Hi,

I was just wondering what kind of contraception you ladies use. I started taking the pill but I had a lot of side effects such as lower back pain and was bleeding continuously for the first three weeks. I realize there are a lot of adverse side effects to taking the pill but I realy don't want to fall pregnant and it seems to be the most reliable birth control out there. I have also considered using a device called the pearly which reads your temperature and lets you know whether you are fertile or infertile on that day but again, I am not convinced whether this is completely effective. Thanks!

Tashi, I would avoid the pill at all costs. It's what initially set me off with this 11 year battle with Candida. It threw off my hormonal levels and I also bleed for 2 months straight and got anemia. That was prior to raw. Even being modified raw for 3 years, the Candida has not gone away.

The simple answer that you don't want to hear is abstinence. There is no 100% effective way of avoiding pregnancy outside of the abstinence. Even with surgery, I heard of women still getting pregnant. The other answer you don't want to hear is condoms. Condoms do not protect 100% against pregnancy or VD's either. My step-sister's daughter is evidence that condoms can break.

Prior to raw, I tried on a IUD and that was how the few vaginal warts that I didn't know I had spread so badly that I had to have laser surgery and about 2 years of acid application which made me "look like hamburger" according to the OB/GYN to get rid of the warts. In other words, if you have any infections/localized viruses, an IUD will only spread it. I am free of the warts but only after severe suffering.

Some have mentioned that they do look at their temperatures but I've never tried that. I prefer nowadays to abstain. Good luck.

..............our family is complete.....my hubby had a vasectomy, prior to that I used a diaphram.....can use condoms plus diaphram for better protection...not ideal....but..............

i'm a huge anti-pill girl. as a hormonal teenager put on the pill at fifteen, and kept on all the different kinds over the years, none of which worked to stabilize my cycle (turns out it is just 47 days long, and the pill couldn't fool my body about it).

i'm a HUGE fan of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is also known as the Fertility Awareness Method. i avoided pregnancy for two years with this and using contraception when i did indulge during fertile times. and controlled when i got pregnant. and avoided getting pregnant during breastfeeding using this method, and now am pregnant (and i knew the next day) by it.

it's phenomenal, effective (100% if you really use it, 98% b/c people like me don't always obey abstinence during fertile times)

i hate barriers, but i've been married for over six years, and we've got the methods down pretty well now.

peace-

I have a copper IUD and I love it.

Seabucktho - How long have you had the copper iud?

I had one and it was good, but I did get heavier bleeding and some cramping.

aquadecoco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seabucktho - How long have you had the copper
> iud?
>
> I had one and it was good, but I did get heavier
> bleeding and some cramping.


About 8.5 years now. I had heavier bleeding for a bit, but it calmed down.

I have read a bit about women using the Temperature measuring and fertility timing in concordance with the use of (the herb) Wild Yam - has anyone tried this or heard of its effectiveness?

Love,
K


A New Raw Kitchen is Here:
[jivanavegan.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2007 07:11PM by jivana_vegan.

Mama Cass,

Congratulations on your second pregnancy! Your picture is beautiful.

Betty

I really want to start using the fertility awareness method but I don't feel ready to have a baby yet and I do't want to accidentally fall pregnant. I think if I was married or almost ready to have a baby I would feel safer using that method. I really don't like taking hormones either....what kind of side effects does the IUD have?? Thanks!!

Don't even consider the Mirena IUD, but the copper IUD is less harsh on the body.

Side effects are heavier bleeding and cramping, the danger of it becoming embedded in your flesh or dislodging itself, your body could reject it, and a man can sometimes feel the nylon wires attached to it, if the doctor doesn't snip them off short enough.


[www.mayoclinic.com]

if you use the Fertility Awareness Method,
you can NOT get pregnant.
because of the simple fact that
if you're not near ovulation,
sperm can't reach the egg
and no babies are made.

but there is the hang up of no sex for up to five days before and then during ovulation. or during periods.

but it's nice because even if you are using contraception
and something happens
you know if you're at risk for pregnancy.
or if it's just an 'oops'.

the 2-3% condom failure rate only happens during the time when the woman is fertile.

nice thing about marriage and wanting kids.... ovulation makes many women aroused.
so we can enjoy that detail that is so frustrating during the times when we are aroused and saying no.

i'm pretty jazzed about baby numero 2. thanks for the kindness, betty.

good luck figuring this out.

peace-

Mama Cass Wrote:
> nice thing about marriage and wanting kids....
> ovulation makes many women aroused.
> so we can enjoy that detail that is so frustrating
> during the times when we are aroused and saying
> no.


no kidding!
patty