# Essure and other contraceptives



## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

I am 44 years old, and cannot decide on contraceptive from this point on. Pill is out due to the raised blood pressure. IUD Mirena killed my libodo completely, so this takes care of all other hormonal methods. Copper IUD is supposed to create heavy and painful periods. 

I am considering the permanent options too. - do you think this makes sense at my age? Tubal litigation is tempted but requires full anastheasia. Essure seemed like great new idea, but apparently there are issues with it, and only hysterectomy can remove it. Erin Brokovich is working on class lawsuit. 

What are you Ladies of TAM using? What are your recommendations? Anyone has experience with Essure? Any thoughts on the subject are welcomed.


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## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

I can't use hormonal birth control for medical reasons(it would land me in the hospital), so my husband and I are using condoms for now, since we want one more child(we'll see though since our marriage is iffy). After our second baby, we have talked about him getting a vasectomy. It's less invasive and a quicker recovery time than anything women can have done. A quick snip and it's done. I figure it's only fair since I've gone through pregnancy, labor, and child birth. 

Can your husband get the big V?


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## staarz21 (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm 30 and I had a tubal ligation. I know I don't want any more kids. I have 3 and I am totally good with that. No desire for more....ever.

H said he was going to get a vasectomy, but he chickened out. So, I took it into my own hands. 

It wasn't that bad. They gave me extra meds for nausea after the surgery, so I never got sick. I was in and out in about 45 minutes. H came to pick me up and I was doing normal stuff the next day (sleepy the first day from anesthesia) - continued at the gym a week later. 

That was a year and a half ago. 

The only other BC methods I tried before that were the pill and the patch. The pill made me gain weight, not cool with me. The patch made me bat sh!t crazy. No lie. My H was ducking for cover every day. 

My Dr tried to get me to do Essure, but after she showed me the information, I immediately said no. Hoping that scar tissue forms enough to prevent pregnancy didn't sound fun. The way Essure is placed just looks like it would be painful. So, I stuck with what works - the ligation...well, except those rare cases...I can't think about that though!


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## EnjoliWoman (Jul 2, 2012)

I'm 46 - have you started menopause or know what your family history suggests? If it's relative early in your family I could see tubal ligation not being worth while - all the expense and discomfort all for a few years' worth of BC. But if your mother didn't stop having periods until she was 55, maybe 10 years worth of worry free sex is worth it. Is a vasectomy off the table?


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## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

staarz21 said:


> H said he was going to get a vasectomy, but he chickened out. So, I took it into my own hands.


I'm sorry, but that's messed up. I hate how it always ends up being the woman's responsibility for birth control. 

If my husband decides to chicken out, then I'm going to chicken out from having sex. Too risky to have sex if he won't take care of things, as I don't want to risk pregnancy.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

Vasectomy is off the table, besides my marriage is rocky, adn that's another reason to make sure there are no accidents.

That's the thing - tubal litigation looks very appealing to me , but is it worth it at my age? on the other hand, friend of mine (my age) just got pregant, and we both were horrified with the news. It's a good suggestion to check with my mother and aunt about their menopause, thank you.

Starz21, thanks for that info. I didn't realize this is so short. But it was under full anastheasia, yes?


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## staarz21 (Feb 6, 2013)

WandaJ said:


> Starz21, thanks for that info. I didn't realize this is so short. But it was under full anastheasia, yes?


Yeah it's about 30 minutes for the surgery. I was under full (general) anesthesia, though sometimes they do local or twilight.


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## JustTired (Jan 22, 2012)

My H got a vasectomy. Way easier....his procedure took literally 15 minutes. I don't understand men that are so afraid of that, it's nothing. Even my own H said that it was nothing- local anesthesia, quick incision, 2 stitches & they are good to go! My H got it done on a Friday & was back to work that Monday.


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## norajane (Feb 7, 2012)

My SO is planning to get a vasectomy. Otherwise, we use condoms when he finishes inside, or withdrawal or bj's/hj's. 

I'm almost 47 and am not interested in hormonal bc - I did my decades of the pill and will do no more.


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

Tubal does not require full anesthetic. It can be done by laparoscope surgery these days, an spinal and two small abdominal incisions and good to go 24 hours later.

I had my tubal ligation done with my 5 th child because he was an emergency c-section.


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## Pumpkin1317 (Sep 26, 2014)

I opted for essure and have had zero issues with it. I had Mirena previously, and while it was wonderful not to have periods, the weight gain and low libido were not fun. I've just recently confirmed that essure was effective and have been off hormones for a few weeks now. The test by the way was a piece of cake (for me anyway) Hoping that helps.


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## Devotee (Sep 22, 2013)

I'm 44 also. My H and I have always used condoms. 

Last year I had sort of a pregnancy scare and it really woke me up. We have two kids already and I don't want anymore. I think I may have just miscalculated the days, but it opened the discussion about other more permanent avenues of contraception. 

In the end we decided, given my age, that we would just continue condom use. I won't take hormones and we both opted against ligation, vasectomy or essure. So it's still condoms for us.


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## Malpheous (May 3, 2013)

I got a vasectomy years ago. After my daughter was born. In part, because of a rocky marriage so it was more than medical. It was also about not producing another child with my ex. My area at the time was an every other weekend type, dad-not friendly, area. So the idea was to lock myself in to only being married up to my daughter's graduation. Well... a lot of learning lessons later, we divorced about 6 years ago. Now I find myself with a younger woman who would very much like a child. She would very much like it to be natural and to be the birth-mother and to experience pregnancy alongside her friends. My $400 vasectomy and decision has now resulted in about $10,000 of expense in IUI and IVF attempts that have yet to accomplish our goal of her pregnancy. It has also created a great amount of stress in the relationship. Many ups and downs as you may imagine.

So... I would always caution anyone to be certain and consider any possible future changes to current situations before they agree to anything so permanent. I made my decision for the wrong reasons no matter how right they felt at that time. I failed to consider life after a divorce.


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## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

Malpheous, that must be hard. I actually do have a friend who went through very similar experience, he has now two very beautiful daughters, after reversed vasectomy.

I am forty four, I am certain I do not want any more children. I was never a baby person, i am enjoying my kids now, when we can do things together, and do not want to have diapers in my life ever again


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