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motherof2boys · Aug 6, 2007, 10:57 AM

Hi! I am new and could really use some help in finding a birth control that is right for me. First, you may need some background information.

I was 18 when I started taking the pill. I had no problems until I was 23 and I began to have break through bleeding every month. I talked to my doctor and he switched my pills several times. He even had me try to take estrogen to help with the bleeding. Nothing worked. Eventually I went off the pills. My cycle returned to its normal 35 day cycle. No problems. My husband and I used the pull out method (I know, I know) and got pregnant after a year. I had my child, breastfeed and again used the pull out method. We were planning on having another child quickly. Again, I got pregnant the month we stopped using the pull out method and had another beautiful child. I love my children, but I do not want any more at the moment. I tried going on the estrogen only pill since I was breastfeeding, but again that breakthrough bleeding started back up. So, I stopped.

I don't know what to do. It gets harder because we tried to use condoms, but they really irritate me to the point that I don't want sex. We then switched to lambskin condoms, but my husband does not like them because he says they feel as though they are falling off.

I tried talking to my doctor about other because options, but he seems quick to just hand out a prescription for the pill. Does any one know why I may be having the breakthrough bleeding? What kind of because control is there that does not have hormones? I really want a sexual relationship with my husband, but I don't want the fear of getting pregnant. HELP!

nauticalstar420 · Aug 6, 2007, 11:03 AM

The only form of prescribed birth control that contains no hormones is the copper 10 year version of the IUD. Even so, it may/probably will cause bleeding for a little while after insertion. It also has very good statistics. Less than 1% of women using this form of birth control will get pregnant each year.

The breakthrough bleeding is caused by the hormones that are present in the birth control pills. Some women experience this, some do not. It all just depends on your body.

You can always try barrier methods, such as the cervical cap or the diaphragm. These are best used along with spermicides.

I had to sample a few different methods of birth control before I found one that was right for me. You may have to do the same. I got the Mirena 5 year IUD. It has a low dose of hormones. The great thing about the IUD is it gets inserted and you don't have to worry about it again for 5 or 10 years. :)

LearningAsIGo · Aug 6, 2007, 11:05 AM

I take BCP and have the same issues you described. Honestly, I decided that break-thru bleeding was worth the pros of taking it, so I'm continuing on them.

macksmom · Aug 6, 2007, 11:13 AM

I had a lot of problems with the BCP... tons of bleeding, not to mention I GOT PREGNANT! So needless to say, after I had my daughter I did not go back on the pill! I did do the shot though which worked perfectly for me! No periods! No pregnancies! The only problem with that, is if you plan to have more kids, it takes about 12-18months to clear your system :/ I agree with the above suggestions for the IUD and such... those would work well too. But you seem to like to do natural birth control (pull out)... if that's your method you should really try Fertility Awareness Method (FAM).. you can Google it, and there are books on it... the best being "Taking Charge of Your Fertility"... in short, it shows you how to naturally prevent, or plan, pregnancy... by recongizing your bodies signs of fertility. It is a proven method :)

motherof2boys · Aug 6, 2007, 11:54 AM

Thank you for the quick replies. I wasn't expecting so much help and I do appreciate your time.

I was thinking about the IUD, but I am a little concerned about it. Can this be removed if needed? Is breakthrough bleeding a problem with this method? My periods are heavy and I can only handle one a month, so I am concerned that if I have problems, it may not be able to be removed promptly. Do you have periods with this form? Are they generally lighter, or heavier?

Also, the shots. Are these the ones that you get every 3 months? So if you have a problem you have to deal with the problem for 3 months? I had a friend who did the Depro-Vera (? ) shots and bleed the whole 3 months. Is this common?

FAM, is that Natural Family Planning? If so, I don't think I could do that. Taking my temp at the same time every day could get old, and I could end up with an oops! Too much room for human error.

Thanks again for your help!

nauticalstar420 · Aug 6, 2007, 12:08 PM

The IUD can be removed whenever you want it removed. Unlike other prescribed birth control, after the IUD is removed you can get pregnant immediately if that's what you want. Most of the other methods can take a year or two to fully get out of your system. After insertion of the IUD, you may experience mild spotting for 1-3 months, and then your period can go away completely for the remainder of the time it is in.

I was also on Depo Provera, and in my opinion it is the worst form of birth control there is. The side effects are terrible (irregular bleeding, weight gain, breast tenderness and headaches, among others). If you do decide you want to have more children and stop taking the shot, it can be up to a year before you can get pregnant.

Yes FAM is natrual family planning. 3% of women using this method (if done correctly mind you) get pregnant every year. You have much better odds with prescribed birth control. With this, you have to chart your temperature and other body signs daily. If you are forgetful sometimes, I wouldn't recommend this method.

macksmom · Aug 6, 2007, 12:30 PM

All birth control varies with the person. I bled heavily on BCP and ended up in the emergency room. With me, I had no problems with the shot... no abnormal bleeding, no weight gain, nothing... again, if varied with the person. But as I stated before, it takes a long time to get out of your system should you decide you want to get pregnant.

Yes the other method I mentioned it natural family planning, and its not for everyone. I use it, and the temp taking isn't as bad as it sounds... I just have a therm on my night stand and every morning when my husbands alarm goes off, I reach over and take my temp and go back to bed. It a natural way birth control method with absolutley no side effects :) But again, its not for everyone... but is a lot more percise than the "pull out" method.

While typing this I did remember one time I did try to pill again, I told my OB about the problems I had with my periods, and the heavy bleeding the pill caused... she put me on the 3 month birth control pill... you take it just like a normal birth control pill but you don't take the "reminder week" you take birth control pills continuously for 3 months, then a week without for your period. You only will have 4 periods a YEAR!! That did work well for me :)

nauticalstar420 · Aug 6, 2007, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by macksmom

All birth control varies with the person. I bled heavily on BCP and ended up in the emergency room. With me, I had no problems with the shot...no abnormal bleeding, no weight gain, nothing...again, if varied with the person. But as I stated before, it takes a long time to get out of your system should you decide you want to get pregnant.

Yes the other method I mentioned it natural family planning, and its not for everyone. I use it, and the temp taking isn't as bad as it sounds...I just have a therm on my night stand and every morning when my husbands alarm goes off, I reach over and take my temp and go back to bed. It a natural way birth control method with absolutley no side effects :) But again, its not for everyone....but is a lot more percise than the "pull out" method.

While typing this I did remember one time I did try to pill again, I told my OB about the problems I had with my periods, and the heavy bleeding the pill caused...she put me on the 3 month birth control pill....you take it just like a normal birth control pill but you don't take the "reminder week" you take birth control pills continously for 3 months, then a week without for your period. You only will have 4 periods a month. That did work well for me :)

You mean 4 periods per year? 4 periods per month would kind of suck. :p

macksmom · Aug 6, 2007, 12:35 PM

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA uhhh yeah... good catch lol... that would REALLY suck!! 4 periods A YEAR!! Haha ;)

nauticalstar420 · Aug 6, 2007, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by macksmom

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA uhhh yeah....good catch lol....that would REALLY suck!!! 4 periods A YEAR!!! haha ;)

I have tried that method as well though, BCP without taking the sugar pills. That was a pretty nice method, the only downside I would say is that when I finally did allow my period to come, it was heavy and harsh, and lasted longer than a normal period would. But I guess that's the price to pay for three months with no period :D

nauticalstar420 · Aug 6, 2007, 12:38 PM

macksmom agrees: haha yep that'd suck big time... thanks... and fixed :)

I would start wondering what the heck is wrong with me.. lol :)

alkalineangel · Aug 6, 2007, 12:44 PM

I would be leary of the depo shot. As was mentioned before, every woman responds differently, but many have issues. I was put on Depo after my first child was born, and bled the entire 3 months heavily. I also suffered from ocular migraines which caused me to lose my vision for periods. After stopping the shot, I was never able to go on any type of hormonal birth control. It really altered my body. I have heard wonderful things about Mirena. As for the natural family plannning method... it can get tricky, but it can work as well... but I never was able to do it correctly... hope that helps :)

nauticalstar420 · Aug 6, 2007, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by alkalineangel

I would be leary of the depo shot. As was mentioned before, every woman responds differently, but many have issues. I was put on Depo after my first child was born, and bled the entire 3 months heavily. I also suffered from ocular migraines which caused me to lose my vision for periods of time. After stopping the shot, I was never able to go on any type of hormonal birth control. It really altered my body. I have heard wonderful things about Mirena. as for the natural family plannning method...it can get tricky, but it can work as well...but I never was able to do it correctly... hope that helps :)

I am on Mirena right now and have no complaints. I know what you mean about the migraines though, while I was on Depo I had to be prescribed migraine relief tablets. And I also plumped up to be about the size of the Goodyear Blimp :p

jillianleab · Aug 6, 2007, 02:08 PM

Do you plan on having more kids? If not, is a vasectomy for your husband an option?

I'm on a version of the pill where I get 4 periods a year, and I love it. When I was on the monthly pill and would "skip" my period (for vacations or whatever) I would have a heavier flow, but now that I'm on an FDA approved pill for "skipping" I don't notice any difference. I usually don't even bleed for 7 days; but of course, your body is different than mine! There's a new pill on the market (or coming soon) which you take without breaks, so you get NO periods a year. Maybe you can mention that one to your doctor.

What about the Nuva Ring? A friend of mine was on it for several months and loved it, as she's horrible about remembering the pill.

tiddley_pips · Aug 15, 2007, 04:33 PM

You should try the depo injection I found it realyly effective but the only problem is that you gain a little weight... I hope that may have helped you in some way. That's not the full name of the injestion I canmt quiet remember it but your doctor should know.

nauticalstar420 · Aug 15, 2007, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by tiddley_pips

you should try the depo injection i found it realyly effective but the only problem is that you gain a little weight... i hope that may have helped you in some way. thats not the full name of the injestion i canmt quiet remeber it but your doctor should know.

Depo Provera.

And I don't know about anyone else, but when I was on this I didn't gain just a little weight, I almost doubled my normal size. It was actually disgusting. Not only that, but it also caused me to go months without a period. Sounds good right? Well when I finally would get my period it was extremely heavy with huge dark clots. Not very nice.

Of course, everyone's body experiences birth control in different ways, but the negative side effects of Depo have come to become a trend in most people. This is just my opinion, but I would stay away from this method.