[Mod-LadyCoconut]

Tomorrow I have my 3 week post partum check up. Why its a t 3 weeks instead of 6 I don't really know, but that's when they said to schedule it.

I went at 1 week PP just to check my BP and she said to figure out what I wanted to do for birth control so they could get that squared away at my 3 week appointment.

If you guys remember, my insurance through my job covered basically nothing maternity-wise and I wound up on medicaid. Now I just have th medicaid since I quit working. DH won't be able to add me until his next open enrollment which isn't until like November or December... so I'll be without insurance for a while.

When I was a teen I was on yasmin and that BCP was great for me. Then when I came off my parent's insurance, the pill was like $50 a month without insurance coverage so I stopped taking it. I went to the planned parenthood area and that whole expierence was a nightmare (the power even went out during my pap, awkwardddd) and they put me on ortho tri cyclen lo. That BCP was like 5 bucks a month which was awesome, but the only kind they offered and I did NOT do well on it. The first month I was crying all the time and the second I was seeing red/raging angry. At one point I had a big bag of fast food and a french fry tipped out and I was so pissed I pulverized the bag. So after all of that we did NFP for like two and a half years and I swore I wouldn't mess around with hormonal birth control again.

And here we are.

I do not not not want to get pregnant again like ever. Like I told Ben to go get a vasectomy. He wants to wait it out and see if I change my mind. So I don't think I'm going to be confident enough with NFP b/c it basically wound up being like pull & pray most of the time since we were okay with an oops... or not DTD until I knew I had O'd and was going to get my period like any day now. It just won't be healthy for our sex life.

I definitely know I don't want an IUD or anything that I have to go pay someone to remove. Since I won't have insurance I don't want to mess around with that. And condoms suck arse and so that's out.

So now I need some kind of birth control pill ... and it has to be okay with BFing. And I need something where I get the rx, and then for the next year (until I have insurance again) I can just pay out of pocket for... so something not pricey. How the hell do I figure that out? Just ask them to prescribe something not pricey? And something that won't make me psycho again?

And also.. what will it mean for the whole ovulating business? Like I won't trust EBF enough to use it solely as birth control, but I guess if I start taking birth control then that means I'll still have the breakthrough bleeding?

I really don't like the idea of taking hormonal birth control, but I like the idea of being pregnant or never having sex again way less. I just hope whatever I wind up on is as easy on me as Yasmin was, and doesn't wind up being like the ortho nightmare.

Sorry that's so long and jumbled... I just need someone to tell me what to do. My appointment is in the morning...

Oh and another thing... I'm only 3 weeks PP so I'm still bleeding a crazy ton, are they gonna go gettin' up in my girly business anyway? Is that weird? I imagine sitting naked in the gown leaving a trail of blood on their little paper covered chair to be awkward. haha.

For exams when you are bleeding you usually sit on one of those giant flat pads. I had a cooter cam visit with pp bleeding and that is how they did it.

Maybe try the contraceptive film? I have heard of it working and not working. Maybe combine it with a diaphragm? I dunno. Here is the film link: VCF Vaginal Contraceptive Film Order FREE Coupon

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

What tha deuce is THAT?! *off to look*

Also... I don't understand anything about diaphragms. Or why they have a silent g. Is it like a mold of the inside of your vag that you shove in there and use as defense? I guess I should google that too. You get them like custom fit? I feel like diaphragms are so old lady. haha

[~Caroline~]

Ok I don't know anything about cost of pills in the US. But I was on Alesse (I paid 15$ for it I think) and I liked it. It's a low-dose birth control so it shouldn't make you crazy like ortho-tri-cyclen (I agree that pill is evil). It could make your skin more sensitive though.

[Bre*n*Will=Reid]

If you're BFing they will probably suggest the "mini pill". It has less hormones than regular BCP and it slightly less effective (I think) but you're BFing, which reduces your changes anyway, so....

Yasmin was my favorite BCP too!

I was going to suggest that you do NFP and just do it better than you did on your honeymoon We use NFP and then use condoms during my fertile time. I'm 100% comfortable with it.

[Resi]

I was just about to make a post asking you how your dogs are doing and if you feel the same about them. lol,.. so let me know on here.

I have no advise on the birth controls options. We are doing pnp but we don't have a lot of sex these days. Plus I'm okay with another baby if it happens. Do you really not want to have another down the road? I thought you wanted at least two before? What made you change your mind? Give it awhile and maybe after Lily is a year or two old you will want another.

I hope you can find something that works well with BF. I thought there weren't a lot out there that worked well with it? Maybe only the mini pill? I don't have a clue. I haven't been on bc in years and when I was I hated it. The patch made me feel pregnant with all the symptoms. Another pill made my chest hurt. Low sex drive too with them. I like your french fry story.. lol..

[SandKmommy]

I think the Mini Pill would work and from what I've herd its pretty cheap. I have 4 pack of it but I'm not taking it cause it would be pointless when I dont remember it(or get af often enough). The thing with the minipill is that its less effective then normal pills, you take it for the full 4 weeks theres no sugar pills with them. Usually they make you stop bleeding, if you have breakthrough bleeding you're more likely to get pregnant during that time and upto a week after that. (I was told they need to be taken at the same time like normal within an hour and no more then 3hrs apart)
I wouldn't tell anyone to get and IUD after what happened to me so I'm glad you arent' getting one of those.
I didn't read everything but these are he b/c that I know of

minipill
pill
condoms
female condom
diaphragm
sponge
spermicide
patch
depo
film
and this one at Walmart that looks like a suppository (but goes in your hooha) someone told me about once(she used it for years)

then of course the ones you dont want
Mierna IUD
ParaGard IUD
and the Implon(implant in arm) (SP?)

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

At my 1 week PP check up the dr. said it would have to be something progesterone only, if I remember correctly. I don't know if that was b/c of my blood pressure or because of BFing. I'm really not prepared/researched at this at all.

Originally Posted by Bre*n*Will=Reid

I was going to suggest that you do NFP and just do it better than you did on your honeymoon We use NFP and then use condoms during my fertile time. I'm 100% comfortable with it.

I know we won't do FAM b/c I hate condoms... and with NFP it just winds up being not DTD until I know 100% I've O'd, which makes Ben feel like he never knows when it's "okay" and I just will be too paranoid to ever DTD I think. I just feel like for right now at least that's not going to be healthy for our sex life.

[SandKmommy]

Originally Posted by LadyCoconut

At my 1 week PP check up the dr. said it would have to be something progesterone only, if I remember correctly. I don't know if that was b/c of my blood pressure or because of BFing. I'm really not prepared/researched at this at all.

If I remember correctly the minipills only have progesterone and not estrogen in them. They dont like to give bfing women pills with estrogen.

Hmmm.. I haven't been on BC since 2006 and have no advice... Depo's out, right?

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

Originally Posted by Resi

I was just about to make a post asking you how your dogs are doing and if you feel the same about them. lol,.. so let me know on here.

The dogs are doing great! We were really worried about how Rilo would do since he's so needy and has stress induced seizures, etc. He has been totally okay with the baby... he mostly ignores her or sniffs at her sometime, but he isn't crying all the time needing attention like he normally is. He had a seizure last night but it was storming and that was the first one since she's been here. Piper, on the other hand... seems to think she's Lily's mom. She wants to be near her ALL THE TIME. If Lily is crying I swear the dog is giving me judgemental eyes like I'm doing something wrong. They've both been very good with her... and Rilo is still totally my baby. I tell him all the time I still love him the most. haha.

Originally Posted by Resi

Do you really not want to have another down the road? I thought you wanted at least two before? What made you change your mind? Give it awhile and maybe after Lily is a year or two old you will want another.

I'm still too torn on it for it to be realistic for Ben to get a vasectomy. While I think I had a pretty easy pregnancy (even with the pre-e stuff at the end) I just don't want to be pregnant again. Its a long story that maybe I'll explain in the private forum some time... but I just don't know about being pregnant again. And while I'm genuinly enjoying this motherhood business, I can't imagine having a newborn AND another kid. I think everyone probably feels that way at some point though. haha. I just feel like I could be done. I did want three kids and Ben wanted two, but now we're both thinking we could just be done now. Who knows.

Originally Posted by JustBreathe

Hmmm.. I haven't been on BC since 2006 and have no advice... Depo's out, right?

I feel like I always hear negative things about the shot, especially weight gain. but yeah since I won't have insurance I don't think its realistic for me to keep going back to a doctor for something... and also I don't like the idea of that being something I can't just stop taking if there's some kind of weird problem, kwim?

Originally Posted by SandKmommy

If I remember correctly the minipills only have progesterone and not estrogen in them. They dont like to give bfing women pills with estrogen.

Ahh okay! So I guess I should find a list of progesterone only pills... and maybe I can look up costs or something online. Hmm.

I just gotta say, kudos to you for being concerned about having a healthy sex life with a newborn! Haha, I am still using Jack's birth as an excuse to be lazy about being sexy or putting out. I should probably work on that

Yeah I do have a lot of negative things to say about Depo. We're one step above medicaid-- it's how it works based on income here in NY, it's called Family Health Plus, but I can't take BC due to migraines. Infertility is honestly our BC and our plan is beginning the NYS IVF early next year so long as Mike as a better job. I hope you can find something!!!

oh and I agree diaphragms are old lady. How about the sponge? So not sure what the heck that is.

you know I am infertile and so am completely not the one to be giving bc advice. You kind of reminded me of that Office episode when Jan makes Michael get a vasectomy, and then a reverse vasectomy, and then on and on

But some ladies on another board use that spermicide film. You have to use it right though and not pull an Ashley JUST KIDDING ASHLEY!

[~Jess~]

Ummm...The minipill is evil (as is all progesterone-only contraception). Unless you want to go on anti-depressants at the same time, then I'd avoid it.

You could try lambskin condoms coupled with the VCF film, they're not bad at all, and this is coming from someone who would just rather not have sex than use a condom. I HATE condoms! lol.

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

Originally Posted by ~Jess~

Ummm...The minipill is evil (as is all progesterone-only contraception). Unless you want to go on anti-depressants at the same time, then I'd avoid it.

You could try lambskin condoms coupled with the VCF film, they're not bad at all, and this is coming from someone who would just rather not have sex than use a condom. I HATE condoms! lol.

Ugh having a history of depression, I so don't wanna hear that! I was kind of figuring as much though... nothing can ever be easy!

I hate condoms b/c the second we have to stop to put one on I'm just pissed off (irrational?! ) and am 'over it' so I don't think the lambskin would make much of a difference.

That vasectomy is looking more and more appealing.. they can always be reversed.... haha

[*krista*]

I have no advice about birth control... but I was thinking, most (I thought all?) insurance will allow you to change your elections if you have a family status change (like getting married or having a baby), does Ben's not work that way? I think you have a 30 day window. Have you looked into it?

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

Originally Posted by *krista*

I have no advice about birth control... but I was thinking, most (I thought all?) insurance will allow you to change your elections if you have a family status change (like getting married or having a baby), does Ben's not work that way? I think you have a 30 day window. Have you looked into it?

He could have added me in the last open enrollment a couple of months ago, but didn't b/c I had medicaid and his insurance didn't really cover squat for maternity either. So I said just save the $ and we'll add me next go-around, and fingers crossed I don't need it between now and then. He can add Lily to it, but not me.... I don't think. lol.

[midnight_starr]

I took Yasmin for like 5 years but my insurance stopped covering it and it was way too expensive so I switched to sprintec (its a generic of something, haha) and it was one of those $10 meds you can get from walmart! Basically I looked up the $10 meds on walmarts website and told my dr. I wanted to go on this because it was more afforable!! I did well on both pills, never had any problems with either!!

[soImarriedAnerd]

I wouldn't take anything until you get your first PP period to be honest....so much of that stuff messes with BFing. Is the man pill out on the market in the USA yet? Let ben take it!

Call your local Wal-mart (shop around a little) the prices vary ALOT by stores!
We use condoms and I have a few plan B sitting the drawer! LOL