Which Birth Control is for Me?

After the birth of my second child, my husband and I knew it wasn't for sure if we were done having children, but we knew for sure that we didn't want anymore for at least a couple of years. So the reasonable and responsible thing for me to do was get on a birth control. My situation was a little more tricky when it comes to finding one for me. My grandma, aunt and mom all got blood clots when using the pill so that was out of the question for me. When I was in my early 20's I was on the depo shot but with that I suffered from a depression. So It was going to take a long discussion with my doctor to find out what would really work for me. If birth control is something you are wanting to start or start your daughter on there are some facts that you need to know as well as your family history on certain hormones. Here is what I have learned from experience and as well as from my friends.

The pill is the most common form of birth control. A simple pill that you take the same time everyday. Now simple unless you are like me and my daily task keep my distracted so remembering to take a pill because a major challenge. Having two kids my days are never the same because everyday is a new adventure with them. I never have my kids on a set routine because with my son having a heart condition when he was born, we had to give his medications to him every eight hours,on top of the monitoring. So any hope of a scheduled day was out the window.

Here are some information you need to know about the pill:

1. it can help with acne (in some cases it has caused acne)
2. weight gain
3. spotting between periods
4. bloating
5. changes in sex drive - usually decrease
6. have to take the pill same time, everyday.

My family had a history of blood clots from the hormones contained in the pill. I decided for me that it was too big of a risk for me to try the pill to see if it would actually affect me. If you have a family history of it, you have to make that personal discussion if you want to give it a try or not. For me personally, I already knew trying to remember to take a pill everyday (even before I had kids) was not one of my strong suits. I know that if you don't take it everyday it is not going to work the way it is suppose to. Therefore, the pill was not the right choice for me.

 If remembering a bill everyday is not right for you, then maybe a shot every three months would suit you better. I was on this type of birth control for about two years in my early 20's. I would set up my next appointment right then so that I would get a reminder call before so I never missed a dose. For some people the thought of having to have a shot is enough to turn them off to this birth control. A slight moment of uncomfortableness is worth three months of no birth control worry. Well that is the way I looked toward it.

Some things that I experienced with the type was:

• sore arm the day of shot (felt like i was punched in the arm really hard)
• I lost weight while on this method
• depression
• no bleeding

I did have one friend that was on this method for a couple years. When she was ready to get off the Depo Provera shot, they said that it has deteriorated the lining of her uterus and she would not be able to have children. I remember her being so upset when she got that news. Come to find out, yes that is a side effect if on it for a long period of time, but your lining repairs itself. After being off the birth control for about a year, she became pregnant. She now has two children and pregnant with her third.

My doctor advised me that this can happen but our bodies know how to repair itself. It is not recommended to do this method for a long period of time without taking time off every so often.

Side Effects:

1. weight gain
2. irregular periods or no period at all
3. mood swings
4. depression
5. decreased sex drive
6. hair loss or thinning
7. most women can usually get pregnant after 6 months of stopping this method.

This was a great method when I was younger and before I started my family. It was more practical for me dose wise, but when I stopped taking this method I became pregnant a little less than a month later.

This is a great method of you have already had at least one child, and know you don't want any for at least a couple years. It is a small devise that is implanted in the inside of your arm. It provides three years worth of birth control.To have it implanted takes less than five minutes.

I had mine implanted on 12/23/10 and all I could think about was how much it was going to hurt. I had built it up so much in my mind that I almost did not go through with the procedure. When I arrived at the doctor's office we discussed any questions I had, then he explained exactly what he was going to do. He inserted a small needed to numb the area. Which ok I though that was going to hurt the worse because you are so much more sensitive under your arm. I was really surprised that it hurt less than getting a shot in the arm. It was a small pinch that lasted maybe two seconds. My doctor gave a couple minutes to let the area get fully numb. He then put pressure to see if I could fill anything which I couldn't so he began. What helps is that he uses the same hole that the initial needle made so it is only one hole. All I could feel was some pressure from him holding my arm and that was it. Before I knew it he was done.He wrapped my arm up, explained that I had to keep it dry for at least 24 hours, but after that I would be fine. It doesn't require any special care.

Some facts that I had learned from my doctor:

• effective within 24 hours (but personally I gave it at least a week)
• last three years
• it will move around until it settles
• no special care needed
• helps with Endometriosis - suppresses the ovaries but not to the extent that the medication for endometriosis does. The shot to treat that only last 6 months while Implanon last three years.
• like with any method of birth control make sure you take: calcium, fish oil and a multi vitamin.
• helps to regulate hormones

Below is a picture of my arm hours after having this donw. I still felt no pain. I was a little sore the day or two after but it was just from it adjusting. Now I have no pain at all and no one can really tell its there. The couple days after I was a little tired but other than that I have not had any side effects.

 With whatever method of birth control is right for you, remember birth control is not 100% effective. You can't rely on birth control by itself. Most cases it is only 99% effective. There is always that 1% the you could fall under. I did not list every side effect that I knew of or found during research, because some of them I believe is with any medication you take. There are always risk when you are adding human created substances into your body. Plus, everyone is going to re-act different to each method. Our bodies do not process medications the same way so I may experience side effects that you don't and vica versa. Remember to also do research yourself. Don't rely on information given to you by others. There maybe information left out that he/she didn't think was important, but you would find really helpful or crucial to know. Make sure you speak to your doctor as well. He/She is going to the one to give you answers to your questions that you can't find answers to. Don't just pick a method because someone tells you to. Make sure its the one that is right for you!