To ask what contraception works for you & why?

[sparkiess]

At a loss and want to get on contraception!

Should have expanded! No hormones, no side effects. The no hormones means for me I can use natural family planning and condoms alongside it (condoms on green days, no sex on red days)

Pulling out. Occasionally condoms. My cycle is very regular.

Mirena coil and now withdrawal.

I had 2 implants which were fine but the third one turned me into a weeping hormonal madwoman. It was awful. I am talking things like crying spells of 16 hours solid! Awful. I had it out after a year and felt better immediately.

Condoms here now but I am at an age I wish the menopause would hurry the fuck up!

Given my age my GP recommended Mirena as it also acts as HRT. Not brave enough yet though although as I am 45 I maybe should think about it as I might be done with contraception by the time it needs replaced 💃

Mirena, was wary but it’s been a cracking decision. After six months I stopped having periods too which was a great side effect.

In my late teens/early twenties I used depo provera which I got on with really well. It was easy enough to get appointments for it to be administered, and was another that stopped my periods.

Quite frankly, I’m all for things that stop my periods!

Condoms
No horrible symptoms or affecting my period. Know when it's worked and when it's failed.
Easy and cheap to use.

Double Dutch here, family finished DH has had the snip.

I also use the mini-pill, no painful heavy periods, no PMT. love it.

Since getting caught out several months ago with a failed vasectomy, I’ve now done the full circle and am back with a copper coil plus condoms.

Recent experience has made me totally paranoid that it won’t be reliable enough and I’m still uneasy every month. Total abstinence would honestly work for me and my peace of mind but that’s not very feasible long term unfortunately.

Copper coil since mainly - last one was put in dc2 over 7 years ago but removed last summer to attempt dc3 (to no avail - mid 40's now). I haven't been able to have hormonal contraception for 20+ years.

Mirena coil. I love it. Not having periods has been life changing for me. I'm hoping to continue having one removed and the next immediately placed until I hit menopause.

Mirena here. Can't have the normal pill for medical reasons. Mini pill stopped agreeing with me after first child. Don't like faff of condoms etc. DH has very valid reasons why a vastectomy will never be appropriate.

I was nervous about Mirena after mini pill and reading some threads on here. But I love it! Insertion was no worse than a smear. No periods but I can still feel my natural hormone cycle so I don't get the weight gain etc that I got on the mini pill. This is definitely the one for me long term.

Condoms and withdrawal. I hate hormonal contraceptives.

Vasectomy after family finished, pill before.

I was fine on the pill for a long time but switched to the Mirena after having our children.

I now have my fifth and final one in place which has seen me through the menopause. I haven’t had a period for 25 years. Fantastic. Doesn’t suit everyone but when it does it’s bloody marvellous.

Mirena coil. Getting it inserted wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it also wasn’t the horror story I’d heard it could be. Works really well for me but I’ve always been fine with hormonal contraception.

I have the Depo-Provera contraceptive injection and love it. Stopped my periods, all symptoms, have no side effects at all. I know this isn't the case for everyone, just works brilliantly for me.

I use the patch and love it. No side effects from it and love how easy it is. The only thing is it collects lint around the edges but it does get changed every 7 days. It stays on through everything! I’m really sensitive to adhesive and can’t use plasters but I’m fine with this.

A diaphragm.

I don’t agree with hormonal contraceptives and think a copper coil sounds horrific.
We don’t enjoy condoms.

I’ve used a diaphragm on and off most of my adult life.
It’s quick and easy and can be put in and left in for ages, so you don’t have the fumble of condoms.
There are no horrible side effects like hormonal contraceptives.
And used correctly they are just as effective.

I wish they were more popular because they are brilliant.

Copper coil! Have had mine three years now and it's fantastic. I wasn't getting on with hormonal contraception as I have PMDD.

The only side effect with the copper coil is slightly heavier and longer periods, otherwise it's great.

If you are nervous about insertion and can afford it have a gynecologist do the fitting, then I would recommend this. I first tried to get it from my GP's surgery and the GP doing the fitting just repeatedly gave me a stabbing pain then gave up and just said there was nothing she could do as I was just a "difficult fit".

The gynecologist I saw for my PMDD fitted it in 5 mins, with minimal fuss. He said the issue was that I had a retroverted uterus, so that would make it difficult for less experienced doctors to fit a coil. The fitting was painful, but no worse than a smear test. I then had a few days of what felt like very bad period pain, but then it settled down and I now I don't notice that it's there (expect for the slightly heavier periods each month, which is a price I am willing to pay for reliable contraception).

Well let's see,

I fell pregnant with awful, horrific consequences on the Merina coil but I also had no periods or mood alterations so it wasn't all bad.

I fell pregnant on the POP (Cerazette)

I had such awful side effects on the implant that I became suicidal and it was removed as a matter of urgency.

Now we're using condoms, but DS1 was conceived while using them so I spend every month so uneasy to mental health damaging levels.

The GP has washed her hands of me, noted down I'm 'severely intolerant' to progesterone (even my own when the levels rise naturally I have a period of crazy every month)
I can't have a copper coil because I have really heavy periods which already make me anaemic and both DH and I have been refused sterilisation, me because my health history makes me unsuitable and DH because he's too young, we can't currently afford it privately.

As you can imagine, there's not a lot of action going on in my house these days.

Implant.
Hate having it in, horrible side effects, but appreciate reading PPs, that I'm one of a few and not in the majority.

Leaving it in until september, which is when it is due out, as it has been 100% effective so far, and that reassurance for me makes the side effects worth it.....for the moment.

DP has said that hopefully once we add to our family, due to age, he is supportive of a vasectomy and doesnt want me to have to be the one on hormonal contraception - the only reason i would choose it after that is to manage period symptoms (initially got put on combined pill for symptom control not contraceptive reasons)

Mirena coil. No periods and the only side effects is a bit of cramping which is eased by taking magnesium.

Vasectomy 🤣👍

Noriday mini-pill.
No migraines after horrendous ones on the combined pill, and no periods.