Birth Control Options

I havent been on BC in a long long time, but last time I used the patch. Just had to switch it out once a week and it was simple enough. I didnt have any side effects on it.

I know you said you hate the pill, but I started it in April and love mine! I just have a daily alarm that goes off at 9:25pm so I take it by 9:30pm. I haven't had side effects or anything.

I’m obsessed with my IUD! I have Mirena and it has been great. If you plan to have kids you can get it removed when you are ready and immediately start trying. One of my friends had hers removed two months before grad school graduation thinking it would take time for her fertility to settle but two months later she found out she got pregnant within a few weeks of it being removed!

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I feel the same - IUD was the best decision I ever made. I hardly have periods and when I do I have slights cramps for a day. Insertion hurt but it's over in a minute.

I also love my IUD- I have the Mirena as well!

I’m gonna go against the grain and say the IUD was the worst decision for me. I was in horrible pain that increased daily until I ended up in the ER a couple weeks later.

Mirena/IDUs are the greatest gift women ever received.

I would rather remove my own uterus without anthesia than do another IUD. I bled and have cramps so bad I had dirreah for months. I was on the pill, and liked it, but developed conditions that weren't safe for me to keep taking it orally. I love my Nexplanon and my gyno told me they were cleared to work for an extra year passed expiration when I called about replacing it. You may want to call your doctor and ask about that. I opted to replace mine anyway because we're not close to being ready for that. But where you are they might leave it in until December. I just did it two week ago so it's very new information!
If you're bad about remembering you'll likely struggle with the other daily options. Maybe a nuva ring would be a good option?
If you wanted to start trying in December taking the Nexplanon out and going through withdrawal and just using condoms might be a better plan. I've read your body can need time to go back to menstruating regularly after LARBC.
Because you want to start trying so soon you should likely just ask the doctor.

Use condoms.

I used the Nuvaring because I'm awful at taking pills and wanted to be able to take it out whenever I wanted.

If the Nexplanon implant is working for you, without bad side effects, why not get another one? Almost all insurance will cover it, so you're not wasting a lot of money even if you take it out after a year.

Nexplanon and the IUD are among the few alternates that a) are "set it and forget it," b) are easily reversible, and c) are over 99% effective. And an IUD, too, is something that will last for years, unless you take it out, so it's not that different from Nexplanon in that respect. Anything else is going to require you to remember something regularly (and you say you're bad at that), and/or is going to be less effective. (Most of my family seems to have had at least one diaphragm baby.) And some require stopping in the middle of sex to take care of contraception, which is a pain.

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Condoms have a typical use failure rate of 13%. And they interrupt sex, and decrease male sensation. The major advantage of them is that they prevent STDs, but that's presumably not an issue here. I definitely wouldn't use them for contraception in this situation.

View Quoted Comment Exactly this.. it's been over 2 years since weve used a condom and are certainly not going back now 😂

Also thank you so much for your helpful information ❤

View Quoted Comment Wow that would be awesome if my gyno clears me to keep it!! I'm also terrified to take it out so it gives me a reason to put that off for a while too 😂 I will definitely be looking into this, thanks!!

View Quoted Comment Taking mine out was definitely odd because my arm was numbed, it was like the dentist. 🤣Definitely don't watch if you're squeamish! I think replacing it was what made me more sore, so if you don't replace it you'll likely be fine. I did end up bleeding a little so don't wear a shirt you'd be sad about a little blood on.

I just got my Nexplanon replaced last month. We're hopefully getting married next October. I had the same thought and like you, the pill isnt really an option for me. I used to be on the shot Depo Provera years ago. I think you need to get it every 3 months, but don't quote me on that. My Dr. thought it best to stick with Nexplanon because I tolerate it well and you can always remove it early. When I'm heavily stressed, I do have some breakthrough bleeding and hormonal breakouts but it isn't too bad. When you get it removed, your hormone levels come back up very quickly, unlike other medications. It's painful to get it removed and it hurt for like 3-4 days, but I think it's worth it for me because of the piece of mind. Good luck with whatever you choose!

I have only ever taken the pill and ended up with a blood clot from it. Also allergic to latex. I had to be very calculated to avoid getting pregnant. I got my tubes removed a few months ago, 6 months after having my last baby.

I do Depo and LOVE it! The extra bonus for me is I don’t have period while on it. It’s a shot every three months.

My mom used to dobthe depo shot, gained a ton of weight, was always angry, her hair started falling out, all those 'fun' things.
My sister had the uterian implant one for a few months, didn't like the side effects of it, it was a lower dose of hormones too I believe, and she said she broke out more.
I did the neuva ring and it was nice at first, didn't fall out, didn't worry during sex, didn't seem to notice much of a mood change or anything. But then it started to make me very uncomfortable where it sat inside. So I returned to the pill.
Its taken time for me to be able to remember to take it every day, but its the better option for me.

Also other friends I know that have used the bar/implant don't seem to have too many problems with it, the depo shot though, another friend in high school had issues with weight and mood/temperament

I take the pill, after researching all of the different options I've come to realize that it's the best option for me. I hate shots, my friend had the patch and it kept peeling off early, any implants freak me out (I had a friend who got nexplanon and her arm bruised heavily and she had huge issues with it.) and the diaphragm seems really ineffective, as there are so many stories of people still getting pregnant. I used to set an alarm on my phone when I was taking my pill in the evening, but when I switched to taking it in the morning, I just take it as I'm walking out the door to head to work, and that's worked really well for me.