"Pulling Out" vs. Condoms

[Anonymous]

We will continue to use condoms until my husband gets a vasectomy. I'm sure he'd rather pull out, but my sister used that method...and my nephew turns three next week!!!!

[Anonymous]

We used condoms in between children and after our last until we decided to have no more, then DH had a vasectomy. Pulling out is sure to result in accidental pregnancy - how ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

So this is TMI but I can't help thinking about it because of this topic... before we had kids, we "pulled out" for years. Thing is, I have a really, really deep 'inny' belly button that would act like a reservoir. I always hoped I was getting everything out when I took a shower the next day but I never really knew.

In about the 7th month of my first pregnancy, much to my surprise, my very deep inny started to become an outty. I kid you not, as my belly button continued to pop out, so did a 1/4 inch plug of rock hard something... DNA, perhaps? I have not let my DH pull out since then!

[Anonymous]

coitus interruptus gave us a babius.

that's how we got our surprise last winter.

[Anonymous]

Agree pulling out is not reliable.

I know exactly when I'm ovulating every month, problem without that is when you know the day you are ovulating that means if you had unprotected sex within a few days you could have started the process of conception. I guess if they are pulling out and doing charting, temping, etc. but that seems like a lot of work.

I wonder if we are the only couple that does "other things" a lot more than sex. The truth is, with a 14 month old and at least a year or two before we try for #2, I'm not entirely comfortable with sex, condoms or not. So we really only do it (with condoms) at very safe times (like right before or right after a period).

[Anonymous]

One reason pulling out doesn't work is that some semen is released before the man actually ejaculates. You're taking your chances.

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I'm all for pulling out as a reliable birth control method-according to my mother, I wouldn't even be here right now if not for this method. I also work in childcare and when I see pregnant women I see Benjamins!!!! Couples, keep using pulling out for BC(unless you are unmarried and doing it in the backseat of a car-there is actually a 98% fail rate in this particular circumstance).

[Anonymous]

OP Here. Don't worry, I wasn't thinking of switching to my friends' method. I was just feeling like the only person on the planet who used condoms. I agree that they are not perfect, but honestly they don't really bother me that much.

That's why I was surprised when not one or two but several friends admitted to the "pulling out" method. I've debated going back on birth control, but can't decide if its worth it for the 6-9 months before we TTC again. Once we're done for good, DH will get the snip-snip.

[Anonymous]

When I was a late teen and ready to go off to college, my mom was asking me what I knew about birth control. I started listing the methods I knew and came to "the pulling out" method. She told me "yes. I have 2 of those playing out in the backyard" (referring to 2 of my siblings).

When I decided to become sexually active, it was condoms all the way for me, baby!

[Anonymous]

This is so silly. How can a group of largely educated women be so ignorant about pulling out? It has been studied time and time again and if the man is consistently pulling out before ejaculation, then the failure rate of the withdrawal method is not significantly different than the failure rate of condoms.

For the record, I have been using the withdrawal method with my man for 10 years without a single pregnancy. It works just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So this is TMI but I can't help thinking about it because of this topic... before we had kids, we "pulled out" for years. Thing is, I have a really, really deep 'inny' belly button that would act like a reservoir. I always hoped I was getting everything out when I took a shower the next day but I never really knew.

In about the 7th month of my first pregnancy, much to my surprise, my very deep inny started to become an outty. I kid you not, as my belly button continued to pop out, so did a 1/4 inch plug of rock hard something... DNA, perhaps? I have not let my DH pull out since then!

Okay, so now I'm 15, but Eeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

[Anonymous]

am i the only one who's surprised that there are so many using condoms? i'm assuming this is because the condom users aren't on birth control.

i thought everyone used birth control!

[Anonymous]

I know it's old fashioned but it's the diaphragm for me.

[Anonymous]

We use condoms. I don't want to go back on the pill. I'll gain another 10 pounds if I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it's old fashioned but it's the diaphragm for me.

I think the diaphragm is very underrated.