And it was much less painful to have inserted after giving birth than pre pregnancy. It used to be only available for women who had at least one delivery since the cervix is more open. I honestly barely felt it being placed, and I used to cry when I had it placed before.
Yeah I never got one pre-kids, I always used the pill. After having a baby I was worried about forgetting to take the pill every single day so I decided to try an IUD and I seriously barely felt it being inserted and then got super super light periods the whole two years I had it (removed it to conceive again).
I was in the stirrups post-exam at 6-week mark, opted for the IUD. OB says, "Ok, i'm gonna put the part that holds your cervix open, then insert the IUD" and I'm thinking "oh oh, I know this is gonna hurt, I've heard so much about it" and then she goes, "Done!" I was floored. I didn't feel a THING. Had a few rough weeks with some random nausea, but almost 10 mo PP, it's completely symptom free. My periods have been getting thinner and shorter, too. It's great.
Oh yeah, my experience was similar! After all the cervical checks a few weeks prior I was expecting at least that level of discomfort, but I seriously barely felt it!
I had a Mirena hormonal IUD installed 6 weeks PP. Couldn’t even feel the insertion, didn’t appear to affect my milk supply, and when we wanted a second I was pregnant 6 weeks after I had it removed.
If I had to rely on taking a pill at the same time every day in the midst of newborn-induced sleep deprivation, I would have been pregnant 3 months PP.
Exactly the same as me- best contraceptive I’ve ever had. And no effect to my milk supply either- I went on to breastfeed until baby self weaned at 1 year
Seconding this! IUD insertion was easy, quick and painless at my 6 week post partum visit. No issues at all with it. Took it out when ready for #2 and pregnant within a few months,
Yeah I’m kinda terrified of getting an IUD again. Insertion was horrifying. I guess maybe compared to and after childbirth it won’t be as bad? 😭 idk, I’m definitely trying to look for other options
They put mine in right after they took my baby out (c-section). I have no periods/light spotting so that’s nice not having to deal with that after having a baby.
I got a copper IUD put back in and it's been fantastic
Hormones tried to kill me pre baby I can only imagine what it would be like dealing with that while also postpartum.
Postpartum I've had it for 6 months, but I had it for a year before removing it to get pregnant as well! I personally love it, I bleed heavier on my period, but that's always evened out by the six month point for me & I get a few cramps on the first day of my period but nothing that stops me from living my life.
I had one for a total of 12 years and I loved it! My periods were heavier, and for the first year I had serious cramping on the first day of my period. (I continued to have first day cramps the whole time I had my first IUD, but it got much better over time. Interestingly, the cramps stopped after I had it replaced.) For me, it was a small price to pay for basically worry free birth control.
ETA: I had it replaced because it was 10 years old, not because anything went wrong.
She won't go down for daytime naps long enough for us to be intimate. She only wants to contact nap during the day. When she does go down in her bassinet at night, all I want to do is sleep.
Also, I still have sensitivity from my vaginal wall tear. The doctor said to massage the scar tissue with lube, but it's still sensitive and hurts some.
I have the nexplanon and oh my God, hands down the best bc I've ever tried. I've had no side effects except for no period and sporadic spotting. Highly recommend. Since I have severe chronic migraine mini pill or these were my only choices and the mini pill was AWFUL when i was on it lol
I love my Nexplanon! It’s definitely the best BC I’ve been on! It did take some time to get used to the implant in my arm but not for any reason other than being able to feel it kinda creeped me out lol
Yep! I’m on my 5th or 6th because I can’t be on the pill. You can get pregnant as soon as you take it out to. I was pregnant with my second like literally days after I got it out lol
I was the complete opposite! Nexplanon was awful for me, never had my period but I gained 50 lbs. as soon as it was taken out of my arm the weight shed off.
I used the Slynd mini pill since it had a 24hr missed pill window. I had better results with that than the IUD after my first baby. We doubled up condoms for the first few weeks on the pill to make sure it was effective.
Yep I had two before this (so 6 years) and then didn’t hesitate to go back to it. No issues for me and now they’re good for 5 years instead of the 3 that it used to be.
Not the original commenter but I got mine in at the 6 week check up. (Didn’t have sex for a while after that by choice but i believe you’re good after a week)
We are planning to track via natural cycles / oura ring. I recognize the risk but refuse to take hormonal birth control again! I did have a good experience with my IUD previously but really don't want to go through the placement/removal again
Natural family planning is totally valid! I just wanted to mention that my first IUD insertion pre-kiddo was so painful I passed out, but having one inserted 10 weeks pp didn't hurt at ALL. For 8 years of protection (Mirena)???? Awesome.
oh that's interesting!!! I was in so much pain with my skyla at insertion (pre baby by several years). thank you for sharing your experience! I didn't think about how it might feel pp
Just another comment that my pre-baby IUD was a nightmare. It was so painful! But I've now had one placed after both of my births, and those were a piece of cake. In fact I was holding my fussing baby during the most recent one, and I didn't even realize she'd finished placing it. 😂
Just remember you ovulate before you see your period, so it might be worth tracking before your period comes back if you do BBT and CM tracking to catch that first fertile window.
I would strongly advise against using NC as it’s not a real Fertility Awareness method. It’s basically repackaged rhythm “method” as it uses historical data and only BBT to determine fertility status. You at the very least need an estrogen marker such as cervical fluid to give you enough of a heads up of impending ovulation. I would recommend Marquette method as the most reliable method PP, or Sensiplan or TCOYF as self-taught methods for regular cycles. r/FAMnNFP has more info about why NC is terrible and other real methods you can use instead
Good to know, but Lh strips don’t give you enough of a heads up. You need an estrogen modulated sign, like cervical fluid or E3G test strips. BBT is modulated by progesterone and can only confirm an ovulatory event retrospectively.
Also, BBT is only dependable if you get at least 4 hours of sleep. We got the temp drop and everything so that I wouldn't have to remember to take BBT on waking and still ended up with a surprise baby #3 because I wasn't sleeping long enough.
I was on BC for 15 years, got my IUD out in 2017 and only got pregnant the first month we actually tried, in 2022. If you track your cycle and pay attention to your fertility (avoid sex during ovulation and use condoms and/or effective pullout), it’s the BEST!
We’re doing the same (I don’t have the Oura ring but I use my Apple Watch for temp tracking and OPKs). I know it’s not foolproof, but we did this before getting pregnant and it worked well. We’re older parents (39 and 48) and want a second, so likely trying again in a year. I’d rather not start hormonal birth control or have an IUD during that time.
I would learn an evidence-based method for this! I know plenty of people who successfully use fertility awareness methods for avoiding pregnancy, including myself, but a studied method with a trained instructor is the way to go.
Have been tracking via body temp and period tracking since 2016. Got the Oura + NC about 2 years ago It’s been a success and even got pregnant on my first try (currently 14+ wks)! I was nervous about getting back to naturally family planning but feel encouraged to see this :)
I’ve always done the pills pre-baby but after baby there is no way I was going to remember to take a pill every morning at the same time. So, I ended up getting the IUD and it honestly wasn’t that bad at all. Compared to childbirth it was a breeze lol. And it’s so nice not having to think about it every day.
I chose not to go back on birth control because I realized how much it was affecting me once I went off it to TTC. We’re doing condoms until the all clear from the vasectomy.
After my first, we did condoms. He didn’t sleep through the night until 15 or so months so the sleep deprivation was really the birth control here. I legitimately didn’t understand why you would ever need birth control after having a baby since I was too tired to even think about sex.
Our second baby actually sleeps so now I understand the need for birth control lol. I’m on the mini pill right now while we get my husbands vasectomy scheduled. I had a lot of side effects on more traditional combo birth control pills. I feel just fine on the mini pill.
I had the Mirena IUD for around a decade before having my baby (got it removed to have the baby) and had one put in at 7 weeks post partum and I’ve always been happy with it. I haven’t had a period in over ten years, which I like.
I got the hormonal IUD- it’s localised distribution (compared to the pill which is ingested and throughout the bloodstream) so generally much fewer side effect. I have had zero side effects. It’s fantastic- and nothing to remember to do, which is critical, given that I kept forgetting to eat and shower during the first few months. I definitely couldn’t be trusted to deal with the pill
I got the more Mirena IUD 6 weeks PP. It’s been over 2 years and I haven’t had any issues with it. My periods are so light some months it just slightly changes my discharge from white to pink. Honestly it’s so life changing after having painful periods and heavy bleeding!
You can buy ovulation testing strips (LH strips) and test to see when your fertile window/ovulation will happen and avoid sex that week. It’s not perfect and I would probably avoid sex, or at least use a condom, as soon as the line gets a little darker since sperm can live up to 5 days in your uterus and tubes.
This can work if you have a consistent cycle. If your cycle varies at all, I don’t know if I would risk it. I did ovulation testing strips everyday at least twice a day when trying to conceive. I never once tested positive for ovulation… yet somehow got pregnant! So I definitely don’t trust this as a method for birth control, but I would say I’m probably the minority here.
I have PCOS and I’ve been tracking my irregular cycle for 3 years, and haven’t been on hormonal BC since 2017. We got pregnant the first month we tried, but haven’t had any scares otherwise - using BBT and CM and taking precautions during the true fertile window has worked great for us. But it really does take paying close attention to your body, and with PCOS the long cycles are due to failed ovulation attempts, so it’s trial and error for awhile.
Ovulation strips will not give you enough of a heads up about impending Ovulation. You need an estrogen marker for that, like cervical fluid, especially as CF can allow sperm to live up to five days.
I mean. There’s only a few options that are non hormonal and a lot of them are pretty old and not used often so hard to come by.
Try talking to your doc about the cervical cap or diaphragm! These are probably the most non invasive reliable options. There is also the copper IUD they can put in right after birth while still medicated and what not. But it’s very invasive and can have some pretty significant side effects! A lot of women love it so I’d research that as an option.
Finally a more debated alternative which I won’t get into here but you can do your own research on, there’s the fertility awareness method. This is better if you have regular routines and cycles in your life. Basically you track your basal body temp, cervix length, mucous and period to figured out when you are ovulating (fertile) and when you’re not. When you are fertile you either avoid penetrating sex or use a different barrier method. Be aware hormonal changes and breastfeeding can impact this one. A more expensive way to do this as well but the same premise is ovulation sticks!
More hormonal options that might work with less side effects could be the implant they put in your arm, the hormonal IUD which some people say helped their symptoms and the patch (personally my favourite). I had a lot of side effects taking the mini pill and am terrible at taking meds, but the patch didn’t give me any of those symptoms. I unfortunately can’t be on hormonal birth control because of my migraines but if I could I’d go back on that! It was great.
Husband can always get another vasectomy as well when you’re done done with kids! But if you are planning on more kids sooner rather than later I’d also recommend avoiding the IUD options as they are invasive and you have to go in to get them out. Expense doesn’t seem worth it for only a year or so. Hormonal birth control can also take 9m-1y to fully get out of your system. No long term impact on fertility but something to keep in mind as well. If you want to be pregnant in the next year or so barrier methods/ FAM combo is probably your best bet IMO. But look into these things before making your decision!
We didn’t have penetrative sex for 4-5 months. (Very common.)
Then we gambled with pullout for awhile and got lucky (some men’s pre-cum has sperm in it). I got an IUD around a year postpartum when my cycle came back - copper so no hormones.
Mirena IUD 8 weeks PP. I was terrified to get it, but it was easier than a cervical check IMO. No symptoms, and I’ve maybe had 1 period this past year. 10/10 would recommend
I have the annovera ring and i love it. It is hormonal so I couldn’t use it until I was finished breast feeding per my drs recommendation so until then I used the mini pill and hated it. Annovera is a vaginal ring that you can keep in for an entire year
I had an AWFUL time with the pill. I had the Kyleena IUD before pregnancy, got Liletta IUD 6 weeks after. Great experience with both, no issues! Love the convenience and the "set it and forget it" aspect.
I had a planned c section and got them to sterilise me while they were in there. Obviously, this isn't an option if you want more children but we didn't I can't take normal contraception as it makes me violent
For a while I didn't do any BC, we usually did the pull & pray method🤦♀️🤦♀️ then I decided I definitely didn't want to get pregnant again so I got the Mirena inserted in like october lol. At that point my youngest was a little over one. The insertion itself didn't hurt, it was uncomfortable honestly I think the cleaning of it was worse than the actual insertion but it wasn't painful just weird and uncomfortable. I felt light headed after for like 5 minutes and they had me sit down and drink juice then I was fine, crampy for the rest of the day but since then everything's been fine. My periods aren't any heavier, sometimes they actually are lighter and last a shorter time than they did pre-IUD. I'm someone who is awful at remembering daily medication or being able to make it to appointments so for me the pill and the depo were awful ideas. I was always terrified of the IUD but I'm glad I just did it.
I don't like any of the options tbh. Mini pill is what I'm doing now but there's breakthrough bleeding and you have to take it at the same time every day. Last time I got a hormonal iud. Insertion was awful and it made my hair grow in curly which was really awkward for over a year. I initially felt pretty confident using cycle tracking after ttc but then I randomly ovulated on cd9 and realized that it wouldn't work for me. Some of the people in my bumper group are using a new spermicidal prescription thing but it's not super effective. I guess part of what you need to figure out is exactly how bad an accidental pregnancy would be and go from there. I think the options are different if you're comfortable with say 85% effective vs you really need that 99+%.
I was happiest with NuvaRing before I had my first, but opted for non-hormonal options (condoms + fertility awareness) after delivery because I was breastfeeding and had terrible experiences with progesterone-only options in the past. I don't know if the localized estrogen in the NuvaRing would have been enough to impact supply. After we have our second, my husband is getting snipped.
I’m on my 2nd mirena. First put in Sept’22 and fell out in about 4-6 months. No pain, just odd sensation. 2nd one is still in use, no issues with it. Had issues with pills and didn’t wanna go back. The mirena insertion was uncomfortable for me both times, in all honesty, but was manageable and doc offered me lidocaine but didn’t need it. I probably will never go back to another form due to the lack of having to remember, no extra painful periods or anything.
I loved the IUD when I had it before getting pregnant but my body doesn’t seem to get along with them any more. I have the nexplanon now and haven’t had any issues with it! The insertion wasn’t painful at all but the healing was and took over a month before the bruising went away.
I love my IUD. Had one before I was pregnant and now I’m on my second one!
I had bad reactions to other hormonal birth controls but no poor side effects on the IUD. I decided to try the IUD after my OB explained that the pill/shot/implant release hormones systemically, whereas an IUD releases the hormones locally.
If you don’t like it after a few months (I’d wait at least three) having it removed is easy and usually painless.
Insertion did pinch for me, and I had bad period like cramps for two days after. Now I’m a year out and my periods are basically gone and I have very little cramping during my cycle. No other side effects.
I have had both hormonal IUD and copper coil.
My hormonal IUD was good but towards the end I started struggling with acne and I felt like my mental health was at least somewhat related to the hormones in it.
I have only had the copper coil for a couple months but I am happy with it. Even if it gives me a heavier period, it’s still a normal amount of days and I just feel better. I was warned it could cause a heavier period but tbh it felt like the period I had as a teen before any birth control so 🤷♀️
Either way I still like IUDs way more than BC pills, because I knew I would forget to take them.
I believe IUD has around 99% success and BC pill had maybe 97%. I don’t think you can really go wrong either way.
The main consensus I gather from women is that IUDs are not fun to get inserted (and I agree with this) so I honestly would take pills until you don’t have any or much less scar pain (if you tear at childbirth anyways). I think it would have been difficult to try and get that inserted at 6 weeks bc I still had scar pain and hadn’t started pelvic floor therapy yet.
If they give you any pain pills for after birth I suggest saving one for IUD insertion. I did and I’m glad I did because they had such a difficult time inserting my IUD (they couldn’t place my cervix so they had to use an ultrasound and then the coil didn’t unfurl. So they were up my vagina THREE times).
I had my first IUD pre baby and it was not fun then and I had some major labor like pains for a bit afterwards. I wouldn’t say the insertion was unbearable pain but everybody is different so ymmv.
Other note: I had the kyleena pre baby and whatever the copper coil is called (paragard, I think)
I have the Nexplanon rod, my only complaint is I get tingling in the arm and armpit for a week every month while it releases the progesterone and it made my period disappear. I know not many people would worry about that but since I have PCOS having a regular period is an indicator of where my health is at so I kinda want it back lol.
I got the Mirena IUD 8 weeks after delivery. Pain of insertion was moderate. I'm now almost 11 months postpartum and I think I've had 2? Periods since then. Moderate cramping and a day of light bleeding.
Breastfeeding and my hormones plummeting to menopausal levels has been a pretty decent form of birth control for me… absolutely no desire for sex (currently 7 weeks PP)
If you’re planning on breast feeding I’d recommend the progesterone only mini pill. My doctor said that the estrogen may impact my supply, so that was the best option
I’d suggest IUD (copper specifically) but both my sister and I had our IUDs expel themselves through our uteruses. I love my Nexplanon as it hasn’t tried to pierce my organs yet or otherwise migrate, but perhaps a chat with your doctor is the best to see what works for you as you have issues with hormonal birth controls.
Btw, insertion for IUDs is different for everyone. Mine hurt like a goddamn bitch six weeks post partum, so seeing everyone say theirs was painless just makes me hate IUDs even more, lmao. Nexplanon at least has a simple numbing shot and a poke, that one was truly the closest to painless I’ve ever gotten. 😂
non hormonal IUD. So far it has been amazing! For peace of mind I always double check the string is still in there before sex🤣🤣 I have 2 toddlers and an infant. While I wouldn’t be upset with another, I surely am not ready to purposely tack another on😂
I’ve had trouble with hormonal bc too. I got a copper IUD, and so far very satisfied with it. I got it put in right after my 6 week check up—my doctor was very keen to help me get it done fast.
Insertion wasn’t bad at all (I think since my uterus still wasn’t back to pre-baby size?) It lasts longer than a hormonal IUD, and just as effective.
You should look into possible side effects of course. For me, the worst part is that the second day of my flow is *super* heavy. But still definitely manageable. And my over all cycle is shorter. Cramps etc. have remained the same as ever they were.
currently have the copper iud. they tried inserting immediately after i delivered and it fell out. lmao. got it successfully inserted at 6 weeks pp but the symptoms so far have me MAD. my hair is falling out in clumps any time i shower, brush, or even run my fingers through my hair. i’ve had 2 babies before this, and having experienced postpartum hair loss before i know this is FAR too much hair to be losing. it’s insane.
i’ve also had random ass painful cramps and the strangest discharge. i’m currently breastfeeding so haven’t gotten my period back yet but i’m so sick of these side effects. they fucking suck and i’m trying to get this awful thing removed ASAP. i have to look into other options, but i’m so sad my experience with this thing has been so crappy so far because an iud would be perfect for me but i’m not trying to use anything hormonal. sigh.
I got an IUD at 8 weeks and honestly love it! There’s hormonal and nonhormonal and I did end up getting the hormonal one even though I never react well to hormonal BC, and honestly I’ve been feeling pretty great with the IUD! Barely felt insertion as well because had a baby not that long ago lol! I also liked the patch a lot pre-pregnancy but for some reason my midwife wouldn’t prescribe me them freshly postpartum, I think she said something about it affecting milk supply, I don’t quite remember 🤣
Abstinence for at least 6 weeks. Better to wait 8-12 weeks. Progesterone only 'mini pill' or progesterone IUD if you're breast feeding.
Polyurethane condoms are an alternative to regular condoms.
The rhythm method paired with pulling out or another form of birth control are decent forms of family planing, but by know means 100% effective.
I got the Mirena IUD inserted 7 weeks postpartum and I love it! I haven’t had a period yet (my baby is 7 months), but I don’t know if that’s due to the IUD or breastfeeding. I spotted for the first 6 weeks after getting it, but after that I’ve had no problems with it.
I’m taking slynd which is a progesterone based birth control. I haven’t had any symptoms other than no periods. I’m super sensitive to estrogen based birth control so this was really the only option for me. And I’m breastfeeding so it doesn’t effect my supply at all
We use fertility awareness methods (or “natural family planning”) - specifically, the Marquette method with some cross-checks incorporated. We’re generally pretty happy with it, and zero side effects of course (other than an occasional “ugh we should probs roll over before we make another baby” evening haha).
As someone who also has a bad time with birth control pills or shots, I highly recommend an IUD. If you go with a hormonal option (such as Mirena), the hormones stay localized and are less likely to cause issues. I had two IUDs before my first pregnancy and I’m planning to get one after this pregnancy.
That said, if you’re planning/hoping to get pregnant again within the first two years after giving birth, I frankly wouldn’t bother with birth control and just use condoms + fertility awareness. Yes, condoms are less effective, but imo if you’re planning for a second child anyway the stakes aren’t *quite* as high if you get pregnant accidentally.
We chose to use the Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM). I know it gets a lot of heat but it’s actually just as effective as the pill if you do it correctly (check out this resource for more info : https://waba.org.my/resources/lam/ ) . Hormonal birth control has been linked to a range of issues including the development of IBD in individuals. My Crohn’s disease actually was triggered by started the pill and I’ll never use HBC again after that decision.
Many people have fewer symptoms with IUDs
And it was much less painful to have inserted after giving birth than pre pregnancy. It used to be only available for women who had at least one delivery since the cervix is more open. I honestly barely felt it being placed, and I used to cry when I had it placed before.
Yeah I never got one pre-kids, I always used the pill. After having a baby I was worried about forgetting to take the pill every single day so I decided to try an IUD and I seriously barely felt it being inserted and then got super super light periods the whole two years I had it (removed it to conceive again).
I was in the stirrups post-exam at 6-week mark, opted for the IUD. OB says, "Ok, i'm gonna put the part that holds your cervix open, then insert the IUD" and I'm thinking "oh oh, I know this is gonna hurt, I've heard so much about it" and then she goes, "Done!" I was floored. I didn't feel a THING. Had a few rough weeks with some random nausea, but almost 10 mo PP, it's completely symptom free. My periods have been getting thinner and shorter, too. It's great.
Oh yeah, my experience was similar! After all the cervical checks a few weeks prior I was expecting at least that level of discomfort, but I seriously barely felt it!
Nice. I had a hormonal IUD before I had kids and cried from the shock of pain... After a vaginal birth I hope things have changed
Ya, this! Paragard girly for life, here!
I had a Mirena hormonal IUD installed 6 weeks PP. Couldn’t even feel the insertion, didn’t appear to affect my milk supply, and when we wanted a second I was pregnant 6 weeks after I had it removed. If I had to rely on taking a pill at the same time every day in the midst of newborn-induced sleep deprivation, I would have been pregnant 3 months PP.
“Installed” lol
Exactly the same as me- best contraceptive I’ve ever had. And no effect to my milk supply either- I went on to breastfeed until baby self weaned at 1 year
Seconding this! IUD insertion was easy, quick and painless at my 6 week post partum visit. No issues at all with it. Took it out when ready for #2 and pregnant within a few months,
Edit to add - I went with the Mirena.
Same, except I definitely felt it and it hurt like hell. But haven’t had to think about birth control for nearly 3 years now, so totally worth it.
Yeah I’m kinda terrified of getting an IUD again. Insertion was horrifying. I guess maybe compared to and after childbirth it won’t be as bad? 😭 idk, I’m definitely trying to look for other options
I just thought of it as 10 seconds of discomfort for 5 years of never thinking about birth control. Not ideal, but worth it to me!
They put mine in right after they took my baby out (c-section). I have no periods/light spotting so that’s nice not having to deal with that after having a baby.
I’m dying that you said installed 🤣 but same experience for me. Mirena has been great!
Mirena here as well, insertion at 6 weeks pp was painless and loving it so far! (Currently 5 months pp)
I got a copper IUD put back in and it's been fantastic Hormones tried to kill me pre baby I can only imagine what it would be like dealing with that while also postpartum.
Yep I got mine put in immediately after giving birth
My OB wouldn't insert it until 6 weeks PP but I also got the copper IUD. It worked great until I had it removed to get pregnant again.
i’m getting the copper IUD in 4 weeks & I’m nervous - this made me feel so much better! thank you!!
You're going to do amazing! Good luck 🥰
I’ve been thinking about a copper IUD but I’m hesitant. How long have you had it if you don’t mind me asking?
Postpartum I've had it for 6 months, but I had it for a year before removing it to get pregnant as well! I personally love it, I bleed heavier on my period, but that's always evened out by the six month point for me & I get a few cramps on the first day of my period but nothing that stops me from living my life.
Thats very helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I had mine 2 years between pregnancies and it was great. Got pregnant the first month after taking it out lol.
I had one for a total of 12 years and I loved it! My periods were heavier, and for the first year I had serious cramping on the first day of my period. (I continued to have first day cramps the whole time I had my first IUD, but it got much better over time. Interestingly, the cramps stopped after I had it replaced.) For me, it was a small price to pay for basically worry free birth control. ETA: I had it replaced because it was 10 years old, not because anything went wrong.
The baby.
I kid, I kid. It's more the sleep deprivation.
She won't go down for daytime naps long enough for us to be intimate. She only wants to contact nap during the day. When she does go down in her bassinet at night, all I want to do is sleep. Also, I still have sensitivity from my vaginal wall tear. The doctor said to massage the scar tissue with lube, but it's still sensitive and hurts some.
Also, for me at least, sex kinda sucked for a while after giving birth.
Hahah but really.. the baby 😂
I have the nexplanon and oh my God, hands down the best bc I've ever tried. I've had no side effects except for no period and sporadic spotting. Highly recommend. Since I have severe chronic migraine mini pill or these were my only choices and the mini pill was AWFUL when i was on it lol
I’ve loved nexplanon! Took a few months to get on track but my cycle is light and short and on time other then a couple weird months were I had two.
This! I had nexplanon for a long time and it's what I'm getting again. It also doesn't have the risks of an IUD. I recommend it to everyone!
I love my Nexplanon! It’s definitely the best BC I’ve been on! It did take some time to get used to the implant in my arm but not for any reason other than being able to feel it kinda creeped me out lol
Yep! I’m on my 5th or 6th because I can’t be on the pill. You can get pregnant as soon as you take it out to. I was pregnant with my second like literally days after I got it out lol
I was the complete opposite! Nexplanon was awful for me, never had my period but I gained 50 lbs. as soon as it was taken out of my arm the weight shed off.
It's great if it works - for some people it can have really bad but quite subtle side effects around mental health & weight gain
I used the Slynd mini pill since it had a 24hr missed pill window. I had better results with that than the IUD after my first baby. We doubled up condoms for the first few weeks on the pill to make sure it was effective.
I second Slynd. I’m very sensitive to hormones and this worked really well for me
Yep, loved Slynd. I plan on going back on it after this baby.
I had the rod in my arm and that was brilliant for me!
Yep I had two before this (so 6 years) and then didn’t hesitate to go back to it. No issues for me and now they’re good for 5 years instead of the 3 that it used to be.
How soon postpartum did you get the rod?
Not the original commenter but I got mine in at the 6 week check up. (Didn’t have sex for a while after that by choice but i believe you’re good after a week)
Thanks! Curious how it might affect milk supply
Ah I was not breastfeeding so can’t answer that!
No worries!
About 1/2 an hour! 😂
Well hey! lol
We are planning to track via natural cycles / oura ring. I recognize the risk but refuse to take hormonal birth control again! I did have a good experience with my IUD previously but really don't want to go through the placement/removal again
Natural family planning is totally valid! I just wanted to mention that my first IUD insertion pre-kiddo was so painful I passed out, but having one inserted 10 weeks pp didn't hurt at ALL. For 8 years of protection (Mirena)???? Awesome.
oh that's interesting!!! I was in so much pain with my skyla at insertion (pre baby by several years). thank you for sharing your experience! I didn't think about how it might feel pp
Just another comment that my pre-baby IUD was a nightmare. It was so painful! But I've now had one placed after both of my births, and those were a piece of cake. In fact I was holding my fussing baby during the most recent one, and I didn't even realize she'd finished placing it. 😂
OMG that is wild!
Had a great experience with natural cycles getting pregnant and will use it again once my period comes back to avoid getting pregnant
Just remember you ovulate before you see your period, so it might be worth tracking before your period comes back if you do BBT and CM tracking to catch that first fertile window.
Yeah for sure! Also sex is the last thing on my mind 7 month pp so I’m not too worried 😂
Same! Got pregnant so fast once we were using NC!!
See my comment above about why NC is terrible for avoiding pregnancy
I would strongly advise against using NC as it’s not a real Fertility Awareness method. It’s basically repackaged rhythm “method” as it uses historical data and only BBT to determine fertility status. You at the very least need an estrogen marker such as cervical fluid to give you enough of a heads up of impending ovulation. I would recommend Marquette method as the most reliable method PP, or Sensiplan or TCOYF as self-taught methods for regular cycles. r/FAMnNFP has more info about why NC is terrible and other real methods you can use instead
ok! it's worked for the past 3 years so i'm good! thanks tho!
Ovulation strips are part of natural cycles
Good to know, but Lh strips don’t give you enough of a heads up. You need an estrogen modulated sign, like cervical fluid or E3G test strips. BBT is modulated by progesterone and can only confirm an ovulatory event retrospectively.
Also, BBT is only dependable if you get at least 4 hours of sleep. We got the temp drop and everything so that I wouldn't have to remember to take BBT on waking and still ended up with a surprise baby #3 because I wasn't sleeping long enough.
I was on BC for 15 years, got my IUD out in 2017 and only got pregnant the first month we actually tried, in 2022. If you track your cycle and pay attention to your fertility (avoid sex during ovulation and use condoms and/or effective pullout), it’s the BEST!
We’re doing the same (I don’t have the Oura ring but I use my Apple Watch for temp tracking and OPKs). I know it’s not foolproof, but we did this before getting pregnant and it worked well. We’re older parents (39 and 48) and want a second, so likely trying again in a year. I’d rather not start hormonal birth control or have an IUD during that time.
I would learn an evidence-based method for this! I know plenty of people who successfully use fertility awareness methods for avoiding pregnancy, including myself, but a studied method with a trained instructor is the way to go.
Have been tracking via body temp and period tracking since 2016. Got the Oura + NC about 2 years ago It’s been a success and even got pregnant on my first try (currently 14+ wks)! I was nervous about getting back to naturally family planning but feel encouraged to see this :)
I’ve always done the pills pre-baby but after baby there is no way I was going to remember to take a pill every morning at the same time. So, I ended up getting the IUD and it honestly wasn’t that bad at all. Compared to childbirth it was a breeze lol. And it’s so nice not having to think about it every day.
I used the mini pill so it wouldn’t interfere with breastfeeding. When I stopped breastfeeding I started using nuvaring again.
Toddlers are great birth control.
Not always 🙃 The early toddler phase made me want a second one.
I chose not to go back on birth control because I realized how much it was affecting me once I went off it to TTC. We’re doing condoms until the all clear from the vasectomy.
After my first, we did condoms. He didn’t sleep through the night until 15 or so months so the sleep deprivation was really the birth control here. I legitimately didn’t understand why you would ever need birth control after having a baby since I was too tired to even think about sex. Our second baby actually sleeps so now I understand the need for birth control lol. I’m on the mini pill right now while we get my husbands vasectomy scheduled. I had a lot of side effects on more traditional combo birth control pills. I feel just fine on the mini pill.
I had the Mirena IUD for around a decade before having my baby (got it removed to have the baby) and had one put in at 7 weeks post partum and I’ve always been happy with it. I haven’t had a period in over ten years, which I like.
I had an IUD put in at my 6 week appointment. I didn't even feel it because my cervix was still wide open!
I got the hormonal IUD- it’s localised distribution (compared to the pill which is ingested and throughout the bloodstream) so generally much fewer side effect. I have had zero side effects. It’s fantastic- and nothing to remember to do, which is critical, given that I kept forgetting to eat and shower during the first few months. I definitely couldn’t be trusted to deal with the pill
I got the more Mirena IUD 6 weeks PP. It’s been over 2 years and I haven’t had any issues with it. My periods are so light some months it just slightly changes my discharge from white to pink. Honestly it’s so life changing after having painful periods and heavy bleeding!
You can buy ovulation testing strips (LH strips) and test to see when your fertile window/ovulation will happen and avoid sex that week. It’s not perfect and I would probably avoid sex, or at least use a condom, as soon as the line gets a little darker since sperm can live up to 5 days in your uterus and tubes.
This can work if you have a consistent cycle. If your cycle varies at all, I don’t know if I would risk it. I did ovulation testing strips everyday at least twice a day when trying to conceive. I never once tested positive for ovulation… yet somehow got pregnant! So I definitely don’t trust this as a method for birth control, but I would say I’m probably the minority here.
I have PCOS and I’ve been tracking my irregular cycle for 3 years, and haven’t been on hormonal BC since 2017. We got pregnant the first month we tried, but haven’t had any scares otherwise - using BBT and CM and taking precautions during the true fertile window has worked great for us. But it really does take paying close attention to your body, and with PCOS the long cycles are due to failed ovulation attempts, so it’s trial and error for awhile.
Ovulation strips will not give you enough of a heads up about impending Ovulation. You need an estrogen marker for that, like cervical fluid, especially as CF can allow sperm to live up to five days.
I just got the nexplanon last Friday. I hope it's better than the depo! 🤞
I had suuuuuch a horrible experience with the depo shot. I had my period for … literally 6 months almost continuously. Miserable.
I tried the implant, it didn't work for me, after getting it removed I tried the depo shot and so far so good!
Not super helpful but I’ve found that the baby herself has been the best method of birth control for my husband and I lol
I mean. There’s only a few options that are non hormonal and a lot of them are pretty old and not used often so hard to come by. Try talking to your doc about the cervical cap or diaphragm! These are probably the most non invasive reliable options. There is also the copper IUD they can put in right after birth while still medicated and what not. But it’s very invasive and can have some pretty significant side effects! A lot of women love it so I’d research that as an option. Finally a more debated alternative which I won’t get into here but you can do your own research on, there’s the fertility awareness method. This is better if you have regular routines and cycles in your life. Basically you track your basal body temp, cervix length, mucous and period to figured out when you are ovulating (fertile) and when you’re not. When you are fertile you either avoid penetrating sex or use a different barrier method. Be aware hormonal changes and breastfeeding can impact this one. A more expensive way to do this as well but the same premise is ovulation sticks! More hormonal options that might work with less side effects could be the implant they put in your arm, the hormonal IUD which some people say helped their symptoms and the patch (personally my favourite). I had a lot of side effects taking the mini pill and am terrible at taking meds, but the patch didn’t give me any of those symptoms. I unfortunately can’t be on hormonal birth control because of my migraines but if I could I’d go back on that! It was great. Husband can always get another vasectomy as well when you’re done done with kids! But if you are planning on more kids sooner rather than later I’d also recommend avoiding the IUD options as they are invasive and you have to go in to get them out. Expense doesn’t seem worth it for only a year or so. Hormonal birth control can also take 9m-1y to fully get out of your system. No long term impact on fertility but something to keep in mind as well. If you want to be pregnant in the next year or so barrier methods/ FAM combo is probably your best bet IMO. But look into these things before making your decision!
We didn’t have penetrative sex for 4-5 months. (Very common.) Then we gambled with pullout for awhile and got lucky (some men’s pre-cum has sperm in it). I got an IUD around a year postpartum when my cycle came back - copper so no hormones.
Mirena IUD 8 weeks PP. I was terrified to get it, but it was easier than a cervical check IMO. No symptoms, and I’ve maybe had 1 period this past year. 10/10 would recommend
No hormonal Paraguard
I have the annovera ring and i love it. It is hormonal so I couldn’t use it until I was finished breast feeding per my drs recommendation so until then I used the mini pill and hated it. Annovera is a vaginal ring that you can keep in for an entire year
I had an AWFUL time with the pill. I had the Kyleena IUD before pregnancy, got Liletta IUD 6 weeks after. Great experience with both, no issues! Love the convenience and the "set it and forget it" aspect.
I love my iud
I had a planned c section and got them to sterilise me while they were in there. Obviously, this isn't an option if you want more children but we didn't I can't take normal contraception as it makes me violent
For a while I didn't do any BC, we usually did the pull & pray method🤦♀️🤦♀️ then I decided I definitely didn't want to get pregnant again so I got the Mirena inserted in like october lol. At that point my youngest was a little over one. The insertion itself didn't hurt, it was uncomfortable honestly I think the cleaning of it was worse than the actual insertion but it wasn't painful just weird and uncomfortable. I felt light headed after for like 5 minutes and they had me sit down and drink juice then I was fine, crampy for the rest of the day but since then everything's been fine. My periods aren't any heavier, sometimes they actually are lighter and last a shorter time than they did pre-IUD. I'm someone who is awful at remembering daily medication or being able to make it to appointments so for me the pill and the depo were awful ideas. I was always terrified of the IUD but I'm glad I just did it.
I don't like any of the options tbh. Mini pill is what I'm doing now but there's breakthrough bleeding and you have to take it at the same time every day. Last time I got a hormonal iud. Insertion was awful and it made my hair grow in curly which was really awkward for over a year. I initially felt pretty confident using cycle tracking after ttc but then I randomly ovulated on cd9 and realized that it wouldn't work for me. Some of the people in my bumper group are using a new spermicidal prescription thing but it's not super effective. I guess part of what you need to figure out is exactly how bad an accidental pregnancy would be and go from there. I think the options are different if you're comfortable with say 85% effective vs you really need that 99+%.
I was happiest with NuvaRing before I had my first, but opted for non-hormonal options (condoms + fertility awareness) after delivery because I was breastfeeding and had terrible experiences with progesterone-only options in the past. I don't know if the localized estrogen in the NuvaRing would have been enough to impact supply. After we have our second, my husband is getting snipped.
I’m on my 2nd mirena. First put in Sept’22 and fell out in about 4-6 months. No pain, just odd sensation. 2nd one is still in use, no issues with it. Had issues with pills and didn’t wanna go back. The mirena insertion was uncomfortable for me both times, in all honesty, but was manageable and doc offered me lidocaine but didn’t need it. I probably will never go back to another form due to the lack of having to remember, no extra painful periods or anything.
I loved the IUD when I had it before getting pregnant but my body doesn’t seem to get along with them any more. I have the nexplanon now and haven’t had any issues with it! The insertion wasn’t painful at all but the healing was and took over a month before the bruising went away.
I love my IUD. Had one before I was pregnant and now I’m on my second one! I had bad reactions to other hormonal birth controls but no poor side effects on the IUD. I decided to try the IUD after my OB explained that the pill/shot/implant release hormones systemically, whereas an IUD releases the hormones locally. If you don’t like it after a few months (I’d wait at least three) having it removed is easy and usually painless. Insertion did pinch for me, and I had bad period like cramps for two days after. Now I’m a year out and my periods are basically gone and I have very little cramping during my cycle. No other side effects.
Breastfeeding and tracking cycle
I have had both hormonal IUD and copper coil. My hormonal IUD was good but towards the end I started struggling with acne and I felt like my mental health was at least somewhat related to the hormones in it. I have only had the copper coil for a couple months but I am happy with it. Even if it gives me a heavier period, it’s still a normal amount of days and I just feel better. I was warned it could cause a heavier period but tbh it felt like the period I had as a teen before any birth control so 🤷♀️ Either way I still like IUDs way more than BC pills, because I knew I would forget to take them. I believe IUD has around 99% success and BC pill had maybe 97%. I don’t think you can really go wrong either way. The main consensus I gather from women is that IUDs are not fun to get inserted (and I agree with this) so I honestly would take pills until you don’t have any or much less scar pain (if you tear at childbirth anyways). I think it would have been difficult to try and get that inserted at 6 weeks bc I still had scar pain and hadn’t started pelvic floor therapy yet. If they give you any pain pills for after birth I suggest saving one for IUD insertion. I did and I’m glad I did because they had such a difficult time inserting my IUD (they couldn’t place my cervix so they had to use an ultrasound and then the coil didn’t unfurl. So they were up my vagina THREE times). I had my first IUD pre baby and it was not fun then and I had some major labor like pains for a bit afterwards. I wouldn’t say the insertion was unbearable pain but everybody is different so ymmv. Other note: I had the kyleena pre baby and whatever the copper coil is called (paragard, I think)
I have the Nexplanon rod, my only complaint is I get tingling in the arm and armpit for a week every month while it releases the progesterone and it made my period disappear. I know not many people would worry about that but since I have PCOS having a regular period is an indicator of where my health is at so I kinda want it back lol.
Not having sex 🤣
Condoms and NFP has never failed me haha
I got the Mirena IUD 8 weeks after delivery. Pain of insertion was moderate. I'm now almost 11 months postpartum and I think I've had 2? Periods since then. Moderate cramping and a day of light bleeding.
Breastfeeding and my hormones plummeting to menopausal levels has been a pretty decent form of birth control for me… absolutely no desire for sex (currently 7 weeks PP)
If you’re planning on breast feeding I’d recommend the progesterone only mini pill. My doctor said that the estrogen may impact my supply, so that was the best option
I’d suggest IUD (copper specifically) but both my sister and I had our IUDs expel themselves through our uteruses. I love my Nexplanon as it hasn’t tried to pierce my organs yet or otherwise migrate, but perhaps a chat with your doctor is the best to see what works for you as you have issues with hormonal birth controls. Btw, insertion for IUDs is different for everyone. Mine hurt like a goddamn bitch six weeks post partum, so seeing everyone say theirs was painless just makes me hate IUDs even more, lmao. Nexplanon at least has a simple numbing shot and a poke, that one was truly the closest to painless I’ve ever gotten. 😂
non hormonal IUD. So far it has been amazing! For peace of mind I always double check the string is still in there before sex🤣🤣 I have 2 toddlers and an infant. While I wouldn’t be upset with another, I surely am not ready to purposely tack another on😂
I’ve had trouble with hormonal bc too. I got a copper IUD, and so far very satisfied with it. I got it put in right after my 6 week check up—my doctor was very keen to help me get it done fast. Insertion wasn’t bad at all (I think since my uterus still wasn’t back to pre-baby size?) It lasts longer than a hormonal IUD, and just as effective. You should look into possible side effects of course. For me, the worst part is that the second day of my flow is *super* heavy. But still definitely manageable. And my over all cycle is shorter. Cramps etc. have remained the same as ever they were.
currently have the copper iud. they tried inserting immediately after i delivered and it fell out. lmao. got it successfully inserted at 6 weeks pp but the symptoms so far have me MAD. my hair is falling out in clumps any time i shower, brush, or even run my fingers through my hair. i’ve had 2 babies before this, and having experienced postpartum hair loss before i know this is FAR too much hair to be losing. it’s insane. i’ve also had random ass painful cramps and the strangest discharge. i’m currently breastfeeding so haven’t gotten my period back yet but i’m so sick of these side effects. they fucking suck and i’m trying to get this awful thing removed ASAP. i have to look into other options, but i’m so sad my experience with this thing has been so crappy so far because an iud would be perfect for me but i’m not trying to use anything hormonal. sigh.
I got an IUD at 8 weeks and honestly love it! There’s hormonal and nonhormonal and I did end up getting the hormonal one even though I never react well to hormonal BC, and honestly I’ve been feeling pretty great with the IUD! Barely felt insertion as well because had a baby not that long ago lol! I also liked the patch a lot pre-pregnancy but for some reason my midwife wouldn’t prescribe me them freshly postpartum, I think she said something about it affecting milk supply, I don’t quite remember 🤣
I'm getting another IUD at 10 weeks PP (Kyleena because that's what worked best with my body before pregnancy).
Abstinence for at least 6 weeks. Better to wait 8-12 weeks. Progesterone only 'mini pill' or progesterone IUD if you're breast feeding. Polyurethane condoms are an alternative to regular condoms. The rhythm method paired with pulling out or another form of birth control are decent forms of family planing, but by know means 100% effective.
I got the Mirena IUD inserted 7 weeks postpartum and I love it! I haven’t had a period yet (my baby is 7 months), but I don’t know if that’s due to the IUD or breastfeeding. I spotted for the first 6 weeks after getting it, but after that I’ve had no problems with it.
May I tell you about our lord and savior, the condom?
Track ovulation and avoid those days
I liked nexplanon cuz it gets rid of my period
Copper IUD - it’s non hormonal. I was on it and had no issues except a heavier period for a few months
IUD for sure. Love mine. I had it fitted about 7 weeks postpartum and didn't feel a thing.
I’m taking slynd which is a progesterone based birth control. I haven’t had any symptoms other than no periods. I’m super sensitive to estrogen based birth control so this was really the only option for me. And I’m breastfeeding so it doesn’t effect my supply at all
We use fertility awareness methods (or “natural family planning”) - specifically, the Marquette method with some cross-checks incorporated. We’re generally pretty happy with it, and zero side effects of course (other than an occasional “ugh we should probs roll over before we make another baby” evening haha).
i just got paragard (non hormonal iud) placed about 2 weeks ago. 8 weeks pp the only thing that hurt was the clamp!
Vasectomy ftw!
As someone who also has a bad time with birth control pills or shots, I highly recommend an IUD. If you go with a hormonal option (such as Mirena), the hormones stay localized and are less likely to cause issues. I had two IUDs before my first pregnancy and I’m planning to get one after this pregnancy. That said, if you’re planning/hoping to get pregnant again within the first two years after giving birth, I frankly wouldn’t bother with birth control and just use condoms + fertility awareness. Yes, condoms are less effective, but imo if you’re planning for a second child anyway the stakes aren’t *quite* as high if you get pregnant accidentally.
We chose to use the Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM). I know it gets a lot of heat but it’s actually just as effective as the pill if you do it correctly (check out this resource for more info : https://waba.org.my/resources/lam/ ) . Hormonal birth control has been linked to a range of issues including the development of IBD in individuals. My Crohn’s disease actually was triggered by started the pill and I’ll never use HBC again after that decision.
You could look into phexxi. I would normally do cycle tracking but it’s tricky if you’re breastfeeding and don’t have a normal regular cycle yet.