I had my tubes tied in 1996 and had an extremely bad hormone imbalance because of it. I was miserable physically and especially emotionally. My worst symptom was feeling like I was having a nervous breakdown the week before and the week during my cycles. The other times I felt fine. I also had bad cramps for 3 days and my cycles lasted for more than 8 days and I'd have weird pains in between my cycles. It was the mental breakdowns that made me reverse my tubal ligation in 1999. Here I am pregnant with #5 and my doctors are really wanting me to have a tubal with my c-section next month. I've told them about my hormone imbalance but they don't seem to understand. They say there are other alternatives but they all seem to have a hormone impact or bad side effects. I'm super sensitive to all birth control and would like to do the Fertility Awareness Method. My hubby is convinced that I'll be fine having a tubal again now that I'm older. He wants me to look into other tubal ligation methods that might work better with my hormones. I'm just curious what other people think. After 19 years of marriage and 5 kids and who knows how many methods of BC we've used, I'm pretty much set on either doing the FAM or letting my hubby get fixed. But wanted feedback just in case I change my mind... I know getting a tubal would be the easiest and cheapest but at what cost to me? Thanks for your advice!
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Have you considered an IUD? The copper one has no hormones - I had the Mirena as well - it has hormones and made me crazy like you're describing but the copper one never did that...
I practice Natural Family Planning, ovulation method only via Family of the Americas. You can also do temperatures, checking cervical position, etc., via Couple to Couple League... (and the Catholic church put out a new, really easy to understand text recently with charts... not sure what it's called, though... sorry!) if you want to be extra careful... I've never needed the "back up" before as cervical fluid is a reliable indicator for me. I love NFP. HOWEVER... after this third and rough pregnancy, I do admit being a little more nervous about NFP, because it requires self control and my husband's cooperation and, well, you know, sometimes those are hard to achieve, even though he's totally on-board with NFP. :) But, as a christian, I'm also learning to trust that God knows the desires of my heart and I am willing to live my life for him, body and soul. So, I'm okay with more pregnancies if they happen, knowing that they would be ordained Little Blessings from God.
So I'm not going to tell you what to do. :) As a HUGE proponent of NFP and being personally opposed to anything hormonal, even I struggled with trust issues and with what to do when this last baby comes and I want a nice two year break from pregnancy at least... :) I just wanted to tell you that I loved NFP.... never had any mood swings or libido problems or anything that comes along with the hormones. Definitely get a teacher if you do NFP, someone to follow along with you and give you feedback.
www.familyplanning.net (Family of the Americas)
If I can find the name of the new text that I used to train 18 months ago, I'll write again! :) Congrats on your fifth, prayers that your hubby understand what you went through with your first tubal, and best wishes as you make a decision.
www.azurology.com your husband can get information on the website or call ###-###-#### Dr. Fishman is the best for the no-scalpel vasectomy procedure in Arizona. It really is his turn and the safest way to go. The IUD without hormones is good for 10 years, the problem is...what then? You will still be fertile and will have to get another one so will end up spending more on IUDs than a Vasectomy (some insurances do cover it as well). Can't hurt to do a little research together.
I'm in agreement with the others, it's your husband's turn... he's so convinced it'll be fine for you, well, be convince he'll be fine too... VASECTOMY!!! It's not worth taking a chance of all the problems you've already experience having the tubal, I won't do it again...
Have you researched the Essure proceedure? My friend is having it done in a week or two and is very comfortable with her choice.
One word: VASECTOMY!!!!!
Tell your husband to man up and get it done. Its a quick procedure, he can be up and walking again right afterward and its MUCH safer and better on his body than messing with another tubal for you.
I would be livid if a Dr told me to be permanently strilized. DON'T DO IT. Especially since you had a bad experience before. Please have your husbad get a vasectomy, its the least he can do after you have carried 5 children.
I have a tubal and its a nightmare, I want it reversed. It will be just the same. And you're right the Drs don't understand. They will not believe you.
A vasectomy is pretty easy and cheap and sounds like the best form of birth control for your family if your family is complete. Hubby has it done on a Friday and he's back to work on Monday as I understand it.
Don't do it!!!! Try the IUD or good 'ol condoms!!!! It would be easier if your husband had the vasectomy. It is proven that it is easier on the man to have it done than for a woman to have a tubal. Like you, I am sensitive to hormonal changes. My two friends who had tubals have side effects..mood swings and heavier/longer periods.
I agree with the other posts. It's your husband's turn to take responsibility for birth control and get a vasectomy. It's not fair to put you at risk for having another tubal ligation when you already had one that caused you so much trouble. Also, a vasectomy would be a much more reliable than the Fertility Awareness Method, in my opinion. I used the FAM when I was trying to become pregnant for the first time and it didn't seem to be a very good system for becoming more aware of your body's cyclic changes like they say it will so I'm not sure it would work too well for avoiding pregnancy either. Checking cervical position was a little tough because my fingers could barely reach, checking cervical mucous was kind of icky, and it was sometimes tough to determine which stage the mucous was in. The basal temperature part was simple but even when I charted it out, the fluctuations in my temp that were so minuscule that the information was kind of useless- like 1/10 of a degree difference when I was fertile vs when I was not. Maybe you would have better luck with it, but personally, I'd choose the vasectomy.
I appreciate you looking at the truth - "what will it cost me?" Every quick and "easy" medical fix has side effects, maybe years down the road, but we don't know right away. My husband and I have not used any chemical means and have practiced the family planning method mixed with other physical/barrier methods. I assume that fertility awareness is the same thing. I don't do temperature and everything, but the discharge and time of cycle is usually pretty telling. We've been married almost 9 years, and I am just now pregnant with our 2nd - both pregnancies on purpose. I believe if your on the cautious side (and your body is pretty regular), family planning can work well. I can't tell you how much God's hand had in it, along with our methods, but it did seem to work for us. I also feel like the more I pay attention to and cooperate with my body and it's signals (same for food, rest, exercise, etc.), I begin to recognize the symbols more.
Anyway, I hope this helps. I am a big proponent of not messing with our bodies and the way God created them, but instead cooperating with His ways. It seems a whole lot safer, especially in the long run.
One more thing, you might want to check on studies related to a male vasectomy and prostate cancer. I just heard something about this from my mother-in-law.
I had the essure procedure done and have had no probs. I went w/the essure and not the tubal cuz of the side effects. You want to look into it
I would suggest a vasectomy for him. That takes the hormone concerns right out of the picture. He will be back to normal in about 2 days if that.
umm. I'd let him get fixed. :-D
I know that I would never get a Tubal Ligation cause of all the trouble it has caused in my family. My mother had it done and really messed up her hormones. My sister had it done and she had to have her uterus cauterized. There is a syndrome with Tubal Ligation if you wanted to look it up on the internet.
I'm also sensitive to BC and never took it after the birth of my second child. I take an herbal supplement called Herbal Balance that helps balance my hormones out. I had to stop taking it to get pregnant again, but that is me. My husband is a really caring guy and listened to my concerns, he is going to bite the bullet and get fixed for us. He has his own concerns about the procedure but he is willing to do this for the both of us.
I wouldn't trust that getting tube tied this time would be any different. I use FAM - not purely because we use condoms during the fertile time. I learned just based on the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Good luck!
Jaimee--actually having your husband go through the procedure ("getting fixed") is cheaper and easier then you going through the tubal again. Also from the sound of it would be better for you hormone wise. After 5 children, he could stand to sacrifice something for your health and sanity.
it sounds to me like you have been a real trooper for 19 years!! Taking care of the birthcontrol for nearly 20 years and having 5 children??? It's time for hubby to step up and just get a vasectemy in my opinion!! You would never have to worry about hormonal issues again... just about regulating your natural cycle. The process for your husband is soooo simple and recovery is so very short... that seems like the best choice to me without a doubt. Good luck with whatever you decide!
