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Birth control: what is the best kind?

Talk to your doc. The pill is the easiest, as long as you don't have risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure etc) that's probably your best bet. Alesse is god because it is a low dose so there is less risk of side effects.  Condoms are one of the lowest risk things, but also kind of a PITA b/c you have to bring them in without ruining the .. ahem... "moment"...Another option if you guys are at least a couple years from starting a family is an IUD, but I am not too familiar with them. Look into it a few months before the wedding - some things take a while to work.

In my experience, the patch made me gain enough weight to grow 2 cup sizes in 2 weeks. The pill works well enough(I had to start BC at 14 due to retarded hormones) but now that I'm married, it doesn't work for me because I can't remember to take it at the SAME time every single day-and if you miss one day, its ineffective for a week. ugh! I would only recommend condoms as backup-they make everything a little duller. NEVER buy cheap condoms though. Stick with stuff like trojan-they're guaranteed not to break. We tried the ring and I have to say I love it! put it in and forget about it. Also, you can take it out for up to 3 hours if its uncomfortable for you or your husband during sex. Just rinse it off and put it back in and ta-dah! you're still good!
I'd have to say as far as starting out-use a condom until you've at least been on birth control for a week or longer. It's also good to have either condoms or something like Delfen around in case you do miss a pill or take it late one day.
Also, don't give up on a pill until you've tried it for at least 2 weeks. Especially if you're just starting out, things will change-your skin, your appetite, your mood. But they regulate as soon as your body gets used to it. If after two weeks they don't-then its probably time to switch to a different one:)
Sorry for the novel-hope this helps!

I have used the depo shot and the pill.  I went from the pill to the shot and back to the pill. . I liked the depo shot.. it was great. I had maybe 3-4 pounds weight gain if any at all. And the best part was that my period went away.  Then i started reading horror stories about people getting off it to get pregnant and having a hard time getting their cycle back to normal and taking forever to concieve. Like a lot of people too like 1-1.5 years to get back to normal and be able to get preggo.. Well I want more kids.. and don't want to have to wait 1.5 years when i finally decide i do. So i went and talked to my dr and she HAPPILY took me off and put me back on the pill. I fortunately went RIGHT back to having a normal period. I mean i had a light period the first month after, but from then on it was fine.  I am currently on the pill. Alesse, and have no issues at all. If you can remember to take the pill everyday i suggest that. I have no problem because i take blood pressure meds everyday.. so i just take them at the same time so i never forget. I have my cell phone set with an alarm everyday at 7pm (i always have my phone on or near me lol) I loved the shot, but from what my dr said, they havn't done deep enough research to know the true side effects and all the dangers. It was great though, I went every 3 months and got a shot in my butt and was good to go, no period nothing. Those are the only two i have used and had no problem with either. But if I had to suggest one I would suggest the pill because they have LOTS of different brands so if you have an issue with one you can switch to another.

My favorie is NuvaRing! I have been on it for almost two years and never had a problem! I didnt gain weight, though my boobs did grow a little but I am not going to complain about that! I chose it over the pill because I could never remember to take it at the same time and I didnt want them in my purse! lol NuvaRing has the least amount of hormones because unlike the pill it doesnt have to go through your digestive system and be broken down. Consiquently the lower dose means you are less likely to have side effects! I was afraid of the shot because I hate needles and I felt like if I got a bad reaction I would have to wait a long time for it to be out of my system!  I have had a few bad run ins with condom breakage, I consider it a saftey net when I need it but I dont fully trust myself with them! Another plus to NuvaRing is that it can be out for up to three hours!!

Ok my cousin took the shot and it took her 5 years to get pregnant after she stopped getting them.  My other cousin used the patch because she couldn't remember to take the pills and something happened with where the patch was it like ate away her muscle or something-she had like a dent where it was.  My other cousin has the neuva ring or whatever it is and she loved it but after using it for a long time she started to get the side effects.  I don't know really what to suggest I don't take anything I think condoms are probably the best for me and FH because we want kids just about immediately after we get married and from what I've heard it's hard to get pregnant when your trying and I don't need anything else to make it harder haha!  Good Luck!

hey.  when i was 19 years old i took the Pill for one month.  i stopped because i ended up in the hospital with a deep vein blood clot in my right leg.  (it's medical term is called a DVT).  there is a one in 10,000 chance of getting one while on the pill...chances are greater if you are a smoker (i wasn't) or if it runs in your family (it doesn't).  I can't take the pill anymore.  17 years later, my leg still bothers me.  when i get pregnant i will have to go on blood thinners because the extra estrogen (what is in the pill) will make me susceptible to having another clot.  without ever taking the pill again, i've had MANY superficial blood clots in the same area.  a two hour car ride could bring one on.  i sit here writing this and i can feel it happening.  i don't know why but it always seems to happen around this time of year.  somehow taking the pill for one month when i was 19 has changed my body for the rest of my life.  anyhow, most women are fine but if you have any reservations or gut feelings that you shouldn't be taking it...trust them.  2 days before i got the original clot, i told my then bf that i didn't trust the pill and that i was scared of what it might do to me.  i just had this weird feeling about it.  he agreed with me and told me to stop.  silly me....the next morning i forgot and kept taking it!  doh.  the next morning, i went to the hospital with intense pain in my leg.  
since then while I was single, i used condoms. guys complain A LOT about them.  but i didn't care what they said about it.  it was more for disease control than to avoid getting pregnant.  
With Mike we don't use anything.  
hope this helps....

I'm on the pill and have been for 8 years.. I use Tricyclen 28 and I gained maybe 3 pounds.. then worked out the next week and they were gone.. I've never had any problems with it... I get my period on the exact same day of every month (unless I'm stressed then i get it later in the day or the following day).. I find it very reliable.. I don't get as many pimples.. I'm a true believer that if you think something is bad then you're going to have a bad experience.. I went in with an open mind and everythings great.. Hope this helps..

i'm on yaz (the one from the tv commercials about 3 day periods).
it was pretty true. i only have a period for 3 maybe 4 days, so that is awesome! but, it seems kind of lousy at treating the other side effects of periods (in my case anyway).   i'd definitely talk to your doctor about what is best for you and your husband's future plans. certain birth control can make it hard for you to get pregnant after a certain amount of time on it.
just talk to your doctor and do some online research :)

I've been on the pill for about 9 years!!   I flopped around between a few different kinds at first and then found Marvelon 28 to be the best fit for me.  I had a great experience with it - it was very reliable during the two years that I was traveling and you can buy it all over the world.  My period came at exactly the same time every month and only lasted 3 or 4 days with little to no cramps or PMS.  I have recently gone off the pill and we are using condoms because we want to get pregnant right away after the wedding.  I've heard that typically it can take the pill 3 months to a year to work itself out of your system and for your body adjust to it's natural cycle so you can get pregnant.  So I am currently 'au natural.' Personally, when it came to birth control, I felt VERY uncomfortable with the "Depo shot" option - it didn't feel healthy for me to not get my period at all.  Ovulating and menstruating is such a natural thing, why would I want to stop my body from what it wants to do?  But that is my personal point of view, I know many people who it has worked wonders for and who have been on it for years.

I have only tried one type of birth control: Tricyclen 28. It was highly recommended by my doctor. There weren't really any side effects to it...at least not that I experienced. Some people say you can gain weight, but I didn't at all. I have not heard very good things about the birth control shot (you get injected once every three months I believe with the hormones)...one of my friends was on it and she gained a lot of weight, and it had some other side effects that bothered her. Your doctor will be able to tell you what type is right for you...there are so many different kinds with so many different hormones in them. If you are a smoker or have high blood pressure, it is highly recommended that you don't take the BC pill because you have a high risk of blood clotting.

I have been on the Ortho Evra  patch for over 2 years ..I like it because its soo easy you change it once a week.. i am very forgetful so the pill wouldnt work for me...I have never had a problem i do know that the Patch has 60% more estrogen than typical birth control pills

everyone is different.  I would recommend going to family planning clinic and discussing your options.  

i was on a combined pill (estrogen & progesterone) for a couple of years, but i constantly felt ill and realised that it had some lactose in it (i'm lactose intolerant) plus i got really tender breasts for 1 week before my period and it can also cause pigmentation on your skin, also i'm a shift worker and bad at remembering everyday at the same time....

we also used condoms at the same time (to be extra safe hehe)

i have just had an implant put in my arm (lasts for 3 years)
but i'm spotting at random times throughout the month, so i might go on the mini pill as well (progesterone only) over the wedding period, so i don't ruin the lovely white wedding dress + bridal underwear

i would also consider having a marina (lasts for 5 years and is inserted at opening of womb) if i needed to try something else

I use the pill.... i think it works best for me

Ive tried the pill, but if your a forget non consistant person such as myself....not good... I tried depo...made me gain a ton of weight now I have the cooper IUD...sort of like the mirena but mines last up to 10 years with no hormones, I can have it taken out when ever I like. I love it no dialy reminders...just go..go..go.. lol

depo shot makes you fat.
i am allergic to latex, so no condom..when we did use them, we used the elexa condoms made by trojan.
i'm on ortho tri cyclen...it makes me nauseated if i take it during the day, so i take it at night before i go to bed and it is fine! i've been on the pill since i was 14 just because my cycle was messed up, then we started having sex later in life. the best kind that i have heard of is yaz. two of my friends are on yaz and it makes their cramps ease up and it also clears their acne! and contraceptive films are a no go for me....they are messy, annoying, you have to wait like 20 minutes for them to dissolve and they aren't even full proof protection. but ask a doctor because they will be able to tell you exactly how long you need to wait before you are fully protected and what not...and go NOW sometimes it can take 3 or more months before they can figure out what is best for you!

I was on the combined pill (estrogen & progesterone)  for a while but I found that I got really really bad migrains with it. I need to take the pill because I have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and my hormones are all over the place. Just think of life with a month long period! It sucked. I've been taking the pill since I was 14 With a few breaks in there of course.
I'm on Micronor with is a "mini" pill with only one hormone. I love it, no weight gain, no mood swings, no head/back/stomach aches. It's a 28 to 28 day cycle so there is never any breaks so I don't forget to take it. I also never get a period with it, spotting yes, full on period no.
My best advice is to talk to your dr about your needs.

I have no experience with birth control either (for the same reasons!), but from my research I've learned that there are two ways of preventing pregnancy: stopping ovulation (releasing an egg), and preventing implantation (so you pass a fertilized egg in your period).  If you believe that preventing implantation is wrong, it's important to know which birth control methods do this.

Here's a chart of a lot of BC types, and pros & cons:
http://www.womentowomen.com/sexualityandfertility/birthcontrolmethods.aspx

Here's an informative Christian site that talks openly about sex:
www.themarriagebed.com

Here's the link to BC from the above site:
http://www.themarriagebed.com/pages/sexuality/engaged/birthcontrol.shtml

I prefer the Mirena IUC. It looks like a small T sort of attached to a string and they place it in your uterus. Its that simple. It lasts a total of 5 years but you can remove it if you decide to get pregnant and would have no problem conceiving after having it removed. There are no side effects and I dont even know mine is there! Even better your insurance will cover everything but the office visit and there isnt a monthly pharmacy visit. The only thing is I have been told that if you havent had children then you have to be dilated for them to insert it and I hear thats pretty painful. But I wouldnt really know they inserted mine after I had my daughter last January. Obviously your OB-Gyn would know what is best for you.

The best that I used was the pill. Seasonel is great because you only get your period once every three months.

WoW! SO many responses!

What kind of pill you need depends on what you are looking for. Are you a responsible person who can remember to take a pill on time everytime? Do you want a pill that won't mess your libido or weight? What about clearing up your acne? There are different formulations of birth control pills that can have different side effects.

Things you should know about BC in general:
The average birth control pack contains 3 weeks of active hormone pills and 1 week of inactive 'dud' or placebo pills. You will have a period during the week you are taking the placebo pills. They are made of of one or two combinations hormones; Estrogen and Progesterin. The formulation of the hormones is key to getting the results (other than preventing pregnancy) that you want.

I was on Ortho TriCylen Lo for aout 5 years. It was the first pill I had ever taken. At the time I knew nothing about formulations, and this brand just happened to be the one my doctor prescribed. In fact, Ortho is the most common Rx given by OB/GYNS. BC pills like Ortho have a very high estrogen levels. High estrogen levels are good for clearing acne, minimizing cramping, and regulating your cycle. It is also good for forgettful BC pill takers because it stays in the body for 28 hours. That way, if you miss taking it at the right time, you have a few hours before you have a chance of starting your cycle/period. The DRAWBACKS to pills like Ortho that have high estrogen levels, is weight gain and LOW LIBIDO. This is one of the reasons I stopped taking this brand.

**Remember this, The higher estrogen pills inhibit the production of certain hormones called androgens, such as testosterone, which directly influence sex drive and pleasure.

In addition, the pill increases the production of a protein called sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which serves to bind sexual hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Studies have shown a link between high levels of SHBG and decreased sexual desire.** Not many people are aware of this!

So, I did some research and found a birth control pill that didn't mess with my weight or sex drive. It is called Loestrin 24/FE. I am on year 3 with Loestrin. The difference between Loestrin and Ortho, is that Loestrin has the lowest effective estrogen levels that can be prescribed. It is also a BC that gives you four extra active pill days, and 3 placebo days. A three day period? Yay! The DRAWBACK to this however, is that you CANNOT miss a dosing time! Never Never Never! The hormone levels in pills like Loestrin are lower, so they stay in your body for less time. After you have been taking the pill for while, your period will become shorter and shorter, and some months you might have a very short period, or none at all! It kind of scares me when that happens, but it's never very often. f you are taking the pill right, you will have no problems.

Oh, this website is also a great resource for researching BC pills. There are tons of reviews and ratings:

http://www.askapatient.com/rateyourmedicine.htm

I've had trojans break on me... slide off.... hide inside of me.. I hate condoms. And there was nothing wrong with my husband or how we used it. But if you use condoms enough.. you'll learn they only have like an 85 percent success rate. I hate them. And yes they do ruin the moment, and take the sensation away.

The pill makes me want to puke at all times. No matter what kind I take. I took the pill on and off for years. It also made me fatter and tired and gave me migraine headaches every single stinking day.

An IUD permanently damaged one of my best friends and she can no longer carry a child without miscarrying due to the uterine damage she sustained.

my old best friend took the shot for 9 months.. which was 3 shots.. and her uterus began bleeding and it shrunk and now she can not carry either.

norplant made my aunt who is also a nurse, suicidal and nuts. She had it taken out, she's fine now.

so....

I'm not on any birth control. I leave it in Gods hands.

But that's just me. lol.

I'm with mrsbaxter2be the first thing you need to do is talk to your doctor. There is so many choices for birth control. There is the vaginal ring which stays in for 3 weeks and then out for a week there is birth control pills that you can take for 4 months straight and then get your period only 3 times a year. Then there is IUD which are good for some and there is two different types of IUD. There is also the depo shot, the patch. I myself have an IUD which I like it is great it stays in for 5 years. Some women might have side effect to one and then none to another. Sometimes it is a trial and error thing and sometimes you can just find the right one. Good luck.

Thank you so much for your comments, ladies. I will definitely be talking with the doctor (I have my appointment scheduled), but I wanted to get your thoughts too, and be prepared before I went for my appointment. I'm considering Yaz if that's an option for me based upon what the doc says. Keep up the comments! The more info, the better!

I've been on the pill and am currently on NuvaRing. So far I love the ring! I always forgot to take my pills so it was really quite a hassle. The only problem I have had with the ring so far is the first couple days after I started using it for the first time I had a short (1-3 days) bout of depression but that cleared up and haven't had a problem since! If you want to use condoms I would HIGHLY recommend using Crown Skinless Skin condoms. I've used Trojan, Durex, etc. and Crown are BY FAR the BEST!

Definetly talk to your doctor, he'll prescribe the one that he thinks is best for you.  
BUT----I use Tri-cyclen and so far NO BABIES! so it's worked for me lol.  It also helps my skin, I never break out anymore, It's also a low dose which is great.
A few of my friends swear on the patch though too...if you think you'll have trouble remembering to take a pill everyday this is DEFINETLY something to look into, it does exactly the same thing as the pill but you only have to change the patch once a week, it stays on nomatter what and its really easy to use (ask your doctor about this).

I was on the patch for 5 years and loved it. However, this past summer I stared getting hormone withdrawal during the patch-less week. My doc suggested Kariva, a generic pill that has 3 weeks of regular level of hormones, 2 days off, and 5 days of really low dose. So far it's been fine, it's just tough to remember everyday, even though my cell phone has an alarm to remind me.
One BC that I did NOT like at all was "the ring." You pop it in, and it stays in for 3 weeks. Well, it's supposed to stay in. It's quite difficult to get it in properly, and for me, it started slipping out about 3 days before I was supposed to take it out... I was walking funny 3 days a month...