Need Information on Birth Control Without Hormones

There is a terrific product manufactured in the UK that helps you to monitor your cycle and ovulation by using a few urine sticks each month in much the same way that those ovulation predictor kits do. The main difference with thins one is that it is sensitive enough to have you prevent pregnancy (not just achieve it). I used it to prevent pregnancy for 4 years then used it conceive pregnancy with both of my children.

It is called Persona and can be found at http://www.unipath.com/Persona.cfm and purchased over the internet. Check it out!

J.
www.leadingorganicskincare.com

Hi R.,
I just had to have my Mirena removed because it does release small doses of progesterone. I can't have any hormones because I was diagnosed with breast cancer and the cancer was hormone positive. This means I can't have any hormone type IUDs or medications. My doctors had to insert a copper iud instead of the Mirena because the copper does not have any hormones. I haven't had any problems with the Copper one and have had it for 8 months now. I'm still able to get my mri scans with this iud. That was my main concern and also the concern of not getting pregnant. So if you want an IUD with no hormones it would be the Copper and if you can have one with minimal hormones I would go for the Mirena. I loved mine and I had it for 2 1/2 yrs. b/f it had to be removed. It is expensive to get it if your insurance doesn't cover, which mine didn't, but it was still cheaper than paying for 5 years on the pill. Hope this helped you. Sincerely, J. D. 35 yr. old SAHM of 2 girls ages 10 and 6, married for 13 yrs.

Hi R.,
Yes, there are IUD's that don't release hormones. They are the ones you keep for 10 years. Most of the IUD's that you can keep for 3 - 5 years have hormones. Of course, exceptions apply - you can ask for a 3 year IUD with no hormones, I heard about those.
Good luck,

Hi I have the copper IUD, it is good for 10 years and release s no hormones, it's like having nothing at all. the only down is it is not covered by insurance but mine was $200 for 10 years, can't beat that! I LOVE IT!
It is inserted and then thats it until either you want to have another or 10 years is up, no maitanance!

There are 2 IUD's: mirena (has small amount of pregesterone), thins the lining of the uterus. Usually very light periods and you can keep it in for 5 years. The paraguard can stay in for 10 years and has no hormones. A lot of women have heavy , crampy periods with this form.
Diaphragms arent used that frequently, decreased rate of effectiveness.
good luck

R.,
Hello! I just had my IUD removed last month when I had my tubes tied. I had used it for nine years and loved it!!! There were NO hormones, just the plastic and copper. Mine was good for ten years, however, I think they are made for 3 to 5 years now. talk to your doctor though he'd be the one in the "know". But I am all for "set it and for get it birth control", lol

The hormone released is progesterone and is natural.
Consider this.

Hello, I would also like to recommend the Fertility Awareness Method as well and to recommend the same book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's great, I used the method to get pregnant and now I'm using it to not get pregnant for about 9 months now and so far so good. But it is true that your cycles have to be pretty consistant for this to work. I have a long history of breast cancer in my family and was scared about putting hormones in my body and that is why I chose this way of preventing and it's way cheaper.

You could consider Fertility Awareness/Natural Family planning. It is very inexpensive - all you need is a basal body temp thermometer (you can get them at a drug store for under $20). Check out the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It is not as effective as hormonal methods but if you use it diligently it is pretty good.

Hi! I just had the non-hormone IUD "installed" after my second. It lasts 10 years, I don't feel it, but I know it's working for me. It's all the rage in Europe, and IUDs have come a long way from the old days of the Dalcon Shield debacle. Ask your OB!

There is and birth control pill called micronor.
It's an progestin only pill I used it After I had my youngest daughter. I liked it because It was safe to use while breast feeding because it did not have estrogen in it. There is also an copper IDU that you can try. Hope this helps.

I ALSO HAVE A COPPER IUD WITH NO HORMONES. FOR THE MOST PART ITS GREAT. THE ONLY DOWN SIDE I HAVE IS CRAMPS, BUT A LITTLE MOTRIN AND I AM GOOD TO GO. I HAVE TRIED SOME BIRTH CONTROL PILLS AND IF YOU ARE LIKE ME SOMETIMES WITH 2 BOYS IT SLIPS YOUR MIND. ANY WAY I WOULD CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR. I LIKE THE IUD THOUGH. WON'T HURT TO ASK.

Yes the IUD is still around. I did a lot of fact finding on IUDs. In fact I am using an IUD, but it uses hormones. I like it.
N.

i totally agree w the previous post about Taking Charge of your Fertility. I was able to avoid pregnancy for 3 months successfully before trying to get pregnant. the book tells you so much about how your body works that you should be able to tell just by looking at your cervical mucus whether or not you might be fertile.

There's the regular copper IUD with no hormones, such as the Paraguard.

The Mirena is the one that has a slow release of hormones over 5 yrs, but it's so minimal a dosage of progestrin that it should not affect your cycle except to minimize your blood flow.

http://www.coolnurse.com/iud.htm

http://www.paragard.com/

http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/iudinfo.htm

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/node/69814

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/BI99999/PA...

I actually just got the mirena about a month ago and I LOVE it!! The hormones are so minimal. It is good for 5 years but you can get it taken out ANY time you want. My doc was telling me that a lady went in and got the IUD inserted and then came back 2 months later and had it taken out because her and her husbnad wanted to get Pregnant and the next month she was pregnant. Besides that I did ALOT of research on it because I got pregnant with my daughter on BCP and then when I was Bfing I was on the minipill and I got pregnant again with twins which I lost but I didn't have alot of faith in BCP's so thats the main reason I went with the mirena. Some people have spotting the first 2-3 months but I have not had any, no cramps, period right on time.. its great and the doc told me that it usually takes 6-12 months for your period to go away and for soem it does not. If you have anymore questions feel free to message me I know way to much information about it haha but it really is a great thing!!

K.

Hi R....I am a 27 year old mom with a 2 year old daughter, and I HEAR YOU on needing to prevent pregnancy, but without hormonal birth control. Hormonal birth control sent me all over the place, mentally and physically. And wonder of wonders- when I stopped, all of those "symptoms" disappeared as the hormones faded from my system. Ever since then I have used "natural family planning" both to prevent and pursue pregnancy, and we have had a 100% success rate with both! The best resources I have found for how to practice natural family planning or the "fertility awareness method" are "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler and also (even if you're not religious, or Catholic- I'm not Catholic) this website (and the materials you can order from it): http://ccli.org/ I hope this helps you- I was so glad and thankful when someone offered this information to me!!!!

Abstain from sex for awhile. Hey, it's the best way. And safest way.

hi R., i wanted to respond to this because i am in the same boat. i looked into the mirena. i would like to get it but my health insurance does not cover devices for bc. i called the ob/gyn and was wold it would be $595.00 for the mirena, plus about $198 for insertion, and another $200 something to have it removed when you're ready-or your 5 years is up.
i think that the mirena is the best route as far as bc without hormones, but you might want to double check with your insurance to see if it's covered.
good luck!

A couple of gals have already recommended this, but read Toni Weschler's book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which describes the Fertility Awareness Method. IF you do it by the book, it is nearly as effective as other methods, but you do have to be diligent about it. It is similar to Natural Family Planning, but does not forbid the use of barrier methods (condoms, etc) during your fertile phase. A great book for all women to read! It teaches you things about your body we should ALL know!

Hi R.,
I was always told that I could not use any birth control with hormones because I had a blood clot while pregnant with my twins. Recently, I discussed an issue of excessive bleeding during my period with my gynecologist and she recommended the Mirena IUD. I told her that I was not supposed to have any hormones at all and she said that this IUD released a small amount of hormone (not the one that would cause a blood clot) into the uterus. After much research, I decided to go ahead and have this inserted.
Hope this helps.
K.

I have an IUD that does not release hormone. Its name is Paragard. I have had it on since Jan 2001 and it's good for 10 years. Like you, I did not want additional hormones and it is so easy to have. The only drawback is that my periods are a bit heavier than usual.

Hi R.,

After the birth of my daughter, I did not want BC with hormones either. I asked my MD for a diaphram but he said they are not that effective and mostly a pain and people don;t use them (maybe why they are not too effective - haha!). He said IUDs are great - some have hormones but he said it is different than the pill and milder. But you have to make sure you don;t want more children for 2 years. So, I started a low-dose BCP that has been fine. Sorry I don;t have more info!

Good luck!

E.

Have you talked to your OB or Primary Dr ? What about a diaphragm or condoms?

get the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, it has everything you want to know and MUCH more!

www.tcoyf.org

The paraguard IUD is made out of copper does not use any hormones and last up to ten years. Then you have the fem cap, which is kinda like a diaphargm, but better because it has a suction cap. Other than that, you have male and female condoms.

go to webmd.com and look all your options up.

IUD's are a good choice. Much safer than they used to be. And there's no hormones. Talk to your Dr. about them.

I just saw an ad for Mirena, which says that it is estrogen-free and contains small amounts of hormones. It works up to five years (if you choose). It looks like it is worth asking your OBGYN about.

Hi there,
I have had a copper IUD with NO hormones for about a year and half now. I am very happy with it and have no complaints. Prior to that I was on birth control and very unhappy with it! I have NO side effects from the IUD. The first few months were an adjustment for my body. My cycles were not the same as I was used to, but my body adjusted and I am back to the way I was prior to having the IUD. Talk to your doctor about it, there are a few on the market.
Good Luck!

Hello there! I was curious as to why you want a birth control with out hormones, and just thought I would mention the IUD. I used the Mirena IUD for five years and loved it! I bled on & off for the first 2-3 months, but after that, I didn't have periods. That was the best thing about it, because I didn't have to put up with the cramps every month. Plust you don't have to worry about taking pills, or getting shots (which made me gain weight and hold on to it.) Well, I just thought I would mention in just in case, I wish you luck!

Hi R.-
You can get a copper IUD (I believe it is called Paraguard or Paragard) which lasts for about 10 years. It does not release hormones, but releases a small amount of copper which prevents implantation. I cannot use birth control with hormones, so I am actually going in for one the end of this month.

I used a diaphragm from ortho for many years and I know they still make them. You have to go to the Dr. to get measured and once you get the hang of it they are pretty easy to put in and you leave it in for 6 hours after. I have also put it in up to a few hours pre intercourse. I think they cost around $50 and last about a year or so. You use a spermacide with it.

I should mention that I now keep track of my cycle on the calander, but I am regular (every 28 days) and have not had one unplanned pregnancy. I have been doing this for about 5 years. My mom also has done this for as long as I can remember.

Hi R. i work in an obgyn office. The iud without hormones is called the paraguard and can be inserted for upto 10 years or taken out at anytime. good luck, M.

I did an internship at Planned Parenthood this summer. IUD's are on the market and are becoming very popular. The two most common are the Mirena and the Paraguard. Just make sure to get all the facts, not just opinions, before you make your decision.

Natural Family Planning is good, but ONLY if you have a regular cycle and pay close enough attention to your body and the different signals it gives you around ovulation (temperature, change in vaginal discharge, etc.). Plus, you have to avoid having sex around the time you ovulate. So when you consider that, and that a lot of people don't have sex while they have their period, you are really limiting your times you may be able to sneak away with your honey.

I wish you luck in whatever you choose!

There are the FAM methods and other fertility awareness, but it really is a science, and many people end up getting pregnant this way- because it does really require you being very intimate with yourself with knowing how your body works- checking out secretions, monitoring your temperature there, etc... plus, not everyone has the same ovulation pattern, so there is always the potential for pregnancy.

I have been looking into it too, and I had been using a diaphram, which is non-hormonal, but, well, not good for juggling a small child and free time to even get to have sex. Again, it requires a bit of intimate knowledge on your part of yourself to get it in place, and know when it is in place. In addition, I got pregnant even with the diaphram.

So, this time round, we are going for the copper iud. The worst I have heard about it is that for some people it causes cramps, but I had cramps anyway... so I'm not that concerned. It lasts up to ten years, but you can take it out at any point before that, easily.
My understanding is that the mirena, has some hormones, but it is localized hormone release, so it does not go through your entire system the way oral birth control does.