Condoms reliable? Everyone uses hormonal methods?

[bexster5]

I haven't got on well with either combined pill or mini pill in the past. I tried to have a coil fitted once but they couldn't get it in. Hideous! (Admittedly that was pre children). I'm also totally sick of messing with my hormones. My husband is not keen on a vasectomy. Reading risks of this recently, I don't blame him!

So I think that means our only option is condoms?

Given that lots of people seem to opt for hormonal methods are condoms unreliable? I do not want any more children and was lucky enough to fall pregnant very easily both times I tried.

No I think it's more that condoms are annoying. If you don't mind them they are reliable enough.

We've used condoms for 5 years. During that time we've have two planned pregnancies (currently 17 weeks with no2). Both were conceived in month one of TTC. I take this to mean we're pretty fertile, so condoms definitely worked well for us.

I don't get on with hormonal contraception, and yes, condoms are a faff, but it's better than the alternatives.

Condoms are reliable if ued properly and with good lubrrication but I would use a second method just incase especially if you do not want to get pregnant again. Have you tried contacting your gp or family planning organisation

Watching with interest as I am currently wondering whether to go back on pill or just stick with condoms only. Hormonal methods don't agree with me and am tempted not to put my body through them if I don't need to. Hmm.

Less reliable than pills, but much better than nothing. Here's a link www.patient.co.uk/doctor/contraception-general-overview with the failure rates.

Condoms, even if you don't make any mistakes with them, only rate 98% - ie in a year, two out of a hundred women using them will get pregnant.

The pill rates over 99% if you use it right.

So it depends how reliable is reliable enough for you!

Might be worth persevering with the coil. My first attempt at having a coil fitted was really unpleasant and painful and they just couldn't get it in. My GP prescribed tranquilizers for the next attempt. I took the pills and went back a few days later they got it in easily. I've been using the coil for 15 years now and am on my third coil. Never had any side effects and never had any more problems getting them in or out.

Ok that's very encouraging thank you!

SweetsForMySweet - gp just kept going on about the pill...

It worked for us in the last 10 years (2 planned children). You could combine it with calendar based methods and be extra vigilant on your fertile days. We did have to get the morning after pill 3-4 time in the 10 years due to condom failure so that was not nice. I am not even sure if it adds up to more hormones in the end than the regular pill.

My husband offered Vasectomy after we are done having kids but it terrifies me to loose the gift of fertility even on his befalf.

You could always use a diaphragm as a back-up during your most fertile time of the month as well as condoms.

(I was on the pill for polycystic ovaries from the age of 14. I came off it recently and I can't believe the difference in my general health/state of mind. I will never, for any reason, go back on any form of hormonal contraceptive. The effects are different for different women, but for me I'm definitely better off without it.)

I was just thinking why did I even bother asking this question as I'll never have time or energy for sex again with two small children haha... but we must be optimistic!

ReturnfromtheStars that's a really good idea. Part of being added-hormone free is to be more clued up on what my body is doing.

Delphine31 I had forgotten all about diaphragms! Do you have to have them fitted? Is that unpleasant?

There's always the withdrawal method. 4 years child-free!

I couldn't find anywhere to get a diaphragm. Even at the family planning clinic, the nurses had not fitted them for so long, they were no longer allowed. They really pushed the coil. I refused.

I fell pregnant using condoms. They're reliable but nothing's infallible. DH had a vasectomy a year ago.

We used FAM/condoms (currently TTC no.2) worked well for us!

We've used condoms only since I came off the combined pill about 10 years ago as I just didn't get on with the hormones. We have one DS but he took 3 yrs so I'm guessing we're not amazingly fertile or just unlucky.

My GP keeps pushing the mirena coil or the mini pill but tbh I like the fact I know what my body is up too and my cycles are pretty regular so I'm resisting going down that route at the moment.

Why are GPs so keen on pushing the coil???

Magpie what is FAM?

I was on the pill for 30 years apart from two breaks to get pregnant.
I didnt really get side effects at all and was paranoid about not getting pregnant accidentally.
H had vasectomy at 45.

Never used a condom in my life.

Am currently on HRT and have been for 5 years.

we have got a condom ds and a persona dd.

Be prepared

coils are a lot smaller than they were even 10 years ago OP, plus youve had children now, plus a lot depends on the skills of the person fitting it.
Might be worth going to an actual FPC rather than your normal doctor

We used them for years.

We had DS (he's 7) immediately after we were married, thinking we knew how NFP worked. (Natural Family Planning.)

Then we used condoms for five years, wanted another, stopped, and I got pregnant the first try with DD, who is now 19 months.

We decided to try another whack at NFP, did it perfectly...and I got pregnant the first try. Am due in June.

So we're pretty fertile I think, and condoms always worked for us. Just not NFP.

Used them for 12 years with one slip-up which resulted in dd2. Ahem.

So reliable as far as we know.

I've been with DH 12 years and have only used condoms, one split (didn't take MAP as we weren't totally against pregnancy). Like Cheerful we got pregnant very fast when we stopped using them so IME they have been very reliable.

I was able to get a diaphragm at my GP surgery. Doctor had to do the fitting rather than the nurse. She said they tend to recommend pill etc before diaphragm as the latter is only really seen as a good back up as it's reliability isn't great as a sole method.

Condoms worked for us.

I stopped using the pill because of side effects. So condoms for about 6 years after that. 2 planned DC in that time - DS1 conceived on month 1 of TTC, DS2 conceived within 3 months of TTC.