I used Nuva Ring and loved it! no weight gain and no mood swings.
im going to talk to my obgyn about progestin only pills. i just dont trust condoms. only 86% effective. they can break, slip off etc..... scares me too much. mostly because my niece is an example of the effectiveness of condoms lol.
I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but I believe the best alternative to pills are condoms. I hate condoms, so I started using birth control; method of choice being Yasmin pills. I really liked jasmin, but they stopped the sale of it and I would forget to take them. As a result, I begin to use the Nueva Ring. The ring was definitely convenient but the after affect was unpleasant. I feel like the Nueva Ring caused me to gain lots of weight, for the first time I have acne (I never had acne throughout high school), my cycle is heavier and longer, and worse of all I have more discharge then ever before. Sometimes half way through the day I feel like I started my cycle, but it's only discharge. I checked with my dr and it was normal (no infections). I finally came to the conclusion that when abstinences isn't an option, condoms should be the only alternative. But if it makes you feel better, your body may respond differently than mines...
I hope this helps...
i am on yaz right now. yaz is whats causing all this. i was on yasmin, then ortho now yaz and its only gotten worse. :( i feel like a big fat cow with acne. and i feel like im having all my awkward teenage years in my twenties. lol.
there is also the ring...it drove me nuts, literally...but different strokes for different folks...after you get it in there where it's supposed to be, it doesnt bother your hub/FI/bf/roomate(whichever applies lol)...i think it has an even lower dose, due to it being in there for 3 weeks straight...
If IUD is not affordable for you, you might talk to your doctor about a bc pill called Yaz. It is not a high estrogen pill and it can help with weight, acne and mood swings.