Birth control after baby

Lara - posted on 07/29/2010

I have used Mirena (IUD) twice now and love it! Both times (between 2nd & 3rd child, and now currently after 3rd baby) it stopped my period completely, never worried about sex, and love that you can breastfeed while on it. Also loved the fact that if we wanted to expand our family we could start trying within a week of removal.

Having been on the Pill, Depro, condums and now the IUD, I must say I like the IUD the best for ease of use, hormone levels, and stress-free contraception. But each woman's choice is personal. Find what fits your personality style.

Lori - posted on 07/27/2010

I just realized you mentioned starting around 6 weeks, so I wanted to add that the Nuva Ring contains estrogen, so is not the best choice so early on. I didn't start the ring until 9 months - condoms before that. If you do go with a hormonal method, estrogen can lower your supply, so progestin only methods are best for bf moms. Hopefully your doctor will be able to explain all the different methods and the pros/cons - there are a lot of choices out there!

Olivia - posted on 07/27/2010

I had mirena put in at my 6 week check up and had it in for about 10 months. I never had a period while i was on it. I began to have weight loss problems (and I only weigh 106 so it wasn't good weight loss) and it caused thyroid problems and made me start losing my hair. It just got worse and my doctor did all kinds of tests and we determined it was the mirena. I had it taken out at 10 months and now all the bad things have gone away. I still haven't had a period since I got it taken out, which does worry me a little. Because I've read that it can mess up your fertility and cause other issues. I wouldn't recommend mirena to anyone.

Olivia - posted on 07/27/2010

No matter what anyone says, ANYTHING with hormones in it is not safe for your LO. It is like giving hormonal supplements threw your milk. It may not dry up your milk but the hormones still come out in your milk every day multiple times a day.

Briana - posted on 07/27/2010

Mirena is 100% safe for breastfeeding. I did research before I got it. And I haven't had a period since I got in May. I had two weeks of spotting after it was inserted, but not much since :)

Olivia - posted on 07/27/2010

Please go with the copper IUD, it has no hormones in it. Think more about not if your milk dries up but of the hormones that are in your milk. Your child would be consuming hormones that your LO should not be consuming if you go on mirena or anything that has any type of hormones in it.

Cynthia - posted on 07/27/2010

We definitely want more children, just not for another 3-4 years!

Teri-Lyn - posted on 07/27/2010

i have the mirena and love it, i had depo provera before and gained a lot of weight, also depo can cause bone density loss, with the mirena its safe for breast feeding, i get only very light spotting now, and i wont have to worry about remembering anything until 5 years from now.

Dawn - posted on 07/26/2010

The pill is only recommended 10 years out of a woman's life... That is not very long when you consider how long we are sexually active. If you are done having babies, I strongly suggest your partner have a vasectomy. Hormones are a leading cause to many cancers and heart problems. The depo provera shot is effective, but can make you bleed intermittently for several months. Research and talk with more than one physician to find what works for you. good luck

Emily - posted on 07/26/2010

I got an IUD. My sister had one and kept it in for the full 5 years. She really liked it - she never had a real period while she had the IUD, and it was zero hassle and had zero risk of user error :) She used the Nuva ring before that. It tended to fall out during sex, but that didn't hurt its effectiveness, just made for a good laugh in the bedroom.
Getting the IUD placed after baby isn't bad at all, since you're already stretched out.

Lori - posted on 07/26/2010

I also use the Nuva Ring, and I really like it too. Very easy to insert/remove. You leave it in for 3 weeks, remove for 1 week, then put in a new one. Simple! (And it helps that I have a little reminder program you can download from the website to your computer so it tells me when it's time to remove/reinsert.)

Cheryl - posted on 07/26/2010

i use Nuva ring and find its the best, it has the least risk of negative side effects that can be serious such as an IUD. I do bf excusivly and it is safe for that. its easy, put one in every monthe, three weeks later take it out and put in a new one a week after that!