Got snipped today...

[Self-employed-swami]

Been thinking about doing it myself ...

I highly recommend a trained medical professional.

*snicker*

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

We've waffled back and forth too much to do something permanent, but I'm pretty sure we're done. The snip will probably happen within next couple years, though I wonder how long I'd have to stay off the bike...

At least a week, maybe more (at least for serious riding) depending on how fast you heal. Mr. FP was in a pretty good world of hurt the first day, but actually left the house the second day. For some stupid reason, they didn't prescribe him any good drugs and told him to take ibuprofen! Now, he has an extremely high pain tolerance and hates taking meds, but that was ridiculous. I slipped him some Tylenol 3 left over from a bad cough I'd had and that got him through the first 24 hours.

[TomTX]

It's kinda sad that IUDs are almost unknown in the USA due to some bad ones ~40 years ago (1970s)

MrsTX got an IUD a year ago - cost us nothing out of pocket, and it works for 10 years. Effectiveness is about the same as a vasectomy. No pills to remember, no condoms, no hormones, no worries. Just some copper. Easily reversible - just have the doc pull it out. Heck, while it's not recommended, it looks pretty easy to do it yourself. You actually have to pay attention initially to make sure it isn't self-ejected - but that should be VERY noticeable, and a low likelihood.

I got pregnant with my paragard, which is why we ended up going with a vasectomy.  Gotta be honest, after 2 pregnancies that ended in c -section,  I didnt have a ton of sympathy for him.  At least not physically speaking.  I did understand that there is some emotional difficulty associated.   His was free,  courtesy of the navy.

Well, sorry to hear about that. Hope it worked out well.

Paragard is supposed to be 99.4% effective, so - 1 in 167 chance of pregnancy. Vasectomy is supposed to be 99.3% effective, so - 1 in 143 chance.

(of course, those numbers depend on which source you believe, but should be close.)

By contrast condoms are 82% to 98% effective, depending on "typical" to "perfect" use.

With any BC method, there will be pregnancies in a large enough population.

[Amanda]

Yes, what Cwadda said.

Seeking reassurance here. I pretty much can't avoid this procedure next year. Part of my "deal" with my wife in which I quit working in 2014 is that I get snipped in 2015. Still think I make out extremely well overall, but still... how can such an innocuous word as "snip" induce such fear.

It may be, as my wife suggests, men are wimps. ;)

Be reassured. My husband had a mild experience. He laughs about the "oddness" of the sensation (not pain, just pressure) when the snip was being done, but he recovered quickly (worked the next day and resumed all normal activities within a week and a half) and is happy he did it. We are going on 7 years since he had it done and he only had about 7 days of discomfort and little pain after the procedure.

Just be sure to go to an actual urologist rather than a GP! Anyone we've ever heard of having a problem had a GP perform the procedure...

[MicroRN]

It's kinda sad that IUDs are almost unknown in the USA due to some bad ones ~40 years ago (1970s)

MrsTX got an IUD a year ago - cost us nothing out of pocket, and it works for 10 years. Effectiveness is about the same as a vasectomy. No pills to remember, no condoms, no hormones, no worries. Just some copper. Easily reversible - just have the doc pull it out. Heck, while it's not recommended, it looks pretty easy to do it yourself. You actually have to pay attention initially to make sure it isn't self-ejected - but that should be VERY noticeable, and a low likelihood.

I got pregnant with my paragard, which is why we ended up going with a vasectomy.  Gotta be honest, after 2 pregnancies that ended in c -section,  I didnt have a ton of sympathy for him.  At least not physically speaking.  I did understand that there is some emotional difficulty associated.   His was free,  courtesy of the navy.

Well, sorry to hear about that. Hope it worked out well.

Paragard is supposed to be 99.4% effective, so - 1 in 167 chance of pregnancy. Vasectomy is supposed to be 99.3% effective, so - 1 in 143 chance.

Oh, it did.  We have a 3 yo that we love very much.  However, I totally gave upon Paragard because I actually got pregnant with it twice in less than 2 years.  One was an early miscarriage (7 weeks), so I wrote it off as being a statistical birth control failure, got a new Paragard, and was pregnant again 8 months later.  Both times it was confirmed by ultrasound to be in the right place.  After two occurrences, there was no way I was trusting it again.  Definitely don't miss the anemia inducing Paragard periods either.   

Don't forget, the vasectomy rates include the first 3 months, during which half of all failures take place.  For men who follow up on their sperm count testing and use backup contraceptives during the first 3 months, rates drop significantly and if you make it past 2 years, spontaneous reversals almost never occur.       

[Bateaux]

Getting snipped is the most Mustachian thing I think anyone can do.  I had my two kids and then went under the knife.  In this overpopulated word it is a responsible thing to do.

[Roland of Gilead]

Insurance should pay YOU to get snipped.  Think of how much just a normal pregnancy costs ($5000?) then think how much you saved them.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

It's kinda sad that IUDs are almost unknown in the USA due to some bad ones ~40 years ago (1970s)

MrsTX got an IUD a year ago - cost us nothing out of pocket, and it works for 10 years. Effectiveness is about the same as a vasectomy. No pills to remember, no condoms, no hormones, no worries. Just some copper. Easily reversible - just have the doc pull it out. Heck, while it's not recommended, it looks pretty easy to do it yourself. You actually have to pay attention initially to make sure it isn't self-ejected - but that should be VERY noticeable, and a low likelihood.

I got pregnant with my paragard, which is why we ended up going with a vasectomy.  Gotta be honest, after 2 pregnancies that ended in c -section,  I didnt have a ton of sympathy for him.  At least not physically speaking.  I did understand that there is some emotional difficulty associated.   His was free,  courtesy of the navy.

Well, sorry to hear about that. Hope it worked out well.

Paragard is supposed to be 99.4% effective, so - 1 in 167 chance of pregnancy. Vasectomy is supposed to be 99.3% effective, so - 1 in 143 chance.

Oh, it did.  We have a 3 yo that we love very much.  However, I totally gave upon Paragard because I actually got pregnant with it twice in less than 2 years.  One was an early miscarriage (7 weeks), so I wrote it off as being a statistical birth control failure, got a new Paragard, and was pregnant again 8 months later.  Both times it was confirmed by ultrasound to be in the right place.  After two occurrences, there was no way I was trusting it again.  Definitely don't miss the anemia inducing Paragard periods either.   

Don't forget, the vasectomy rates include the first 3 months, during which half of all failures take place.  For men who follow up on their sperm count testing and use backup contraceptives during the first 3 months, rates drop significantly and if you make it past 2 years, spontaneous reversals almost never occur.     

FWIW I was told that if you have had one Paragard failure, you should not use it again. Most common cause of failure is either is falling out and you not noticing (supposedly this happens), or it can sort of half fall-out, so that you still feel the string but aren't protected. And if that happens once, could be you have a weird shaped uterus and it could happen again. So I'm surprised your doctor put another one in.

[Zaga]

It's kinda sad that IUDs are almost unknown in the USA due to some bad ones ~40 years ago (1970s)

MrsTX got an IUD a year ago - cost us nothing out of pocket, and it works for 10 years. Effectiveness is about the same as a vasectomy. No pills to remember, no condoms, no hormones, no worries. Just some copper. Easily reversible - just have the doc pull it out. Heck, while it's not recommended, it looks pretty easy to do it yourself. You actually have to pay attention initially to make sure it isn't self-ejected - but that should be VERY noticeable, and a low likelihood.

I got pregnant with my paragard, which is why we ended up going with a vasectomy.  Gotta be honest, after 2 pregnancies that ended in c -section,  I didnt have a ton of sympathy for him.  At least not physically speaking.  I did understand that there is some emotional difficulty associated.   His was free,  courtesy of the navy.

Well, sorry to hear about that. Hope it worked out well.

Paragard is supposed to be 99.4% effective, so - 1 in 167 chance of pregnancy. Vasectomy is supposed to be 99.3% effective, so - 1 in 143 chance.

Oh, it did.  We have a 3 yo that we love very much.  However, I totally gave upon Paragard because I actually got pregnant with it twice in less than 2 years.  One was an early miscarriage (7 weeks), so I wrote it off as being a statistical birth control failure, got a new Paragard, and was pregnant again 8 months later.  Both times it was confirmed by ultrasound to be in the right place.  After two occurrences, there was no way I was trusting it again.  Definitely don't miss the anemia inducing Paragard periods either.   

Don't forget, the vasectomy rates include the first 3 months, during which half of all failures take place.  For men who follow up on their sperm count testing and use backup contraceptives during the first 3 months, rates drop significantly and if you make it past 2 years, spontaneous reversals almost never occur.     

FWIW I was told that if you have had one Paragard failure, you should not use it again. Most common cause of failure is either is falling out and you not noticing (supposedly this happens), or it can sort of half fall-out, so that you still feel the string but aren't protected. And if that happens once, could be you have a weird shaped uterus and it could happen again. So I'm surprised your doctor put another one in.

this exact thing happened to my brother's girlfriend.  They didn't want another, she got a non-hormonal IUD, got pregnant and miscarried.  Then got pregnant again and carried to term.  It just doesn't work for her I guess.  Now I have a lovely new niece.  I just hope they figure out something to prevent another because they really don't want a 4th!

[TomTX]

Oh, it did.  We have a 3 yo that we love very much.  However, I totally gave upon Paragard because I actually got pregnant with it twice in less than 2 years.  One was an early miscarriage (7 weeks), so I wrote it off as being a statistical birth control failure, got a new Paragard, and was pregnant again 8 months later.  Both times it was confirmed by ultrasound to be in the right place.  After two occurrences, there was no way I was trusting it again.  Definitely don't miss the anemia inducing Paragard periods either.   

Oh wow. I'd give up on it after 2 failures as well.

MrsTX hasn't had a period in nearly 2 years at this point (including the pregnancy), as she's still breastfeeding very regularly. Just over a year on the Paragard.