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i started ortho-tricyclin when i was 15 and i was on it and only it til i was about 19-20ish b/c i kept forgetting to take it so i decided to become celebate and i didn't intend on having sex. but i did once and i was still on it at the time but i was on my last week of pills and i got pregnant. i don't know if anyone knows some of the perks of ortho-tri. but it doesn't make you lose or gain weight and it helps fight light acne.

well when i stopped using it while i was pregnant i started getting pimples all over my face where i had never gotten them before. my whole life i only got one with the seasonal change from summer to fall...so i was really upset and confused on why it was happening now, the doc said it's the hormonal changes of pregnancy, but then after i had my son it got worse! he said it was me still breast feeding, i continued nursing til he was 7 months old and i was put on the depo shot after birth, (which was the hugest mistake for me crying ) which made me get some fairly bad acne and gain weight gonk i've always been extremely athletic and took really good care of myself so this was really taking a toll on my self esteem. (and still is)

so when i went in for my next shot i asked if there were any other alternative since it's really getting to me and depressing me...he said that i could get an iud. i considered the risks and i decided that i'd prefer that to the shot. i've been on it for a couple months now. and it was fairly uncomfortable at first but i don't notice it any more. but i haven't noticed any difference in the periods, weight gain/loss, or skin issues...

i was wondering what's everyone's preferred method of contriception? i'm considering going back to my ortho-tricyclin i imagine i'd be more responsible than when i was 15 rofl

I was taking just the pills, but I'm not on anything now. I'm a bit in a pickle of what to decide later myself. My husband went through a surgery to make sure he could have another child, so I know he's hesitant to do it again and I don't want to do the tubals.

Heh, I see what everyone else uses.

I use Ortho Evra (the patch). It is my first and only Hormonal Birth Control. I had a few side-effects for the first two months, but now it really doesn't bother me. I gained a few pounds, but not enough to change my clothing sizes. I never really had a problem with acne. Just around that time of the month I will get one here or there.

I like being able to put it on and not worrying about it. (Except for checking to make sure it's on good.) It stays on in the shower and it only irritates my skin if it pulls out a lot of little hairs when I take it off.

I have heard alot of good about the patch and a few bad. Everyone is different though.

Also, My GYN seemed very enthusiastic about the Nuva Ring. I found it funny. She was talking about it like it was the best thing since sliced bread. Wonderful lady.

I used to be on the pill, but I'm horrible remembering to take it and to get more before I ran out, so I have stopped using it for now, we just use condoms too.
I do want to get on the patch though, sounds like the best thing out there right now. Well the best for me would be a vasectomy, but I don't see my husband going for it sweatdrop

The Nuva ring sounds interesting too, but I'd need to do more research on that.

i used to be on the pill when i was 18-29 to regulate my periods. i have a family history of endometriosis and it really helped with the cramps, not that they called it endo back in those days! i stopped taking the pill because i was ready to have kids so i used a calendar for 28 days and took heavy doses of vitamin C and ginger pills on day 28 for about a year. and whaddaya know, i got regular periods for the first time after that! we never really needed to use contraceptives after that because i had other problems causing infertility. i got my information from the Susan Weed book Herbal for the Childbearing Years. great advice on menopause too.

I have heard of men having prostate problems when they get older with vasectomies. so we are not going that route. and i guess we are the weird ones that because i'm still nursing not getting pregnant. crying
either that or my other problems are back.

NOTE:please use caution when using any herbs for medical reasons. you should be under the care of a knowledgable doctor of experienced midwife

I am on the Ortho Evra patch...I LOVE IT. I have a nit-wit about remembering to take the pills (not to mention my family has problems with the pill staying effective ergo my 2 yr old) The only down side I've had is that when I decided to concieve my 2nd child it took several months. At least it gave me time to think about if I REALLY wanted a baby.

I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo from ages 17 - 18. I was on it for a little over a year in total. I found that it made me nauseous for the first few days of the first 3 or 4 months, but that was it. I didn't gain weight, or experience any of the other side effects. I know not everyone gets it that easy, but that's just how it was for me.

After about a year, I was becoming forgetful with my Pill, so I decided to switch to Depo. Mainly because it's the most effective method of birth control, next to abstinence of course. That, and I only get it every 10 - 12 weeks.

I've been on Depo since Jan. 2005, and I love it. However, I'm aware of the side effects that are associated with using Depo for 2+ years, so I'm going off of it by the end of the year, and will probably be switching to the Patch. I've got osteoporosis on both sides of the family, so Depo will probably increase my risk of getting it, or something like that.

Well I'm currently on the Depo Provera injection, which I have done every three months. Both me and my partner are too young for doctors to even consider sterilizing either of us (I'm almost 18, my partner is 20). And we'd like another kid in a few years anyway.
But I'm thinking of asking about being given the implant, which lasts a lot longer (long enough for us until we want the next child) and a lot of the side effects that Depo Provera can have (which I've only learnt recently) I don't want to risk. I've not yet fully looked into the implant, I just know that it worked wonders for my sister and it will save me seeing a nurse every three months if I can get it done. I will be asking the nurse for an info leaflet though, seeing as I wont be able to start using it until after my next injection (due next week, gives me time to think about it as well).