| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| babysmama |
Posted - Nov 10 2008 : 06:42:03 AM
This is not a thread to start a debate about whether birth control is right or wrong morally but whether it is safe. While I would never use birth control due to my moral convictions I don't think I could ever use it even if I didn't think it was wrong. Why? Because I think that it really messes with a woman's natural body cycle and it is just totally unnatural. I am not talking about the women who need it for medical reasons (as I do think that it is more of a medicine then anything else) but those who use it purely for birth control.
So what does everyone else think, including those who have or are using it? Do you think it is safe? I especially think the one that makes your period disappear, or only happen once or twice a year is scary! As women aren't we meant to have a cycle each month? Aren't our overies supposed to eject an egg each month? What happens to our bodies when this is delayed or prevented? What happens to our bodies when all of these hormones are put into a normally healthy body? What is your take on the pill, patch, or an IUD?
-Elizabeth |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Dec 20 2008 : 09:31:53 AM
Such a conundrum isn't it? I never had any trouble getting pregnant either-- just LOOKING at my husband seemed to cause it!!! (LOL!!) Your baby is-- and WILL BE -- such a blessing. Yes, it will kind of put a "damper" on the romance, but not as bad as the pills did (and not until the child gets older). The BIGGEST problem is going to be what to do for birthcontrol later? Unless you want LOTS of kids, you wouldn't have to worry about that. Good luck hon. And Congratulations on the new little love soon to light up your world!!! ~~~Hugs~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 08:13:02 AM
I was placed on birth control pills at 15 because of a sporadic cycle (I was a ballerina and didn't have enough body fat to support a healthy cycle). The doctor advised me that I might not care about fertility at that time, but I would when I was older....
I continued on birth control pills until a small break in 2000, after my divorce. I really never had any side effects from them, but I will be quite honest, my libido REALLY suffered (and continued to do so). I adored that my cycles were 2 days max, and that I could get away with panty liners. When I stopped taking them, my cycle stayed very much the same.
When I met my (now) husband, I decided I should probably get back on them, because we were getting married, and I wanted to head off any chance of pregnancy. At the time, there were some new pills on the market, that were advertised as "low dose" and my doctor recommended one to me. I went from a size 2 to a 6 over a period of 3 months, and after a time, I told my husband I just didn't think it was the right pill for me...to which he replied, "Um, when you talk with the doc, will you ask her about a pill that makes you want to kill me less?" Apparently, my mood swings were LEGION, and I hadn't the slightest idea. I went through several different pills, but the libido issue still loomed, and I never lost the weight I gained. Didn't gain any more, just couldn't really lose the weight that I had gained.
We decided that we would try for a family this year, so I was advised when to stop taking my pill and that it would take a very long time for my body to essentially "come down". Um, long time, like 2 weeks? I was pregnant in two weeks, but here's the thing. Almost instantly after stopping the pill, I could actually FEEL again. I mean, feel sexy, want to be intimate. Before, I could have cared less. I was really happy with that, and well, you can imagine my husband felt similarly :)
We are both excited about the baby, but both somewhat mourn the fact that we were just starting to get our "groove" back when I conceived!!!
Now, after the baby is born, I am debating. I think I will probably not do the pill again...just simply because I really enjoyed those brief couple of weeks where I actually felt and enjoyed my sexuality again. |
| rabbithorns |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 07:59:15 AM
Here's my two cents as informational only, really. I got pregnant through every form of birth control I ever used including the pill (the only one available at the time that I didn't use was an IUD). The only birth control that ever prevented a pregnancy when I wanted to prevent a pregnancy was NFP.
I ended up getting a tubal ligation which has also worked just so I could stop thinking about it. I don't really know the moral applications of that one except to say that Chinese medicine, yogic traditions, and Buddhist prana work within the subtle body is a little more difficult when you change physical channels.
For another 2 cents I can say that in Buddhism, consciousness is said to enter the "body" at the moment the 2 cells from man and woman meet.
I second Margaret Nofziger's book as the best on NFP. I met Margaret "back in the day" at the Farm in Tennessee. And the only real personal opinion I've ever held about birth control is that it simply doesn't work. And then there's the reality of the human body which is that we actually conceive many more times than we are aware of but more than half of those blastocysts never implant and are washed out of the body and we never know. A study of menstrual tissue and hormones over 10 years in the 70s/80s showed this.
I was a midwife and a childbirth educator and I have always been fascinated by reproduction and families. It's never a bad thing when women openly discuss what's available and what works to help them achieve their goals as mothers and wives and citizens - and also what's not working for them. Personal beliefs can be stated in a respectful way so we honor each others beliefs without stepping on toes as we discuss.
I really appreciate your discussions here.
http://www.rabbithorns.etsy.com & www.wayofthewife.blogspot.com |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 12:41:52 PM
I had to use birth control, when I was old enough to get it myself as my mother wouldn't help me, because I literally became trapped in my home, not being able to leave for 2 days due to heavy HEAVY painful periods, even with OTC medicines to help. I had clotting the size of quarters and larger and I would go through a pad and tampon in an hour. Docs said is was normal??? and I decided to help reduce the severity. I also had just joined the military and you really can't call in sick- you have to go to medical first, get a note and most likely, they will only let you out of one day of work, or worse, imagine this happenning while deployed- not fun!!! It is a horrible thing we women have to endure just to be women. I worked out, changed my diet, did all the "right" things and nothing helped, except that dang pill. I have been off them for 4 years now and will not go back. I do want to get my tubes tied but fall under the too young umbrella. **SIGH** It is darn frustrating, to say the least. Darned if you do and darned if you don't!!!
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| knittingmom |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 12:29:08 PM
We use the Natural Family Planning method as I'm not able to take oral contraceptives. It's a combination of taking your basal temperature and watching your body's signs. If you keep accurate records it is very, very effective. The upside no medical treatments.
The book I used as a reference is "A Cooperative Method of Natural Birth Control" by Margaret Nofziger. It's a short volume but very well written and easy to understand.
There are many references written on this subject.
I don't think it's really healthy to play with hormones for long periods of time, even if the drug companies insist that contraceptives are safe.
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world" |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Dec 10 2008 : 01:21:06 AM
Oh, and I HAVE taken birth control pills-- in my early 20's in between babies. While I don't recall any side affects with ONE type I took, there was another that was just HORRIBLE! I took it 3 months and the hormone levels were not balanced right for ME. I was taken off them VERY quickly and put back on the ones I had taken before.
I had my tubes tied almost 9yrs ago when son #3 was 4yrs old and, while I don't regret it, I DO have some serious issues from the surgery (hot flashes, heavy periods that last at least 7 days, pain etc...) Would I take the PILLS today? Use the patches or get and IUD? Not on my life!!!
As I've gotten older my allergies to medications have increased dramatically-- even my DENTIST cringes when he sees me walk into his office. I had a severe allergic reaction to one of the most commonly used dental anesthetics in his office a few years ago-- NOT FUN for anyone involved!! VERY scary in fact- so much so that I went to an allergy doctor for help, couldn't take ANY of the pills they tried me on, and ended up on "immunotherapy" --- two allergy shots every week for nearly 2yrs until the therapy started causing some serious reactions. The allergy doctors were baffeled and didn't know what to do with me either-- so, for me, no more meds-- it's especailly worse with OTC's! FREAKY! ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Dec 10 2008 : 01:10:08 AM
I do know for a fact that NO medication is 100% safe no matter WHAT the drug companies say! I have worked on/off in the Medical field as an MA for 14yrs now and I have NEVER heard a drug company, or their representatives say their medications are NOT safe--- not even when the drugs are under investigation by the FDA for very bad "undocumented" side affects and too many "coincidental" deaths.
My first doctor (whom I worked with for 10yrs) was pulling his patients off of medications that have just been RECENTLY (within the last 5yrs) pulled from the market. (Celebrex was one and my doc took his patients off of it 11 or 12 YEARS ago!) He kept up with all the medical research and paid close attention to the statistics pertaining to each drug he prescribed. His first concern was his patients. Who knows how many lives he saved by taking those patients OFF the pills at the first HINT that something was wrong with them. Don't be fooled when the drug companies say their products are 100% safe. They will tell the public ANYTHING to keep the cash flow going.
My last doctor had a patient he was treating for severe depression and alcoholism. He did everything he could for the patient who responded VERY WELL to treatment. Once the patient had his life back under control he wanted to stop smoking so we got his insurance to agree to cover the drug "Chantix" -- the "stop smoking wonder gum" He took it for just a few months (if even THAT long) and "out of the blue" (according to his family) committed suicide. I was SHOCKED when I got the call! I had to tell my doctor what happened. If any of you had seen my doctors reaction to that, oh boy .... He coverd his face with his hands and groaned "He was doing so WELL!!! What HAPPENED?!!!" He was devastated. And we were all heartbroken. At the time, there was no DOCUMENTED side affect of "Suicide" for that drug. I saw the tv commercials for that drug recently and was not really surprised when they said it may "increase the risk of suicide." Unfortunatley, that warning came a little too late for our poor patient.
My take on medication of ANY kind is this-- listen to your OWN body. Don't take a pill just because you're TOLD it's safe. If you have ANY issues or concerns whatsoever-- no matter HOW SMALL they may seem-- talk to your doctor about it. If he/she won't listen, then FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR who WILL!!! you're not married to them! You don't have to stay with them, and for goodness sakes ladies! Don't stay just becaue they're NICE! (oh, how many times have I heard THAT?) Nice does NOT a good doctor make, nor does it save lives! I've worked with some VERY nice doctors-- but they were not GOOD doctors and I wouldn't go to them myself if they were the last doctor on earth!! I've also worked with some real jerks that--- if my life were at stake-- I would not HESITATE to call on for help. Though their bedside manner really stinks, they KNOW how to save lives! Do your homework, weigh the risks and decide for yourself what to do. Sorry I'm so windy, but I felt it was important to share these things with you all. Hugs ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Nov 22 2008 : 6:11:05 PM
I'm on the pill and have been since I was 19 (personal reasons and medical) the personal is not sexual so please don't think that. It has helped me because I had cramps throughout the month and it was not fun at all. That middlesprigger or whatever its called. I'm more regular and balanced. In a way it has been a blessing.
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
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| Annab |
Posted - Nov 22 2008 : 03:22:26 AM
I have been off and on the pill since 1997 and have had no ill effects.
If we remain active and take care of our bodies, there's not much threat these days.
the dosages are much lower than they were say back in the 60's.
I don't smoke anymore and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
All the pill is-is synthetic hormone that tricks your body into not releasing an egg every month
I'm nearly 40 and am still debating about the child issue. To me it's being responsible.
Mood swings are a bit more evened out and cramping is minimized
I understand others' reasons. Same could be said for pad -vs-tampn too.
it's personal issues, but good to see what others think and their reasons
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| lacisne88 |
Posted - Nov 13 2008 : 01:46:14 AM
I have been on the pill since I was 15 (I'm now 20) and I recently switched to the nuva ring. I have found no health problems with taking birth control and am very fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to use birth control. I have been in a commited relationship for almost 4 years now and we do not yet want children. I am waiting until I'm around 30 to really start thinking about having kids. I want to be financially stable with a job and a home before I have children.
I have noticed that birth control had helped my periods become lighter with less menses and cramping. I am never doubled over in pain from them.
I do not agree with the pills that make women have less or no periods per year. That scares me. I feel that it is natural and normal to have a period and it sounds unhealthy to not have one.
Chelsey
Farmgirl Sister #283
http://farmgirlpleasures.blogspot.com/
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| Woodswoman |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 6:59:26 PM
I've been on the pill for a very long time-22 years-early on because of debilitating cramping and nausea, and later because of choosing to not have children. I've done a lot of research on it. If a good doctor prescribes the pill, they should have also done a thorough physical exam and medical history. If you have certain conditions, then the pill may not be the best choice. For people like me, who can take it safely, it is perfectly safe.
As someone mentioned above, research shows that it is very safe. No increased risk of ANY cancer, and it lowers the risk of some types.
I use the type of pill that does cause you to skip periods. I tend towards anemia, and was often sick just after my period. It made me feel so much better to not have it every month. Much more energy and much less illness.
I really think there is no one hard and fast rule. It is about what works best for different people-personal beliefs, physical needs, etc.
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
| babysmama |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 06:51:46 AM
While I think being pregnant and raising children is hard on a body there is research that our bodies are healthier for having children. For every pregnancy and length of time breastfeeding your chance of uterine and breast cancer is decreased. And I recently read a few studies about living past the age of 100 and they basically said that the majority of those were thin white women who have had more then 4 children. Of course nuns happen to live longer then the average person as well and they have no children but the majority of those living past the age of 100 had a lot in common. But then again, isn't being a homemaker/stay-at-home mother one of the worst professions since we are expected to die earlier then other professions? I read that it is due to the stress. HA! So anyway, not to say you should/shouldn't have a certain number of children but there are studies out there touting the benefits. My grandma had ten children and is healthy as a horse right now at the age of 80, even though she smokes like a chimney.
-Elizabeth |
| Amie C. |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 06:04:25 AM
"As an aside, my grandmother married and had her first child at 15 and was pregnant almost constantly for the next 18 years, and had a total of 11 living children before age 33. She was a very petite lady and I can only imagine what stress that put on her physically and hormonally."
My great-grandmother had 10 children who lived to adulthood and 3 miscarriages! I can't imagine. But she was healthy and active until her late 80s, so I guess all that childbearing didn't do any lasting damage. |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 12:01:41 AM
God designed women to have monthly periods. I do not think it is healthy for a woman to use drugs just for the convenience of not having a period. Having a period is the normal cycle of our bodies. That said - I think birth control is a matter of personal choice. Having children or not is a matter of personal choice. I used the pill for about 5 years after I had my first child. That was in the 70's and it was horrible - the one's now are more advanced and much easier on the body. Made me moody and just felt sick most of the time. I quit taking it and tried to have another baby but was unsuccessful. My husband and I divorced about 7 years later. I got remarried and at age 42 got pregnant again after being told I would never be able to have more children. Stephany is such a blessing. I've not really had to deal with birth control much over the years and now don't have to worry about it all. Menopause is a good thing!! I'm not sure what my choice would be. But I do know that I would not want to have 10 or 11 children! I admire those mother's that can handle that many children. I'm not personally wired that way!
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PROUD FARMGIRL SISTER #100 |
| JenniferJuniper |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 9:03:55 PM
Having never wanting children, in my mid-20s I tried in vain to find an OB/GYN who would perform tubal ligation, let alone a hysterectomy. It was impossible; they all declined and told me get on the pill because I "would change my mind later." Since I was not comfortable w/taking artifical hormones, and I did not want to support the pharmaceutical industry to the tune of hundreds of dollars a year on principle, BC was condoms for over a decade. Now in my late 30s (and never "changed my mind" nor has DH) and dealing with severely heavy, painful, and highly irregular menses, my OB/GYN recommended the Mirena IUD. I was not 100% happy with the idea of artifical hormone regulation but I got over it real quick - I am more regulated & it is light years better than dealing with menses so awful I could not even leave the house. The contraception is an added perk but not the reason for it. Since menopause comes very early in the women in my family, by the time the IUD is schedueld for removal in almost 5 years I will probably go straight into it. I hope to also deal with that without pharma, but if push comes to shove it comes down to quality of life - when I cannot get out of bed due to symptoms, I will break down and take something.
As an aside, my grandmother married and had her first child at 15 and was pregnant almost constantly for the next 18 years, and had a total of 11 living children before age 33. She was a very petite lady and I can only imagine what stress that put on her physically and hormonally.
Farmgirl Sister #204 |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 5:52:04 PM
Yeah I don't get the whole thing about not having your period. I agree about messing with nature. That freaks me out.
Farmgirl Sister #17
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| StitchinWitch |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 4:10:04 PM
IUDs are dangerous. I have a daughter-in-law who ended up in the hospital and almost lost her life due to a migrating IUD.
Judith
Happiness is Homemade |
| babysmama |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 1:47:56 PM
The reason I asked this question in the first place is because everywhere you turn (magazines, tv) the drug companies scream "Fewer periods a year!" and the whole nine yards but it seems, from those who have taken the pill the doctors just write out a prescription without giving them all the risks. My friend was on it as a teenager for her acne and developed a spot on her liver that needed lost of testing. It turned out to be okay but was due to the birth control pills. My aunt was on the pill from an early age and had a stroke in her early 40's which the doctors admitted could have been due to the pill. Now I hear of so many going on it for the convience of not having a period or being able to "know when their period will come" and it seems like it is messing with nature.
-Elizabeth |
| clux64 |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 10:25:23 AM
My nurse/midwife who is also my OB highly recommends the Mirena IUD, all the NM's in her group have used it successfully. I am on my 4th year with mine, and my thoughts are--where has this been all my life? Little to no hormones in my system (unlike the 16+ years I had with the pill), very light periods, no cramping, no hormonal rollercoaster when you have to double up after a missed pill. Do I think birthcontrol is safe...not really. I think some may be safer for some people than for others, but anything foreign in your system seems to be toying with health safety. I also believe (no basis for this, just a feeling) that many birth control methods may be contributing to infertility so as much as I love my IUD (and I really do), I would never recommend it to a women who hasn't had any children yet. This is just my humble opinion...I am no expert in this area by ANY means.
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are"
--Confucious
www.urbanprairiehome.blogspot.com
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| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 08:38:16 AM
When I was young (19) I tried the pill and it caused serious problems and I couldn't take it. I had/have serious circulatory problems and the pill is very bad for women who do. But then, as it turns out, so is pregnancy.
I suffered blood clots after the birth of my first and the doc did tests every week on my second unborn son to determine how soon he could do a C-section to avoid the same problem. I was immediately put on blood thinners (Coumadin) to prevent clots. But he did not realize that the pill would be bad for me until I suffered blood clots again with them. I ended up having an IUD (Copper 7 which is no longer available) which, worked for me for 8 years. Then we decided to try for one more and hope for a girl. We got what we wanted, but I had to go through the same testing/procedures/Coumadin as with my last one. I was only 28 when I had my daughter, but my doc said that with my history, he highly recommended no more children and that I have tubal ligation. He said that any other means of birth control was too risky for me and that I was a very lucky woman, so far. So, that was it.
The pill and IUD may be fine for some, but not for everybody. If anyone is thinking of using these, they should have extensive testing done and family health history is certainly a factor, too. They didn't know it then, but I had Lupus and something they call anti-cardio lipin which were the cause of all my problems. They have specific tests for these, now. I highly recommend that anyone considering birth control, who has ANY family history of any auto-immune disease have these tests done as well.
Farmgirl Sister #35
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| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 07:59:26 AM
There has been A LOT of controversy over the patch. And for good reason in my opinion which is part of why I'm not using it anymore. There has been talk of possibly pulling it but after meeting with the FDA back in april they chose not to. I liked it while I was on it because of the convenience but I do think my not feeling well had to do with it. Supposedly it raises your estrogen levels by like 60%!
Farmgirl Sister #17
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| kmbrown |
Posted - Nov 11 2008 : 04:01:48 AM
OK wow...I was totally mis-informed!!! Sorry!! |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Nov 10 2008 : 7:00:17 PM
I just purchased it last week! Thursday to be exact. Maybe it's not available in you area. You can get more info about the patch at www.orthoevra.com/orthoevra/home.html
Farmgirl Sister #17
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| kmbrown |
Posted - Nov 10 2008 : 5:15:51 PM
Sorry Julie,
The patch Ortho Evra is the one no longer available. I was on it for a month and was SICK. That is when I switched over to the pill. Not long after that it was removed from the market!! |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Nov 10 2008 : 4:36:26 PM
I have used birthcontril since I was 14(I'm 30 now). I have been using the patch for the last 4 years. Someone above said it wasn't available anymore but it is because I just purchased it last week. However I have seriously wondered about the safety of BC and by my own choice have quit using it since August. (I am still buying the patches monthly because it was"prepaid" by my insurance through January.). I have not felt "well" in a long time and began to think it was possibly hormone related. This month is the first month I have actually started to feel "normal". I have been trying to lose weight for years with no success but in the last two weeks I have lost over 5 pounds.
I think pharmasutical companies are quick to say things are safe because no one would buy them otherwise.
Farmgirl Sister #17
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