Warning: this post is more on the personal side than most. Just a little warning before you dive in!
Yikes!!!
Sidenote: Yes, I am hiding my face. Between errands and swim lessons, not a stitch of makeup made it onto my face today. You are welcome!
Now normally with the belly shot comes commentary about how much the baby is moving, how swollen my feet are, etc.
Not so much this time. I will just say she is very active and we are getting more and more excited to meet her everyday. Then we will move on to a different (but related) topic, because this mama needs some advice.
As one can tell from the rate of reproduction in the Stokes home, we are not really birth control savvy (yep, I am going there). My only experience with birth control was this one time during fertility treatments. It was Yaz, and it was not so great.
4 years ago, during all the fertility stuff, Jared and I decided we would never have me go on birth control (and that was solidified by the Terrible Yaz Incident of 2008).
But 3 kids in 3 years has changed our tune a tad. My body needs A BREAK!!!! This pregnancy has been much harder than the other 2. I am still sick, and way more uncomfortable and swollen way earlier than normal. (PLEASE do not take this as me complaining!!! I realize how blessed I am to be pregnant, and am beyond thrilled to add another baby to the mix. I just wanted to explain why I am posting on something so personal)
More importantly, my family needs a break from pregnant me. I want to be one of those super moms who keeps a super clean house and comes up with super fun activities for her kids and creative/healthy meals everyday. And I physically cannot even come close to being that mom while I am pregnant. SuperLindsey is just not in the cards for me while I am growing a human in me.
Soooo, since we will be holding off for a few years, we are kind of leaning towards IUD. Which is where I need advice. The positive aspects of it sound awesome, but I am worried it might affect our fertility when we are ready to reopen the baby factory. Neither of us feel like 3 is our number...we definitely want more- eventually! The thought of having problems conceiving again terrifies me!
So does anyone have experience (or know someone who has) with this particular means of birth control? Especially any experience with conceiving afterwards?
Sorry, I totally realize the personal nature of this...I will be probably be deleting this post in a few weeks. Or if you have some advice but don't want it public feel free to email me @ lindseywstokes@gmail.com
Now I will go to elevate my feet while the kiddos are napping- 3 cheers for cankles!!!!
18 comments:
In terms of conception afterwards, I would say have your choice of birth control be hormone free.
I had THE WORST time on the pill. It was a terrible few months. I got an IUD a year and a half ago because I knew I didn't want to be messing with hormones (the copper T has zero hormones). If that is what you're after, it's a great choice. I love it. I never have to think about it and so far it's been fine. It gives me pretty bad cramps on day 1&2 of my period though, but I think it's worth the trade off. I obviously don't know how conception goes once you get off of it but my gyn assured me there is nothing out there to suggest it contributes to problems post removal. My Mom had one for years and had babies easily after. I tell everyone to get it because I think the pill & other hormone BC's are unnatural and mess with your normal-ness! Lastly- its feel-able to... second parties, which was weird at first. My two cents. Sorry to anyone who knows me and read this and got TMI :)
Oh, boy...I feel ya. I get pregnant like 1 second after I get off birth control...but anywho...I LOVE LOVE LOVE my IUD. It's the Mirena and it has just a touch of hormones, so I'm not sure how it would effect fertility. I do know that you should wait a few months after getting off of it to try to get pregnant. I hated the pill, so that wasn't an option for me. I have heard good and bad about IUDs, but most people I know love the Mirena.
I am kind of terrified of being pregnant again, so I can only imagine how you feel. I love my babies, but my body needed a rest!
If I had to use birth control right now it is the one I'd choose. My BF was on an IUD in between every baby. It didn't affect their ability to conceive at all. When they were ready to have another baby they would take it out and poof about a month later she was pregnant.
Oh, and they have 5 kids. :)
Ditto on the Mirena. LOVE it. It's plastic, not copper. It's slightly more effective than copper, but only by a percentage point. E.g. 97% vs 98%. It does have a hormone component, but it's a localized slow release. I've had similar pill nightmares in the past and had been off the pill for many years because I was terrified to go back on. But the Mirena has been a picnic in that department. Upsides of the hormone release -- after 6 months of almost constant spotting (yes, the major downside), no periods. NONE. So far 3 years and counting. AWESOMENESS! I have not tried to conceive however so cannot speak to that, but I know others who have, with no issues. I do know one woman who had a Mirena and had terrible pain for months. Didn't work out for her. She's the only one in dozens.
Lindsey, I hear ya. I had 4 in just over 4 years so there's definitely a need for a break. I have heard the same as Heather about the IUD. From what I hear its pretty easy to get pregnant after using them. I myself used the pill but it freaked me out every month thinking I was pregnant since it kind of messed with my hormones etc. So if you're wanting a break try the IUD. Good luck!!
I currently have an IUD and I think it is great! My cousin recommended it to me and she has no problem conceiving afterward. I asked my Dr. about it and she said she could remove it and conception would be possible 10 minutes later :) haha! She really had nothing bad to say about it. Anyway, I have been very pleased so far. I hated "the pill" and love that I don't have to think about the IUD.
I had Mirena IUDs after both of my other pregnancies. As far as birth control goes it was simple and worry free. Once we decided to have another child I would have the IUD taken out and, in both instances, I was pregnant within three months. I did have some side effects. I got acne, not a lot, but enough that it made me self-conscious. I also had Post Partum Depression after giving birth to my girls. It lasted for years. I don't know if that was IUD related but something to think about. My OB said it was possible that the Mirena IUD threw off my hormones just enough to give me PPD. I still think it's a really great option. And, obviously, everyone is unique and won't have the same reactions I did.
Great topic. I think it would be hard for you to gage how YOU will conceive after an IUD based off of others experience. To me it a trial and error type of thing. That being said, personally I'm a non-hormone, kind of gal. We use condoms and the FAM method, it's like NFP. Taking Charge of your Fertility is a great book to read. And I will say one of my friends got pregnant twice while on an IUD. Nothing is 100%. Good luck Lindsey, it's hard to know what will be right for one person than from another. Good job doing your research.
I have an iud right now because as you know 3 kids in 3 years is what we are dealing with now too :). My doc said thatmost of her patients that have had one get prego realitivly fast, like within a few months. If you do end up getting one, the one without hormones made shann bleed a lot, I have the hormone one, and while I hardly have a period anymore, I am a tad bit more emotional ( if that was even possible :) so brig suffers more than me ;)
I'm glad that you posted your blog link, so that I can blog-stalk you now! :) Anyway, I'm not one to have much advice about post-IUD fertility, but I did have the copper IUD. I loved not having to worry about taking a pill & I loved the no-hormones...but it made my periods heavier and that side effect was bad enough that I got it taken out after 9 months. So that's my experience for what it's worth. Good luck with whatever you decide!
I've heard horrible things about the copper, but I think you never know how your body will respond until you try it yourself. Personally, I would never get something that was going to make my periods worse. Not fun. I had the Mirena in between Ellie and McCoy. With Ellie, I was pregnant the first month we tried. I expected that the same would happen for our 2nd, but it took us 2 or 3 months after having the Mirena. I'm not complaining... 2 months is not very long, but I did feel like the Mirena effected it slightly. I loved it though and I plan on going back on it after my next baby. Good luck!!
I tried the IUD (copper) and had absolutely no complaints, although I know several people close to me that have had problems. (Bleeding, piercing into the lining etc.)I'm anti-BC pill, so that was my choice. As far as getting pregnant after, I would consult with your OB doc or Fertility doc (if you have one) to get the expert opinion to be safe. Good luck! You sure make cute kids :)
Hey! I had the mirena. I loved it other than I was one of the 1% that had pregnancy like symptoms. I'd get really tired, really nauseous, swollen and sore breasts. It would happen once a year for a month probably. Then it started to give me lumps in my breasts. The doctors didn't tell me that the IUD is what caused it, but that's just the feeling I got. When I took the IUD out, the lumps went away after a month or two. I put the IUD back in... the lumps came back. finally decided it wasn't for me. But I did love it and I loved the good side effects. No pimples, sex was better for me, lighter periods (if you can call them that). :) Good luck on your choice!
Condoms. I don't know why I haven't seen that one posted as an option. Maybe it's because men complain about them or something, but they work and you aren't pumping hormones into your body, or having an IUD which you need a doctor to put in and remove. On a "womanly rant" side note, "haven't us women done enough to our bodies--babies, birth control pills, IUDs,etc., let the DUDE worry about the birth control for once!"
I see you have lots of advice but may i suggest an alternative? Nuva ring. It has very little hormones from what I understand and you don't have to take a pill. You simply insert ring and you are good to go for 3 weeks, then you take it out have a lite period and insert new ring at week 4. OR you can leave it in all 4 weeks then put the new ring in right away and SKIP your period!! It is the best ting in the world to be able to have control over having a period... I don't want to have my period on vacation .. so I don;t.... I don;t want to have a period for a few months so I don't... The doctor said it is fine to do that and won't hurt conception... in fact they say after coming off BC you are more fertile the first 2 months you are off. Anyways they wouldn't give y an IUD because I hadn't had kids yet and I am happy with the Nuva ring because I can skip my period when I want and it doesn't make me crazy like the pills.... but Yaz was like the worst so on't be afraid that the are all like that.
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