No apology needed, @azure - gosh, no, not offended at all - and there's nothing wrong with the term 'childless' as it does of course describe the situation, and lots of people describe themselves in that way - I consider myself childfree because it just feels a little 'lighter', if that makes sense.Sorry if I used the wrong terminology @Snapsy I used the phrase a friend used. Hope I didn't offend
I can't tolerate the coils, they give me constant pain.@DaftThoughts Not a comment on sterilisation just contraception, but have you tried the non-hormonal coil? I remember my DSN mentioning it to me some years ago but I've never used it.
Hey all!
I don't want to have children and have always used birth control to prevent pregnancies, but now that I'm on insulin I react very poorly to hormonal birth control. While condoms are totally fine, I'm also finding myself in a position where I just want to be sterilized and be done with it. I'm still 'young' (29) so I'm probably going to have to fight for this, but I also have a whole range of medical conditions of which diabetes is only one that makes me terrified of pregnancy and what it will do to my body and soul. Besides the fact I don't want kids, I also consider adoption a 100% valid option, and would prefer it over having my own even without the medical stuff if I were to ever change my mind.
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this? I know women with diabetes can have absolutely normal pregnancies so I don't think it's a good 'excuse' for a doctor to go with. (It's quite sad that a firm "I never wanted kids" is not enough, actually.) I do have a herniated disc, bad knees and mental health problems since my teens which make me entirely unfit to be a mother even if I wanted to be. And then there are the aspects of having a moderately invasive surgery as a diabetic to weigh against this.
Just want to see if anyone else has been sterilized as a diabetic and what the risks/issues were you ran into?
I didn't experience heavier periods post-sterilisation, and I'm afraid the Dutch cap required a predictability of having sex that I often didn't have!Getting a little confused here - there seem to be two totally separate issues here: 1) preventing conception and 2) easing painful periods. Preventing pregnancy by surgical sterilisation for women is normally done by tying off the tube that connects the ovaries to the uterus, as described by the previous entry. It is quite a small operation, recovery is quick but it does make your periods a little heavier for a few months. However, it leaves your hormone-producing ovaries & uterus intact to do their job. I would be very wary indeed of removing either unless it was truly medically essential.
The methods of preventing conception that you haven't mentioned are the rhythm method which probably isn't reliable enough for you, and the other barrier method, commonly known as a Dutch cap. It gives much more sensitivity than a condom, to both partners! That's the voice of experience. (It is also much better if you partner has difficulty coping with distractions, you can insert the cap an hour or more beforehand, rather than having to interrupt at the vital moment to get a pesky packet open!)
Easing painful periods is really really difficult - there are so many different reasons for them to be a horrible time of month. There is an operation called a D&C (dilatation & curettage) which slightly enlarges the neck of the womb so the debris doesn't jam up up there. Or you can fiddle around with your salt intake / hydration to reduce congestion. Or there are a lot of herbal remedies said to ease the problems. But actual removal of the womb would be such a last resort it should be absolutely out of sight. A bit like amputation of your foot for blisters - only a bit like, period pain can be much much worse than blisters!
If you can get the NHS to do a tube-tying operation, I say go for it. You are going to have to go in with a (preferably written) list of logical and valid reasons, and a seriously determined attitude. I've found when arguing with my doctors that being willing to listen to them, and then explain why their points aren't right/don't apply to you works well.
Depending on the reason for your period pain it may not make a huge difference, but at least it takes pregnancy and artificial hormones off your list of worries.
Longterm uncontrolled diabetes and mental health issues should be enough qualifying reason to be granted sterilisation in the nhs. Have you been told "no"?Hey all!
I don't want to have children and have always used birth control to prevent pregnancies, but now that I'm on insulin I react very poorly to hormonal birth control. While condoms are totally fine, I'm also finding myself in a position where I just want to be sterilized and be done with it. I'm still 'young' (29) so I'm probably going to have to fight for this, but I also have a whole range of medical conditions of which diabetes is only one that makes me terrified of pregnancy and what it will do to my body and soul. Besides the fact I don't want kids, I also consider adoption a 100% valid option, and would prefer it over having my own even without the medical stuff if I were to ever change my mind.
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this? I know women with diabetes can have absolutely normal pregnancies so I don't think it's a good 'excuse' for a doctor to go with. (It's quite sad that a firm "I never wanted kids" is not enough, actually.) I do have a herniated disc, bad knees and mental health problems since my teens which make me entirely unfit to be a mother even if I wanted to be. And then there are the aspects of having a moderately invasive surgery as a diabetic to weigh against this.
Just want to see if anyone else has been sterilized as a diabetic and what the risks/issues were you ran into?