Pros & Cons on Tubal vs Vasectomy

I have the same question and am responding so I can see responses! Sorry to do that to you - there must be a better way.....

A month after my last son was born I developed gall stones and a month after that was scheduled for surgery to remove my gall bladder.......like you, we were trying to figure out who should get "fixed" and since I had to go in anyway, we tried very hard to get everything coordinated with the 2 different docs so I could have both procedures at the same time, it's not "major surgery" anymore it's all done laproscopic (where they make tiny holes and stick a camera in. I could have gone back to work the next day if I'd have needed to.....for the gall bladder and the tubes I ended up with 4 tiny incisions that didn't even require stitches! Other than having a tiny baby to care for, my recovery was speedy and virtually pain free! Good luck with your decision. I don't know who your insurance is, but I have Kaiser Perm. and it was an "out patient" procedure and it only cost me $50!

I had a tubal almost 30 years ago, and have never regretted it. No problems, no aftereffects (I also combined mine with an abdominal surgery I had to have anyway).

While the notion of having one's husband take responsibility has its charms, I simply wanted to be sure that *I* would not ever become pregnant by any means. That security meant a great deal to me.

Good luck!

A vasectomy for a man is not a major surgery like a tubal is for a woman. Plus you need to be caring for the new little one. Have him go in and do the vasectomy. Plus, you are the one that carried the babies and gave birth now it is his turn for the responsiblity of birth control.

I hope this helps.

Many years ago, my now-ex-husband and I decided we weren't going to have children. We went through this decision process, and determined that a vasectomy was the best choice. It's less-invasive, has less potential for complications, etc. etc. etc.

We split up, I remarried, and now have two lovely daughters. During my second pregnancy, I was faced with the same decision again, as two kids was our limit. This time I had the tubal... but only because I was having a caesarian delivery.

Even with the keyhole tubals they can do these days, there's just bigger risks when working deeply inside the body than at the surface.

Oh, and if your hubby does get the vasectomy, my ex- highly recommends ice packs the first day. He got the advice from his brother, and both men were up and about with minimal discomfort within 48 hours of the procedure.

My husband had a vasectomy a couple months ago, and I think the recovery was easier than he expected. For the first day I babied him after we came home, put bags of frozen peas on his "area" (funny, but our kids kept wanting to open the bag and snack on them!) and brought him a special lunch in bed. He had it done on a Friday so he could rest over the weekend - we still ended up going to the zoo on Saturday and he was just fine - and then he was back at work on Monday. He went to a great little clinic that his doc recommended in Sand Point called The Vasectomy Clinic - creative, I know. There is a lot of good info on their website (www.drsnip.com) if you want to see what the procedure involves. They use a no-needle, no-scalpel process, and are very sensitive to most men's fears about the whole thing. I just think that overall it's so much less invasive and fewer risks for men, and we've carried the pregnancies and given birth and already ransacked our bodies in the process, so let them take a little for the team. :-)

I had my tubal in 07, I have had rather irregular periods for well over a year now and quite a few other side effects. I regret getting mine ONLY because of these issues not because I desire more children. I would weigh the option carefully. I had my tubal done on a Thursday and by that Monday I was fine all the while caring for my two children ages 2 months and 3 years at the time. Do what is right for you both and in the end know you'll be happy with the decision no matter which way you go.

Not from personal experience but from experience of friends - if you are going in for abdominal surgery anyway and you are ready to be done having children, then have the tubal done while you are there. A tubal for a woman is major abdominal surgery but if you are going to be recuperating already then why not "knock out two birds with one stone"?
It is usually easier for the man to have the vasectomy but each couple and person have different objectives and views.
If you decide to wait, then I recommend an IUD. I was on the pill for 16 years before we had our first and now I have an IUD and it is AWESOME!! I have the Mirena which is good for 5 years but can be removed to have another child or another procedure prior to. Light periods (if any) and no noticeable mood swings. Simple procedure I had done at 10 weeks postpartum. It had no ill effects that we know of for my son either through his nursing.
Don't let anyone pressure you into one decision or the other. Just know that you are ready for your decision.

Vasectomy is a much much simpler procedure than tubal ligation, with much less risk, and is almost always reversible. If you're not sure yet, I'd use the ovulation method in the meantime.

hello----i would say to have the tubal the same time as your other surgery. i had one years ago and had no trouble at all, nothing to fool with and what a relief! of course if your hubby wants to take care of this, that is nice too, since you had the kiddies and went thru lots!

In our family, my husband was reluctant to "get fixed" but agreed I had too many complications in pregnancy to risk it again. But he had still heard "horror stories" about men having complications and didn't know if he wanted to risk it. It seemed silly to me because of the greater risk and time involved with the woman's tubal than with a vasectomy. However, because our insurance covered it (mostly), I decided it was not an issue and told him I'd do it, because I was the one that never wanted to risk getting pregnant again. I did this as a solo procedure and had no problems or complications. I remember having help for a couple days around the house though.

There is another option as well. There is a new product called Essure that provides the benefits of a tubal without the surgical aspects as they ustilize the bodies natural openings.

Hi M.,
Last summer I gave birth to my 3rd child (2 boys, 1 girl) who was our *surprise* baby. I was 30. My husband & I decided that if I can give birth to 3 kids, he could do his part by getting "fixed" (as we have joked).
His proceedure took all of about 15-20 minutes at a great place in Bellingham. He did it on a Friday so he could relax all weekend as the doctor advised. By Monday he was back to work and all in all, it was a very smooth event.
My doctor said that it is much more invasive of a surgery for a woman and the recovery is much harder. You know how hard the recovery can be from having kids!
Good luck with whatever you decide and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me. :)

PS. The cost of a man to have the procedure done is about a quarter of the cost for a woman.

I would say- Get the tubal on yourself if and only if they are in there already. I had a tubal in March of 06 right during/after my daughter was delivered by c-section. I have had zero problems (although I hate having my period and sort of miss the pill). I think as long as you are having surgery already and will have to go through the recovery anyway- go for it. If you were'nt already going to have surgery it should be up to him to have the vasectomy. The recovery and procedure are much easier on the man (but mentally it is hard on him). Good luck! I love being infertile! S.

M.,
We also have two children, ages 6 and 17 months, and my husband had a vasectomy last August. There was not really any question for either of us that when we decided we were finished having children, he would be the one to get the snip. We knew that I didn't want to be on BC pills for any extended period and I don't have any experience with any other forms of (female) BC. A tubal wasn't even an option for me. It sounds like you are in a bit of a different situation, though, with a pending ab surgery.

My husband's vasectomy was a simple procedure in the doctor's office--I even got to sit in there through the whole thing. He was out of commission for a few days, but he had it done on a Thursday and was able to go back to (very physical) work on Monday. He just had to remember to take it easy for about a week.

I have heard stories of women that have had tubals that end up getting them reversed because the hormonal challenges can be really huge. I would definitely ask your doctor about that.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I can tell you that it is so nice to be able to be "normal" and spontaneous and have no worry about getting pregnant.