Best contraception for Dd2 who is going away for 6th form.

[Ineedalife]

Hi all, Dd2 and I have been discussing contraception options this morning. She is going away to college in September at nearly 17. She has heavy periods and often feels unwell with them.

The course is a very physical outdoor course with water sports so the topic of contraception came up because she wants her periods to be A, less heavy and B, under her control [ie taking pill packs back to back.]Oh and C. because the course is full of lads!!

It is donkeys years since I used the pill so I was hoping someone might be able to help.

Don't ask why I didn't do this with Dd1, I did but not very well and have a 4 year old Grandaughter.

Hope someone can help. TIA

Why don't you make an appointment at your local family planning clinic to go and discuss the options? She could go alone or you could go together, but I found mine really helpful at that age wrt talking about different options. They also used to give out big bags of free condoms!

I suppose you have to weigh up the pro of being more in control with the pill, to the ease/not worrying about having to take it with the implant etc. The implant can stop periods totally, or they can make them worse. There might be a pill they can suggest with similar hormones which she can try out to see how her body reacts.

They tend not to want to use coils with teenagers, so if she wants something hormonal it's a case of finding the one which suits her.

Why not just go to Family Planning or your GP? Surely they are best suited to finding the right contraception for her?

She's lucky to be DD2 - C) isn't phasing you too much! :)

Why don't you make an appointment at your local family planning clinic to go and discuss the options? She could go alone or you could go together, but I found mine really helpful at that age wrt talking about different options. They also used to give out big bags of free condoms!

I suppose you have to weigh up the pro of being more in control with the pill, to the ease/not worrying about having to take it with the implant etc. The implant can stop periods totally, or they can make them worse. There might be a pill they can suggest with similar hormones which she can try out to see how her body reacts.

They tend not to want to use coils with teenagers, so if she wants something hormonal it's a case of finding the one which suits her.

She'd be best off going to a young persons FPC as they are great at going through all the pros and cons. Much, much better than the gp ime.

A long acting contraception that she can then combine with condoms is prob best, and theres time to try one of the mini pills that has the same hormones as the implant to check she's ok with it before having one put in

Thanks so far everyone, looks like a trip to the FP clinic is on the cards. I think she would be happier with that than the GP too.

No chipping it isn't phasing me at all and I made such a mess of it with Dd1 [although she didn't help] that I am determined to do everything I can to get it right this time.

Wish me luck.

I wouldn't advise a long term contraception (injection) without trying the pill first as if she has side effects and it doesnt suit her it will take at least 3 full months to wear off. This happened to my sons girlfriend (19) who had an injected contraception which made her depressed after 2 weeks and waiting for it to wear off was unbearable for her and she lost her college place as a result.

The implant is better than the injection in the wearing off if it doesn't suit regard - everything should go back to normal within a month of it being removed. A third of people have no periods at all with it and even if you do have periods they tend to be lighter (but can be irregular).

Do you have a Brook near you.
They are excellent at advice for young people.

I went with DD to the flamily planning clinic when she was 16 as she wanted to be free of period pains for GCSEs following a nightmare experience in her mocks. They prescribed combined oral contraceptive tablets for DD as easier to manage (mini-pill has to be taken around the same time each day so easy for students to mess up) and recommended barrier methods too when needed.

Clinic much better than GP imo as more experienced and approachable.

Well tell to use condoms if she has sex for a start.

As for 'treating' her 'period problem' there are over 30 different types of combined pill (ie a combination of synthetic oestrogen and progesterone), the 'mini pill' cerazette which only contains synthetic progesterone as do the implant and injection. There are various pros and cons to all these and different 'generations' of the combined pill have different health side effects. best to get her to google some brands and see what she fancies eg dianette, yasmin, cilest, loestrin, mercilon, mycrogynon, etc. I'd recommend reading the pros and cons of different brands yourself (or DD) as the one the doctor may push (often the cheapest) may not be the best for her.

She may also want a pack of emergency contraception to have handy.

Thankyou all.so much, i am not sure about a brook centre but will google.

Will also google with her some of the.pills brands.

Will definitely be advising the belt and braces method of contraception for this Dd, as the "I am not stupid mum" method really didnt work for Dd1

Using both is really the best thing - contraception can fail even if you are using it 100%, and of course they protect against STDs too... hmm, at the risk of this causing more worry than help, going by my friend's experience of residential college at 16, (and this was only in 2004) the STD thing is particularly likely to be relevant.

If there is any chance of STDs do make sure she gets herself tested for Clomidia, and knows about it.