Non-hormonal Birth Control - Carrollton,TX

I use the foam when there is no condoms or there is the VCF @ the stores I haven't tried them but my friend prefers them over foam.

Fertility awareness method that Jess recommends is great. I used it for years not to get pregnant and then used it to get pregnant. We only used condoms during my fertile windows, which really isn't that often. After I had kids though it was hard for me to keep up with checking my fluid and taking my temp every day and keeping the chart. I stopped doing it and ended up getting pregnant with my 2nd. It is very effective though if you do it right and it is really great to be that aware of your body and what is going on with it.

I tried a diaphragm for a while. You have to be comfortable with your body to be reaching up in there (not that I think that this is a problem but I do know women who are all grossed out by it). It is very easy to put in and you don't really feel it much. My problem with it was that you have to leave it in for several hours after wards. Which usually ended up being when I was at work the next day. Not exactly a convenient time to be removing it. So sometimes I forgot and left it in too long. And it is messy to take out cause you have to use it with spermicide jelly. You also have to either be prepared ahead of time or stop when you start getting hot and heavy to put it in. It just didn't work out well for me. It did it's job, but it was a little too annoying for me.

I have a Mirena now...have had it for a little over a year. It does have a little bit of hormones but they are delivered in small amounts directly to your reproductive organs, not floating around in high concentrations all through your blood. In no way does it affect me like the pill did. I had to have that over the Paraguard because I am sensitive to copper, which is what it is made out of. The Mirena lasts 5 years, the Paraguard 10. I have a friend who has the Paraguard and loves hers just as much as I love mine. There is NOTHING to think about or prepare, you just get it checked at dr appts. I get a little light cramping every once in a while, nothing much worth complaining about. I don't really get a period at all. A little light stuff every once in a while (but may also be related to the fact that I am still nursing a little). The first couple days were a little uncomfortable but after that it's been smooth as can be. It's incredibly effective. With the Paraguard I have heard that some women actually have heavier periods, but I know my friend who has one says she has much lighter ones that she used to. In the beginning they were heavier for her and then they lightened up. It is hard to say though cause every woman's experience with IUDs is different. They don't work so well for some people, but they've been great for me. Someday down the road when I am not so busy I will go back to Fertility Awareness but for now, this works wonderful for me. Soooo nice not to have to worry about keeping up with anything or doing anything to prevent pregnancy.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

I have the Paraguard and I love it! Set and forget, soooooo easy bc! Nothing to remember other than checking for the string once a month. The only side effect I have experienced is that my periods are heavier and crampier than they were before my second child. That's tapering off now too, so it's not so bad. Also, I have a tilted uterus so I was worried I would be at higher risk of uterine puncture from it, but my OB said that didn't matter and I haven't had any problems for over 2 1/2 years now. We "do it" all the time (at least once a day) and I haven't had any problems with ectopic pregnancies or anything like that. It's been very effective and super easy for me.

I hope you love whatever you choose as much as I love my copper IUD.

We also use condoms. I am starting to track my cycle. I got the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility" which is helping me to understand the best and worst times to have unprotected sex. Charting my cycle will help me to know when we need to DEFINITELY use condoms and when we're in "the safe zone" so that there ARE times that my husband doesn't have to put on a condom.
www.tcoyf.com

Wish I knew more about the diaphragm or IUD to help you.

I had the copper IUD no hormones and it worked great. My periods were a day or two longer than before but that's it, it stayed in place and I didn't have to worry about taking a pill. I took it out to conceive baby #2 and we conceived 6 months later with no problems.
Good luck!

In concert with what JessInTexas has said, check out the website FertilityFriend. They have a lot of tools and articles about trackign your cycle...which can be used to avoid pregnancy, or help while trying to concieve.