Birth Control, tampons, and other women's stuff. Beware!

[Circe]

I need some new BC. I was going to get an IUD until they told me they would have to dilate my cervix, because it is too small?  :-o

I won't remember to take the pill, I don't like the "chance" with depo, ya know never have your period, or have it for 3 months....

Any suggestions?

[pitluvr4ever]

[quote author=aprilcarter29 link=topic=7110.msg854137#msg854137 date=1210820877]
I need some new BC. I was going to get an IUD until they told me they would have to dilate my cervix, because it is too small?  :-o

I won't remember to take the pill, I don't like the "chance" with depo, ya know never have your period, or have it for 3 months....

Any suggestions?
[/quote]

Nuvaring!!!

[Circe]

[quote author=pitluvr4ever link=topic=7110.msg854166#msg854166 date=1210822535]
Nuvaring!!!
[/quote]

I know I can google it, but I prefer first hand knowledge.... is it in your hoo ha? How long does it last? Not at all uncomfortable?

[pitluvr4ever]

[quote author=aprilcarter29 link=topic=7110.msg854168#msg854168 date=1210822755]
I know I can google it, but I prefer first hand knowledge.... is it in your hoo ha? How long does it last? Not at all uncomfortable?
[/quote]

Yeah, it's just a round rubber ring that stays up there for three weeks. You take a break for a week and then put another one in. Or you can just put another one in as soon as you take the old one out and skip your period. I love it. My complexion as been awesome and my periods super light. Hardly any cramps at all and I used to get them super bad.

You just have to make sure you put it in properly. I learned that the first few times by having it fall out randomly without me knowing. You know it's in properly when you push it up there and it settles into this pocket. You would totally know what I mean if you were doing it.

Anyways, it's the best birth control I've been on ever! And I have been on pretty much all of them!!

[Trinket]

[quote author=pitluvr4ever link=topic=7110.msg854172#msg854172 date=1210823134]
Yeah, it's just a round rubber ring that stays up there for three weeks. You take a break for a week and then put another one in. Or you can just put another one in as soon as you take the old one out and skip your period. I love it. My complexion as been awesome and my periods super light. Hardly any cramps at all and I used to get them super bad.

You just have to make sure you put it in properly. I learned that the first few times by having it fall out randomly without me knowing. You know it's in properly when you push it up there and it settles into this pocket. You would totally know what I mean if you were doing it.

Anyways, it's the best birth control I've been on ever! And I have been on pretty much all of them!!
[/quote]

I loved my Nuvaring.  I didn't have trouble with mine falling out.  Maybe I inserted mine deeper.  I was told to just put it in and it would settle in where it needs to be.  I used it for 6 months before I had to stop because of BP issues.  I would strongly recommend.  Best birth control on the market IMO.

[AstridAsteroid]

Yaz was the only BC I could take and NOT get the bad side effects from. But then I found out my doctor and one of her friends developed blood clots in their lungs after being on that pill, so I stopped immediately. Otherwise I've taken 2 or 3 different pills and I think it was Orthotricyclin that gave me the WORST migranes. I only took it a week before I stopped cos I couldn't stand the headaches!!!!

Otherwise, I've tried the "sponge" but I'm all weird about having to dig deep up in there to get that bad boy out, which sucks cos apparently it works and there are no side effects... I was just super anxious about getting TSS >.<

[misanthrope]

[quote author=aprilcarter29 link=topic=7110.msg854137#msg854137 date=1210820877]
I need some new BC. I was going to get an IUD until they told me they would have to dilate my cervix, because it is too small?  :-o

I won't remember to take the pill, I don't like the "chance" with depo, ya know never have your period, or have it for 3 months....

Any suggestions?
[/quote]

What about the little contraceptive implant they put in your arm? Have you tried that yet?

[beautiful.disaster]

[quote author=pitluvr4ever link=topic=7110.msg854172#msg854172 date=1210823134]
Yeah, it's just a round rubber ring that stays up there for three weeks. You take a break for a week and then put another one in. Or you can just put another one in as soon as you take the old one out and skip your period. I love it. My complexion as been awesome and my periods super light. Hardly any cramps at all and I used to get them super bad.

You just have to make sure you put it in properly. I learned that the first few times by having it fall out randomly without me knowing. You know it's in properly when you push it up there and it settles into this pocket. You would totally know what I mean if you were doing it.

Anyways, it's the best birth control I've been on ever! And I have been on pretty much all of them!!
[/quote]

ugh.  i loved the concept but i really could not STAND to have that thing in my vagina all the time.  sometimes it was ok, other times it would slide out, sex was painful sometimes and the [size=5pt]discharge[/size] was not fun.

but if you can make it work, it's definitely the best out there... next to yaz.

[Peavey]

[quote author=misanthrope link=topic=7110.msg854376#msg854376 date=1210849580]
What about the little contraceptive implant they put in your arm? Have you tried that yet?
[/quote]

NORPLANT?!

Is anybody even using that anymore??  I read Killing the Black Body, by Dorothy Roberts and I would NEVER consider having one inserted after that. 

[puzzld]

[quote author=AstridAsteroid link=topic=7110.msg854316#msg854316 date=1210834239]
...which sucks cos apparently it works and there are no side effects... I was just super anxious about getting TSS >.<
[/quote]I don't believe there is any BC that has "no side effects"  with the sponge they are Allergic reaction due to the spermicide, Possible tearing and infection,
Yeast infections and rarely, toxic shock syndrome, which is a bacterial infection with signs like vomiting, dizziness, fever, vaginal discharge, and spotting. Even abstinence makes you cranky and prone to post snarky messages on the interwebz...

[Peavey]

WTF!?  OB tampons changed their box from 20 tampons to 18 tampons.  Same fucking price.  Balls. 

[blu]

[quote author=misanthrope link=topic=7110.msg854376#msg854376 date=1210849580]
What about the little contraceptive implant they put in your arm? Have you tried that yet?
[/quote]
I was on Norplant in the mid 90's for the full 5 years.  I absolutely loved it.  I had absolutely no side effects from it.
It has since been taken off the market in the US and I'm not sure where it is available.

Here is an article.
http://www.epigee.org/guide/norplant.html

[blu]

[quote author=Peavey link=topic=7110.msg854434#msg854434 date=1210856720]
NORPLANT?!

Is anybody even using that anymore??  I read Killing the Black Body, by Dorothy Roberts and I would NEVER consider having one inserted after that. 
[/quote]

Uh oh! What did the book say about Norplant?

[Peavey]

[quote author=berryblu link=topic=7110.msg854465#msg854465 date=1210857859]
Uh oh! What did the book say about Norplant?
[/quote]

That is was largely targeted to poor women and women of color.  When people experienced side effects, Medicaid, which happily paid for the insertion, would refuse the cost of the removal.  Doctors were trained to put them in, but not take them out.  Women, in desperation would carve them out of their own bodies.......

[blu]

UGH!  Thats horrible.  So it was kind of a means of punishment?

I have to say that the only thing that was bad for me with the NOrplant was the removal of it.  After 5 years, the tissue had grown around the "tubes".  There was alot of scar tissue attached to them.  It took forever for the doc to cut them out because he had to snip around each one.  Luckily, he did an excellent job and I barely have about a 1/4 inch scar from it.

[puzzld]

[quote author=Peavey link=topic=7110.msg854478#msg854478 date=1210858488]
That is was largely targeted to poor women and women of color.  When people experienced side effects, Medicaid, which happily paid for the insertion, would refuse the cost of the removal.  Doctors were trained to put them in, but not take them out.  Women, in desperation would carve them out of their own bodies.......
[/quote]
Yep.  When my cousin was a 19 year old single mother the doctor Medicaid paid offered her "free" birth control. Without warning her their could be side effects, or that their might be any problems down the road...

[mishira]

[quote author=brie star link=topic=7110.msg854011#msg854011 date=1210815068]
wait, what are you supposed to do to keep from getting them?
and did you do the baking soda just when you felt you had something wrong?
[/quote]


Oops, sorry for the delayed response, brie.  I haven't been on the computer since my last post!

As someone said, pee after sex.  I mean right after.  I don't even stay for a cuddle or anything, I jump right up and go pee.  Also, I drink a glass of cranberry juice every day and drink lots of water.  I've noticed that staying well hyrdrated really helps.  Also, taking echinacea/goldenseal and/or Vitamin C helps to boost your natural immune defense.

Most importantly, wipe your cooter from front to back.  Most women are taught to wipe back to front which is WRONG.  If you wipe this way, you can get bacteria from your anus in your cooter.  In fact, that's where most UTIs come from - it's fecal matter in your cooter.  Gross, right?  When I first started wiping front to back, it felt really weird, but I'm used to it now.

Oh, and lastly, try not to wear really tight underwear and/or pants.  They can force bacteria up into your cooter.

As for the baking soda trick, I did try it at the first sign of trouble.  If I had an infection that I knew was full blown, I would go to the doctor.

[Circe]

[quote author=Peavey link=topic=7110.msg854478#msg854478 date=1210858488]
That is was largely targeted to poor women and women of color.  When people experienced side effects, Medicaid, which happily paid for the insertion, would refuse the cost of the removal.  Doctors were trained to put them in, but not take them out.  Women, in desperation would carve them out of their own bodies.......
[/quote]

That is fucked up, but I believe it.

Ummm.... to the nuvaring, what does your doc do, just give you a bunch of them?

[misanthrope]

[quote author=Peavey link=topic=7110.msg854434#msg854434 date=1210856720]
NORPLANT?!

Is anybody even using that anymore??  I read Killing the Black Body, by Dorothy Roberts and I would NEVER consider having one inserted after that. 
[/quote]

No, Implanon. It's only one tiny rod and it releases a different hormone to Norplant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implanon

I have a lot of friends with one, and they all seem to love it. They haven't had any issues with it.

[SinDee]

I've used the sponge. I loved it for the days I didnt want to use condoms.

I'm on the pill now, it's just more cost efficient. The sponge is expensive when you have sex every day.

I've used spermicidal films but eh... i'm not a big fan of them. The whole insert at least 15mins before you have sex is weird. What if I dont want to wait those 15 minutes for it to completely dissolve? No, thanks.

[AstridAsteroid]

[quote author=SinDee link=topic=7110.msg855755#msg855755 date=1210927637]
I've used the sponge. I loved it for the days I didnt want to use condoms.

I'm on the pill now, it's just more cost efficient. The sponge is expensive when you have sex every day.

I've used spermicidal films but eh... i'm not a big fan of them. The whole insert at least 15mins before you have sex is weird. What if I dont want to wait those 15 minutes for it to completely dissolve? No, thanks.
[/quote]

That and spermicidal lubes, films, foams and creams have a REALLY high failure rate. Especially cos you have to get them in just right and any tiny little gap could compromise everything.

[SinDee]

[quote author=AstridAsteroid link=topic=7110.msg856260#msg856260 date=1210963899]
That and spermicidal lubes, films, foams and creams have a REALLY high failure rate. Especially cos you have to get them in just right and any tiny little gap could compromise everything.
[/quote]

Yeah it does have a ridiculously high failure rate. I wouldnt recommend it as your only form of bc if you are adament against pregnancy. It's like gambling with odds in your favor, but why take the risk? Also, I think it wasnt recommended for women with children already.

I didn't really care at the time if I had a baby or not, I just wanted to sway the odds a bit.

[Trinket]

[quote author=aprilcarter29 link=topic=7110.msg854873#msg854873 date=1210874476]


Ummm.... to the nuvaring, what does your doc do, just give you a bunch of them?
[/quote]

My doctor gave me a 6 month supply and then also wrote a prescription for the remaining year.  However, my blood pressure would not regulate and I was taken off of it after 6 months so I never had to get one from the pharmacy.  Can't begin to tell you how much they cost or anything but can tell you they are wonderful IMO.

[Circe]

I think I am going to go with the patch. Anyone have any experience there?

[andrea0121]

[quote author=aprilcarter29 link=topic=7110.msg859716#msg859716 date=1211204459]
I think I am going to go with the patch. Anyone have any experience there?
[/quote]

I used the patch for about 4 months, did. not. like. at. all.  I had horrible cramps, and massive mood swings.  I went on Yaz, got preggo, unfortch, and then he switched me over to the Nuvaring.  Which I love.  You put it in, and forget about it for 3 weeks.  I have really light periods, which is a blessing, because I've been on bc since I was 16 to regulate my periods and make them lighter.  It's like my body used to store up months of eggs and finally release them on me.  I used to have horrible periods.  I pretty much love the ring though.  Don't have any side effects really.  Like someone else said though, it takes a little bit to get used to the insertion.  Mine slips every now and then, but I just go to the bathroom and make sure it's in where it's supposed to be.  That's few and far between though.