Berkeley Parents Network: Tubal Ligation

Berkeley Parents Network

Tubal Ligation

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Parenting, Families, & the Community > Birth Control > Tubal Ligation

Considering having my tubes tied

January 2003

Hi all: I'm considering having my tubes tied for birth control purposes. I'm almost 48 and do not want any more children (I have 2, that's plenty! :-). It seems that this could be a permanent solution, and that I would no longer have to worry about birth control, no muss, no fuss, no worrying about what hormones or an IUD might be doing to me...what a concept!. Anybody have any pros, cons, advice - experiences, risks of the procdure, etc.

I'm thinking of tubal ligation after having my second baby. I just wonder if other people have any bad experience after having tubal ligation? Like hormonal change, mens. disturbance, hairy skin.......

I had a tubal ligation when I was 36. There were zero complications. I was told it was much easier to have the proceedure done shortly after giving birth as the tubes are closer to the surface (or something like that.) In any case that is what I did. Physically, my body continued to function completly normally, that was very nice. Okay, here was the mental side: my big fantasy during sex had always been that I was going to get pregnant--even when it was the last thing in the world I really wanted. Before I had the tubal ligation I was worried that sex wouldn't be as exciting if there was zero possibilty of getting pregnant. It turns out the tubal ligation had zero effect on my fantasy. That was VERY nice. I am not going to sign this one because at the time I made my husband swear he would never tell anyone I had a tubal ligation. It must have been part of my fantasy life. In any case, he lived up to his word.

After 2 kids and 10yrs using the IUD, I decided to have a Tubal Ligation when I was 48 YO. It was a good decision, no stress, no mess. The surgical procedure was simple and left a small scar. I am now 60 yo and never regreted the decision.

Vasectomy is a lot less invasive than tubal ligation--you might want to explore that option if you've one partner. Good luck -- Husband to be snipped next month

I had tubal ligation surgery at Alta Bates about 6 weeks after my second baby was born in November 2001. My family was concerned because of my age at the time (28) but I felt very comfortable with my decision. I did a lot of research at the Public Health library, on-line and even spoke to a psychologist before making my decision. Apparently, the women who are the most satisfied with the surgery have 2 or more children,have at least one child of each gender, and are over age 40. Obviously, each situation is unique, but in my case, I had two very difficult pregnancies (complete bed rest for 5 months each)and I had the support of my gynecologist. Our HMO (Health Net through UCB) paid for the surgery without a problem, and it is usually an outpatient surgery. I feel blessed to have a wonderful daughter and son, and I know in my heart that I do not want more children. I could not imagine 25+ more years of hormone pills, shots, creams and patches to prevent another pregnancy. The surgery scar is so tiny that I have to search deep inside of my belly button for a pinhead sized mark. Since the surgery, my periods are lighter and shorter, I have lost over 30 lbs, I no longer have synthetic estrogen produced mood swings,and my husband and I have a wonderful sex life because we no longer have to worry about the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy.

I am 44 and had a tubal ligation after the birth of my second child. It is easiest to do right after a birth because the ovaries are close to the surface. I had to sign paper work a few weeks before the delivery. They operated the next morning after the delivery. It was about a 3in. tranverse incision just above the pubis. They used an epidural but also knocked me out with some kind of drip on my request. I spent a couple hours in recovery until I could feel my legs again. It healed nicely and I haven't noticed any wierd side effects except what you would expect for a woman of my age, probably entering perimenopause. Periods are still normal though irregular, etc. It was well worth it for the peace of mind.

If you've had all the children you want, I say go for it! I had a tubal ligation about 13 years ago. Recovery took a little longer than I expected, but it was OK. My husband and I call it my ''fun little operation'' because it took all the worry out of birth control. -- Still Having Fun

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