I'm not excited about the prospect of getting back on hormonal birth control - and don't want anything that could reduce supply - but know charting tends to be pretty unreliable with breastfeeding and waking up during the night... Curious what others have used...
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Mirena IUD - both times, breastfed for a year both times.
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I used Mirena for 2 years after DD1. No complaints and my period pretty much never really came back as a result (just some spotting for the first few months). I'd do it again if DH hadn't gotten a vasectomy after DD2.
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Condoms
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Not ideal but we used condoms. My doctor recommended the mini pill because it doesn't affect milk supply. I'm not great about taking the pill at the same time every day so I decided against it.
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We used condoms (ugh, I know) after DS1 because I didn’t want hormonal birth control. Not sure what I’m going to do now. Probably the same, but I’m thinking about Mirena
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The mini pill
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@Mrs. Toad: @peachykeen: It's good to hear positive experiences with mirena
@LCTBQE: @skinnycow: thinking about this as well. We know we want another and would like to TTC again relatively soon and I have always taken awhile to adjust to a new form of birth control...
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I got a mirena at 6 weeks post partum and still have it 2.5 years later. The first few weeks to months were rough with constant spotting and bleeding, but now I love it. I don't ever have to think about it and haven't had a period in almost a year.
I was afraid to try the mini pill because I had bad experiences with other low dose pills in the past. The mirena is great for long term, but if you were planning to try again fairly soon, I'm not sure it would be worth the adjustment period.
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@krispi: This is good to know about the adjustment period and what I was worried about...
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The mini-pill, and condoms as back up if I'm mid-cycle. With the mini-pill you are supposed to take it at the exact same time every day.
I wasn't as careful with DS though (no back-up), and never got pregnant. -
Nothing/condoms.
Well, the first time we were lazy and that's how we ended up with LO2 early
LO2 is 15 mo and I'm still breastfeeding/no period but since we're likely done, we're better about condoms. Long term I'll probably get back on the pill...
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Mirena after #1, Skyla after #2. They're both made by the same company and have the same hormone, but Skyla is physically smaller and has a lower dose of the hormone. The adjustment period on Skyla was a million times better than Mirena for me. I eventually loved my Mirena, but it took 4ish months to really get adjusted.
My doctor told me that they don't make Skyla anymore, but that it was replaced by Kyleena. It's physically smaller than Mirena and has lower hormone levels, but lasts five years whereas Skyla only lasted three. If hubby still hasn't gotten on the vasectomy train by the time my Skyla is up, I'll get Kyleena.
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I got Mirena at 8 weeks PP both times. With LO1 I had a week of spotting and then one period the entire time I was on it. With LO2 I had closer to a month of spotting, but no other issues. No effects on supply that I can tell. I also successfully took the mini pill for over a year before TTC#1 and had no issues or scares.
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I used the mini pill for a year, then NFP. And I got pregnant the first time I ovulated. I will be getting an IUD this time
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I got my Mirena IUD at my postpartum visit, and still have it 3.5 years later. I absolutely LOVE it, and will be getting another one when this one expires, even if hubby gets a vasectomy.
A friend had a pregnancy scare on the mini pill - she didn't realize that (according to my doctor) it is even more time sensitive than the regular pill, and she hadn't been taking it at the exact same time every single day. My doctor basically told me that unless I could 100% guarantee that I would take the mini pill at exactly the same time each day (ie: I should set an alarm on my phone) then she would not recommend it.
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@periwinklebee: exactly. I didn't want to mess around with experimenting to find the "right" hormonal bc and then get off it with enough time before we starting trying again, etc etc--just didn't want to deal with the merri-go-round. plus we starting trying when the baby was 12 months, and frankly it's not like we had a crazy sex life during the 9 months of that we were actually doing it.
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I'm on the mini pill (well I was my insurance is weird about prescriptions and I am trying to decide if I stay on the minipill or if I go back to the birth control I was on before getting pregnant, it depends on my breastfeeding journey) We aren't exactly having lots of sex so I am ok with not taking something consistently and we use condoms as back-up
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I got the RX for the mini pill filled but never took it. We just used condoms (as others said, not like we were having a crazy frequent sex life - lol). We had infertility issues before having baby #1 but once I got my period back at about 14 months PP, my cycles became MUCH more regular. We had literally just thought about "maybe trying" for #2 when DS had just turned two and I got pregnant the first time - we had sex ONCE. Completely different than when we were TTC #1.
After #2 is born, I'm not sure what we will do. We don't want any more. I would prefer for DH to get a vasectomy. Probably condoms until we decide what to do more permanently.
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@periwinklebee: I had my first put in at 7 weeks, and my second at 5 weeks. I don't really remember an adjustment period. I did have pp bleeding longer with my second than my first though.
I had my first pulled out in March, got pregnant on my first try (second period). I had it for about 16 months. I am already planning on pulling this one out in a few months and have had it since late February last year. We plan to try for number 3 in July/August.
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Pull and pray. Lol. We were fine with an oops though. And I don't think i ovulated for quite a while.
Obviously only use this method if you're ok with an oops. But honestly we've used it for years and have only had kids when planned. I'm pregnant now with our probably final baby.. and I think we will use something slightly more effective after this one is born until we do something permanent.
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I have Nexplanon (the arm implant). Tried the mini pill, but wasn't taking it reliably so wanted a change. Chose the implant vs. Mirena because the implant doesn't have a risk of affecting fertility (whereas it is one of Mirena's rare side effects). We had enough trouble getting pregnant the first time that I wanted 0 risk to my fertility. Also wanted a reliable option, since my husband is going through some mental health issues right now and a pregnancy would just not be good for him timing-wise.
It's fine? No complaints that I can think of. No period while I've been on it (spotting every now and then for like a day). Not terribly looking forward to removal, but I imagine that's the case with Mirena as well
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Tried mini pill and HATED it. So did nothing and then got pregnant at 9 months post partum while EBF around the clock and when trying to avoid (conceived CD 5 ya'll!) Miscarried but then ultimately didn't do any birth control b/c we were open to another baby.
After my most recent birth, went on Mirena at 3 months PP. I spotted like crazy for the first 6 weeks and now spot occasionally still. I've had it for 5 months and I haven't had a post partum period yet but I do still spot frequently, so I can't say I'm a huge fan at this point.
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Condoms. I had supply issues after lo1 and have been nervous about trying any hormonal bc while nursing, and the side effects of the copper iud scared me off. I’m not sure what I’ll do when lo2 stops nursing (she’s 12.5m but i nursed lo1 til 22m so...). I’m pretty sure we’re done and eventually dh will get a vasectomy. Not sure if I want to deal w bc before then, though; I was fine on bc before ttc originally but I don’t really want to mess with my cycle again
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I had a mirena. Didn’t affect my supply. Like others I spotted for a bit but then I didnt get a period at all until I took it out to TTC #2. I do think it affected my sex drive and was unsure if I’d get another, but now that LO2 is here and I really don’t want another but don’t want to close the door on it either, I think I’ll get another. I’ll just be more mindful this time of its effects on me long term.
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Condoms and having a baby who never slept through the night / liked to sleep with us half the night.
I guess I’m lucky that my dh doesn’t mind condoms, I think he actually prefers the physical reminder that we are preventing! (Even though we rationally know they are generally less effective than hormonal bc)
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Mini pill for the first two and I plan to do the same for #3, for the time being. We are done having kids so I will be looking into longer term options (vasc, Paraguard) in the next year or so.
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Condoms.
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I used Nexplanon
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Condoms after 1st baby. Mirena after 2nd baby, although I recently had it removed after about a year because I hated the side effects. Just started the Pill a week ago (no longer EBF so no real concerns about supply but still nursing about 3x per day).
If I had to re-do things, I would have just used condoms the 2nd time around too.
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Condoms. I didn't get my cycle back until about a month after I weaned completely but I refuse to get back on hormonal BC and I am too scared to do an IUD. We are likely one and done so I keep pestering DH to make an appointment for a vasectomy but he doesn't mind condoms so hes in no hurry.
I also chart so we can ditch the condoms after I confirm ovulation.
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Mirena places at 6 weeks pp. EBF for 20 months
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Thank you all - super helpful!
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@Mrs. Champagne: Same. We’ve done pull out for years and have two kids who were conceived the first cycle we tried.
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Condoms with the first. Then a Mirena IUD. I didn't have any problems with the Mirena, in fact, 11 months pp I still haven't had a period!
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A combo of condoms and pull n pray. So basically, nada until things got close to finishing and then condoms.
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I got a Mirena after my son was born. It was in for about a year and a half, then it took two years to get a sticky pregnancy.
Now I am 40yo and pregnant with twins. I am trying to push my husband to get the big V. I am tired of taking hormones. I am not particularly sensitive to them but I feel like two decades of one and off hormonal birth control have been enough manipulation for my body. It's his turn.
I don't think he is on board yet. But there is time and honestly I am tired just thinking about how the first year with twins will go. The thought of finding time, energy or motivation for sex is hilarious.
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I opted for nothing. It was BEAUTIFUL to not be on hormones and for the first time in several years, I felt as even-keeled and normal as I could possible be.
That said, my son was an IVF pregnancy and it took me over 14 months pp to get a period, but right after that it was regular and I was even ovulating (crazy).
That said, I know a lot of people worry about birth control tanking supply, but I went on IVF hormones at 15 months (estrogen AND progesterone) and didn't see a decrease at all in my supply, so there is a possibility that it won't affect you at all (not a doctor, just sharing anecdote).
However, my next door neighbor opted for condoms and found herself pregnant when her daughter was 5 months old while still nursing full time.
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@themrsgoff: Awesome that all the IVF hormones didn't affect supply! It took us about a year of trying for my son but if I did nothing probably I would end up like your neighbor, pregnant at 3 months postpartum or something crazy like that. I'll confess to actually fantasizing about an oops, but I'm sure it's less great when actually in that position
@ElbieKay: "The thought of finding time, energy or motivation for sex is hilarious." That's in all honesty about how I feel now, with just one baby!
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We decided to go with condoms, not as effective as some of the other methods, but I wasn't inclined to go back on hormonal birth control and we're comfortable with the odds under correct usage, or even allowing some margin for error.
I didn't really want to get an IUD for a relatively short period and told DH based on the responses here that one of the side effects was reduced sex drive, which meant he was meh on that option very quickly
LO2 is 15 mo and I'm still breastfeeding/no period but since we're likely done, we're better about condoms. Long term I'll probably get back on the pill...
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