To ask what contraception works for you & why?

[sparkiess]

At a loss and want to get on contraception!

^^ although I am aware that the mini pill doesn't stop periods for all women

Yes, no migraines! There's been so many benefits of oral hormonal contraceptives for me! Even when DH gets the snip next year I'll stay on the minipill.

Copper coil. Most reliable form of contraception and one of the few reliable contraceptives with no hormones. Love it. Stick it in and forget about it for ten years.

I've had the depo injection since 2011 - haven't had a single period since and that's why I keep using it. Absolutely love it, would thoroughly recommend it. The only drawback is having to arrange an appointment every three months and remembering to do so.

So many people keep telling me that I should change to the implant, blah, blah, blah, because it's the same hormone and it lasts for years, but I can't because I take 200mg of Topiramate daily, which renders the implant ineffective. Topiramate doesn't affect the injection, however.

I've been on the Depo Provera injection for just over a year now. Was great for the first 6 months, then 3 months of constant bleeding, docs said it would settle itself - which it did for three months, but I'm now back to bleeding and have been for a month.
Was told that approximately a third of women have no periods on it (I didn't for the first 6 months), a third have normal periods and a third get constant bleeding. Would have been perfect otherwise, was so nice just to get one every 12 weeks and otherwise not worry. Think I'll be going back to the combined pill now though, not ideal but I think it's the only thing that will work for me.

Oh God. We pull out, but that's not exactly reliable. Although I've never had any mishaps.

But condoms don't work for us, and the pill made me crazy and I'm too scared for implant / coil after reading horror stories.

@OnceUponAThread
How do condoms not work?

@itsbetterthanabox - causes ED (in a nutshell). We try. But it just does not work.

My experience of the patch is currently 8.5 years old eating a turkey sandwich. Used correctly as I was really paranoid about it too.

@Loyaultemelie 😂😂😂 this made me laugh!

I've used the patch for three years without any problem - no side effects, easy to use, very sticky (it's never fallen off) and my periods are much lighter and shorter.

Mini pill. It's okay and I'm good at remembering to take it, but have had quite a lot of breakthrough bleeding which sometimes can last several weeks, so not completely enamoured with it. But I like the fact that if do ever have any problems, I can just stop taking it.

I'm a bit scared of long-term hormonal contraceptives like the implant and injection because if I have a bad reaction to it I'm stuck with it. Ditto the process of having the implant put in and taken out looks horrible. The idea of a coil freaks me out, and I know a friend who had to have emergency surgery after hers moves out of place and perforated her bowel, so definitely not keen on that one.

Ultimately I'd like DH to have a vasectomy really as we're both 33 and 37 now, with 2 DDs and I have no desire for any more, and it would save a lot of faffing worrying about contraception.