So since I haven't had to use birth control in a while ;) I have been thinking about what I am going to use after Keeley is born. Working in an OBGYN clinic I have all the information I need on any particular type of birth control. Because of my religious belief on when life begins (for me its conception) I like to know exactly how the birth control works. I know I don't want any type that prevents implantation of a fertilized egg which leaves out an IUD. Even the Mirena IUD which has a small amount of hormone isn't guaranteed to prevent conception. In fact when reading the info it says and I quote "Mirena may work in several ways. It may thicken your cervical mucus, thin the lining of your uterus, inhibit sperm movement and reduce sperm survival. Mirena may stop release of your egg from your ovary, but this is not the way it works in most cases." The combination of "thin the lining of your uterus" which translates to not allowing an fertilized egg implant, and "may stop release of your egg from your ovary, but this is not the way it works in most cases" concerns me when thinking about using it for myself. I absolutely do not want to take the risk of conceiving and it being my fault that the baby does not implant. Or of having a tubal pregnancy and putting myself at a serious health risk. So I started to investigate Implanon, an insert under the skin that releases hormones over a 3-year period. For a forgetful and lazy person such as I, it sounded wonderful. Until I discovered that it contains the same hormone as the Depo shot which has too many side effects for me to consider. So I am back to either using the nuva ring, which has a certain side effect on me that I don't like; or trying pills again. I know that I can't use any of the ortho products as all of them make me extremely nauseous. And as there is so many pills to look into, I just don't know where to start. So I am asking for any advise on any type of pill you may have tried. So let me know!
** All information quoted on the Mirena IUD was taken directly from the Patient Information Guide which can be found on the Mirena website, the Mirena brochures, and in the Mirena package.
5 comments:
I use the Necon 0.5/35, and it's never been a problem. I've tried pills in the past and they would make me nauseous and give me heartburn. The Nuvaring didn't full stop my cramps. I have yet to find a bad symptom caused by Necon though.
Info: (norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol), a monophasic birth control pill (generic for Modicon®)
As far as my experiece, and I have tried just about everything there is, nothing is free of side effects. I would suggest Natural Fam Planning plus a diaphram or other method. Hormone free. If you do it right (which I obviously didn't) it works really well. I have never liked taking hormones. Good luck with this one.
*This is what my Dr told me and also what I found on the "Mirena" website....
It works by delivering a very small amount of a progestin (20 mcg of levonorgestrel) directly on the inner wall of the uterus. This dose is approximately the same dose as taking two or three mini-pills a week. When they look for fertilized eggs in the fallopian tubes of IUD users, they rarely find them. These studies should help ease the minds of women who are opposed to methods which prevent pregnancy by aborting a fertilized egg. Mirena is not an IUD. It is an IUC. There are hormones on it that are released like in the BCP that prevent ovulation. Both the ParaGard and the Mirena IUDs affect the way sperm move, preventing them from joining with an egg. If sperm cannot join with an egg, pregnancy cannot happen. Both types also alter the lining of the uterus.
The progestin in the Mirena IUD helps prevent pregnancy. Progestin works by keeping a woman's ovaries from releasing eggs — ovulation. Pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with sperm. Progestin also prevents pregnancy by thickening a woman's cervical mucus. The mucus blocks sperm and keeps it from joining with an egg."
So it works in many ways.
Most sperm can't get to the egg because the cervical mucus thickens and the IUD itself kills/damages the sperm. Most people think this is the most important mechanism
Studies of Mirena prototypes have suggested several mechanisms that prevent pregnancy: thickening of cervical mucus preventing passage of sperm into the uterus, inhibition of sperm capacitation or survival, and alteration of the endometrium.
I got the Mirena and have been 100% happy with it. No pain at all, no cramping, no spotting, no decrease in breastmilk supply, no "emotional" issues, more effetive than getting your tubes tied, good for 5 years and I know Michelle A. loved hers as well...and was able to get pg within a month or 2 of going off of it. I would suggest NFP (like Mandi suggested) if you're still not comfortable with the idea, but one "mess-up" and you could be the pround mother of 2 under 2 :) hehe just be careful!!
LOL!! Keren you are tooo funny!I too got my info from the Mirena website. I am glad you like it. It's just not for me.
Darn it, now you have me unsure about what I'm going to do! When I was making this decision after having Jonathan, I went with the Mirena. I really, really liked it. Keren's right, I got pregnant my first cycle after having it out. Dave & I were both a little unsure about the fact that they don't know quite how it works, but in the end decided that it was okay for us. It turns out that I didn't even have a period for 1 year out of the 1 1/2 years I had it. (thanks to some combination of the IUD & breastfeeding)
I still think I'll get it again after this one. One possible solution I've thought of is using a 2nd method of BC around the possibly fertile time of the month. I really don't think I was ovulating with it, but if that changes next time, I would feel comfortable with that solution. Just an idea! :)
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