I am looking into using BC again, I am 36 yrs old. I was on Orth Tri Cyclen for about 10 years to treat Amenorrhea from being active in sports and fitness activities in my late teens and early 20's. Anyway, I was on ortho novum and ortho tricycle for about 9 years then the patch for about a year. Hated the patch because it made my skin itchy and dry wherever I placed it and then had annoying sticky residue on my skin drove me nuts. Then went off BC to get pregnant. I spent 1 yr trying to get pregnant, only to find out that I did not have enough hormones to ovulate, my periods were all over the place, most of the time my periods were about 47-60 days apart. I have had 2 children since then, and my cycle is pretty much normal now. But now I am shopping for BC methods. I tried a sample Nuva Ring and liked it but I noticed that it made my contact lenses very uncomfortable so much that I couldn't stand to wear them. So I took out the ring. I had good luck with Ortho Tri Cyclen and the regular Orth Novum pill in the past. But taking a pill everyday is not something am good at remembering taking care of 2 children under 5 fulltime. And condoms? Well they are great when I don' get a rash or an allergic reaction to them! Anyone using the Ortho TriCyclene or have any suggestions for me? Anyone used the Fem Cap? I have read that the Fem Cap is not very reliable for women who have had children. I am planning on maybe another child in a few years if I am healthy so I don't want anything permanent yet.
I have decided to try the paragard IUD. If I am not happy with it, I think I am going to try Orth Tri Cyclene Lo.
I HATED the Nuva Ring, but it sounds like you had better luck with it. I had great success with the hormone-free IUD, and used it for many years (can't remember exactly how many, maybe 6?). I got pregnant a month after the IUD was removed, and now my tubes are tied. Good luck with whatever you decide. :-)
I use ortho tricyclene lo it is great because once it gets in your system u start to have lighter periods. I have a kiddo also and to help me remember I just take it every night before I go to sleep.let it be the last thing u put in your mouth.
I really like my Mirena IUD. 5 years with nothing to worry about! :)
I started on the patch, got a rash and it always fell off, then switched to pills. After having kids had a horrible time remembering them and have had completely irregular cycles, so my doctor's office suggested I put an alarm on my cell phone at a time I am always home and awake (I happened to have a cell, but not everybody does). It was the best idea for me. I had tried the Ring and hated it (it would NOT stay in, no matter what method I used to get it in). If you are considering an IUD, do some research. If you have concerns about methods that are abortive in the event that you do conceive, many of them have that effect (why I won't use them). Good luck. Permanent is a big decision...
Condoms are a pain....totally understand where you are coming from. I know several people that have IUDs, both Mirena and hormone free ones, and they love them. Just a suggestion, may be worth looking into.
I hear ya on the rash after using condoms! I found out the hard way that I was allergic to latex!! I never liked using the pill as I would gain 20 lbs. in 3 months once I got on it and just don't like the idea of putting artificial hormones in my body. But, until my husband gets his vasectomy (I'm 37 and we're done with having kids) we use a non-latex condom. Here's the link. They work great, without the rash or the hormones!
http://www.undercovercondoms.com/Condoms/Trojan/398/SUPRA...
They sell them at Target or any drugstore. Hope this helps!
I know 2 people that used Nuvaring and have gotten pregnant.
I'm on team Nuva Ring!! I love only having to think about it once a month. I'm not sure about the accuracy... it was tough for me to get pregnant TRYING. I've been on it for about 7 years and no accidental pregnancies.
Have you tried the progestereone IUD. I love it. No problems with spotting, a little cramping when it was first put in, but it worked great.
Nuva Ring failed my friend and she ended up pregnant with twins... It fails quite often from what I have heard... I am on the pill (hate remembering to take them but best method for us) I used the IUD but had many problems with it! I heard the shot works pretty well... google birth control and talk to your ob! Good luck :)
Look into the Mirena IUD - it lasts 5yrs and there is nothing to remember. I had it after both my children were born and love it. It is easy, easy! There are lots of past posts about the Mirena on Mamasource - good luck!!
I hear you, birth control is such a hard thing to figure out! I, too, have had several friends who got pregnant using the Nuva Ring. I used Ortho Tri Cyclen early in my marriage and didn't love it because of the side effects. You might want to look into the latex-free condoms that were mentioned in another post - that might be just the right solution. Also, if you have more regular periods now, you can keep track of when you ovulate so that you can even have some time each month that you don't use the condom (because you're not fertile!). I would recommend against any kind of IUD, but that's because I have a moral problem with a contraceptive that also could be an abortifacient, which basically means that it could end the pregnancy after the egg is fertilized (by not allowing the fertilized egg to implant into the uterine lining). Since I believe that life begins at conception, this would mean that the IUD causes an abortion of the pregnancy. Do your research, and see if this is something you want to avoid, too. Good luck!
IUD. It addresses, I think, all of your concerns. I love mine. Never know it's there. It was a cinch to put in, and can stay virtually forever, but is also super easy to remove, and is hormone free. Amazing success rate too. Good luck.
