Contraception

[peanutbutterjelly]

Before I got pregnant, I was on the pill for 10 yrs, and I think that it makes you put on weight. Do you other mums out there think the same? Was thinking of getting the loop perhaps, but that just feels like a foreign object in your body? Mums out there, let me know what you think.

The pill def put weight on me. Whats the loop?

loop is another word for coil. what do mums out there generally use for contraception>

The use the cap. You cant feel it when it in. It works well for me

The pill can make you put a little bit of weight on, but most women don't put any more on than they naturally would have done over the same time period.

I personally have used the combined pill for 8 years until I stopped because of migraines. Then I tried the depot injection for 2 years which was great contraception, no periods but caused a significant delay in my fertility returning when ttc ds. I am now using the mini-pill (cerazette) and am very happy with it- no periods, easy to remember, no accidents. If I were looking at something longer-term but reversible, I would have a mirena coil or an implant.

Coils are great from a contraception point of view, as long as you don't mind the fitting process. I wouldn't recommend a diaphragm unless you were OK with a potential accidental pregnancy, as it has a fairly significant failure rate.

I also use cerazette and havent had a period for about a year now. The depo made me put on loads of weight and I had constant bleeding for about 6 months. My sister had both the copper coil and the implant and bled constantly with both of them - she is now trying cerazette.

sorry, but doesn't stopping your period quite bad? as in not, natural?
Anyone had the mirena coil put in, and are happy with it?

Emma- according to family planning and everthing I read, diaphragm is just as effective as pill

I had a diaphragm for a bit as the pill makes me horribly depressed, and it was vile, I don't know if they have improved in the last 15 years but the jelly you have to use is revolting.
I was thinking about the hormone-free coil (again, to avoid depression), but really, I think condoms are absolutely fine, if a bit expensive. I know most people don't agree...

Orangehead: The problem with the diaphragm is that it is entirely user-dependent on how effective it is. If you forget, can't be arsed or are a bit pissed when you put it in, or it slips then it is less effective. However, if you are absolutely perfect and infallable it is very reliable. The problem is that people generally aren't and so there is quite a substantial failure rate when you consider ALL users of the diaphragm.

There is no medical reason why not having periods should be a problem. It may not be the 'natural' state of affairs, but then again your body was biologically designed to spend most of your reproductive life pregnant or breastfeeding and not having any periods because of that. It is only with the luxury of modern life and contraception that we now can limit our families (and hence have more periods in a lifetime).

emma, do you take the minipill evey day of the month, at the same time every day?

Everyday with no gaps.

Most mini-pills have a 4 hour window in which to take it each day but cerazette has a 12 hour window, so you don't need to be as accurate (and it is more effective than standard mini-pills because it prevents ovulation).

sorry for all the questions. so the cerazette prevents periods? And have you had another baby after taking it? In other words, does it take along time to fall pregnant, after stopping the cerazette?

Another question for other mums that have had the mirena coil put in.. is this available on the nhs? Anyone had the mirena coil put in and are happy with it? Or, I take it from no response from my earlier question, that most of mums take the pill??

Cerazette will either make periods lighter or stop them in the majority of users. The downside is that some women get irregular bleeding. If you were TTC and you stopped the cerazette, it is out of your system within 24-48hrs and there should be no delay in fertility getting back to normal. I haven't TTC a 2nd time yet, but this is the whole reason I chose cerazette over some other methods.

Regarding mirena: it is available on the NHS (as are all methods). Some GPs can fit them, otherwise a FP clinic will be able to. My mum has a mirena and loves it as do most users, although some women have mixed experiences.

In the UK, the most common contraceptive methods used are the combined pill or condoms.

I am on Cerezatte too. It hasn't made me put on any weight, but my periods are all over the place. I can go a couple of months with nothing & then have two a week apart! Wish I was one of those lucky ones who got no periods with this pill!