Birth Control Beyond Pills, Condoms & IUD's? (Potential TMI thread)

[amldaley]

Ok, so....I need some help finding a reliable & safe alternative birth control method. We presently use condoms, but, gosh darn it if that does not break the mood when things are *right there* and DH has to stop to suit up.

1) I can't use Non-Oxynol 9 (well I can, but OUCH!!!!), so while I like the spermicidal inserts, they did not like me. And apparently spermicide without non-oxynol 9 is not available in the US.

2) I don't do well on pills and my OBGYN won't prescribe due to some other health issues. Plus, we want to TTC this summer.

3) Same OBGYN really pushed Mirena but I am EXTREMELY against IUD's (against them for myself, not in general. Stick whatever you want in to yourself). This is something I will never consider.

So, what else is there? What else do you use? How does it work? (Why do I feel like I should know this stuff already?!)

[edurnemk]

We use this: Lady Comp /Baby Comp

It's a FAM (Fertility awareness method), it predicts your fertile days with 99% accuracy using your basal temperature (you take your temp with the sensor every morning before you get up). So on those days you choose either to abstain or use an alternative method (we use condoms, although then the reliability is only as good as the condom's). It requires some discipline, but I don't find it a hassle at all. The first 3 months you use it, you get less "green light" days (days when the computer in absolutely sure you're not fertile), but the number goes up as it learns your cycle. I have lots of friends who use it, we're all happy with it.

I don't do well on BCP, and also didn't want an IUD, so that's why I looked into this option.

An acquaintance of mine uses this fertility monitor: http://www.persona.info/uk/ but I think it's more of a hassle and it's a bit less reliable (this acquaintance did get pregnant while using it as BC).

[amldaley]

We use this: Lady Comp /Baby Comp

How did I not know this ever existed!!!? Why is it so freakin' expensive?!

If I had seen this even two years ago, I would drop the money in a heart beat (the reviews on Amazon are almost all good 18 to 1) but if we TTC this summer and are successful, then we plan on either vasectomy or tubes, etc. Do I really want to drop that kind of money for a few months? (I LOVE that they have a payment option!)

[BabyBearsMom]

What about a Diaphragm? I know you can use them without spermicide (although they aren't as effective then) and that they can be inserted in advance.

DH and I are supposed to be using condoms....but we aren't very good at that, but we aren't opposed to having a second child either, so we figure if it happens, great, if not, fine too. Once I conceive #2, I am going to have an IUD, but the kind without any hormones. I don't do hormones very well.

[amldaley]

What about a Diaphragm? I know you can use them without spermicide (although they aren't as effective then) and that they can be inserted in advance.

DH and I are supposed to be using condoms....but we aren't very good at that, but we aren't opposed to having a second child either, so we figure if it happens, great, if not, fine too. Once I conceive #2, I am going to have an IUD, but the kind without any hormones. I don't do hormones very well.

So...about that diaphragm...I am kind of....shallow. And DH is kind of....long. Would he feel it? I used to use that cup thing years ago for AF and um.....one got stuck in there b/c my fingers were too short to grab it...would that be an issue with a diaphragm?

[Gena]

We use Natural Family Planning. We do it for both religious and health reasons, but I know women who use it for health reasons alone. We use the Sympto-Thermal method and learned through classes with the Couple to Couple League.

It's safe, cheap, effective when done right, and easily reversible. It does take some discipline and has a learning curve. But once we got used to it, we really saw the advantages.

[edurnemk]

How did I not know this ever existed!!!? Why is it so freakin' expensive?!

If I had seen this even two years ago, I would drop the money in a heart beat (the reviews on Amazon are almost all good 18 to 1) but if we TTC this summer and are successful, then we plan on either vasectomy or tubes, etc. Do I really want to drop that kind of money for a few months? (I LOVE that they have a payment option!)

I know, it's not cheap! But I know people who have had their for 15 years, so in that case it doesn't end up being expensive. I've had it since 2005, I sold the idea to DH as a long term investment, and in those many years we would save a lot on BC, etc. But for a few months I wouldn't buy it.

I also don't know why it's not more widely known in the US, I heard of it abroad, that's where I got mine. It's german and it's been around for more than 15 years. The customer service is amazing, too.

[amldaley]

I know, it's not cheap! But I know people who have had their for 15 years, so in that case it doesn't end up being expensive. I've had it since 2005, I sold the idea to DH as a long term investment, and in those many years we would save a lot on BC, etc. But for a few months I wouldn't buy it.

I also don't know why it's not more widely known in the US, I heard of it abroad, that's where I got mine. It's german and it's been around for more than 15 years. The customer service is amazing, too.

DH is just about sold on it as a vasectomy is 99.7% effective and this in 99.3% effective (difference being with a vasectomy, it would not matter what day of the month it is). He is actually really interested in the Baby Comp as I spent plenty of money on ovulation tests last time. I have a weird cycle and this could help figure it out. I might chalk it up to a "medical expense" and blow the tax refund on it.

He is so excited about the idea of not using condoms, he is ready to order it right now!

[edurnemk]

It is a great help for TTC as well. I have always been irregular and have weird cycles, and it worked for me. We used it as BC for 2 years and then got pregnant on the first try. Without using this it would've taken me a while to figure out I ovulate pretty late in my cycle.

Another benefit it's also a HPT! It will alert you of a suspected pregnancy, and then confirm it. I have the Lady comp which is the simpler version, I think it's enough but you can always upgrade to the Baby Comp version later on (this one is reared more towards TTC than BC, it can even tell you which days are more apt for conceiving a boy or girl, and it confirms a pregnancy sooner than the Lady comp).

[mezzona]

omg thank you for this post. =) am pp and needed to look for alternative bc methods too =) going to look into lady comp.