contraception after giving birth

[notsoslimnow]

hi all, after some advice regarding contraception and in particular the ''mini pill''.now from what ive read i understand the mini pill has fewer side affects than the combined but must be taken at the same time every day....thats fine.HOWEVER i also read that it was only successfull for women under 11 stone.now seeing as im now 13.5 stone and 38 weeks pregnant does this rule out the mini pill for me??????? any info gratefully received.

[Elasticwoman]

I knew a woman who conceived again 3 wks after giving birth. She was using the mini pill and said they forgot to tell her it is not effective till 2 months post partum.

[notsoslimnow]

elasticwoman.... oooh thats not good at all! i have read that if you take it on the 21st day after giving birth you are protected,how odd?

[Elasticwoman]

Will you really want to have sex so soon after birth anyway? You'll be bleeding and most new mothers are pretty sore, have stitches, are exhausted from night feeds etc.

[notsoslimnow]

i have no idea whether i would want to resume a few weeks after the birth or a few years but one thing i am certain about is i would not want to become pregnant again within a few months due to lack of planning/thinking ahead.

[Elasticwoman]

Condoms in the bedside drawer until you have actually resumed your sex life and can then choose longer term method?

[SquiffyHock]

You never know how you'll feel after giving birth - I had to get the MAP when DS was 2 weeks old!

Go with condoms until your 6 week check when your doctor will discuss it with you - Mirena coil?

[Lib76]

cerazette is a great mini pill and often used for new mums. It has a 12 hr window which is great for a busy new mum who may forget to take it at same time every day. Best to discuss with gp a 6 wk check.

[maxbear]

You can still use the mini pill if you are over 11st you just have to take two in a 24 hour period instead of one. Normally one in the morning and one in the evening. It is effective from 21 days if you start taking it then and don't forget any. Has worked really well for me, no symptoms and no bleeding at all.

[Elasticwoman]

What are the implications of taking the mini pill if you are breastfeeding, as a matter of interest?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

I think that's why they prescribe it - because it's safe for breastfeeding. Could be wrong tho...

[notsoslimnow]

maxbear , thanks for that.ive read about mini pill especially cerazette and feel this is the one id like to discuss with gp.however your info re taking 2 per day if over 11 stone is invaluable as i dont want to have to go on silly crash diets as soon as ive given birth just to have my contraception of choice!
elasticwoman, yes mini pill is prescribed for brest feeding mothers as doesnt have ill effect on milk.

[jojoisamum]

We're still thinking about what we are going to do. Condoms are here if we need them but 10 weeks since DS was born we're not even in the same bed! We hot bunk so we both get 8 hours sleep a night! We've done no more than a quick peck on the cheek! Not sure how people find time for any jiggery pokery!

[LadyThompson]

Yes, I haven't had my baby yet but once normal service is resumed after the birth and I have hopefully recovered, I'm thinking about the cap. I don't want to go on the Pill again, condoms are no good for DP (how can I put this delicately - they 'put him off'), the coil freaks me out...so I'm hoping the cap will be ok, though it doesn't sounds hugely romantic

[BitOfFun]

Mirena coil works best for me - once it's in it's forgotten, issue over. I am far too chaotic to manage pills every day!

[MrsTittleMouse]

The cap isn't very romantic if you're putting it in on the bed in the middle of the action (!), but is very handy as you can put it in after dinner, go upstairs and see what happens, either you use it or no, and then in the morning you can take it out and clean it ready for the next evening. I had mine pre-children, so it was well worth it to put it in every night. Don't know if that would be the case now though!

[LadyThompson]

Thanks Mrs TM. I was hoping you could put it in just in case. Can I ask if it's easy to get in, b) comfortable and c) vaguely reliable?

[MrsTittleMouse]

It's really easy to get in once you have the knack (which didn't take long for me) and you can barely feel it if it's in properly. The reliability isn't as good as the pill, so it's not great if a pregnancy would be a complete disaster, but then I couldn't take the pill anyway. I reckon that a lot of the failure stats are due to mis-use and not due to a failure of the cap itself, if you see what I mean.

The only reasons that we're not using it now are that 1) we found out that we're 100% infertile, 2) I had a botched episiotomy so penetrative sex not so good and 3) I'm pregnant again and exhausted.

[BitOfFun]

I wonder though about the cap - doesn't it have to be custom-fitted, and might your body not be a bit changeable in the months after birth? Personally I wouldn't like the fiddling around, but the unreliability is probably more important.

[LadyThompson]

Aw, so sorry to hear about your botched epi, that's really rough but I do hope your pregnancy goes wonderfully.

[MrsTittleMouse]

BitOfFun - it does have to be custom fitted - at the family planning clinic or GP's surgery. The putting-it-in thing really isn't any more bother than inserting a tampon though, it's not really any hassle once you've had a few goes.

LadyThompson~ - thank you. My gynae told me that there is a possibility that this birth could stretch the scar tissue and make it more comfortable, so fingers crossed.