Hi, ladies! Just a quick introduction so that I can get to the point of my thread...

My name is Erin. I'm twenty-four years old (twenty-five next month) and I have been married to my husband, Matt, for five + years. We have two daughters: Rebekah just turned five and Olivia is ten months. We live in the Houston area (we're desperately trying to get out).

I've been on the pill inbetween our children. We used condoms at one point...I think fall/winter of 2004, I can't even remember why. Neither of us care for that method; sex feels different for both of us and honestly, doesn't seem as pleasurable.

Anyhow, I went back on the pill after the birth of Olivia. I'm down to my last pack (I'm about mid-way through it) and we need to do something because I cannot refill. Matt just started a new job and will not have insurance benefits available for six months. I'm a SAHM so I do not have my own available.

What are our options other than condoms and abstinence? I'm thinking about natural family planning, but I've never charted or anything before in my entire life. Are there places to go that offer well-woman exams and deeply discounted or possibly free pills? That's our method of choice, but I don't think it's going to be an option for us any longer.

What about an IUD? Prescription...right? Anyone happen to know the cost of one without insurance?

Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

My IUD cost $564 for the Paragard, I think Mirena is more expensive. Has your insurance already terminated? If not, maybe you can get an IUD before it terminates.

Lot of women swear by NFP & FAM. You could also try a diaphram (sp?).

The other option is to pay cash for your pills. Do you know the retail cost? Your dr. could maybe even prescribe a more generic pill for you so that it wouldn't cost too much.

I think the pill is actually the cheapest birth control-- besides condoms, of course. There are lots of clinics that offer services and a pharmacy at discounted prices. They go on a sliding scale using household income. I go to one in my town and with us fitting into the category that pays 66% of full price, a pack of pills costs me $12. I also got my prenatal care there which was way cheaper than a regular OB office. Not to worry about the quality of care either-- my OB had a regular practice in addition to working at the clinic. I would check out the phone book and see what they have under clinics. Another good place to get exams and pills is Planned Parenthood. I was just there last year and with no insurance, a pack of pills was $18. Plus they'll give you up to 13 packs at once so you can just stock up and forget about it for a year. I hope that helps!

Well, NFP would have to be the cheapest. Cervical mucus is free! Learning to evaluate it for avoiding pregnancy with 96-99% effectivenesss may cost an initial $20-$50 (for proper instruction and materials), but there are no ongoing costs.

Thanks for all of the feedback, ladies - saving for future reference!

If you want to continue taking pills, check with a Planned Parenthood. I used to get my pills for free. Like someone said, it's based off income. If you know that your DH will be getting insurance, then you could do Planned Parenthood for a little while until the insurance kicked in and then get something different.

Good luck!!

Angie