I used birth control and I have 6 kids -

[hedgehog]

I used it when first married until we paid off our mortgage so I could be a stay at home Mom. I used it after 2 miscarriages until the doctor gave me the go-ahead to get pregnant again. I used it after the birth of my last child at age 40 because of the abrupt rise in the risk of Down syndrome after age 40. Also, my husband commented recently that he thinks I would have had serious health issues if I'd gone through another pregnancy. A few years after my last child, my husband took the responsibility of getting a vasectomy.

So, birth control allowed me to raise my six kids and be here for them as they grew up. Without it, I might not have made it to age 35. Without it, I couldn't have been a good mother for my kids.

[lunatica]

1. I used birth control to be a good mother too

And so as never to have to decide whether I should have an abortion due to age or not being able to care for more children.

[HockeyMom]

2. Rush doesn't seem to know that mothers use BC

I guess in HIS situation it wouldn't be necessary.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. This works every time

[IMG][/IMG]

[treestar]

3. Right wingers never apply common sense

Or picture things like that.

It's like their person who gets an abortion - always someone doing it for as frivolous a reason as they can think of, with not actual case of the occurrence.

So they picture good looking college girls as the only ones needing birth control.

[vixengrl]

4. I think it's good to point out that it's been called "Family Planning"

for a reason. My mom reminded me today that she used it to space out births between my brother and me b/c I was a difficult prgnancy. I decided in my thirties that having a baby at this point in my life wouldn't be good for me or for any child I woud have. It's about reponsibility and health of women and their children. I also don't think the social conservatives quite grasp that our reproductive organs are just like any other internal organs and can require contraception as a medicine.

I resent that they want to send us to Sunday school when they are in need of sex ed!

[swimboy]

29. Brilliant

Great to respond to Repubs and ask why they are opposed to family planning.

[virgogal]

6. Me too,but I then went the tube tying route.

[enough]

7. Thanks hedgehog. This is why their slut crusade is so infuriating, and why it's

finally mobilizing people.

[Brickbat]

8. I first used birth control when I was engaged.

Because we weren't married and I wasn't employed and so didn't have insurance, I went to Planned Parenthood and they got me on the Pill. We knew we didn't want kids for awhile. I went off it when we were ready. We had two, and now we're done. We can't afford and, frankly, don't want more. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

K&R for an honest and powerful thread. Thanks for starting it, Hedgehog.

[left on green only]

9. I'm a retired dude

and I've used it for my entire life because our tiny planet doesn't need any more hungry mouths to feed. And that should be reason enough. It's not like anybody ever needs to justify such a private and personal decision with any other person or group. To do so turns it into an apology anyway, I would think.

[TBF]

10. So many similar stories of women who plan -

which of course is the problem for men like Rush who would rather have men in charge of all decisions. I used birth control initially due to cramping, then off and on when I was a young professional (and with my schedule and travel there was far less "slutting around" than Rush likes to imagine), and finally to prevent any more children after 40 when I finally did marry (my 2 children were born in my late 30s). And now I take medication for my arthritis that is very strong and I am advised not to attempt another pregnancy (not that I would at this age ...).

And we shouldn't even have to tell these stories. Women should determine what happens to/with their own bodies. That's the bottom line.

[all american girl]

11. I used bc before I before I met my husband, because I was being responsible

After getting married, I was still on the pill. After a couple years we had a kid. I didn't want another kid, so back to bc. I was fine with one, but when the boy was 3 1/2, I wanted another. My kids are 5 years apart, and I'm happy. I knew after having my son that it wasn't in me to have a lot of kids.

Also to all those fools that think all bc pills are the same...let me tell you a little story...my hubby is in the army. At one point we were stationed in Japan. The clinic on post didn't carry my bc pills, so the doctor had me try a different kind. No problem, but there was. One day my two year old son was being two, you know, annoying. I wanted to throw he against the wall...I mean could see myself doing it. This wasn't just being annoyed, I had to stop myself, leave the room, and put myself in a time out. I stopped taking the pill and moved the Depo Prevera shot...life was great.

[Odin2005]

12. SIX kids? In this overpopulated world?

One is enough!

[susanr516]

13. That's the great thing about choice, Odin

Each of us has the right to choose the number of children we bring into the world. Many people choose to have no children. Others opt for larger families.

[joshcryer]

14. C'mon, Odin2005, US fertility rate is flat.

[madinmaryland]

17. And that is a problem???

[joshcryer]

19. The developed world doesn't create the population growth.

In some areas of the developed world population growth (from children being born) is actually negative.

I'm just saying, that sort of criticism is misplaced, sure, someone might have 6 kids, my mom had 5. These days it's not even an issue, because for every mother having 6 kids there are 6 having none or maybe having one.

[kestrel91316]

15. Lots of people never have any, like me. I think larger families

may have advantages over singlets. People from larger families have to learn to share and get along.

Fine with me, as long as the overall trend is not growth.

[hedgehog]

16. I think different families have different numbers of kids - OR NONE!

I know people who are child free and they have made the right choice. If I had had 1 kid, I would probabaly have driven that kid crazy! Among my siblings we have me, one with two adopted children, one with no children, one with three and one with a blended family. It's all good!

[Odin2005]

18. I didn't mean to insult you, if I did I'm sorry.

I was just surprised.

[hedgehog]

22. No sweat - I think the important point was made above -

in fact, as far as i know, Native born Americans are reproducing below replacement rate. I suspect world wide we will soon see a population drop if women are allowed to make their own decisions. Having kids is a choice - I really think that you do have to give up something for every kid you have. In this world, I'm very glad that women who don't want kids feel free to make that choice, and people like me can make my choice. It's better for everyone all around.

The funny thing - I have cousins who came from a family of 14, and I don't think one of them has over three kids!

Also - for what it's worth - each one of my kids is out there working at or studying to be working at something to help people or the environment - engineers, environmental planners, community developer, and maybe a physician.

[Odin2005]

28. Heh, I have trouble taking care of my cute brat of a 5yo nephew when...

...I babysit him, having 6 of my own is out of the question!

[hedgehog]

30. But trust me - as an uncle, you're apt to find yourself

a very important person in his life at some point. It really does take a village! I am more grateful to my kids' high school teachers than they will ever know, especially a certain Gay music instructor!

[babylonsister]

26. Are you scolding someone for having children? Who do you think YOU are? nt

[SmellyFeet]

27. +1. One is enough.

And, all of these people defending someone having six are ignoring the fact that the world is dying and can't handle more people. I thought this place was for informed Democrats.

The world is quickly on a path to not being inhabitable. I thought everyone here was smart to have to know that FACT. I guess not.

[FLAprogressive]

31. I think people should be allowed to have as many children as they want....

[Gregorian]

33. It's highly irresponsible.

We're all living on this planet together. One of the greatest impacts on the planet is having children (in this modern society). But those of us who see, and who care, don't have a say. To speak out is to be a careless, unkind person. But words are wasted here. Some just don't see.

[Kath1]

20. I admire that!

Good for you. Family planning is a good thing. Birth control is a good thing. Too bad we have to fight for it in 2012!

[Lugnut]

21. I used birth control and I have 2 kids.

I used it following our marriage so we could get most of the bills paid from establishing a new home. We agreed that we'd like to have two children if we could and that's how many we could responsibly raise in our newly built three bedroom cottage. Three years after our second child was born I had my tubes tied. My husband had to sign off on my surgery before I had the procedure done in 1974.

In 1974 I was little more than a possession. I couldn't establish my own credit without a cosigner. I couldn't be the sole owner of the home I lived in even though I was working part-time and contributing to the mortgage payment.

[Omaha Steve]

23. We had an oops with BC

K&R!

OS

[Selatius]

24. Remarkable that you had six kids. Your life must be full and happy. However,

for myself I chose a long time ago to forego having children at all. The more I experienced of the world, the more I came to realize that bringing children into this environment would, in the most probable estimate, place them to an existence where problems of climate change and resource depletion become ever bigger problems with increasing human population, and the thought of any one of them dying in a needless war for some rich man's mistake frankly angers me. The most conservative estimates already place climate change of +2 degrees Celsius by 2100, which is a devastating amount of global warming. I frankly don't really want to see what kind of world we'll leave our kids with that level of global warming. I don't believe we should bring kids into this world if we can't even be good enough stewards of the planet with the current people on it.

Having said that, I don't favor taking away the choice from others. I only favor educating people on the facts of the situation and then letting them decide on their own with the hope that eventually mankind will come back into balance with the planet's resources. Avoiding devastating climate change is virtually a lost cause at this point, but perhaps we could also learn to come into balance with the new weather paradigms that such a dramatic change in global climate will entail.

I'm content enough as it is learning from fellow people and neighbors, traveling to places, meeting new people, and helping those along the way who need helping. I've seen many wonderful things and many terrible things, and I've had a lot of fun along the way in the meantime and a lot of heartache and soul-searching. I'm still trying to find myself, and I think possibly that finding oneself is a lifelong process. I find that to be enough without having children.

[hedgehog]

25. I sincerely congratulate you for doing what you need to do and ignoring

societal pressure to conform with the required 2.5 children! I think we need all kinds of people, and hope that comes across without a trace of snark. I have known large families that were miserable, and small families that were heavenly, so it's not the numbers that are important but that people figure out what their path should be and follow it!

[davsand]

32. We have one child and birth control was something that was not optional.

I was 37 when I delivered our daughter. It was a choice. We got married because we wanted a family, and our daughter was a chosen pregnancy. No way was I ready for parenthood any earlier in my life, and realizing that/acting on that was the best possible choice for us and for our child. I think maybe our experience was not typical, however, because I am not able to take the pill without side effects. Barrier methods are not the most reliable in actual use, but when coupled with fertility awareness they are an acceptable level of protection against unchosen pregnancy. I'm not talking about "calender contraception" or the rythm method, but actual fertility awareness/mucus testing. It isn't for everyone, but it worked for us and that is all that really counts in the end run. After our daughter was born the docs said, "Don't do that again!" and given the issues I was probably gonna face with another pregnancy, we agreed.

I think part of the reason I have such a visceral response to Limbo and all the other fundies is because these same folks who want to demean women for using contraceptives will go out of thier way to be certain that women never learn how avoid pregnancy even if it is natural family planning (and actually acceptable to even the most rigid of Papists.) It isn't enough that they fight about the pill or diaphragm. It isn't enough that they hate the availability of OTC barrier methods or even abortion. They have a genuine issue with any woman being able to decide the occupancy of her uterus and that just is not acceptable. We are not brood mares to be kept pregnant for profit, and those folks refuse to see it.

I figure they are gonna flap their gums about contraception until the sun refuses to rise. I also figure people will keep on having sex for as long as there are people. Those are both givens. It is another given that I have taught my daughter about natural family planning as a back up--just in case the day ever comes when she can't buy contraceptives or access health care.

No woman should ever be without a choice. Ever.



Laura

[hedgehog]

34. I think deep down this is something that goes back to the Roman Empire -

the fear that if our wimmin don't breed, we'll be overrun buy the barbarians. The irony is that today it's the descendants of the barbarians worrying about their "barbarians".

In this country, we have the Pat Buchanans worrying about the fall of the White Man. In Europe they talk about being overrun by the Caliphate.