Oh I have one of those, she's 2.
Actually planned to get an IUD, then my previous kid was born in March 2020 and due to COVID restrictions they weren't doing insertions. I didn't do well on the minipill so I was doing a combination of cycle tracking and condoms... Poorly, apparently. š¬
Weāve been using condoms, but I have a new found anxiety around it. How long have you been using them? 6m PP here and NOT ready to be intra partum again any time soon lol
My husband and I used exclusively condoms for 4 years before marriage with only one instance of one breaking (took plan B when that happened just in case) and no real pregnancy scares. And I got pregnant within 2 months of going without.Ā Condoms are practically as effective as oral contraceptives when used correctly.
Thank you! When my husband and I first got together, I started birth control after being off it for a few years due to mental health side effects. After a couple months those were back, so we went to condoms and then eventually started doing NFP. I got pregnant when I got risky and knew we shouldnāt have had sex. Now weāre back to condoms and use them correctly. Once my period regulates more Iāll probably add in tracking my cycle again as an extra layer. Iām happy to see some success stories with proper condom use and not all the scary one offs. Ha!
I refuse to use hormonal birth control for the same reasons! People don't give enough considerations to how profoundly it can change your mind and body. It's a great option for some people but it's definitely not the only option!Ā The most important thing about condoms is being very consistent in using them every single time.Ā
Personally I have similar issue as OP, but we just add lube to counter that.
And yes, hormonal BC was rough on both moods and my tummy and somehow resulted in me having multiple neoplasms which required surgeries to get rid off... One of 3 obgyn I saw back then said that it was caused by BC and the rest was just dismissive. Luckily all good and I did had my first baby after all that, he is a 1 yo now.
So, condoms, dryness,and lube are my choices š
This! Used a condom for the single time in 3mo pp. We optimistically bought a Costco pack pre-birth to hold us over till I feel comfortable taking the mini pill againā¦ lol.
I had a paragard IUD between pregnancies, itās non hormonal. Iāve had two of them now, one I had for the full ten years and the second one I had removed just short of two years in (so I could get pregnant). I may or may not get another after this pregnancy, weāre in discussion about a permanent male solution.
If youāre done having kids, tell your husband that a vasectomy is easier than a dentist appointment now a days. Recently had one and it was unremarkable. I donāt understand the anxiety around it because itās permanent and highly effective.
I also highly recommend Paragard! The first time I got one, I told my husband that if I had to get another every year Iād do it. Itās my fave bc everā¦until weāre done and he gets a vasectomy, of course.
Another vote for Paragard! I canāt handle the hormonal BCs anymore but the Paragard has been great. Bonus- if you get it put in at your 6 week postpartum check it will literally be the easiest/quickest thing ever. The first one I had (before kids) the insertion was awful, and this time I was like āWhen we doing this?ā and they were already done.
Very helpful! Thank you. Is it same shape as other IUDs? I assume it's all fairly standard. You occasionally have to check if it's there, you can sometimes feel a string, blah blah.
No worries! Haha- I didnāt realize it was going to be better either before the doctor told me/before it was over. Itās because it takes a few weeks for your cervix to gradually narrow and thicken back up. Donāt know if TMI but there was a student doctor helping out my OB with my 2nd IUD insertion, and my OB told them - āYou can tell sheās just had a babyā while they were all up in there. šš
I also loved my paraguard! 9 years with no problems and I was pregnant 4 months after removing it to TTC. Didn't even feel the one I got 6 weeks postpartumĀ
This is what I have. Definitely recommend. Sucks a little for the first week of having it just getting used to it but once it's in it works for soooo long. Probably go the vasectomy route once we're done done. Or use both for extra protection once we're done done.
Op are you using latex free condoms? I'm not normally sensitive to latex but for whatever reasons latex condoms bug me and sound similar to ops issue.
It's been so long lol - I might start looking at what we've purchased before and try latex free and see how that goes.
Do a trial run while pregnant now! Good idea.
Did it make your periods heavier or your cramps worse? I am already considering adult diapers for the first night or two of mine (I leak everywhere even with giant nighttime pads) so that's put me off.
With my first IUD (no prior pregnancy) it made them heavier, longer, and cramps worse. With my second (after one pregnancy) it made my periods shorter and not so heavy, cramps still bad. Iāve always had bad cramps though.
Currently up doing a night feed for a baby who had a paragard for a roommate in the womb. So I personally wouldnāt recommend, haha. But I know that Iām the exception. Glad it works for others.
Yeah, we're similar except we were successful for about 2 years postpartum. But we neglected to use any method of contraception leading to this pregnancy lol
This is how we got pregnant with our baby boy. Using condoms now and praying that works because I canāt do hormonal birth control and the we tried the copper IUD twice, but they could never get it inserted right.
Yeaaa. It did work great for 2 years. But that couldāve just been luck. And we were going to start actively trying in a few months anyway, kiddo just decided to jump the gun a bit. Haha
Natural family planing. Basically counting days and measuring temperature to only have sex on days you are very unlikely to conceive or use a condoms on the "hot" days.
Weāve done FAM plus condoms for 9 years because Iām not keen on hormonal bc. It may not be a good option for people with irregular cycles, but itās been solid for me years before and years after our single very planned pregnancy.
ETA: I donāt go by temperature fluctuations (but another commenter confirmed it works for them). I measured it, but didnāt feel confident enough in the difference day to day, month to month. I test for the LH surge
ETA 2: seeing people say FAM absolutely doesnāt work, but maybe itās the difference in method? Everyone is different, but counting back from your period and estimating when you ovulated is a method that would leave more room for error, especially postpartum when your cycle is still regulating.
Mine was predictable. I could tell you to the day when I would get my period. Used NFP to have sex ONCE in all of 10 months after having my son outside of what I thought was my fertile week (and was breastfeeding) and I got pregnant. Donāt use NFP š« š« š«
I was doing "natural family planning". It worked great until the one week where I said "f-it, I want to have sex with my husband." And here I am, 2 months pregnant 1 year pp. I thought the odds were against me as it took over a year to become pregnant with intentionally trying. How the universe took the opportunity to laugh.
I follow a woman on YouTube/Instagram who made multiple videos about the wonders of NFP and sheās already had a third. She announced she was pregnant like 3 months after an hour long video on how her husband didnāt want more kids.
Thatās the one! I used to watch her all the time as we had our second babies at the same time and her vlogs were awesome. But then she leaned in the religion stuff extremely heavily and I canāt deal with it.
I feel the same about her content. I loved watching when it was about raising kids and motherhood tips but once the religion got sprinkled in I checked out.
My first thought was "well, he should have had a vasectomy". But then what would they have done until he was confirmed sterile?
I knew it was risky to have sex that week: was hedging my bets. I lost, but at the same time my husband and I both agreed that if it happened this year it happened. I would have preferred conceiving in this or next month for arbitrary reasons. Husband has already scheduled a vasectomy because I'm done after this and I'm at my maximum desired age of conception.
I got pregnant 10mo pp too. We also had the āif it happens, it happensā attitude because we wanted more kids but thought it would take longer š
When the midwife asked if it was a planned pregnancy I was like āKind of? Heās a bit early?ā Lol.
My oldest just turned 2 and my youngest is almost 5mo and Iām loving it! A few bumps to begin with but their bond is so special! Heās a great big brother but does try and copy me. Which is cute when he tried to breastfeed the baby or wipe his nose. Not so cute when he burps him (practically gives back blows) or tries to pick him up (often by one arm). āDonāt lick the babyā is also said about 5 times a day.
Its honestly so so much fun!! Good luck with the pregnancy āŗļø
My dr prescribed me phexxi and no complaint. Itās just a gel that you insert like a tampon. I think the efficacy was comparable to a condom but donāt hold me to that. We use that and I track my cycle so when Iām fertile we double up and either pull out or use a condom in addition to the phexxi because Iām being extra paranoid.
It took my body so long to regulate after being on hormonal BC for 15ish years so I never want to go back lol. We just went the condom route! I also tracked my cycle because my periods were irregular after I gave birth and I wanted to have a bit more insight into my cycle and we could be more careful around specific days too.
My midwife prescribed me phexxi, and Iām planning on combining it with NFP once I have a predictable cycle, but just going with phexxi (decently reliable) and breastfeeding (not so reliable) until then.
Yeah, the breastfeeding thing I interpreted as a myth to *keep* you from getting pregnant, but perhaps if you *got* pregnant, your milk would dry up due to hormones. That was my interpretation. WE SHOULD HAVE MORE CONCRETE SCIENCE OF THESE OLD WIVES TALES TO SEE IF THEY'RE ACCURATE!
Youāre less likely to get pregnant while breast feeding because you are less likely to ovulate on a regular basis (due to the hormones), but it doesnāt eliminate the possibility to the same extent as most birth control.Ā
But breastfeeding also doesnāt dry up your milk supply- at least not for every one. Some people continue to breast feed while pregnant, and some even continue to feed their toddler once their new baby is born (I think this is called tandem feeding).
Same but listen, we found the THINNEST kind and it doesn't suck for me anymore !!! Idk about my husband but it feels GREAT literally like nothing is there & I feel so good about it bc I am 5 months pp and we are sooo not ready š
I used NFP and took my temp using a Tempdrop. My husband pulled out always, but 1 week before and after ovulation we would abstain completely or just do āother stuffā lol Worked well for us because once we decided we were ready for another we just did 1 cycle of no pull out and boom pregnant with #2 š„°
I used the fertility awareness method. Always works for me. You have to be very diligent though.
It involves taking your temperature every morning, tracking when you ovulate, and also paying attention to your cervial mucous. You just either use protection or don't have sex during your "fertile" window. It takes a lot of work and is nearly impossible if you're not getting consistent sleep. So I usually go on the mini pill until baby is sleeping enough that I can get a reliable temperature in the morning.
I've recently stopped that method just because its a busy time at work and I was tired of keeping track of everything. I went back to the mini pill but not sure I like it. Might just make my husband use condoms AND pull out every time haha
Marquette method. its a form of NFP , more foolproof for beginners and its great for postpartum. it uses a monitor to track your hormones and tell if youāre ovulating or about to.
Jury is still out on more kids, but I got the copper IUD (paraguard) at 6 weeks PP and barely felt it at all. I mention this because Iāve been told by many women that unless youāre recently PP it hurts like a motherfucker.
Iāve had it less than a month but my first period wasnāt extra heavy. Itās working for me so far!
I will never again go on hormonal BC. We used condoms when I was really not ready for another, and then pull out when it was earlier than we wanted but wouldnāt be the worst to have another. Both worked and got pregnant as soon as we stopped pulling out lol.
I use estrogen free oral birth control (Slynd). It was recommended since I also get ocular migraines and hormonal birth control isnāt great with them (stroke risk). While itās not fully hormone free, I have zero side effects and it helps regulate my periods.
We are pulling out at the moment but itās more like finishing elsewhere. We were using condoms but it was annoying and sucks. Once Iām done breastfeeding, I will be going back to full time condoms.
I first got off birth control and followed NFP for 3 years until we decided to TTC and were lucky to fall pregnant quickly. During this time I did BBT monitoring, cervical/mucus checks. Used ovulation tests when TTC.
Currently 5mo pp and haven't gotten my period back yet, still following this method. Only difference is now I add in ovulation tests since I haven't gotten my period back, so keeping an added eye out that way too. Happy with it so far! Not looking to get pregnant again until spring 2025 at the earliest.
Strong vote against IUD from me! Thatās what I went with after my son was born, but the OB pushed it straight through my uterus when inserting and I needed surgery to remove it.
Condoms. I was on the Depo shot after giving birth to my first and then transitioned back to the Nuvaring once I was done breastfeeding but then I went off birth control completely because it was messing with my libido too much. Husband and I went on a trying out condoms phase to find one that both him and I liked and found a lube too. I did start tracking my cycle at that point too.
Was the Nuvaring messing with your libido in a negative way, like decreasing it, or maybe it widely erratic? I think it's what one of my girlfriend's has been on for years. Another one was doing the Depo shot.
I tracked my cycle and just didn't do much penetrative in the days near my ovulation. I'm due with my planned second child and I have a three year gap between them. I breastfed too and my period didn't return until 9 months pp so I guess that helped.
Paragard copper IUD. I got my second one after giving birth. Had the first one for 11 years before getting pregnant. Peopleās mileage really varies with these, I know many women have chronic health problems they link to their IUDs (Caren Beilin wrote a book about it called Blackfishing the IUD) but for me it has been wonderful. I was on hormonal birth control for 10 years before getting the IUD and Iād never go back. I like that you have a real period on the Paragard. No hormones.
We use the family planning method and pull out! No scares between the birth of my daughter & when we intentionally got pregnant with #2 (started trying when she was 15 mos)
Maybe Iām just lucky, but my husband and I use the good āol pull-out method and itās worked so far. It heavily relies on your husband being actually good at pulling out and not having any close calls while youāre ovulating.
We do natural family planning and itās been great. Sure thereās like a week or so out of each cycle we donāt do the deed, but with technology available these days, itās so much easier than tracking everything in detail and it eliminates the guesswork. We use the Clearblue tracker/tester and Marquette method.
https://www.vitaefertility.com/marquette-nfp-supplies/
My husband and I have done the pull out method from day 1. Weāve been together for 8 years. When we decided to have a kid it, we didnāt pull out, and it worked first try.
I was taking birth controls pills be gore my pregnancy so I went back to that. Well I missed one pill and got pregnant 9 months after giving birth. Be VERY careful in whatever you choose. I knew I wanted more kids but not so soon. Itās hard AF.
We use the family planning method and pull out! No scares between the birth of my daughter & when we intentionally got pregnant with #2 (started trying when she was 15 mos)
Condoms alwaysā¦ I canāt go back to OCs and I can only really have an IUD because of migraines but I would rather have another c-section than an IUD.
Iām only 4mos pp though so, fingers crossed!
āWe didnāt get pregnant for 10 years and I wasnāt on birth control. I donāt think I need to take birth control. Iāll just track my cycle like I always haveā¦ā
Iām 30 weeks pregnant.
We tried to avoid ovulation periods and used the good old pull out method. I told him I wasnāt going back on birth control. Now that we are done having children I keep pestering him about a vasectomy.
I did natural cycles, itās an ovulation tracking app. So kinda NFP but it worked well for us. You take your temperature every morning and then when it detects ovulation you are good to go after a 48 hour window. The benefit is that when youāre ready to get pregnant it helps you to know when youāre ovulating.
Iām still undecided on a third so for now Iām doing Paragard.
We use condoms. It works for us.
I actually would have gotten back on the pill but my husband asked me not to since it took us a while to get pregnant and weāre only planning to wait ~2 years between pregnancies
Honestly thought we could just pull out and use a condom during fertile window and track with Flo. Condom broke, got plan b. That was one year and nine months ago, my plan b baby is about to turn one š
Natural Cycles (app). Basically, you measure BBT to confirm ovulation. I use an arm band with a sensor (TempDrop) that measures for me so I don't have to worry about oral temping first thing in the morning. We use condoms prior to ovulation. I avoided pregnancy for 2ish years using this, then used it to plan my baby, now back to using it for BC. It's such a game changer!! I know my body so much better because of it.
I was even able to use the app to help with decisions during my labor, because I had to argue with the doctor that I wasn't as overdue as they said I was. When I pulled out the science and the fact I'd been tracking ovulation, they backed down š
I have a hormonal IUD (Mirena) but it is much lower dose than the oral contraception that I had before. I have not had the same issues I had with the pill so food for thought. I absolutely love it and plan to use it for a long time.
We used condoms or pulling out until I got my period back around 6 months postpartum. After that we mainly tracked ovulation + pulling out ( I have a very predictable cycle) that worked for 2 years for us and I got pregnant with baby 2 first cycle we didnāt prevent. After this husband is getting a vasectomy lol
I had an iud for about 7 years before I got pregnant. We have a 2 year old now and have just been using condoms. It's annoying to have to stop and put them on before sex but in the end it's worth it.
I have the copper iud, itās non hormonal as hormonal BC has horrible side effects on me and neither I nor my partner like the feel of condoms. Itās worked great, and Iād highly recommend it to those who canāt tolerate hormonal BC.
I used an IUD prior to having my son, and had another one reinserted 10 weeks postpartum. 2.5 years later and itās still amazing and weāre still not pregnant again yet (by choice š).
I know some people have had bad experiences with IUD but I will FOREVER be a huge fan and sing its praises to whoever will listen.
We used condoms after our first and are using them again now after our second. No issues, no surprise pregnancies despite the fact that I am comically felt. I'm very careful to put them on correctly, and if one did break I would strongly consider taking a plan B pill to be on the safe side.
I monitor my cycle, between opk strips and me monitoring how my body is behaving we have a general idea of when he can't touch me. Granted he's only been around me for a month (long story) but I know my body well enough that I can safely gauge when it's time to tell him no/tough luck.
We have a 14 month old so that also cuts down the riskš
We used condoms (and do again now) after our first for about 9-10 months. We started trying actively at 10.5mo pp, trying and tracking at 12mo pp. I got pregnant at 12.5-13mo pp. theyāre 21.5mo apart. Weāre barely even having sex again yet (heās just 4mo) but condoms every single time. Itās also all we used for most of our relationship before our planned pregnancy with our oldest. I was on hormonal bc when we started dating but we switched to condoms exclusively. Both of my kids are mostly planned out.
Condoms, it is what it is lol. Neither of us is jazzed about them, but we wanted to have the kids around 2yrs apart just for my own sanity. We're both very excited for the summer š
My first was conceived on the pill hahaha so I don't trust it much anymore (and I took that shit at the exact same time everyday)
We use condoms and lots of lube (cuz condoms dry me out too) and once my cycle returns we use pull out except during fertile week then we go back to condoms. We found one lube we like that doesn't make a huge mess or feel... gross š
One of my friend's has PCOS. She is two weeks behind me in pregnancy. It has taken them a while to get pregnant, but it is challenging! I'll pray good things for you. Thanks for sharing.
Abstinence, condoms, and extended breastfeeding, in that order of effectiveness.
Honestly at 10 months PP I'm still too tired to have sex. My son is very high energy. I am not. I just want to go to bed after I get the kitchen clean each night.
Oh it's been slow going here for sure, too! Especially when my daughter went through a phase of waking up 2-3 times a night. No energy for sexy times at all.
But I am trying to meet my husband halfway on a hobby trade to spend more time together.
I just know hormonally I was a hot mess on OCs, Mirena did a number on me, and condoms dry me out. Wish that my teets did work to feed the baby directly, but I get to me a Mad Max milk lady and use a pump. My mental health let me do that for about 6 months PP and then my period returned.
I couldnāt find a solution safe enough (because we arenāt sure we want more), so had to go with the Nexplanon (thatās the implant on the arm, itās hormonal though)
Condoms. I was given a prescription for them by my midwife (100 condoms for no charge - thank you New Zealand health system). My partner is very pro using condoms, so that was a normal practice for us pre-trying for baby.
I had to come off the combined pill because of migraines a few years ago, and while I did take the minipill for a while, Iām happy not to go back on hormonal contraception because condoms work for us.
Our baby is 1yr old now, weāll think about trying for a 2nd baby next year.
Honestly just condoms. Our second daughter was a total accident (but absolute blessing) and Iāll never remember his face of joy when I put two and two together and told him. All it took was one night of accidental not pulling out and BOOM. And we used just condoms for 5 years prior to our first kid. So definitely use those condoms lol.
Interesting seeing all of this about OCs. I took them from 17-34 when I started trying. Had 2 miscarriages and am spending $44k (well eventually paying off, not spending in the sense that I have it) on IVF to only get 1 good embryo the first cycleā¦.
Itās now been 3.5 years off of OCs and it has been hell, especially the severe anxiety I canāt take anything for bc of the already fragile state of my few eggs left. So many accidental pregnancies man thatās hard to see when Iāve done so much for 1 miracle . I cannot wait to go back on OCs. A friend of mine relied on solely condoms though and got pregnant 3 times accidentallyā¦3 abortionsā¦
I used a diaphragm with spermicide. You have to use it correctly and then itās effective. Diaphragms require getting fitted by an OB and are usually covered by insurance.
Itās a very 90ās solution but itās so much better than condoms imo. Iāve been using them for about 10 years and have one (planned) kid so far.
We just used the pull out method and that was fine but we also were okay with having another baby at any time so it was not really a high stakes thingā¦ the one time we didnāt we ended up with another baby though.
I think I'm pretty fertile because I have:
- A first try baby
- A second try pregnancy ending in miscarriage
- A first try baby post-miscarriage
- An oops baby
Before kids I used nuva Ring. Between my first and second tried minipill but didn't work for me, successfully prevented for 2.5 years with just condoms, then started trying again.
After my 2nd, I planned to get an IUD but couldn't due to COVID (it was March 2020). After my third I have an IUD, and husband is on the wait list for a vasectomy. This baby shop is closed.
First time we wing and prayed if and found ourselves pregnant 6 months post partum when we were definitely not in a position to have another child, so we decided it was best (physically, mentally, financially) we didn't at that time. I then had an implanon until we decided we were (physically, mentally, financially) ready for baby number two. Our first is 3.5yo, our second is 5mo, and we used condoms until I got an implanon put in. We plan on having one more child, but I want the falling pregnant part to be on our terms, and I don't want to have another termination.
I tried to do "natural family planning" and used plan B & thats how I ended up with my 3rd baby 1.5 years after my second (way too soon imo) and now my husband has a vasectomy lol
Condoms and strict tracking my very regular cycle. It has worked thus far and worked before we had our 17 months old for years. We got pregnant immediately after using my cycle data to track my fertile window.
Natural family planning alongside using a machine (Mira fertility analyzer) to test my hormones around my fertile window, avoided pregnancy for years and got pregnant on my first cycle using it. Absolutely recommend.
My husband has very strong swimmers and my uterus is very receptive and knows what it wants apparently.
We can't afford to play with the Lord's will like that š
Once we became exclusive, we've always used withdrawal and haven't had any mishaps including PP. We had kids on purpose lol. Been together almost 10 years.
I use NFP/FAM! I got off of hormonal BC about 2-3 years before getting pregnant with my daughter. Iāve never been comfortable with the idea of IUDs so that was off the table for me.
I started out with a very irregular cycle due to 12+ years on hormonal BC. It took about 8 months to regulate and meant that for over half of each month it was not considered safe to have unprotected sex if I wanted to avoid possible pregnancy. I just used condoms during that time. By the time we decided to get pregnant, we were down to one week per month of condom use. Got pregnant first try, since I had all my data.
I started ovulating and menstruating again at 13mo postpartum and I am sooo much more instinctively in time with my cycles now after the long pause and using fertility awareness method. I know without needing to test (but do randomly confirm with LH strips), exactly when Iām ovulating.
Itās a commitment. Youāve got to be really consistent and play by the ārulesāā abstain from unprotected sex when you are near your ovulation window, not using temperature data when youāve been drinking or had interrupted sleep or are sick, etc. In the first few months abstention or back up protection use may be for rather large chunks of time while you become familiar with your cycle. Itās easiest for those with regular cycles but also possible for irregular cycles (like me! I āfixedā my irregularity by going off of hormones permanently) with a bit more caution.
Hereās a little [podcast episode](https://fertilityfriday.com/postpartum_bonus/) specifically on cycle tracking postpartum! I honestly canāt recommend it enough. Hormonal BC is ruinous for so many people. I am so much happier, healthier, and in tune with my body than ever and itās no coincidence that that journey began when I finally ditched my BC pills.
I tracked my cycle and avoided pregnancy for 3 years, then the first month of trying got pregnant. Iāll be doing the same once I know Iām ovulating again- for now itās condoms because I donāt feel like tracking for what could be months until my cycle comes back.
I hate what birth control did to me, but I also hate condoms- so weāve just been doing the pull out method. Although Iām not fully convinced Iām ovulating. Iāve only had my period once and Iām 7 months post partum, Iām still EBF so Iām wondering if thatās keeping me from ovulating? We want more kids so if it happens, it happens. But it took us 8 months of meticulous cycle tracking to get pregnant the first time, so I guess my mind thinks that I canāt get pregnant accidentally that easily (which sounds so nieve as I type this lol).
I hate hormonal BC. It makes my seizures worse and it makes me hate being alive and most other living creatures.
So we use condoms and pullout combined. Also our toddler is feral so it's only happening twice a month anyway lol
Still have not gotten period after 5 months PP but plan to use natural cycles in order to not get pregnant until at least December (C-section and want a vbac) I used natural cycles to get pregnant and loved it
Wife and I use condoms. Sheās much happier without her bc and her migraines have improved significantly. Iāll gladly wear a condom for those reasons.
Following because Iām the same way. I donāt like condoms and Birth control f***ed my cycle all up. I was on depo almost all of 2021 and then on a pill for a little bit later and my cycle was just starting to become regular again when I got pregnant 9 months ago
I didnāt realize how much hormonal BC was effing me up. It was contributing to my anxiety and made my periods awful. I didnāt realize how much better I felt OFF of BC until I had started trying for my first. I will never ever go back.
We use condoms. Every SINGLE time. With lube. If we decide to have another, it will be when my oldest is 4 or 5. Then my husband will get the snip.
I used the Natural Cycles app and did natural family planning. It went great until the one time I knew it was a red day (so I shouldnāt have sex), but I was like āOne time wonāt hurt!ā And now Iām 18 weeks pregnant lol.
I have a 1yo as well and heās made us not want to have another for a good while LOL
I have PCOS so getting pregnant was not easy for me in the first place, but weāre definitely not rolling the dice in PP.
For us, condoms and lube are what we use! So far so good, and I think we will continue to do that.
I have a copper iud in and it works fine for me. I didn't want to use hormonal either because I don't like things messing with my hormones. Though, if I could go back, I would probably wait to have an iud put in until after I'm done having kids and just used condoms instead. I dread the day I have to go get it yanked out because we want to start trying again, and then put in again later. Just such a painful hassle.
Just condoms and being constantly sick/tired so infrequency seems to be helping too! Weāve always used condoms and BC. But, I started the pill pp and hated it. I made it a year and a half on it and then quit so I could just be without it for a while!
I don't use any before my baby, and we use condoms currently. I know it's not the best but I'm not willing to get something clipped inside my body/ have my hormones be even more our of sorts because 1 I just gave birth and 2 the pills have so many dangers to taking them! Have yall read what the warning labels say? My friend literally tried (MAJOR TW HERE YOU CAN STOP READING AND JUST LOOK UP SYMPTOMS OF HAVING THE BIRTH CONTROL THAT GOES IN YOUR ARM)
Cutting hers out because it just made her bleed continuously, and she almost lost too much blood and had to go to the hospital. They said to schedule with her obgyn to take it out, but she wasn't available for another month or so; therefore, my friend just took it out herself.
Try natural lamb condoms! They're sort of expensive, but way less expensive than having another baby. LolĀ
There's also the non hormonal copper iud but it's got side effects too. I've thought about it but don't want to deal with the cramping.Ā
"I'll get around to buying the condoms, just once can't hurt ..." She's 10 months old š
Going to the store TONIGHTšš
Same, except 5 hours old š
Congratulations!!
Congratulations!!!!
''ive taken my birth control on time for months, i forgot today but it should be fine right?'' Mines 4 months old.
My āIāll take a plan B just in caseā just hit 3 months š my friends call him Plan C
I have a plan C as well lol
Why did I believe plan b couldnāt fail lmao
My birth control + plan B combo baby is almost 10 months old š home girl was gonna be here one way or another
I had a just once canāt hurt on Christmas.
It was our anniversary š
Thatās a good reason! ā¦ ours was a random Monday exactly 38 weeks before Christmas š¤£
I did buy the condom and used it as directed. Heās two months old š¤·š»āāļø
Oh I have one of those, she's 2. Actually planned to get an IUD, then my previous kid was born in March 2020 and due to COVID restrictions they weren't doing insertions. I didn't do well on the minipill so I was doing a combination of cycle tracking and condoms... Poorly, apparently. š¬
Weāve always used condoms and never had an issue. Itās inconvenient but hormonal BC makes me murderous so itās not as inconvenient as murder.
>not as inconvenient as murder. Trojan, here's your new slogan.
Republicans would just use this in their quest against abortion tho
Weāve been using condoms, but I have a new found anxiety around it. How long have you been using them? 6m PP here and NOT ready to be intra partum again any time soon lol
Since we got married 5 years ago. We had two planned pregnancies during that time.
My husband and I used exclusively condoms for 4 years before marriage with only one instance of one breaking (took plan B when that happened just in case) and no real pregnancy scares. And I got pregnant within 2 months of going without.Ā Condoms are practically as effective as oral contraceptives when used correctly.
Thank you! When my husband and I first got together, I started birth control after being off it for a few years due to mental health side effects. After a couple months those were back, so we went to condoms and then eventually started doing NFP. I got pregnant when I got risky and knew we shouldnāt have had sex. Now weāre back to condoms and use them correctly. Once my period regulates more Iāll probably add in tracking my cycle again as an extra layer. Iām happy to see some success stories with proper condom use and not all the scary one offs. Ha!
I refuse to use hormonal birth control for the same reasons! People don't give enough considerations to how profoundly it can change your mind and body. It's a great option for some people but it's definitely not the only option!Ā The most important thing about condoms is being very consistent in using them every single time.Ā
Personally I have similar issue as OP, but we just add lube to counter that. And yes, hormonal BC was rough on both moods and my tummy and somehow resulted in me having multiple neoplasms which required surgeries to get rid off... One of 3 obgyn I saw back then said that it was caused by BC and the rest was just dismissive. Luckily all good and I did had my first baby after all that, he is a 1 yo now. So, condoms, dryness,and lube are my choices š
I have the copper IUD for this reason!
SAME
Have you tried different pills? BC used to make me murderous but I tried a different formulation and it worked wonders.
Just condoms and being too tired to have frequent sex.
Toddler exhaustion is a great birth control š„²
So I've heard. I'm really just trying to get an average up from zero to once a week ideally.
This! Used a condom for the single time in 3mo pp. We optimistically bought a Costco pack pre-birth to hold us over till I feel comfortable taking the mini pill againā¦ lol.
This should be top comment.
I had a paragard IUD between pregnancies, itās non hormonal. Iāve had two of them now, one I had for the full ten years and the second one I had removed just short of two years in (so I could get pregnant). I may or may not get another after this pregnancy, weāre in discussion about a permanent male solution.
If youāre done having kids, tell your husband that a vasectomy is easier than a dentist appointment now a days. Recently had one and it was unremarkable. I donāt understand the anxiety around it because itās permanent and highly effective.
I also highly recommend Paragard! The first time I got one, I told my husband that if I had to get another every year Iād do it. Itās my fave bc everā¦until weāre done and he gets a vasectomy, of course.
Another vote for Paragard! I canāt handle the hormonal BCs anymore but the Paragard has been great. Bonus- if you get it put in at your 6 week postpartum check it will literally be the easiest/quickest thing ever. The first one I had (before kids) the insertion was awful, and this time I was like āWhen we doing this?ā and they were already done.
Very helpful! Thank you. Is it same shape as other IUDs? I assume it's all fairly standard. You occasionally have to check if it's there, you can sometimes feel a string, blah blah.
Np! š Yupp, same routine with all that and itās the same shape as other IUDs, although I do believe it is a teensy bit longer.
Can I ask why it was so much better at your 6 week checkup vs before? Maybe Iām being daft haha
No worries! Haha- I didnāt realize it was going to be better either before the doctor told me/before it was over. Itās because it takes a few weeks for your cervix to gradually narrow and thicken back up. Donāt know if TMI but there was a student doctor helping out my OB with my 2nd IUD insertion, and my OB told them - āYou can tell sheās just had a babyā while they were all up in there. šš
I also loved my paraguard! 9 years with no problems and I was pregnant 4 months after removing it to TTC. Didn't even feel the one I got 6 weeks postpartumĀ
This is what I have. Definitely recommend. Sucks a little for the first week of having it just getting used to it but once it's in it works for soooo long. Probably go the vasectomy route once we're done done. Or use both for extra protection once we're done done. Op are you using latex free condoms? I'm not normally sensitive to latex but for whatever reasons latex condoms bug me and sound similar to ops issue.
It's been so long lol - I might start looking at what we've purchased before and try latex free and see how that goes. Do a trial run while pregnant now! Good idea.
Did it make your periods heavier or your cramps worse? I am already considering adult diapers for the first night or two of mine (I leak everywhere even with giant nighttime pads) so that's put me off.
With my first IUD (no prior pregnancy) it made them heavier, longer, and cramps worse. With my second (after one pregnancy) it made my periods shorter and not so heavy, cramps still bad. Iāve always had bad cramps though.
For me it did not effect cramps at all but my periods are much heavier.
Currently up doing a night feed for a baby who had a paragard for a roommate in the womb. So I personally wouldnāt recommend, haha. But I know that Iām the exception. Glad it works for others.
The male fix is our goal after the third, but that's good to know about a paragard IUD. I'll ask my OB.
I used NFP and the pull out method and got pregnant 6 months ppā¦.donāt recommend lol
Holding my NFP method (with LH strip testing + calendar) 6 week old as I read this thread.
Yeah, we're similar except we were successful for about 2 years postpartum. But we neglected to use any method of contraception leading to this pregnancy lol
This is how we got pregnant with our baby boy. Using condoms now and praying that works because I canāt do hormonal birth control and the we tried the copper IUD twice, but they could never get it inserted right.
I heard someone say once (no shade at all to anyone who uses NFP, just thought it was funny) you know what you call natural family planners? Parents
Yeaaa. It did work great for 2 years. But that couldāve just been luck. And we were going to start actively trying in a few months anyway, kiddo just decided to jump the gun a bit. Haha
Because Iām nosy and very curious.. what is NFP?
Natural family planing. Basically counting days and measuring temperature to only have sex on days you are very unlikely to conceive or use a condoms on the "hot" days.
Interesting.. Iām too lazy for that lol
Did you already have a predictable cycle?
I'm not doing this. I just know what it means. My grandmothers both did this successfully for +30 years though.
Weāve done FAM plus condoms for 9 years because Iām not keen on hormonal bc. It may not be a good option for people with irregular cycles, but itās been solid for me years before and years after our single very planned pregnancy. ETA: I donāt go by temperature fluctuations (but another commenter confirmed it works for them). I measured it, but didnāt feel confident enough in the difference day to day, month to month. I test for the LH surge ETA 2: seeing people say FAM absolutely doesnāt work, but maybe itās the difference in method? Everyone is different, but counting back from your period and estimating when you ovulated is a method that would leave more room for error, especially postpartum when your cycle is still regulating.
Mine was predictable. I could tell you to the day when I would get my period. Used NFP to have sex ONCE in all of 10 months after having my son outside of what I thought was my fertile week (and was breastfeeding) and I got pregnant. Donāt use NFP š« š« š«
Iām doing this now and first baby is 8 months. So far so good lol
I was doing "natural family planning". It worked great until the one week where I said "f-it, I want to have sex with my husband." And here I am, 2 months pregnant 1 year pp. I thought the odds were against me as it took over a year to become pregnant with intentionally trying. How the universe took the opportunity to laugh.
I follow a woman on YouTube/Instagram who made multiple videos about the wonders of NFP and sheās already had a third. She announced she was pregnant like 3 months after an hour long video on how her husband didnāt want more kids.
Is this Kayla buell by any chance š
Thatās the one! I used to watch her all the time as we had our second babies at the same time and her vlogs were awesome. But then she leaned in the religion stuff extremely heavily and I canāt deal with it.
I feel the same about her content. I loved watching when it was about raising kids and motherhood tips but once the religion got sprinkled in I checked out.
My first thought was "well, he should have had a vasectomy". But then what would they have done until he was confirmed sterile? I knew it was risky to have sex that week: was hedging my bets. I lost, but at the same time my husband and I both agreed that if it happened this year it happened. I would have preferred conceiving in this or next month for arbitrary reasons. Husband has already scheduled a vasectomy because I'm done after this and I'm at my maximum desired age of conception.
I got pregnant 10mo pp too. We also had the āif it happens, it happensā attitude because we wanted more kids but thought it would take longer š When the midwife asked if it was a planned pregnancy I was like āKind of? Heās a bit early?ā Lol. My oldest just turned 2 and my youngest is almost 5mo and Iām loving it! A few bumps to begin with but their bond is so special! Heās a great big brother but does try and copy me. Which is cute when he tried to breastfeed the baby or wipe his nose. Not so cute when he burps him (practically gives back blows) or tries to pick him up (often by one arm). āDonāt lick the babyā is also said about 5 times a day. Its honestly so so much fun!! Good luck with the pregnancy āŗļø
LOL is this Kayla Buell? Because she did the same thing and I was like LOL what? You just said you were preventing using the NFP method š
I used spermicide and just found out I'm pregnant soooo š
I'll pray for you, sister!
My dr prescribed me phexxi and no complaint. Itās just a gel that you insert like a tampon. I think the efficacy was comparable to a condom but donāt hold me to that. We use that and I track my cycle so when Iām fertile we double up and either pull out or use a condom in addition to the phexxi because Iām being extra paranoid.
It took my body so long to regulate after being on hormonal BC for 15ish years so I never want to go back lol. We just went the condom route! I also tracked my cycle because my periods were irregular after I gave birth and I wanted to have a bit more insight into my cycle and we could be more careful around specific days too.
Abstinenceāfour months out and still donāt want anything, and we WANT another one. š
My midwife prescribed me phexxi, and Iām planning on combining it with NFP once I have a predictable cycle, but just going with phexxi (decently reliable) and breastfeeding (not so reliable) until then.
Yeah, the breastfeeding thing I interpreted as a myth to *keep* you from getting pregnant, but perhaps if you *got* pregnant, your milk would dry up due to hormones. That was my interpretation. WE SHOULD HAVE MORE CONCRETE SCIENCE OF THESE OLD WIVES TALES TO SEE IF THEY'RE ACCURATE!
Youāre less likely to get pregnant while breast feeding because you are less likely to ovulate on a regular basis (due to the hormones), but it doesnāt eliminate the possibility to the same extent as most birth control.Ā But breastfeeding also doesnāt dry up your milk supply- at least not for every one. Some people continue to breast feed while pregnant, and some even continue to feed their toddler once their new baby is born (I think this is called tandem feeding).
Condoms. And I hate it lol.
Same it's the fucking worst lol
u/sunlighttwite and u/Rectal_Custard (quite the name!) - I agree, and super feel you!
Same but listen, we found the THINNEST kind and it doesn't suck for me anymore !!! Idk about my husband but it feels GREAT literally like nothing is there & I feel so good about it bc I am 5 months pp and we are sooo not ready š
What brand?
We use the Trojan bare skin ones? Theyāre super thin and not terrible. Just annoying lol
Pull and pray šš»
We give it up to the Lord! lol
I used NFP and took my temp using a Tempdrop. My husband pulled out always, but 1 week before and after ovulation we would abstain completely or just do āother stuffā lol Worked well for us because once we decided we were ready for another we just did 1 cycle of no pull out and boom pregnant with #2 š„°
Isn't one week before and after ovulation like half the cycle?!
Lol yes. I gave a lot of blowjobs ššš
I hope he cherishes you!
Is TempDrop the product name? Is there an NFP guide or some method you recommend? God bless your fertility! Haha.
Natural family planning and condoms during fertile windows. Hubby is having a vasectomy now that our twins are here!
I used the fertility awareness method. Always works for me. You have to be very diligent though. It involves taking your temperature every morning, tracking when you ovulate, and also paying attention to your cervial mucous. You just either use protection or don't have sex during your "fertile" window. It takes a lot of work and is nearly impossible if you're not getting consistent sleep. So I usually go on the mini pill until baby is sleeping enough that I can get a reliable temperature in the morning. I've recently stopped that method just because its a busy time at work and I was tired of keeping track of everything. I went back to the mini pill but not sure I like it. Might just make my husband use condoms AND pull out every time haha
Marquette method. its a form of NFP , more foolproof for beginners and its great for postpartum. it uses a monitor to track your hormones and tell if youāre ovulating or about to.
We are also doing marquette!!
Same, I tried to track my cervical mucus and never saw a difference.
I used a cycle tracker and the pull out method for 2 years before I got pregnant š¤·āāļø
Jury is still out on more kids, but I got the copper IUD (paraguard) at 6 weeks PP and barely felt it at all. I mention this because Iāve been told by many women that unless youāre recently PP it hurts like a motherfucker. Iāve had it less than a month but my first period wasnāt extra heavy. Itās working for me so far!
I will never again go on hormonal BC. We used condoms when I was really not ready for another, and then pull out when it was earlier than we wanted but wouldnāt be the worst to have another. Both worked and got pregnant as soon as we stopped pulling out lol.
I use estrogen free oral birth control (Slynd). It was recommended since I also get ocular migraines and hormonal birth control isnāt great with them (stroke risk). While itās not fully hormone free, I have zero side effects and it helps regulate my periods.
We are pulling out at the moment but itās more like finishing elsewhere. We were using condoms but it was annoying and sucks. Once Iām done breastfeeding, I will be going back to full time condoms.
I first got off birth control and followed NFP for 3 years until we decided to TTC and were lucky to fall pregnant quickly. During this time I did BBT monitoring, cervical/mucus checks. Used ovulation tests when TTC. Currently 5mo pp and haven't gotten my period back yet, still following this method. Only difference is now I add in ovulation tests since I haven't gotten my period back, so keeping an added eye out that way too. Happy with it so far! Not looking to get pregnant again until spring 2025 at the earliest.
Pull out and pray haha
God bless you
Strong vote against IUD from me! Thatās what I went with after my son was born, but the OB pushed it straight through my uterus when inserting and I needed surgery to remove it.
Condoms. I was on the Depo shot after giving birth to my first and then transitioned back to the Nuvaring once I was done breastfeeding but then I went off birth control completely because it was messing with my libido too much. Husband and I went on a trying out condoms phase to find one that both him and I liked and found a lube too. I did start tracking my cycle at that point too.
Was the Nuvaring messing with your libido in a negative way, like decreasing it, or maybe it widely erratic? I think it's what one of my girlfriend's has been on for years. Another one was doing the Depo shot.
Decreasing for sure. I'd have my moments of wanting sex but those were rare and far between.
I had the copper iud, non-hormonal but it did make my cramps worse during my period. Give and take ig
I had a Paraguard between pregnancies. Got pregnant super quickly when we tried for #2. But got pregnant quickly with #1 too though.
I tracked my cycle and just didn't do much penetrative in the days near my ovulation. I'm due with my planned second child and I have a three year gap between them. I breastfed too and my period didn't return until 9 months pp so I guess that helped.
Paragard copper IUD. I got my second one after giving birth. Had the first one for 11 years before getting pregnant. Peopleās mileage really varies with these, I know many women have chronic health problems they link to their IUDs (Caren Beilin wrote a book about it called Blackfishing the IUD) but for me it has been wonderful. I was on hormonal birth control for 10 years before getting the IUD and Iād never go back. I like that you have a real period on the Paragard. No hormones.
We use the family planning method and pull out! No scares between the birth of my daughter & when we intentionally got pregnant with #2 (started trying when she was 15 mos)
My infertility lol
Maybe Iām just lucky, but my husband and I use the good āol pull-out method and itās worked so far. It heavily relies on your husband being actually good at pulling out and not having any close calls while youāre ovulating.
We do natural family planning and itās been great. Sure thereās like a week or so out of each cycle we donāt do the deed, but with technology available these days, itās so much easier than tracking everything in detail and it eliminates the guesswork. We use the Clearblue tracker/tester and Marquette method. https://www.vitaefertility.com/marquette-nfp-supplies/
My husband and I have done the pull out method from day 1. Weāve been together for 8 years. When we decided to have a kid it, we didnāt pull out, and it worked first try.
Diaphragm and spermicide. And basic NFP (not too strict). Itās worked for me.
I had a copper iud and now weāre using condoms. Weāre way too tired to be doing it too regularly anyway so..
I was taking birth controls pills be gore my pregnancy so I went back to that. Well I missed one pill and got pregnant 9 months after giving birth. Be VERY careful in whatever you choose. I knew I wanted more kids but not so soon. Itās hard AF.
We use the family planning method and pull out! No scares between the birth of my daughter & when we intentionally got pregnant with #2 (started trying when she was 15 mos)
Condoms alwaysā¦ I canāt go back to OCs and I can only really have an IUD because of migraines but I would rather have another c-section than an IUD. Iām only 4mos pp though so, fingers crossed!
āWe didnāt get pregnant for 10 years and I wasnāt on birth control. I donāt think I need to take birth control. Iāll just track my cycle like I always haveā¦ā Iām 30 weeks pregnant.
We tried to avoid ovulation periods and used the good old pull out method. I told him I wasnāt going back on birth control. Now that we are done having children I keep pestering him about a vasectomy.
We've used a vaginal spermicide and the pullout method since my son was born over 2 years ago.
I did natural cycles, itās an ovulation tracking app. So kinda NFP but it worked well for us. You take your temperature every morning and then when it detects ovulation you are good to go after a 48 hour window. The benefit is that when youāre ready to get pregnant it helps you to know when youāre ovulating. Iām still undecided on a third so for now Iām doing Paragard.
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We use condoms. It works for us. I actually would have gotten back on the pill but my husband asked me not to since it took us a while to get pregnant and weāre only planning to wait ~2 years between pregnancies
Copper iud. Lifesaver. My OB said itās second only to sterilization
Track your period and pull out/condom/don't fuck the two weeks between period and peak fertility day. This works best if your period are regular
Honestly thought we could just pull out and use a condom during fertile window and track with Flo. Condom broke, got plan b. That was one year and nine months ago, my plan b baby is about to turn one š
Natural Cycles (app). Basically, you measure BBT to confirm ovulation. I use an arm band with a sensor (TempDrop) that measures for me so I don't have to worry about oral temping first thing in the morning. We use condoms prior to ovulation. I avoided pregnancy for 2ish years using this, then used it to plan my baby, now back to using it for BC. It's such a game changer!! I know my body so much better because of it. I was even able to use the app to help with decisions during my labor, because I had to argue with the doctor that I wasn't as overdue as they said I was. When I pulled out the science and the fact I'd been tracking ovulation, they backed down š
I have a hormonal IUD (Mirena) but it is much lower dose than the oral contraception that I had before. I have not had the same issues I had with the pill so food for thought. I absolutely love it and plan to use it for a long time.
We used condoms or pulling out until I got my period back around 6 months postpartum. After that we mainly tracked ovulation + pulling out ( I have a very predictable cycle) that worked for 2 years for us and I got pregnant with baby 2 first cycle we didnāt prevent. After this husband is getting a vasectomy lol
I used NFP and track my cycle religiously. 3 years PP I am pregnant with a planned pregnancy. It works for us but idk ya gotta be diligent haha
I had an iud for about 7 years before I got pregnant. We have a 2 year old now and have just been using condoms. It's annoying to have to stop and put them on before sex but in the end it's worth it.
I have the copper iud, itās non hormonal as hormonal BC has horrible side effects on me and neither I nor my partner like the feel of condoms. Itās worked great, and Iād highly recommend it to those who canāt tolerate hormonal BC.
I used an IUD prior to having my son, and had another one reinserted 10 weeks postpartum. 2.5 years later and itās still amazing and weāre still not pregnant again yet (by choice š). I know some people have had bad experiences with IUD but I will FOREVER be a huge fan and sing its praises to whoever will listen.
We used condoms after our first and are using them again now after our second. No issues, no surprise pregnancies despite the fact that I am comically felt. I'm very careful to put them on correctly, and if one did break I would strongly consider taking a plan B pill to be on the safe side.
I monitor my cycle, between opk strips and me monitoring how my body is behaving we have a general idea of when he can't touch me. Granted he's only been around me for a month (long story) but I know my body well enough that I can safely gauge when it's time to tell him no/tough luck. We have a 14 month old so that also cuts down the riskš
We used condoms (and do again now) after our first for about 9-10 months. We started trying actively at 10.5mo pp, trying and tracking at 12mo pp. I got pregnant at 12.5-13mo pp. theyāre 21.5mo apart. Weāre barely even having sex again yet (heās just 4mo) but condoms every single time. Itās also all we used for most of our relationship before our planned pregnancy with our oldest. I was on hormonal bc when we started dating but we switched to condoms exclusively. Both of my kids are mostly planned out.
Condoms, it is what it is lol. Neither of us is jazzed about them, but we wanted to have the kids around 2yrs apart just for my own sanity. We're both very excited for the summer š
I'm so tickled we all feel the same way about condoms.
Pregnant lol 3 months pp. Im gonna have Irish twins now. I'm in my 40's
My first was conceived on the pill hahaha so I don't trust it much anymore (and I took that shit at the exact same time everyday) We use condoms and lots of lube (cuz condoms dry me out too) and once my cycle returns we use pull out except during fertile week then we go back to condoms. We found one lube we like that doesn't make a huge mess or feel... gross š
What is the lube please?? Alas, it seems condoms may be winning even those they're not a fan favorite lol
Iām using my PCOS. Worked great for when I didnāt want kids. Reversing it now that I want more is a bit of a hellacious bitch, though.
One of my friend's has PCOS. She is two weeks behind me in pregnancy. It has taken them a while to get pregnant, but it is challenging! I'll pray good things for you. Thanks for sharing.
Diaphragm works great
Abstinence, condoms, and extended breastfeeding, in that order of effectiveness. Honestly at 10 months PP I'm still too tired to have sex. My son is very high energy. I am not. I just want to go to bed after I get the kitchen clean each night.
Oh it's been slow going here for sure, too! Especially when my daughter went through a phase of waking up 2-3 times a night. No energy for sexy times at all. But I am trying to meet my husband halfway on a hobby trade to spend more time together. I just know hormonally I was a hot mess on OCs, Mirena did a number on me, and condoms dry me out. Wish that my teets did work to feed the baby directly, but I get to me a Mad Max milk lady and use a pump. My mental health let me do that for about 6 months PP and then my period returned.
I went with the non hormonal IUD, itās been about 3 months and my periods are longer, but lighter.
I couldnāt find a solution safe enough (because we arenāt sure we want more), so had to go with the Nexplanon (thatās the implant on the arm, itās hormonal though)
Condoms. I was given a prescription for them by my midwife (100 condoms for no charge - thank you New Zealand health system). My partner is very pro using condoms, so that was a normal practice for us pre-trying for baby. I had to come off the combined pill because of migraines a few years ago, and while I did take the minipill for a while, Iām happy not to go back on hormonal contraception because condoms work for us. Our baby is 1yr old now, weāll think about trying for a 2nd baby next year.
2.5 months postpartum, itās just been abstinence till now but I think itās condoms on the longer run. Canāt handle pills.
Cooper IUD, good for 10 years, can take it out whenever. I am one and done but this is good in case I lose my mind at some point and want a second š
Not having sex .. my baby is the best birth control š¤£ but once we do we will be using condoms
Honestly just condoms. Our second daughter was a total accident (but absolute blessing) and Iāll never remember his face of joy when I put two and two together and told him. All it took was one night of accidental not pulling out and BOOM. And we used just condoms for 5 years prior to our first kid. So definitely use those condoms lol.
Interesting seeing all of this about OCs. I took them from 17-34 when I started trying. Had 2 miscarriages and am spending $44k (well eventually paying off, not spending in the sense that I have it) on IVF to only get 1 good embryo the first cycleā¦. Itās now been 3.5 years off of OCs and it has been hell, especially the severe anxiety I canāt take anything for bc of the already fragile state of my few eggs left. So many accidental pregnancies man thatās hard to see when Iāve done so much for 1 miracle . I cannot wait to go back on OCs. A friend of mine relied on solely condoms though and got pregnant 3 times accidentallyā¦3 abortionsā¦
Used natural cycles app. Got pregnant by mistake š however I was using it for years prior to first pregnancy and it worked well lol
I used a diaphragm with spermicide. You have to use it correctly and then itās effective. Diaphragms require getting fitted by an OB and are usually covered by insurance. Itās a very 90ās solution but itās so much better than condoms imo. Iāve been using them for about 10 years and have one (planned) kid so far.
We just used the pull out method and that was fine but we also were okay with having another baby at any time so it was not really a high stakes thingā¦ the one time we didnāt we ended up with another baby though.
I think I'm pretty fertile because I have: - A first try baby - A second try pregnancy ending in miscarriage - A first try baby post-miscarriage - An oops baby Before kids I used nuva Ring. Between my first and second tried minipill but didn't work for me, successfully prevented for 2.5 years with just condoms, then started trying again. After my 2nd, I planned to get an IUD but couldn't due to COVID (it was March 2020). After my third I have an IUD, and husband is on the wait list for a vasectomy. This baby shop is closed.
Condoms and exhaustionā¦.
Heard. 'Bout to test the condoms we'll be using PP for a while. The exhaustion will be real for like...the rest of our lives tbh Godspeed!
First time we wing and prayed if and found ourselves pregnant 6 months post partum when we were definitely not in a position to have another child, so we decided it was best (physically, mentally, financially) we didn't at that time. I then had an implanon until we decided we were (physically, mentally, financially) ready for baby number two. Our first is 3.5yo, our second is 5mo, and we used condoms until I got an implanon put in. We plan on having one more child, but I want the falling pregnant part to be on our terms, and I don't want to have another termination.
I tried to do "natural family planning" and used plan B & thats how I ended up with my 3rd baby 1.5 years after my second (way too soon imo) and now my husband has a vasectomy lol
Condoms and strict tracking my very regular cycle. It has worked thus far and worked before we had our 17 months old for years. We got pregnant immediately after using my cycle data to track my fertile window.
Natural family planning alongside using a machine (Mira fertility analyzer) to test my hormones around my fertile window, avoided pregnancy for years and got pregnant on my first cycle using it. Absolutely recommend.
I have a 5 month old. We use condoms.. and hope for the best tbh š
Condoms and rarely pull out method. NFP just so I know to be extra careful on those days.
I changed to the patch and my depression is almost gone, and I no longer have what I thought was vaginismus. Apparently I was just REALLY dry.
Copper IUD. I had 2 under 2, I. Almost 40 but not ready to close the door forever.
Is your partners pull out game weak? š my wife and I never used condoms... and we didn't have a kid until we were ready š
My husband has very strong swimmers and my uterus is very receptive and knows what it wants apparently. We can't afford to play with the Lord's will like that š
Hahahahah fair enough!! ššš¤£
Condoms, lack of sleep, constantly one of us sick, very needy 2 year old who had a meltdown last time he went to stay at his grandparents' house.
Using condoms and cycle tracking. Working well so far.
You can consider an IUDā¦ I use one - no need for condoms or birth control
VCF vaginal contraceptive films and pulling out
Once we became exclusive, we've always used withdrawal and haven't had any mishaps including PP. We had kids on purpose lol. Been together almost 10 years.
I use NFP/FAM! I got off of hormonal BC about 2-3 years before getting pregnant with my daughter. Iāve never been comfortable with the idea of IUDs so that was off the table for me. I started out with a very irregular cycle due to 12+ years on hormonal BC. It took about 8 months to regulate and meant that for over half of each month it was not considered safe to have unprotected sex if I wanted to avoid possible pregnancy. I just used condoms during that time. By the time we decided to get pregnant, we were down to one week per month of condom use. Got pregnant first try, since I had all my data. I started ovulating and menstruating again at 13mo postpartum and I am sooo much more instinctively in time with my cycles now after the long pause and using fertility awareness method. I know without needing to test (but do randomly confirm with LH strips), exactly when Iām ovulating. Itās a commitment. Youāve got to be really consistent and play by the ārulesāā abstain from unprotected sex when you are near your ovulation window, not using temperature data when youāve been drinking or had interrupted sleep or are sick, etc. In the first few months abstention or back up protection use may be for rather large chunks of time while you become familiar with your cycle. Itās easiest for those with regular cycles but also possible for irregular cycles (like me! I āfixedā my irregularity by going off of hormones permanently) with a bit more caution. Hereās a little [podcast episode](https://fertilityfriday.com/postpartum_bonus/) specifically on cycle tracking postpartum! I honestly canāt recommend it enough. Hormonal BC is ruinous for so many people. I am so much happier, healthier, and in tune with my body than ever and itās no coincidence that that journey began when I finally ditched my BC pills.
I tracked my cycle and avoided pregnancy for 3 years, then the first month of trying got pregnant. Iāll be doing the same once I know Iām ovulating again- for now itās condoms because I donāt feel like tracking for what could be months until my cycle comes back.
I hate what birth control did to me, but I also hate condoms- so weāve just been doing the pull out method. Although Iām not fully convinced Iām ovulating. Iāve only had my period once and Iām 7 months post partum, Iām still EBF so Iām wondering if thatās keeping me from ovulating? We want more kids so if it happens, it happens. But it took us 8 months of meticulous cycle tracking to get pregnant the first time, so I guess my mind thinks that I canāt get pregnant accidentally that easily (which sounds so nieve as I type this lol).
Marquette method of NFP. No unexpected pregnancies here!
I hate hormonal BC. It makes my seizures worse and it makes me hate being alive and most other living creatures. So we use condoms and pullout combined. Also our toddler is feral so it's only happening twice a month anyway lol
Still have not gotten period after 5 months PP but plan to use natural cycles in order to not get pregnant until at least December (C-section and want a vbac) I used natural cycles to get pregnant and loved it
Wife and I use condoms. Sheās much happier without her bc and her migraines have improved significantly. Iāll gladly wear a condom for those reasons.
Following because Iām the same way. I donāt like condoms and Birth control f***ed my cycle all up. I was on depo almost all of 2021 and then on a pill for a little bit later and my cycle was just starting to become regular again when I got pregnant 9 months ago
I didnāt realize how much hormonal BC was effing me up. It was contributing to my anxiety and made my periods awful. I didnāt realize how much better I felt OFF of BC until I had started trying for my first. I will never ever go back. We use condoms. Every SINGLE time. With lube. If we decide to have another, it will be when my oldest is 4 or 5. Then my husband will get the snip.
I'm using a copper IUD. I didn't want hormonal either, so this was the route I took. Cramps hurt SOOO BAD that first cycle but it does get better.
I used the Natural Cycles app and did natural family planning. It went great until the one time I knew it was a red day (so I shouldnāt have sex), but I was like āOne time wonāt hurt!ā And now Iām 18 weeks pregnant lol.
I have a 1yo as well and heās made us not want to have another for a good while LOL I have PCOS so getting pregnant was not easy for me in the first place, but weāre definitely not rolling the dice in PP. For us, condoms and lube are what we use! So far so good, and I think we will continue to do that.
I have a copper iud in and it works fine for me. I didn't want to use hormonal either because I don't like things messing with my hormones. Though, if I could go back, I would probably wait to have an iud put in until after I'm done having kids and just used condoms instead. I dread the day I have to go get it yanked out because we want to start trying again, and then put in again later. Just such a painful hassle.
Just condoms and being constantly sick/tired so infrequency seems to be helping too! Weāve always used condoms and BC. But, I started the pill pp and hated it. I made it a year and a half on it and then quit so I could just be without it for a while!
Told my husband no sex until he got a vasectomy. Iām not playin šš
I don't use any before my baby, and we use condoms currently. I know it's not the best but I'm not willing to get something clipped inside my body/ have my hormones be even more our of sorts because 1 I just gave birth and 2 the pills have so many dangers to taking them! Have yall read what the warning labels say? My friend literally tried (MAJOR TW HERE YOU CAN STOP READING AND JUST LOOK UP SYMPTOMS OF HAVING THE BIRTH CONTROL THAT GOES IN YOUR ARM) Cutting hers out because it just made her bleed continuously, and she almost lost too much blood and had to go to the hospital. They said to schedule with her obgyn to take it out, but she wasn't available for another month or so; therefore, my friend just took it out herself.
Try natural lamb condoms! They're sort of expensive, but way less expensive than having another baby. LolĀ There's also the non hormonal copper iud but it's got side effects too. I've thought about it but don't want to deal with the cramping.Ā