Birth Control in the UK

Unfortantly I had to stop breastfeeding Courtney,she couldnt latch on correctly and couldnt get any milk from me, so I had to go on formula, I've since tried breastfeeding her after learning how to latch her on, but she doesn't want it 

Same thing that happened to me w/Aillidh.  Well done for giving it a go!

they give you the mini pill at 3 weeks after birth and it has no effect on supply. 

Yup, I went on it four weeks after my son's birth and I breastfed him until he was about 14 months without a problem.  The mini pill is a progestin-only pill, not a combo of progestin and estrogen (like most regular b/c pills).  It's the estrogen that can cause a problem.

Unfortantly I had to stop breastfeeding Courtney,she couldnt latch on correctly and couldnt get any milk from me, so I had to go on formula, I've since tried breastfeeding her after learning how to latch her on, but she doesn't want it 

Don't feel bad - some babies just don't like to breastfeed, no matter what you try.  If it's important to you, you can always express and use a bottle.  But, as I've said before, whatever works for you and the baby is what is best.  Never let anyone make you feel bad for your choice. 

Don't feel bad - some babies just don't like to breastfeed, no matter what you try.  If it's important to you, you can always express and use a bottle.  But, as I've said before, whatever works for you and the baby is what is best.  Never let anyone make you feel bad for your choice. 

SO spot on, FunGirl!     VERY, VERY true as well. 

well, i have an IUD (coil) i got in america. and reading up on them here in the uk, they seem to be a bit different technically speaking. so i will just tell you that the insertion of an IUD is very painful, but then again, ive never had kids so i dont know how child birth feels in comparison, probably worse. anyways, the pain is bad but it only lasts for a minute and feels like intense cramping (because of something being put in your cervix). i did experience irregular periods and spotting for a long time (something i was willing to deal with) and also a more intense period pain (sort of the same cramping that came with the insertion, only on a lower level). this lasted about a year, after that everything has been fine. i dont have anymore pain, have normal periods, and dont worry about birth control ever. its nice.
looks like most (if not all) of the coils in the uk work from copper. mine actually doesnt have copper in it, it has a tiny amount of hormones, but ive read up on all sorts of IUDs. its sort of a weird way of doing things but that type of IUD, the copper one, works because of way your body reacts to the copper. aside from acting as an actual cork, the copper builds more mucus around the cervix to prevent sperm from getting in and makes your womb not want any eggs in there because there is copper and eeeee everything is scared of copper in your body apparently. anyways, sounds weird, but it works.

You have what is called a Mirena coil, karenn, which is somewhat different from a copper coil.  A copper coil secretes no hormones.  It, too, is available here in the UK, but the Mirena appears to be more common.  The Mirena secretes small amounts of progesten.

Apparently, it is more painful to fit a coil into a woman who has not given birth than in one who has.  Dunno why, but there's a lot of stretching that happens in a woman who has had a child that goes on . . . 

yeah, i know i have a mirena. i just explained that mine is different from a copper coil. good to know they have mirena in the uk though.

The implant under the skin in the arm here is called Implanon - it's what I have.  It's done by inserting the rod into your arm under a local anesthetic.  I love it.  No problems with it, although I had spotty bleeding for awhile, which I guess puts alot of women off (I was spotting for about 2 months straight, not fun)  Anyway, they said if I could keep with it for awhile then to please do so - so I did.  Now, about a year later, I have had no periods (except for one month in June when I think I was working out too hard) and no side effects.  It lasts for 3 years, and I guess is fairly easy to take out.  I bruised slightly but other than that I am glad - no remembering to take the pill and all of that garbage.  Fertility is supposed to return to normal within a few months of removal. 

Stateside only for now, the patch is going to carry a stiff warning about its increased risk of blood clots in users:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051111/ap_on_he_me/birth_control_patch_warnings

I have just been giving the Patch.  My sister and good friend both used it back home.  It's quite simple and easy to use.  You can place it on different parts of the body so that it is hidden.  You just change it once a week for 3 weeks and go one week without.

Blood clots are a serious possible side-effect of both The Pill and The Patch.  I know, and while I'm not trying to scare anyone, you often "hear" of the statistics but never think you could be one of them.  I spent about a month in hospital on strict bedrest, on two different occasions when I was 22 and 23 years old.  I had severe clotting in my femoral vein, complete occlusion all throughout my lower abdomen, and clotting even up into my inferior vena cava.  The risks with hormonal-based birth control methods can be very scary.

The risks with hormonal-based birth control methods can be very scary.

For the combined Pill or patch, these risks become even greater in women over 35 or who smoke.

For the combined Pill or patch, these risks become even greater in women over 35 or who smoke.

Absolutely!  Risk is also increased in overweight women.  Imagine the doctors' surprise when I was a non-smoking, thin, 22-year-old with massive DVT (blood clots).  That's part of the reason I wasn't properly diagnosed immediately.

OT, but StuzGirl, I gotta say I LOVE your signature! 

well the doctor finally put me on birth control., he gave me the patch for 3 months,then after that I have to go in for a for  the mirena coil. For anyone thats intrested in getting the coil,you have to atleast wait 10 weeks after pregnancy,its good for 5 years,and before you get it they have to give you a papsmear.

Apparently if you haven't had kids (and so aren't, er, stretched out... nice visual, expat  ) it can be a tiny bit less painful to have a coil insterted if you go in while you're in the final days of your period....

I just had my first Depo Provera shot a couple of weeks ago and I LOVE it. I've lost a couple of pounds, so I'm a testament that it doesn't guarantee weight gain, and touch wood I've had no side-effects (well, maybe a bit of tetchiness in the first week but I was also having a very stressful work week, so I'm not sure which was the cause.) The jab hurt a bit and since it has to go in muscle I had a rather sore bum for a day, but it wasn't horrid. My GP has me on calcium w/ vit. D supplements to help counteract the possible link with Depo and osteoporosis.....