Contraceptive options - experiences please
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Hey guys,
I'm 23 and my Implanon is due out on April 1st, the three years are up.
My fiancé and I definitely want children, but we've just moved cities, he's having a career transition this year, I need to be working full time and we're saving for our wedding in 2016. As such we've agreed no babies until after the wedding.
I have tentatively decided to go for a new implant, but I need people to tell me their experiences of the changeover because when it initially went in, my hormones and bleed were horrifically erratic for 3 months and I'm loathe to suffer that again if there are other options. Is it likely to happen?
Does a bleed get triggered by the changeover of one implant to another, because by the time the next one comes out, I'll have been married just 6 days and don't really want to start married life with a three month bleed cos I'll be divorced by the end of it with my mood swings!
Also, how does 3 years of hormone, as opposed to the shorter term options like the patch or injection affect the return of your fertility at the end because the patch says it could take a year, whereas the implant says fertility returns straight away and I don't want to spend a year fruitlessly trying after the wedding.
I was thinking about the injection but I HATE needles, is it noticeable or not?
Thanks In Advance
I'm 23 and my Implanon is due out on April 1st, the three years are up.
My fiancé and I definitely want children, but we've just moved cities, he's having a career transition this year, I need to be working full time and we're saving for our wedding in 2016. As such we've agreed no babies until after the wedding.
I have tentatively decided to go for a new implant, but I need people to tell me their experiences of the changeover because when it initially went in, my hormones and bleed were horrifically erratic for 3 months and I'm loathe to suffer that again if there are other options. Is it likely to happen?
Does a bleed get triggered by the changeover of one implant to another, because by the time the next one comes out, I'll have been married just 6 days and don't really want to start married life with a three month bleed cos I'll be divorced by the end of it with my mood swings!
Also, how does 3 years of hormone, as opposed to the shorter term options like the patch or injection affect the return of your fertility at the end because the patch says it could take a year, whereas the implant says fertility returns straight away and I don't want to spend a year fruitlessly trying after the wedding.
I was thinking about the injection but I HATE needles, is it noticeable or not?
Thanks In Advance
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Comments
I had my implant changed after only a few weeks cos it was inserted so close to the surface that you could see it. I had a slight bleed with the first one but I had my period when I had it put in, it just died down. I had one out and straight back in again (local anaesthetic, couldn't feel it) but mine was easier to get out as it was fresh, my current one is due out soon and I don't think it will be as easy.
I see you have implanon. They no longer use that one due to a dodgy batch resulting in I think about 600 women getting pregnant on it. The one I have is called nexplanon, it's the same thing, works the same and I've never had any trouble with it, any bleed I get is just spotting, enough to only notice it when I wipe but nothing ever in my underwear.
Fertility comes back straight away with the implant. My friend was told she could've got pregnant on the night she had it taken out cos she started trying straight away. Personally id wait til I had my first period to start trying! Just use condoms or something.
Every woman reacts different to it. The nexplanon one may be perfect for you. Fertility is not defined by the contraceptive, it could return straight away and still take you a year to get pregnant.
Someone is bound to come and reply with a horror story about different types of contraceptives,but that doesn't mean you will be the same. I read with the implant that it affects women in 3 diff categories. A third rarely bleed, a third constantly bleed and a third have regular periods! Mine seen to be once every 4 or 5 months, but very light for about a week.
Good luck with whatever you choose, I've been in the erratic bleeding group with the mini pill! :eek: never again!
I was told by the nurse that the new implant would necessarily have the same side effects as the old one, but predicting them is impossible.
I can't talk about patch/injection/pill as I've never used them.
If you're worried about having the next implant taken out so close to your wedding - I'm sure you'll be able to book to have it taken out 2-3 months before your wedding. I know I had mine changed about 2 months before the 3 years were up and no questions were asked. Yes, they are 3-year long contraceptive, and it is frowned upon to have the implant removed soon after insertion (my clinic insist you keep it in for 3-6 months before discussing removal). However, I can't see any clinic being bothered that you're having it taken out 3 months or so before it runs out. You could then use non-hormonal contraceptives for a couple of months before you're ready to try for a baby after you're married.
I was put on the pill (Femodene) when I was around 15yrs old due to heavy periods. I was on it until the age of about 37. The doctor took me off it as (in his words) I was old, fat and smoked. I walked out crying.
Since then my husband and I have used condoms - but sometimes he is lax at putting the thing on in time and I spend a while worrying that I am pregnant. Plus, I have gone back to having heavy periods again and they certainly aren't monthly. I seem to have a period every three weeks which lasts a week.
I have been considering the implant - but when you look online at the reviews its very doom and gloom. BUT, I assume that most people only go to a review site when they are experiencing problems ?
I have looked at the NHS site and looked at all the different options. I don't like the thought of the coil and ideally I am looking for something that would reduce the amount of periods I have.
So - does anyone here have any suggestions or stories regarding their contraception ? I am 40.
I have a Mirena coil fitted.
It was the best thing I ever did regarding contraception.
Very quick to fit and it only hurt for about 5 seconds on fitting.
I have not had any problems at all with it, my periods stopped straight away.
I have two friends who had the Mirena fitted due to heavy periods, one is like me and all is fine with it, the other decided it made her put weight on so had it taken out.
She did not give it chance though IMO as she had it taken out after 4 months.
I had my implant out last year, and was not tempted by another, I had such horrific hormonal imbalances for the first 3 months, I'd cry watching a tv commercial, or just spontaneously, was a nightmare, not to mention erratic weeks of bleeding. I preferred the regular control with the pill, I've been back on the pill for about 8 months, no periods, no weight gain.. relief!
My nurse tried to persuade me to get the coil, I did not want it though, I've only known two people who've had the coil, one ended up with a horrifying infection, the other their was an issue, fault possibly, or not fitted correctly, either way they got pregnant. These experiences from friends were enough for me to stay clear of the coil.
Us women will have such varied experiences with the contraceptives out there, I've known people get pregnant right after stopping the pill, or implant removal, but others not. It so depends of the person, I believe, fertility is not straightforward!
If I was you, I'd be more inclined to go for the pill, and if it doesn't suit, it's an easier transistion to injections, another implant or coil etc..
I think that was my point, in that peoples experiences vary so extensively, that you just have to make the best informed decision you can. I didn't realise the coil got 'flak' as you said, I choose not to go for it, based on what I know from friends personal experiences, as I'm sure others will have done with various other forms of contraceptive.
I still think personally that the pill is the least hassle option, particularly if you're looking to have kids in a few years or so, easier to stop a pill than make an appointment to have implants or coils removed, imo anyway!
Easy to fall pregnant with the pill if you misuse it, you have to remember to take it every day, and long term use may cause problems for some women. Still, as you say, different strokes for different folks
As others have said - contraceptive effects vary so much from woman to woman! It's trial and error until you find something that's right for you. I've had the implant for 2 years and I love it. My heavy periods are no more! I get a few days of spotting every 5 months or so - from what I've read I must be one of the lucky ones. No weight gain either
I went on the Microgynon pill for 3 months but it gave me terrible headaches. Then I trialled Cerazette for 6 months because it has similar hormones to the implant. When I didn't get any side effects, I decided to go for it and get the implant.
Good luck in whatever you decide to go for!
Are you planning to have (more) children? If not, why not get your tubes tied? I didn't want kids and had mine tied at 30, simply because I didn't want to be messing about with contraception for years to come.
The Copper 7 was supposed to be ideal for women who hadn't had children and I had one for a while. What a nightmare! My husband could feel the "string" when we had sex, which wasn't very often because I bled almost constantly. Even wearing a tampon and a pad there were days when I couldn't go to work because of the heavy bleed. I think I gave it three months before having it taken out - a procedure that was a nightmare in itself! I know a lot of people get on very well with some kind of coil, but that wasn't my experience.
I'm on Microgynon now and I'm absolutely sick of taking it. I'm assuming the implant doesn't cause weight gain as got really bloated with the injection.
Such a headache this...
After the birth of my first baby, I was only allowed cezerette as I was breastfeeding. I had no periods whilst on it and no other side effects.
I would ask your family planning nurse or doctor what they would suggest for you and what their own experience/views are on the methods offered.
I am childless and would like to remain that way, but I don't really want to get sterilised. Too drastic.
I think the reason I was put off the coil was because I read you have to check its still in the right position by inserting a finger blah blah and I thought .... hang on, surely the man would feel it when having sex ? Anyway, I know im daft but the thought of having a bit of barbed wire up my fanny doesn't appeal !!!
I would love to go back on the pill, but the doctor won't let me. I was happy on the pill. Yes I got a few headaches, but I didn't have any other symptoms plus, if you were on holiday you could run a few packs together so you could have a period free time. But as I am a size 16 and 40 - the doctor said no. Grrrr. I felt bereft when he stopped the prescription having been on it for over 20yrs.
So that's why I am left with the injection or the implant. The injection I cast aside due to having to go every few months for a top up .... and I am inherently lazy and hate the doctors.
So .... the implant sounds the best bet. But knowing me, I will get fat and spotty on it ... and then my husband won't want to have sex with me.
If you think it's too drastic then it sounds to me like you haven't ruled out having children!
Understood
Im no expert but i know there are different types of pills and im sure theres a variety thats safer for women like yourself but of course it all depends on medical history.
I found that surprising. I'm 48 and when I went back on the pill a year ago I was a size 18. They put me on Cerelle and I've ever looked back! It's the mini pill and for me I only got slight spotting for the first two months and nothing now. As others have said, we're all different and the mini pill can make periods worse/irregular, or as in my case, stop them all together.
My point is, I'm older and was more overweight than you (though I'm a 16 now) but they had no qualms putting me on that.
Thats the thing every woman is different..I have been thinking of getting rid of this implant, but then again, condoms can be fallible, so until menopause...I have looked into sterilization myself, but the clinic was reluctant, because I am divorced and a lone parent to two kids and I was told I would need a few weeks rest! What is going on fgs!
Anyway, sorry to go off subject op..my implant nurse at the time said if bad bleeding occurred after fitting to pop in and they can give medication to halt the bleed.