birth control

 so i was given a "talking too" today by my nurse on the no-nos of getting pregnant soon after surgery. im wondering what some of you are using and how its working out for you. i can't do the pill because of a nasty family heart history. im considering an iud but know next to nothing about them. so any thoughts, info, input, or advice is welcome.
hope you are all doin well. 
thanks
niki

I've heard wonderful things about IUD's and they are really highly used form of  birth control used by female physicans . They aren't the old nasty IUD's of the past.

I haven't had my surgery yet  but don't have to worry about bcp since my partner has been fixed. YAY for vasectomies :-)

Talk to your doctor about the Mirena IUD.  It's wonderful.  On top of a birth control, it also stops your period..... [ insert happy dance here ].   Once inserted it's doesn't have to be removed for five years, but of course can be removed at any time by your doctor if you do choose to become pregnant. 

I had an IUD put in and it has been wonderful.  I went against Murana only because it contains homones and I do not tolerate the pill well so I did not want to get stuck with the side effects.  Basically an IUD works in two ways, one it is made of copper.  Somehow the slight bit of copper makes your uteris less hospitable.  Also having something in there makes it less hospitable as well.  I dont even know I have anything up there.  The only gross thing is after your period your have to stick your finger up there to make sure that the little string is still there.  Some people report having cramps or a heavier period however I have had neither.  It has been a god send to me since I have started a relationship since my weightlosss.  We actually moved in together.  Call the womens health clinic in Winnipeg.  They have alot of great information and you can get the IUD for free.  The regular one will run you about 75 bucks and the murana is about 400.  They both last for 5 years and can be taken out at anytime if you want to start working on children.  Hope this helps.

Yes the Mirena's not cheap.  I think I paid about $370 for it a couple years ago.  If you have extended Blue Cross I do believe it's covered.  My periods were extremely heavy, so the way I look at it, in the five years that I don't have to pay for feminine protection, it will easily pay for itself. 

It's good you can't be on the pill...b/c it SUCKS post surgery...were you RNY? B/c of the poor absorption, it just wasn't working and I was getting my 'friend' every 8-10 days (after having no problems with it for 20 years minus the years I was preggos)!!! 
So my doc switched me to the Nuva Ring. You put it in (yourself...very easy) and take it out after 3 weeks. Then your period is very light (and NOT painful) for a few days. After a week off, you put another one in. No fuss, no muss. We are thinking of maybe trying in about a year, so this will be easy for my body to "wean off".

I hear great things about IUD's too. I had VSG so I did take the pill for 6 mos post op. Then we were very VERY careful after that LOL I have always been they type that has to plan and try to get pregnant. Now I am cleared to "do what I want" seeing as I am "perfectly healthy" and my labs are great! So birth control isn't on my list anymore.

I have several friends who have both copper and Mirena, respectively. Only one with Mirena had some crappy periods for the first few months. She is fine now though(it's been years). :) Good luck sorting out your choice.

Although I am very happy & excited, i DO highly recommend NOT getting pregnant for quite a while after surgery!!  This pregnancy has been incredibly difficult and the worry that the baby isn't getting nutrients NEVER goes away. 
I also recommend doing a birth control other then just condoms...that's what we were doing, and it's very easy to "forget" and then... well... i'm 13 weeks pregnant now. :)

 thanks to all of you for your responses. another question though, does the nuva ring or mirena have the same horomones as the pill does and therefore may increase risk of stroke?
when i see my gp on friday i will ask him aswell but truth be told, there are better doctors out there, lol, so i need to be informed.
thanks again ladies!
niki

I'm not sure what hormones the Mirena has, but my doctor suggested it as an alternative to the pill as my blood pressure is on the high side....so that would suggest to me that the hormones in it are less than what's in the pill.  But don't quote me on that...hopefully your doctor will have the answers you're looking for.