What should I do about contraception?

[Moulesfrites]

Ds is now 8 weeks old. Dh and I have not had sex again yet, this is mainly because I had a 2nd degree tear to my perineum and also a labial tear, but also because I have not yet decided what to do about contraception, and would appreciate your advice.

At my 6 week check the dr prescribed me cerazette but only 3 months worth, as she seemed to want me to think about longer term methods eg coil,implant. I am not keen on the idea of the coil, (risk of ectopic pg etc) and she said the implant is compatible with breastfeeding but the leaflet she gave me about it says it is not. . I have not stared taking the pill yet. I know that breastfeeding can have a contraceptive effect and I think I meet the criteria eg ebf, night feeds, no supplementing or dummy etc, but how can I be sure that I haven't ovulated? Then there are always condoms I suppose but we do prefer it without.

Don't know what to do really and would appreciate any advice and experiences...

I tend to find co sleeping and being knackered works really effectively
Seriously, condoms are goos enough for us for now - a bit nervous of anything hormonal

I used condoms too in the early days - although as SPB says the knackeredness was a fairly good contraceptive in itself! I had the implant put in when DD was over a year (but still bf), she is now 2.3yrs and still feeding regularly. I haven't had any untoward side effects, in fact I now haven't had a period since I got pg last time, nearly 3yrs ago....

I used minipill while bf - worked fine, but that was a while ago, advice may have changed.

I use the diaphragm. You cant feel it when its in so not interfering with sex unlike a condom your dh will not feel it. Does not interfere with hormones or bf. The only down side is you have to put it before but I dont find it a problem

I went on cerazette at 6 weeks with DD1 and am convinced it affected my milk supply, I ended up on domperidone to boost it back up.
I'm now 15 weeks after DD2 and we've just been using condoms (not many! :)). Periods have not returned but I'd be nervous about using breastfeeding as contraception as we don't really want a third.

I'm having a coil fitted in a couple of weeks but cannot decide between copper (don't really want heavy periods) or mirena (worried about effect on milk again but hoping it might be ok as we are further down the line and more established and the dose is lower than mini pill)

Is it just the risk of ectopic that puts you off the coil? It is not a high risk I don't think. I had a mirena for 10 years before and it was fab.

I got a mirena after dd1 and went on to feed her until she was 14 months. Think it was put at about 9 weeks. Started on the repo after 6 weeks when dd2 and still feeding her at 10 months. Again milk supply fine and both girls have always been at or around 91st centile continually. But dh wonders why we bother with the depo as co sleeping seems pretty effective anyway :)

Condoms are fab, plus no mess.

Having said that, dc2 is 10 mths and not back in the saddle yet!

He is Hard Work.

I have thought about the coil- the copper one appeals to me more because it has no hormones but why is it that your periods become heavier - I think I heard somewhere once that the coil does not stop the egg being fertilised just stops it implanting and that is what has put me off, but am not even sure if this is true!

No, the copper one releases copper which kills sperm before reaching the egg. It also would hinder implantation as a back up too.
It's the hormone one that mostly works by preventing implantation but also affects cervical mucus to try to stop sperm even getting in