Is Persona a reliable contraceptive?

[MissGolightly]

Wasn't sure where to post this - not under TTC that's for sure!

DP and I are currently using condoms as I am still breastfeeding, but I have been thinking about changing to Persona when my periods come back. However DP is unconvinced about its reliability. Any advice/experience?

NO!!! Not in my experience!!!!

Oh dear - do you think there was a particular reason it failed or did it just lie to you?

I was going to say no in my DF opinion but hey shes already done it!!!

I used it successfully as a contraceptive for nearly 3 years.

I also conceived the first time we had sex on a red "O" day instead of the green days. So I would recommend it.

BUT it does take up to 6 months to reliably work out your cycle. And in the meantime you have a LOT of red days.

And it costs a tenner a month in sticks, plus the cost of the thing in the first place (about £60 at the time I bought one).

And you have to remember to test at the right time. You also have to have a cycle which is regular and between 28 and 32 days (IIRC).

All of which is less faff than it sounds, and is of course totally drug free.

It's been a reliable contraceptive for me, and allowed me to get pregnant when I want too.

If getting pregnant was absolutely something you didn't want to happen I wouldn't rely on it, but it's only a small risk as far as I know.

I do have a regular cycle (or at least I did - god knows when they will ever come back!)

I didn't realise the sticks cost so much - how does it work, do you just test on the days when you aren't sure?

I had been using it for 2 years without prblems, then one month I followed it exactually as I should & always had done, and I got pregnant!!
I binned the persona right away!
I had a friend that had a similar experience with persona...she has an 8 year old DS to show for it!!!

Perhaps if you're terribly organised... Friend was using it and was pregnant within a year - accidentally. Reckons she wasn't on the ball with it.

I used it as a contraceptive absolutley fine. Also used it to get pregnant - which I did in the first month.

Be aware that you have to have two normal periods after stopping bf before you can use Persona. I stopped bf waited for 2 months but never got around to starting using Persona - thought I knew when my red/green days were.

Obviously didn't as dd2 was conceived when dd1 was only 7 months!

Hence, dd2 was exclusively bf and I went on the minipill when dd2 was 6 weeks - I wasn't taking any chances with a 16 month age gap between the dd's!

I followed it exactually as I should have done, as the last thing I wanted was to get pregnant!!

Well DS is 9 months so it wouldn't be a total disaster if it failed, but on the other hand we weren't planning to try for another baby for at least a year or so.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone, this is very useful. particularly the timing stuff. From what you are saying it looks like it would be at least 6-8 months before it was fully up and running...?

That is one problem - motivation, if you are not overworried about it failing then you are less likely to stick to the rules.

you can't use it until 2 months/cycles after your last BF apparently, I was going to use it for TTC and contraception but tbh it's £10 p/m and also it's the hassle now having J to get in the bath room for a loo, some days I forget to even look at it lol.

Thanks for the advice everyone.