Sex & Romance
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Re: Condoms only? Kinda long post.
check out the paragard as well.
I've used NFP to avoid for 40+ cycles now. And I have somewhat irregular cycles, too.
OP, it's fine if you are not interested in NFP or FAM. Just say that you've looked into it, and it's not for you. But please don't go calling it "a bunch of bull," as you originally did. Although I for a variety of reasons do think that NFP/FAM is superior, I don't go around insulting other birth control methods.
LOL @ super sperm.
We were joking one night, after a little too much wine, that it was someone else that impregnated her. Obviously, we don't really believe that.
Sorry to be a downer but I wanted to let you know my situation because I had similar experiences with bc. I had horrible side effects from bc as well so my gyno inserted the Mirena. Absolutely the WORST side effects ever! I'd take the other bc any day of the week over the Mirena! I had it in for almost 4 years hoping they'd go away but finally broke down and had it removed. My gyno discussed my situation with another dr and they believe that my body is just super sensitive to those things. DH and I use only condoms, no scares, it's the best decision we've made in the sex life department.
You should try it though, I know many women who haven't had a problem.GL with it!
I had same reaction to regular bc pills. I am on Mirena IUD and its been so nice not have such light periods I only need a panty liner or maybe the smallest tampon and I still have cramping and tiredness but still great. But 3 years later its starting to make me think, maybe just maybe the increase of migraines is related to the Mirena? Gyno says no because the drugs stay in your uterus but I dunno.
Seriously condoms can be used very well and there is female things you can use just for sex and take out, diaphram and female spermacide. I would try IUD, if it causes problems after a few years get it out, but most likely it wont. OR just use condoms and female type condoms, diaphrams etc.
FAM + condoms pre-ovulation for 3 years. We don't ever want kids. It's the only form of BC I would ever trust. It's not "bull" - clearly it works. It's cool if you don't want to use it though. Best of luck to you and I hope you find what works best for you.
I was on BC for 5 years and the side effects of any of the ones I tried were exactly like yours. But, I didn't want to get pregnant so I stayed on them until a few months after my wedding when I decided that the headaches and the mood swings and the low sex drive were enough that I started to study the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). I have to admit that I was skeptical at first because I grew up thinking that my cycles were all over the place and that I could get pregnant at almost anytime during my cycle and how could taking your tempature in the morning and looking at cervical fluid really let you know about your fertile period. The book (Taking Charge of Your Fertility) really changed how I understand my body and has made my sex life better. FAM is different than Natural Family Planning because with FAM you can continue to have sex during your fertile period, you just have to use condoms or another form of BC. My fertile period is for about 12 days and those are the days my DH and I use condoms, the rest of the time I am infertile so we don't have to use them.
I wouldn't bring it up if I didn't think it was a wonderful option.Since you are using condoms as your only BC anyway right now I thought this would be a great method You could read about it and if it isn't for you then you read it and learned more about your body. I do not plan on having children anytime soon and we have been practicing FAM for over a year now so it is not like I want an oops baby. I really hope you find something that works for you and your DH.
I was on birthcontrol from the time I was 17 (before I had ever even kissed a guy) prescribed for acne control. I was on it until I was about 24. At that point I had moved from Canada to the US and the pill I was on is not available in the US so I went off it. with all guys I was with then we used condoms + pill because no way I wanted a kid when I was in college....
Anyway, since I have been with my hubby, 3.5 years, we have only used condoms and have never had a problem. I don't want to go back on BCPs because when I went off them, I realized that I had no sex drive while on them but I do without them. Plus, we plan on having kids in the next year or two so I'd like to stay away from the hormonal birth control and just let my body do its own thing
Maybe you and your DH should talk, and if you decide that kids are definitely something you NEVER want, he could get a vasectomy... in the meantime, maybe a diaphram or sponges? I've heard about them, but never used them....
you don't have to go sex free with FAM. you just use a condom during your fertile time. this is what we do. we do not ever-ever want kids, but we're too young to get more permanent BC. DH will be getting a vasectomy in a couple of years once he's old enough (according to the doc.). so since i've always had reactions to hormonal BC, right now we use FAM and condoms and have for about 6 years, successfully. it absolutely can be done. as with most things in life, it's as effective as you make it. good luck.
I've used FAM & condoms for 6 years & I've never gotten pregnant. Hubby & I aren't sure if we ever want children either, but I can't take BC due to health reasons so FAM/condoms is what's left for me. I feel that condoms limit spontaneity & that's why I use FAM as well.
We're currently condoms-only and have been since I went off the pill last year. We had also gone condoms-only in the past. We've had a couple of "scares" but I put it in quotes because the problem was my irregular period and apparent inability to keep track of it *rolls eyes*, not because of breakage or improper usage.
We've also used withdrawal lately in conjunction with condoms, but I wouldn't recommend it because you are very sure that you don't want kids. We're planning on TTC later this year, so it wouldn't be the end of the world to goof now.
I think that NPF/FAM can be effective when used the way PPs described (in conjunction with condoms). For every family I've known to have oops kids while using it, it was because they were using it alone and not condoms... and it was 20+ years ago (I grew up in a pretty tight Catholic community).
Every form of BC can affect your body differently. You may just have to play around with different kinds and different doses until you find one that works for you.
My Cooking Blog
My Baby Blog
If you are sure you never want kids, why not have you hubby get snipped or get a tubal ligation?
As for natural birth control, if you're going to be using condoms every time anyway, it can't hurt to look into it. Modern methods of natural birth control are much more reliable than the antiquated Rhythm Method. Anyone who thinks you can actually get pregnant any day of your cycle needs to learn a lot about how the female reproductive system actually works. However, since getting pregnant would truly be devastating to you, you're probably better off with a method that takes less day to day effort as is required with monitoring your scientifically proven fertility signs, such as the permanent solutions offered above at the beginning of the post. Still, I highly urge you to read tcoyf.com for some enlightenment. Yes, you have a right to your own opinion but please don't make uneducated statements.
I was on the pill 3.5 years and by the end of that time my sex drive was gone. I tried two different pills which both eventually led to the same result, though it was much better in the beginning. Now pill-free my sex drive is back and I never want to be on hormonal birth control again. It's a cruel joke on women that hormonal manipulation which can be harmful and unpleasant is now our solution for giving women control over their own bodies...
Good luck with whatever you choose.
P.S. Sorry for not acknowledging responses before mine, I posted before reading through all of them. I have no desire to go without sex for any length of time either, so we use condoms during fertile times. The post-ovulation part of your cycle is very safe, there is practically no way you can ovulate again once you have already ovulated. You may have a LOT of fertile days before O with an irregular cycle, but you can still clearly identify the safe post-O infertile period with your post-ovulation thermal shift. Progesterone is a heat-inducing hormone so this is why you will see a clear pattern of higher waking temperatures after ovulation has occurred. If you go the condoms-only route, this allows you at least some time when a condom is not required.