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Original poster

Which contraceptive??? Help....

35 replies

Pheebe · 29/05/2008 19:31

I don't want to take chemicals (and pee them out into the water supply) (they send me bonkers and make me depressed anyway)

DH doesn't want the snip, neither do I

I don't want anything inserted into me

I have a latex allergy and DH hates condoms anyway

Where does that leave us...

Playing is great but sometimes you just want a good old fashioned s**g getting somewhat desperate now

OP posts:
littlefrog · 29/05/2008 19:38

Natural family planning?
Persona?
Cap/diaphragm (or does that come under the inserted problem?)

I have the same issues, minus the latex allergy. It's rubbish, isn't it!

PersonalClown · 29/05/2008 19:40

I was going to mention the non-hormonal/copper coil but that would involve insertion.

Hmmmmmmmmm....will have a think.

Original poster
Pheebe · 29/05/2008 19:45

The problem with 'natural' planning for us is that DH only has to wave his willy in my direction and I get pregnant

By insertion I mean the coil/anything permanent, the thought of anything where my babies grew makes me shudder (pathetic I know).

Aren't the cap etc latex?

This is indeed rubbish littlefrog

OP posts:
HolidaysQueen · 29/05/2008 19:48

NFP is meant to be really effective if you do it properly. I did the temperature bit so I could follow my cycle before trying to get pregnant, and I have a friend (married to a Catholic) who has used it for years. To be really effective though it does involve things like checking the position of your cervix and checking your mucus, so if you are squeamish about your body then you may find it doesn't work for you.

littlefrog · 29/05/2008 19:53

We used NFP effectively for about a year until we went on holiday and I didn't take my chart and got confused and got pregnant... So I reckon that was a failure of me, not the chart. But (I seem to be quite like you pheebe, doesn't take much) there do seem to be a lot of days when sex is out, and those are the days when you want it most!

MrsTittleMouse · 29/05/2008 19:56

Are femidoms still around? They aren't (weren't?) latex and would be less restrictive to your DH than regular condoms as they can be inserted before things get heated.

DisplacementActivity · 29/05/2008 20:00

Message withdrawn

mylittlepudding · 29/05/2008 20:04

I think you will have to compromise on something here. Babies or implants sound the most reasonable!

BigTummyMummy · 29/05/2008 20:16

The mini-pill with the lowest hormone dose maybe? Although you have to be really good about taking it at the same time each day.

Original poster
Pheebe · 29/05/2008 20:27

Persona may be a possibility, that microscope thing looks good too...

thanks for the ideas ladies

OP posts:
NorthernLurker · 29/05/2008 20:39

There's some one on here - Emma1977 or some such name I think who is a gp with a special interest in contraception - if you can track her down she's brilliant at this!

emma1977 · 29/05/2008 21:26

Someone called?

Well I've been having a think and scratching my head about this one....

Options are fairly limited.

  1. Fertility awareness and abstinence during fertile periods. Persona is good for this but you can also teach yourself how to monitor the signs. The downside is that you have to be fastidious about tracking your cycles and show some self control during fertile periods. Persona is very effective if used properly- the failure rate is 1-3/100 women per year (almost comparable to the pill).
  1. Female condom- made from polyurethane not latex. Can be a bit fiddly to use and difficult to find in shops.
  1. Spermicidal cream or impregnated sponge. The cream is not advised for use alone as a contraceptive. Finding a clinic that still uses sponges can be a problem!

That's about it really. I'm afraid that caps and diaphragms are out as they contain latex. If you could tolerate a small amount of hormone and an unembarassing procedure, an implant would be a good option.

Please don't rely on the rhythm method- sperm are sneaky and men can't be trusted!

NorthernLurker · 29/05/2008 21:36

Oh excellent - I've been away from mnet for three weeks whilst moving house - glad to see I wasn't going totally bonkers and making posters up

Sugarmagnolia · 30/05/2008 07:27

Hey emma1977 - I've been back and forth with this issue a million times myself. Sick of pills and hormones, can use condoms but it's just not the same, can't convince DH to get the snip....

Do you know anything about this non-surgical female sterilisation procedure. I can't remember what it's called - someone on here mentioned it ages ago but when I asked my GP she said it wasn't available in the UK.

Original poster
Pheebe · 30/05/2008 07:59

Thanks Emma

I'm hestitant about the implant just because of the bad reaction I've had to the pill in the past. I came off it again a couple of weeks ago becuase within 2 days of starting it again I was on my knees with depression (quite shocking really).

DH and I need another long conversation I think...

OP posts:
foofi · 30/05/2008 08:15

You don't say how many children you've got, but would vasectomy be an option?

Original poster
Pheebe · 30/05/2008 10:47

We have 2 boys, I'd have another but DH doesn't want any more (I'm OK with that), he's VERY squeemish and apart from that he's only 30 so I'm hesitant about asking him to do soemthing so final

running out of options here aren't we

OP posts:
emma1977 · 30/05/2008 19:45

Sugarmagnolia

Non-surgical female serilisation is still in its infancy and not available in the UK yet. Tell your husband to get a grip about the snip- its not that bad compared to childbirth!

PuppyMonkey · 30/05/2008 19:47

Don't do natural planning!! That's what we did very successfully for about four years... then I got pregnant with DD2.

littlefrog · 30/05/2008 21:49

What about non-surgical male sterilisation then, Emma1977? DH keeps on going on about this, he's read about some Chinese procedure that involves injecting something into the tube from the testicle; claimed to be non-invasive, completely reversible, non-surgical - it must be too good to be true (?!)

ShowOfHands · 30/05/2008 21:55

I use natural family planning. I know my cycle backwards so can avoid fertile times.

You have to be disciplined about it (oo-er) but it is the best option for us. I tried to get a diaphragm/cap but our local surgery no longer provides them and we have no local family planning place.

Did I dream latex-free condoms? You could have a few in the house for your fertile times if you really can't resist.

emma1977 · 30/05/2008 22:04

Littlefrog- defo too good to be true and not available over here needless to say.

You can get latex-free condoms but they do have an odd texture which puts some people off.

expatinscotland · 30/05/2008 22:06

Ah, times like this I am glad DH is so willing to get the snip after this one . Otherwise, I'd be off to persuade someone to give me the Essure female sterilisation on the NHS.

Some good advice here, Pheebe.

Original poster
Pheebe · 30/05/2008 22:29

Good advice indeed

Long conversation with DH culminated in neither of us want to be snipped or for the other to be snipped or for either to take chemicals soooo we plan to get serious about NFP/persona and have a pack of latex-free condoms just in case. They were always horrid in the past, hoping the durex avandia ones are a bit more pleasant

We've also touched on the issue of what happens if we get pregnant - chances are I'd miscarry anyway (long history of) but in the unlikely even it held I've said I'd be VERY unlikely to get rid. DH is pondering this as he's adamant he doesnt want any more (which I'm fine with). Although when prodded he did annouce - I'm only 30 you know, anything could happen

We shall see, thanks again ladies

OP posts:
Sugarmagnolia · 31/05/2008 08:12

expat - Essure - that's what I was thinking of! So is it available in the UK then, and in Scotland specifically. When I asked my GP about a year ago she couldn't get any info on it.