Post-partum contraception.

We were lucky enough to get pregnant easily, so I was not taking any chances once I got the 'clear' from my OB. Let me back up-- I got the clear from my doctor at 6 weeks. It took a LONG LONG LONG time after that before I could think about anything else going on in the womanly regions. So don't rush it.

But there will come a time when you are back in the swing of things and you need contraception. I have tried many, many things. The issue is, while nursing, you are very limited to basically, condoms, IUD, rings of some kind, or POP (the mini-pill, progesterone only). It is my understanding that the only hormone you can have while nursing is progesterone. It is also my un-medical opinion, that progesterone is the CRAZY hormone. I mean it is the one that gives you acne, makes your unwanted hair grow like crazy, oh, and turns you into a raving lunatic. If you are not nursing, there are more options, but these were what was offered to me:

Condoms- let's just skip this, we've all been there.

Rings (nuvaring for example) - I am unable to do it. I am not capable of knowing in advance when I need to deal with this.

Mini-Pill- This is EXTREMELY sensitive time wise. You need to take it at precisely the exact time each day, or its effectiveness decreases dramatically. Also, it did not work, gave me acne, and I had horribly irregular periods.

IUD- My only experience is with the Mirena. I heard wonders about it, and my doc raved about it, but as soon as my husband makes permanent plumbing changes I will be removing it. It makes me insane. It is like PMS on crack. It is almost as if it is an out-of-body experience. I can see myself acting like a mad-woman, I can't stop it. I like to call it Mirena-Rage. Plus, the acne is as bad as a 12 year old's. AND, I get a period every month, but it is light. Just spotting for about 5 days. Which is annoying. Too much for no protection, not enough for tampons. I know there are other types on IUD's but this one was the most effective. Supposedly after a year (which will be soon enough) the side effects decrease. The verdict is still out on that.

My advice, and experience would be to research THOROUGHLY, and do not make any quick decisions about what you are going to use. The choices are limited, and I have yet to find a real winner.