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Avatar universal

How effective is the pull out method?

I just finished breastfeeding and haven't gotten my period yet.  My hubby insists that the pull out method is safe...I do not agree.  Anyway, I stopped breastfeeding about a month ago and have not gotten my period so I was wondering how effective the pull out method is...should I be worrying?
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Avatar universal
Even if they pull out there can still be some precum.  But I have heard that as long as the guy has urinated since the last time they ejaculated that there is no sperm in precum.
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Avatar universal
I just got a phamplet from the Dr on all methods of bc, and according to that the withdrawal (pullout) method is 70%.
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Avatar universal
it worked for me for about 8 years. not saying the 8th year i got pregnant using withdrawl but got pregnant using the rythym (sp) method.
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128449 tn?1192825669
hey there...just wanted to let you know - i heard withdrawal was 80%...I am now pregnant - 1 1/2 months later!
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Avatar universal
thats how my mom got pregnant with me but who knows
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Avatar universal
Both of my sisters and I are results of the pull out method and its lack of effectiveness. However, my best friend and her husband used the method effectively for seven years and then decided to conceive and conceived quite quickly. After the birth of their son who will be two next week, they reverted back to the pull out method until once 3-4 months ago when they decided to begin ttc again and they conceived with their second child. So, my friend would swear by the method. However, my mother would swear it doesn't work worth a lick. The reality is that precum occurs, and you can definitely conceive with even a small amount of precum (although it isn't very common). Best wishes!
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Avatar universal
My husband and I have been together for 4 1/2 years and we did not get pregnant until we wanted a baby. All we have ever used was the pull out method. I have never had sex with anyone besides my husband so I dont know if this is normal or just him, but I know that he does withdraw like a minute before he cums to make sure that nothing goes inside of me. I am not saying that it is fool proof but it is alot healthier than b/c and feels alot better than a condom. I would talk to your doctor to see what they say.
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Avatar universal
My husband and I have been using the pullout method for the past 9 years with great success.  We started trying to get pregnant at the end of September and we were by November.  We did get pregnant accidently twice  before that 9 years but we knew exactly when we had slipped up.  We have two beautiful boys to show for it! For nine years we knew my cycle pretty well!  Nothing but abstinence in 100% effective.  I liked not having any side effects or pills to remember and our attitude was if it happened it happened.
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Avatar universal
I bet the success (or lack thereof) has alot to do with the man's level of self control.
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97615 tn?1212678589
So actually how long does it take to get your period after you stop breastfeeding...cuz i am in the same boat???
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167 tn?1374173817
Withdrawal worked for us, but the man has to have very good self control. There is controversy on whether precum has semen in it or not. It works well for a lot of people though. It also helps to know your cycle very well and abstain if you can on the days you know you are ovulating.
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143952 tn?1237864541
70 to 80% effectiveness still leaves a lot of room for pregnancy!  you would think with all the money put into medical research, they would have come up with a safe, effective AND pleasant method of birth control by now, wouldn't you?
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Avatar universal
i agree sk!
my husband and i used that method only because we both agreed if it happened, it happened ya know? only it never did. it was the rythym (sp again!) that got me pregnant. no idea what the stats are on that method but at the time. i suspected rare!!! nope.
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Avatar universal
My 10 year old is a pull out baby.  SO I don't always trust that method, however, it has worked for us for the most part.  But I've also just found out I have endo, so that could by why it's worked for us.
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Avatar universal
It took me 16 years to get pregnant with my first baby at the age of 34. And I had seen an infertility specialist, taken clomid for years, taken pergonal, timed relations, charting, ect. (When I did conceive it was years after giving up all the above methods) It took me another 8 years to have my next baby. So you can see I am not the most fertile person on the planet.

So taking that into consideration, and the fact that I am breastfeeding, and that I have not yet resumed my monthly cycles, and the fact that hubby is experienced at pullout, and the fact that he had been gone on business for weeks and came home for one day and we had relations with good pullout, I got pregnant.

SOooooooo, it pullout good contraception?  Ha!

My midwife almost laughted when I told her I was shocked that I had conceived given the above. She said that pullout has about a 25% failure rate....or would you say success rate as the babies that come along certainly can't be called "failure."  :)

Karen
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Avatar universal
my girl and i had sex 2 or 3 times without a condom and now she is a week late on her period. were both really worried. she threw up tonight in the middle of the night and i think this might be morning sickness.. im scared to really no for  sure.... what do you think
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Avatar universal
what does everyone think... honestly im 18 and i have never really been scared too bad in my life until now... im freakin out
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Avatar universal
she might be pregnant. you can very much get pregnant by a guy pulling out. it doesnt work. but for a LOT of girls it gets them pregnant

if shes a week late why havent the two of you gotten her a test. its a lot more effective than asking people on the internet. only a test or a doctor will be able to tell you two
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Avatar universal
well ur girl might be pregnant i got pregnant twice like that  so why dont u just get a home pregnancy test...its scary but if u guys are willing to work through it u'll be able to i mean i am making it with two kids and im single.....did i mention i am only 19
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Avatar universal
the pull out method works if used properly....i know alot of ppl that have been together for a long time and thats the only method they use and dont get pregnant until they decide to and i also want to know how long it takes to get ur period after breastfeeding cuz it's been six months since i last breastfed and i still havent gotten it
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Avatar universal
I didn't get my period until my baby started eating solids, I think coz he was depending less on the milk and I was producing less so my hormones started working. I am sure everyones a little different, but that has been my experience
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Avatar universal
I agree with gooberwatts.  I think that the pull out method needs to be explained in much greater detail before we can assign a measure of effectiveness to it.  The problem seems to be that some men are good at it and some are not and so the measure of success seems to be based more on how much a typical man has enough self control rather than how good the method is when executed properly.  

My wife and I have successfully used this method for years.  One thing I do is make sure I pull out early enough and masturbate to ejaculation.  Early enough in my book means at least ten seconds.  Another tip that I'd like to offer is that the man ejaculate on a regular basis (at least every other day).  This helps keeps the sperm count low enough so that when he does actually engage in sex that there is little to no sperm available to begin with.  Men have various refractory periods in which they build enough sperm to actually create a pregnancy.  Obviously the more often a man ejaculates the lower his sperm count is at any given moment.  A sure recipe for disaster is waiting for your wife to get in the mood (which can take days or weeks) and then finally having sex with a dangerously high sperm count.

Anyway, I hope this helps - it's been good for us.
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Avatar universal
the pull out method is not effective.
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Avatar universal
The pull-out method is 75% safe assuming the man has some experience with it, normal pre-ejaculatory fluid, and a high sperm count. Of course, if his sperm count is particularly low or his pre-ejaculatory fluid is particulary spermless, which can happen (rarely), then it's much safer.
But anyway, what this 75% effectiveness thing means is that if you have sex with a woman at the right time of the month, the male's pre-ejaculate is potent, and you pull-out, you have a 1 in 4 chance of getting the girl pregnant in every one instance. That means after 4 times, you statistically should've gotten the girl pregnant.
Many who report success over a long period of time usually know how to "cheat" this system. Someone gave some tips (masturbating regularly to keep sperm count low, and a woman suggested having sex at a very particular time of the month). Those who keep in mind these suggestions will have a much better chance.
But the pull-out method doesn't protect against STI's, and isn't as effective as using a condom correctly. Please consider deeply before using this method... If you don't do it just right, and many don't, you'll end up like FIVE of my female friends, with babies at 15, 17, 18, 17, and 20. Also, at least one of them has herpes. So keep this in mind. The pull-out method straight up is the least safe form of contraception.
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