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American Jello posted:My girlfriend is about 4 days late, and she just tested positive on some dollar store pregnancy test (getting an EPT or whatever is the best after work). She was taking loestrin fe every day at about the same time, so I'm really at a loss as to how this can happen, especially considering she's been on some form of birth control for 8 years without being pregnant. I told her to call her doctor as soon as she told me, and she won't be able to get in to see him until a week from Monday. She also was told to stop taking her medicine. I'm in disbelief right now, I'm 24 years old. I've always heard that a false negative is typical, but that false positives aren't. I'm trying to wait to freak out until after she sees the doctor, but that's a long time from now. Is there a reasonable chance that it's a false positive, or am I going to be a dad? Hi American Jello. I know at Kaiser you can walk in and do a pregnancy test in the lab for free, no appointment. Maybe her insurance offers the same thing?
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Oct 12, 2011 21:05
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American Jello posted:My girlfriend is about 4 days late, and she just tested positive on some dollar store pregnancy test (getting an EPT or whatever is the best after work). She was taking loestrin fe every day at about the same time, so I'm really at a loss as to how this can happen, especially considering she's been on some form of birth control for 8 years without being pregnant. I told her to call her doctor as soon as she told me, and she won't be able to get in to see him until a week from Monday. She also was told to stop taking her medicine. I'm in disbelief right now, I'm 24 years old. I've always heard that a false negative is typical, but that false positives aren't. I'm trying to wait to freak out until after she sees the doctor, but that's a long time from now. Is there a reasonable chance that it's a false positive, or am I going to be a dad? First, most pregnancies end in miscarriage. At worst this little fetus is 3 weeks along, at best it's six days along. Chances are it won't make it. There is not a good chance it's a false positive. But you're also 24, and you're roughly 9 months from needing to actually worry about anything beyond being a chauffeur for the girl. Technically, you're not actually responsible for anything. So it's up to you if you need to actually freak out. You don't need to be a dad, even if she choses to have the baby. She doesn't even need to chose to be a mother. It sounds like you're both to young to be considering parenthood. Carefully weigh your options. You can stay, and help your girl with whatever choice she makes. Or you can leave. Make sure adoption ends up on the table if you chose to stay, the adoption system will take the child at the drop of a hat. Freaking out is the last thing to do. Unless it's freaking out because you're happy. Above all, it will be ok.
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Oct 12, 2011 21:15
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I'm starting a new job the same day she goes to the doctor. It comes with really good health insurance and a fat raise, so I am ready in like the financial sense, and I'm responsible enough-- but it's going to be tough coming to grips with the fact that I now have to be responsible for a child for the next 18-22 years of my life.
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Oct 12, 2011 21:25
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American Jello posted:it's going to be tough coming to grips with the fact that I now have to be responsible for a child for the next 18-22 years of my life. Slow your roll buddy. SHE is more involved than you are. And you've skipped over two of the three other options. This is where you talk to her, and find out what's acceptable to her to do. If she's not ready to have a baby, she's got two options open to her. You've tossed out the "I"ll just leave" option. Good for you on that. As long as she doesn't blame you, she's gonna want you around, and want you not a gibbering pile of emo goo. Abortion and adoption are both really hard choices for a woman. Find out what she wants first. And I promise, it'll be ok. :-) Otherwise, if all works out well, in 9 months, you're a dad. Congrats ahead of time.
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Oct 12, 2011 21:40
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Nerobro posted:Slow your roll buddy. SHE is more involved than you are. And you've skipped over two of the three other options. This is where you talk to her, and find out what's acceptable to her to do. If she's not ready to have a baby, she's got two options open to her. You've tossed out the "I"ll just leave" option. Good for you on that. As long as she doesn't blame you, she's gonna want you around, and want you not a gibbering pile of emo goo. Abortion and adoption are both really hard choices for a woman. Abortion isn't something she'd want to do at all, I'm kind of in agreement with her on that anyway (we are both pro choice though) and there's a pretty good chance it's going be be banned here next month anyway. I think adoption is something that she's considering, but to be honest if it came to that I'd almost rather be a single dad. We have only known for a few hours, so obviously she has to think about what she wants to do.
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Oct 12, 2011 22:03
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I'm freaking a bit right now. I have an appointment to get an IUD inserted tomorrow. I have my Mirena prescription and one for Cytotec too. But I've never met this gynecologist before. I don't know how experienced he is with IUD insertion and I'm worried he'll gently caress it up. I'm in the middle of my first semester of grad school and I'm scared a potentially bad insertion could put me behind. Am I overreacting? He's a doctor, he should know this poo poo right? Should I go to the appointment, but just get a regular check-up and reschedule the insertion if I get an good vibe off him?
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Oct 12, 2011 23:45
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False positives pretty much don't happen, yeah. Pregnancy tests look for a hormone that only is present when there's a fertilized egg present, and iirc possibly only when it's implanted. It sucks that this was unplanned, but try to breathe. You do need to discuss what your plans are, but it sounds like you've already done some of that, so that's good. That being said... Nerobro posted:First, most pregnancies end in miscarriage. Uh, not true. Nerobro posted:But you're also 24, and you're roughly 9 months from needing to actually worry about anything beyond being a chauffeur for the girl. Nerobro posted:Slow your roll buddy. SHE is more involved than you are.  Jeez, you sound like a real prize. I'm guessing you're overstating things to make the other guy feel better, but wow.Bloody Mayhem posted:I'm freaking a bit right now. I have an appointment to get an IUD inserted tomorrow. I have my Mirena prescription and one for Cytotec too. But I've never met this gynecologist before. I don't know how experienced he is with IUD insertion and I'm worried he'll gently caress it up. I'm in the middle of my first semester of grad school and I'm scared a potentially bad insertion could put me behind. You're just nervous. Relax. It will be okay. Get your heating pad ready and all will be well.
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Oct 13, 2011 00:01
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Uh, not true. quote:
The first post definitely doesn't paint me in a good light. ;-) I'd be worried if I didn't know how I would handle the situation. Actually... now that I think of it.. Nerobro posted:As long as she doesn't blame you, she's gonna want you around, and want you not a gibbering pile of emo goo. Abortion and adoption are both really hard choices for a woman.
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Oct 13, 2011 00:30
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About a month and a half ago I switched my birth control pill from Ogestrel to Altavera (so I'm taking less hormones now than I had been). In that time I have not had a period at all. During the second week of both pill packs so far, I have had very minor spotting but that's it. This is the first time ever that I have missed a period. Should I be concerned about this lack of bleeding? I took a pregnancy test a week and a half after my period was due and it came back negative, so that put me at ease a little bit, but I'm still a little worried that something is wrong.
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Oct 13, 2011 02:23
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Went to my 6-week post-partum check and walked out with a script for Micronor. Skip to today, I fill it and discover that it's $46 per month FOR THE GENERIC. Is this common? Also, why oh why does my insurance specifically exclude IUDs from coverage?
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Oct 13, 2011 03:00
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Snapdragon posted:About a month and a half ago I switched my birth control pill from Ogestrel to Altavera (so I'm taking less hormones now than I had been). In that time I have not had a period at all. During the second week of both pill packs so far, I have had very minor spotting but that's it. This is the first time ever that I have missed a period. Should I be concerned about this lack of bleeding? I took a pregnancy test a week and a half after my period was due and it came back negative, so that put me at ease a little bit, but I'm still a little worried that something is wrong. It's completely normal for BC to gently caress up your cycle for a month or two. They usually say to give a new BC 3 months for side effects to level out. So after your 3rd month if you still haven't had a period, head to your gyno.  Also, enjoy period free while it lasts 
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Oct 13, 2011 03:00
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Brennanite posted:Also, why oh why does my insurance specifically exclude IUDs from coverage? I want to know this, too. Wouldn't IUDs (or other longer term methods) be insanely cheaper in the long run compared to pills, patches, rings, and insuring a child?
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Oct 13, 2011 04:01
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Geolicious posted:I want to know this, too. When I calculated out the total cost of my IUD (had I not had insurance) and the total cost of my pill prescription for 5 years, the IUD came out *way* ahead. Out of pocket IUD cost: ~$550 Office visit, misc fees: ~$100 Total uninsured IUD cost: $650 Birth control pills: $20/mo, $240/yr, $1200/5 yr Yeah, guess who's the winner there. And that's only for
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Oct 13, 2011 04:20
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My insurance pays $20 on my pills each month, so they will have shelled out the figure you quoted, $1200 over 5 years. Even if they paid only half of what I was quoted for my IUD, then they'd only pay $550. Less than half. Even if they paid the full price they'd still save 100 bucks! I guess I really don't understand how insurance works. vvv The scientist in me gets all worked up over the logic and I briefly forget I am a woman and therefore am to be screwed over. vvv Geolicious fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Oct 13, 2011 |
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Oct 13, 2011 04:28
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Insurance covering or not cover isn't based on logic, it's based on "gently caress you".
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Oct 13, 2011 04:45
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While the IUD might be cheaper for YOU in the long run, the insurance company doesn't know that you will be with them for long enough to make the IUD cheaper for THEM (I've had 3 different kinds of insurance in the last 5 years and I doubt I'm particularly unique). Not to mention that if you get it taken out early or it expels, they just lost a ton of money. While it sucks for us, there are some legitimate reasons from the insurance company's perspective.
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Oct 13, 2011 05:34
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I asked my new doctor about Mirena, and she scared me off with the "if you haven't had a child, PREPARE FOR PAIN" bit, but suggested Implanon. I've ctrl-F-ed the first ~6 months of posts about Implanon, but I have some questions if someone could help me out? 1. I was put on the pill (Yasmin) when I was ~16 because I hadn't had a period in 6 months. A sonogram later and I was diagnosed with PCOS, and the pill was prescribed to help with that. Years later (I'm 23), I'm still on it for both that and now its intended purpose. Are the hormones in Yasmin/Yaz/Ocella (I've been on them all) the same as what's in Implanon, and therefor will it prevent cysts in me? I get that they're both progestin but I'm reading that there are different types? 2. I'm going to describe my basic menstrual health, and was hoping someone similar to me with Implanon could offer their experiences. I know you can't predict side effects, but it would make me feel better to hear similar anecdotes I guess? I'm really not excited about surprise periods after never starting a period on anything other than a Wednesday evening. I stopped getting my period when I was a teen, so I was put on Yaz-like pills. I never skipped a (like-clockwork) period again, except when I'd dive into a new pack skipping a placebo week (class camping trip, didn't wanna deal with a period). Recently I've been getting spotting about halfway through the pack, probably from stress. My flow is 1 day pre-period "booger", 1 day of heavy, then a day of light, and another day is more "booger" (thanks whoever called it that! I didn't know how to describe it). Some cramping, in about one in three periods. My libido is also low currently, but that could also be stress. Honestly I've been really good on the pill - rarely forget it, but I have more trouble remembering to order my next 3-month pack or getting myself to the gyno to write me my annual prescription, tbh. I'm not sure if that's worth the possibility (guarantee?) of scattered spotting/periods. If I'm in that lucky 20% though...  Additional question: If you're not one to win the zero-period lottery, are your periods pretty much expected to be irregular? Has anyone gotten Implanon and still had regularly timed periods? (Experiences in the thread seems to be either non or wacky)
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Oct 13, 2011 06:53
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Oct 13, 2011 17:32
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I have an appointment to get my Implanon removed. I've had it for two years and have slowly built up to constantly bleeding. Mind you, it's just spotting, so I only have to wear a liner, but sex gets messy all the time now and it's quite annoying. I've bled almost non-stop (had a one week break) from mid June to now. Previous to that it was about 4 weeks of spotting to every 2-3 weeks off. Your periods will not be regular. You will not be able to predict them. What regulates your period on the pill is the placebo weeks. Since there's constant hormones, your body kind of does what it wants. You'll need to decide if the risk of bleeding constantly is worth the implant. I did for two years, and I loved the implant, but it's getting to be too much for me, so I'll be entering the pill market again soon. Previous to the implant I was on Yaz, so we've got similar pill history, but you really can't predict things that way.
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Oct 13, 2011 18:04
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Kerfuffle posted:Insurance covering or not cover isn't based on logic, it's based on "gently caress you". I learned that quite well recently. I am gearing up for a long weekend of phone calls with my insurance company because I just got a bill from the Dr for something I was assured was covered. Apparently when they say "Implanon is covered as long as it's preapproved" they mean "We'll cover everything but the actual Implanon, have fun paying for the most expensive part!"
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Oct 13, 2011 18:17
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They are different kinds of progestins. Yasmin is drospirenone, Implanon is etonogestrel and can be lower-dose than pills because it's direct absorption. I have never had to worry about cyst prevention so I'm poo poo there but you could always google the progestin types to find out more about what they are specifically used for/do.
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Oct 13, 2011 18:22
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Just posting to say that requesting time off work for the Mirena insertion was no sweat! All I did was request a morning shift the day of, and to have the following day off since I'd be having "minor outpatient surgery" and would like the next day to recover. My supervisor recorded my request and all should be good. I know most of you have said you went back to work or whatever after your appointment or the next day without any problems, but I want to be extra careful. This is the first time I'm having something shoved up my uterus so I'm anticipating a ton of pain for the first couple days.
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Oct 13, 2011 21:41
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Reformed Tomboy posted:What regulates your period on the pill is the placebo weeks. Since there's constant hormones, your body kind of does what it wants. I've skipped placebo weeks before, and my period was still like clockwork the next time. Wouldn't having constant hormone-pills and not bleeding predict that the constant hormones from the Implanon would result in not bleeding as well? When I was younger my body clearly decided I didn't need to bleed, I'm hoping it decides that again. I think I'm just trying to desperately see logic that may not be there, and even if it is, logic has no place in periods to begin with so why am I bothering. I think I still want to give it a shot. Hopefully if I have to remove it, my insurance will still pay for my pills afterward. 
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Oct 13, 2011 23:43
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drat Bananas posted:I've skipped placebo weeks before, and my period was still like clockwork the next time. Wouldn't having constant hormone-pills and not bleeding predict that the constant hormones from the Implanon would result in not bleeding as well? When I was younger my body clearly decided I didn't need to bleed, I'm hoping it decides that again. The main difference is that Yasmin contains estrogen, which essentially does one thing and one thing only: controls your cycle. The issue with Implanon and all other progestin-only products (Depo, Mirena, the progestin-only pill) is that progestin on its own doesn't really regulate your cycle, so you end up with either your typical off-pill cycle, unpredictable spotting or breakthrough bleeding, or no period at all. Thus, it's not possible to predict which of these you'll get with Implanon based on your previous experience with a combined hormonal contraceptive.
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Oct 13, 2011 23:52
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^ hehe, you beat me! Estrogen is the hormone you need to reliably suppress your periods, and a lack of estrogen is one of the triggers for a period. That's why progesterone-only pills don't have a placebo week; they don't put any estrogen in your body and so don't suppress your natural menstrual cycle so you can take them even during your period. Implanon doesn't have any estrogen, thus no clockwork period regulation. The bleeding that occurs on a progestin-only method is likely caused by more complex hormonal interactions.
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Oct 13, 2011 23:57
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Learning++ So if, given that my periods went on hiatus a few years back, I had never started the pill (with estrogen) and instead had Implanon, it's possible that the lack of change in estrogen levels would have kept me the same with regard to no periods? With the added bonus of no ovulation? So assuming my body hasn't "learned" anything after years of pill use, I could still have no period on Implanon? I'm probably still grasping at straws. Is it too much to ask for no babies, no periods, and no rememberings? <  > Hurry up, science!
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Oct 14, 2011 00:33
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It doesn't work that way. It doesn't matter what method you started on, your body just interacts with different hormone levels / combos (and not everyone reacts the same). There's no way to "tell" what your side effects will be until you're on it. Yes, it is possible that you could not have periods any more. Just as possible for me to have not had them either. But I didn't, and it's not all that common. What you'll experience is yet to be seen. Other people on this forum have had theirs stop, irrc. And a few are on their second they liked it so much. If you want to do it, do it, and good luck. But trying to predict what's going to happen isn't worth it. I wish there was an easier way as well, believe me. I'm not really all that excited to be pill shopping again.
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Oct 14, 2011 01:12
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Brennanite posted:Went to my 6-week post-partum check and walked out with a script for Micronor. Skip to today, I fill it and discover that it's $46 per month FOR THE GENERIC. Is this common? Where did you fill it? I have been on the generic (Errin) for 7+ years, and it has never been that expensive. I fill it at the local Walmart. In the beginning it cost me $32/mo, and after a couple years of that someone behind the counter said they could give me some sort of discount, and so then I was paying $27/mo. Then I had insurance for about a year where I only paid $10, and currently (no insurance again) I pay $29/mo.
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Oct 14, 2011 16:29
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IdeoPhanthus posted:Where did you fill it? I have been on the generic (Errin) for 7+ years, and it has never been that expensive. I fill it at the local Walmart. In the beginning it cost me $32/mo, and after a couple years of that someone behind the counter said they could give me some sort of discount, and so then I was paying $27/mo. Then I had insurance for about a year where I only paid $10, and currently (no insurance again) I pay $29/mo. Target. I didn't bother shopping around because I figured the generic version would be pretty cheap and I was picking up stuff there anyway. OrthoEvra only cost me $24 back in the day, I figured the pill couldn't possibly be more. 
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Oct 14, 2011 17:40
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I dont know if costco does birth control fills, but they have the cheapest prices I've ever seen for almost everything else. The price you pay does fluctuate a bit, but my 90$ (everywhere else) prescription is 30$ at costco. Its worth a look 
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Oct 16, 2011 20:45
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My girlfriend uses the Nuvaring and today we had sex with a condom, then later on unprotected sex, but I still pulled out. Am I being too nervous about the 2nd time we had sex that some of my precum could have gotten her pregnant? She is on Nuvaring and I pulled out as well so I would think we would be fine but part of me is worried. She has a Plan B pill that she got with her new doctor, but I feel I might be going overboard if I ask her to take it.
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Oct 18, 2011 03:35
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Harry Privates posted:My girlfriend uses the Nuvaring and today we had sex with a condom, then later on unprotected sex, but I still pulled out. Am I being too nervous about the 2nd time we had sex that some of my precum could have gotten her pregnant? She is on Nuvaring and I pulled out as well so I would think we would be fine but part of me is worried. She has a Plan B pill that she got with her new doctor, but I feel I might be going overboard if I ask her to take it.  Simmer down there. How long has she been on Nuvaring? It takes a week to start working when you very first start using it from nothing. If she just started using it today, then your concerns are valid.Nuvaring provides 99.9% protection when used perfectly (easy to do). You honestly have no reason to worry after both using a condom and pulling out. Precum can get women pregnant but if I recall it's only after previously cumming and not peeing after, leaving active sperm in it. If you don't feel comfortable not using condoms or pulling out with nuvaring, that's fine and your choice in the matter, but asking her to take plan B (a very strong dose of hormones that taking is not something to take casually) is over the top. And honestly you don't really need it unless she isn't using birth control, since it's more for "oops" occasions like condoms breaking or forgetting to take a pill.
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Oct 18, 2011 03:44
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Kerfuffle posted:
I should clarify she's been using Nuvaring since June and it doesn't come out til the 25th. The reason I was concerned was because I had came earlier and didn't pee between and when we had sex I put it in for a little bit without a condom. So their may have been some still swimming around possibly. Usually we use a condom so its fine but this time afterwords I forgot I hadn't pissed between when I came the first time and having sex the second time.
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Oct 18, 2011 03:59
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Harry Privates posted:I should clarify she's been using Nuvaring since June and it doesn't come out til the 25th. The reason I was concerned was because I had came earlier and didn't pee between and when we had sex I put it in for a little bit without a condom. So their may have been some still swimming around possibly. Usually we use a condom so its fine but this time afterwords I forgot I hadn't pissed between when I came the first time and having sex the second time. As Kerfuffle said, Nuvaring is designed to be the only contraceptive being used, and it has a very low failure rate, even completely ignoring the second forms of birth control (pulling out and condoms) I'd say, in this situation, that Plan B isn't needed; the risk of pregnancy is almost inconceivably low, and Plan B is pretty stressful on a woman's body. And, I could be reading too much into "and it doesn't come out til the 25th," but she's still protected from pregnancy during the seven days the ring is out, providing she has been using it correctly for the three weeks before.
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Oct 18, 2011 04:15
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Harry Privates posted:My girlfriend uses the Nuvaring and today we had sex with a condom, then later on unprotected sex, but I still pulled out. Am I being too nervous about the 2nd time we had sex that some of my precum could have gotten her pregnant? She is on Nuvaring and I pulled out as well so I would think we would be fine but part of me is worried. She has a Plan B pill that she got with her new doctor, but I feel I might be going overboard if I ask her to take it. If you are this paranoid i'm questioning whether having sex at all is the right decision for you. As the others have said, nuvaring is designed to be the only contraceptive. My fiancee and I haven't used condoms or pulling out for 5 years now and in that time i've been on hormonal pill for 2 years, the nuvaring for 2 years and now 1 year with an iud. Not even a single pregnancy scare. Simmer down.
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Oct 18, 2011 05:00
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Yes, relax! You don't even need to use a condom with nuvaring. I suggest you do a little reading on how hormonal bc works, perhaps starting with the op. It should put your fears to rest.
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Oct 18, 2011 13:39
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IUD update! My insurance still refused to cover an IUD even after my doctor called and yelled at them so the clinic staff referred me to a family planning clinic and they said they would give me one for free! They told me to call when I started my period and they would get me in ASAP. Well, I started mine today, called, and they told me to come in right then. I was not prepared for it to be the same day so I completely panicked. Anyway, went in this afternoon, got the Mirena instead of Paragard like I had before. Insertion was hell just like last time. I was even prepared for the pain but still managed to let out a huge moan. Cramping is pretty bad, but manageable with a hot corn pillow and lots of Motrin.
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Oct 20, 2011 00:14
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Aw that's great lunarian.  It's always great to hear about people who really care in situations like that.
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Oct 20, 2011 00:19
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Thanks, Kerfuffle! California's health access program is a wonderful thing.
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Oct 20, 2011 01:38
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And for my IUD update, I got a prescription for Vicodin, but I won't be able to pick it up until after my appointment. Instead I learned they're gonna give me a shot up there to numb things up and make insertion a little easier. I am cringing at the mere thought. But it's just one day of discomfort for 5 years of protection and hopefully no periods. This better be worth it.
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Oct 20, 2011 04:06
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