Birth Control - Need Some Advice

So I was warned last week, for the first time during my 8 month journey to have surgery, that my birth control may fail during the first year.  I was quite stunned to learn this, in all of my independent research never did I come across any warnings that if you are on the pill, it could fail.  I read about how you become more fertile, how much easier getting pregnant is and even how much better a pregnancy was but nothing about this.

So my question is, did you all use a back up method in addition to your birth control?  Did anyone have failure? 

Getting my DH to use a 'glove' is a lost cause and it's taken me several years to find a pill that I like.  I definitely don't want an IUD or any other implant.  But I don't want to depend on the pull out method because let me tell you, that is how niece #1 and niece #2 were brought into this world.

HELP!!!

Well I see that you are getting the band and not gastric bypass, so technically there isn't any malabsorbtion. Not sure that the pill would be necessarily less effective for you -maybe one of our other bansters can confirm.

My surgeon suggested condoms for the first 6 months - I am sure that there are other products on the market, spermacides etc that would work for you. Give hubby a choice condoms or no lovin! lol

pp is right.

that said, I was on the patch.  worked great.  then I was out of town, prescription ready for pickup here so it couldn't be filled there, and was a mere 2 days late putting it on....and look at me now.

I don't see why your pill would fail when you're getting a band because there's no problem with absorbing medications. I certainly wasn't warned of any such thing. If your doctor is worried about your ability to swallow the birth control pill, there's even a chewable available.
I don;t know if they recommend doing any back-up method that employs the same method of working as the first (like doing the pill AND a patch), but if you're really worried you could consider maybe the pill and nuva ring?
In the end, I would go to your GYN for advice, not your band surgeon.

I am a RNY patient not sure regarding the band, but at 9 months out i did get pregnant. I had been on oral BC Loestrin 24 for 9 years solid. It happens , and well now is a blessing!

I agree with the previous posters about malabsorption....but good to check with GYNO

I have loved the Nuva Ring....another option for you.....

Good luck with your weight loss....

I was never told this but it does make sense for us with the RNY. I know I was told that we are super fertile after surgery so we should use two forms of bc. My surgeon said the best was the pill and a condom. Hubby gave me problems about it until the surgeon told him he needed to. We just stopped using two last month when I went off the pill and now we are on none.

WoW! You guys are awesome!  I was the only bandster in the office that day so rather than holding two pre-op classes, they just had the one and I was in with about a dozen other bypass patients so I am thinking that warning must have been meant for them!  Whew!  It never dawned on me that the nurse was likely referring to mal-absorbing. 

Thank you all! 

The pill or any other methods WILL NOT be less effective with a restrictive only surgery.  When you have a bypass and malabsorb  then anything you consume will not be as effective - calorie consumption too .


All the best to you and your WLS journey.

L

I had the Lap Band a year ago.  My surgeon told me to make sure I went on BC because I would be Fertile Myrtle and they wanted me to wait.  I had to problems with it.  My guess is you would be ok, but you may want to check.