especially the information from you, 40something. It's good to hear it does work! Can I ask, did you use a digital thermometer at all? I've heard they can be wrong, but I never could use the old ones!!

Thanks,

Tricia
 
Yes, I used a digital thermometer and still have that same exact one and use it on my kids now! Talk to your doctor about the natural family planning method and he/she will be able to give you good information and the paperwork to keep track of your temps. And yes, it certainly is nice not having to shell out money for pills and I didn't have to worry about side effects from long term bc pill use. My doctor is actually the one who suggested we try this method and that was 15 years ago...so he was a bit ahead of his time really but it was the bc method that he and his wife used too so he was speaking from experience. Really, it's surprising more woman don't use this because it's simple and natural. Your only inconvienence is the need to get the condom on when you're in the throws of passion! But on that subject...my H liked using the condoms too because he said it made him 'last' longer and that's always a plus!
 
Thank you everyone for all the great information. I actually panicked last night and took my Pill again, but have decided (again) not to take it anymore. I am just so paranoid!:) But I talked to some people today that convinced me.


Janice
 
Hi Janice.

I stopped taking the pill about 10 years ago and relied on condoms then 3 years ago this May I heard about LadyComp/BabyComp which is a little computer whereby you use a little instrument to take your temperature each morning (under your tongue) and the computer stores the info and calculates your optimum fertility dates and your unsafe dates (condoms were used during the 5 days building up to the 2 optimum fertility dates). Like I said we started using this in May 2001 and had no accidents then last August we used it for conception purposes rather than contraception and got pregnant immediately. Sadly, I miscarried but after a few months we decided to try again and I fell pregnant first time again (that was 14 weeks ago), so it definitely works and wasn't just a fluke that I hadn't fallen pregnant beforehand.

I'd definitely recommend natural methods of birth control opposed to pumping your body with artificial chemicals daily.

Check out the website...

http://www.babycomp-ladycomp.com/en/?o

There are other brands available, first response do one but I haven't checked this one out!

Good luck with your choice!
 
RE: Nova Ring

Trish, I have been looking into this NovaRing and wondered if I could ask you a strange question. I know that you said you had a reaction but other than that, was it easy to use? Were you ever afraid it would get..ummm..stuck?
 
Janice,

"Taking Charge of your fertility" is an excellent source on FAM AKA NFP. Another good source is "The Art of Natural Family Planning" by John and Sheila Kippley. The Couple to Couple League (CCL), which uses "The Art of Natural Family Planning", offers classes that teach FAM. The classes are very good in my opinion, but there is some theology discussed in the classes and the text also. So, if that is not something you want to get into, stick with TCOYF. Here is a link for the CCL's site
http://www.ccli.org/

If you haven't already, you can visit Planned Parenthood's site for some basic information on FAM and to review other options. PP can also refer you to nonsectarian instruction if you decide you would like a class.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/bcfacts17.html#FAM
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/WaysToChart.html#13

It is nice to read that 40something had an informative physician. This is not always the case, some docs don't consider FAM as a method option. Let me put this delicately... they "pooh-pooh" this as an option. There are actually NFP-only physicians (even OB-Gyns who don't prescribe any other form of contraception) and NPs available. There is a site that lists some of these providers.

Anyhoo, I found TCOYF and "The Art of Natural Family Planning" to be invaluable sources to me professionally. My lecture notes from my Nurse Practitioner classes (a Women's Health Care Program in fact) consisted of one page. No kidding... we covered FAM in one page.

Best of luck to you!

Autumn
 
RE: Nova Ring

HI,
I will say that the Nuvaring was easy to use. If you've ever used an OB tampon, that's about how it felt to put this in. Once its in, you don't feel it. Also, there was no problem with "relations" after it was in. I did wonder how that could be! I have since read that people with sensitivity such as mine may have "adverse reactions" to insertion methods of birth control. I always find out after the fact!
Let me know if you have any other questions, I feel this is a good alternative for women who have trouble remembering to take their pill every day or who don't want to go with Norplant.

Tricia
 
So, the next time we hear from you regarding birth control is going to be that you got pregnant because you misread how to do the natural thing. LOL

I'm JUST MESSING WITH YOU JANICE!!!
 
RE: Nova Ring

Tricia I do have a few questions. Do you mind if I mail you off the board about this? Christine
 
Well, DH and I tried condoms a few times and let me say...it was just horrid!! I guess we have been spoiled for too long! Anyhoo, FYI, I am back taking the Pill then. I may switch back to Mircette, since Yasmin seems a little more problematic, but I am unsure. I know for awhile I will quit messing with things!!!! It was unfortunate that it did not work out, but it is better that I not become pregnant now.


And Deborah, LOL!!! You were probably right!!!:)

Janice
 
RE: Nova Ring

Hi Christine,

Sorry, I didn't see your post until just now - feel free to email me with your questions.
Tricia
 
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