To think that contraception is a pain in the ass and it would just be easier to never have sex again?

[lottielou39]

I'm 38 and have a 7 week old daughter who we love to bits. She was conceived despite me being on the mini pill and taking it on time every single day, never missing one or taking it late and no tummy bugs/upset stomachs or antibiotics etc..
We're happy the pill failed because we love her to bits, but arn't keen to have a 4th baby, so I'm looking at contraceptive choices. Neither of us want permanent contraception.
I was all ready to have Mirena fitted, then read loads of horror stories on here about it, including women who've become pregnant with Mirena in. I know no method of contraception is 100%, but with a failure rate of 2 in 100, you wouldn't expect to be one of those two people, would you?
I've thought about an implant, but they get a shocking press too, don't they? Has anyone had an implant and actually got on fine with it? Apparently it's got an amazingly low failure rate (1 in 1000 or something) so I'd feel very confident with this method, if I had no side effects. But I'm too old at almost 39 for the combined pill, so wondering if the same will apply to the implant?
I just don't want to get pregnant again accidentally, am happy with my three wonderful children, but would struggle with any more at the moment.
What do you recommend and WIBU just to abstain instead??!

If you'd be happy to abstein youa re either doing it wrong, have relationship issues or have a newborn baby! luckily in your case it's the latter.

Congrats on that.

Personally I can't use any hormonal contraception so we've been using condoms and theya re a PITA but not as much as a fifth child would be! So DH is going to get the snip. Sorted.

YABU to use contraception if it's a pita.

I know you've said you can't take the combined pill as you're "too old at almost 39" but this isn't the current advice any more (at least it's not in the UK). Have you asked your GP about the combined pill? - i don't take it as I can't find one that suits me, but I'm the same age as you (well, actually I'll be 40 this year) and my GP said that I can take it until I'm 50 as long as my blood pressure stays low-ish and they monitor me every 6 months ...

So it's snip snip time for the DH then?

Your thread title actually answers your question.

like I said, neither of us want permanent contraception for a myriad of reasons.

Ha. I'm feeling so bitter right now about lack of conception, I feel like saying - what was even the point of taking contraceptives for so many years, since it seems to bloody hard to get pregnant now!

But, since it's not a full moon, and I'm trying hard to be crazy TTC lady, I shall say try it all

lol Pendeen, unfortunate thread title eh?! It's a thumbs down to bum sex, I'm afraid!

Copper coil?

Diaphragm or cap?

Nuva-Ring?

I know what you mean contraception is a pain, i wouldnt use any hormonal methods either but i think abstaining long term is a bit of an overreaction as it wont be good for your relationship so its better to just chose the least worst method of contraception or if you are bf then just take the chance with that although its not said to be fully reliable

I use the implant, I'm on my third. No periods, bar a bout of spotting or two every few months, no mood swings, no issues with weight gain - it's brilliant. And there's nothing I can do to make it less reliable, once it's been administered correctly. I'm a bit of a dab hand at checking to make sure it's seated correctly and at the right depth, too, after this amount of time.

Amazing little miracle stick, IMHO. My sister and a friend hated it, got it removed - my sister after about a year, my friend within a couple of months (friend experienced severe mood swings with it).

YANBU the worry of unplanned pregnancy is a big worry for me. No contraception is 100% and I'm basically celibate for the time being, my fear of conceiving is that great.

I hated implanon.

Get on great with the contraceptive patch though.

I know what you mean mamalovesmojitos; I also think I'd really struggle with having an abortion (despite being pro choice) so getting pregnant again would mean giving birth again and having a 4th baby. So I need a very reliable method. I'm veering towards Mirena, but some of the comments on here put me off. Seems like it's a Marmite contraceptive; love it or hate it!

Know how you feel. Having my implant out soon as I can as I've given it nearly 6 months now and it still causes me problems. These include: very frequent mood swings (like PMT but more unpredictable, almost constant bleeding so that I am also taking the pill on top so I don't bleed (gah! I wanted the implant so I could avoid the pill! I gained a stone in a month and my mood swings are just the same!)

Have considered some of the others like the Mirena which from what I've read, has some of same symptons as the fucking implant so for now just going to come off the pill, remove the implant and go back to condoms and hope for the best they work this time.

Good luck with whatever you choose OP

birdsofshoreandsea, my main reason is the tendancy towards user error.

I know we're no good at using them, but cannot afford another pregnancy (health wise a little bit, but also financially). I'm sure others are.

So I have to remove that margin of error.

The best method for us has been to use the Implant, DH would have got a vasectomy if it had been more reliable, but it's not, so I don't mind going in for a 15 minute "top up" every 3 years. It's not a big deal to me

Getting pregnant would be, though.

Implant didn't agree with me. My housemate however LOVED it. Didn't have a period for 3 years, no period pain, nothing! Try it. If it doesn't work have it taken it out and try something else.

I was sort of joking about the 'never having sex again' thing, btw!!

weight gain on the implant doesn't appeal. I'm 5ft 4 and 11.5 stones (normally about 10 st 10, which is already a bit chunky for my height) so can't afford to gain a pound. I want to lose about 20 pounds, not gain them!

I feel very much the same. I never had any problems or worries until I produced 3 babies very quickly and easily. Now every square inch of our house is taken over with baby/toddler/kid stuff, I've read through all the contraceptive options so many times my head is spinning and I've had enough of it.

I am going back on the pill (minipill as will be breastfeeding) after this pregnancy. It is DC5 and i have had enough, dh will probably get the snip when we have settled down from this baby being born (dont want to make a choice based on new baby haze). I would say, go back on the pill but use condoms as well if you are that concenred about it not working and then once the baby is a year make a long term choice.

birdsofshoreandsea in the past we've had a few condom splits (when I didn't have an implant in, after DCs both times) - one even, ahem, fell off a couple of times.

I just don't trust them, frankly. And I know that user error (we've only ever used them as a temp measure - I'm sure if I'd used them for a few months we'd get better) is definitely a problem here, so I just want to acknowledge that (for us).

So I suppose a lack of technique and a lack of practise God I can't believe I'm posting this.

What??

I thought a vasectomy was really reliable!

PAAAAANNIIIIIIICC!!!!!!!