HBC & Breast size question

[psycho-lola.livejournal.com]

So my problem is that I am in a new relationship with a guy and we have had sex a couple of times already and our only form of protection was condoms. I don't really trust myself not being on anything else and only using condoms though, I find it a big turn off just to worry if anything will go wrong (the condom tearing or slipping off, ect.) and as much as I am very horny and I'm very attracted to my boyfriend, I feel like having those worries stop me from having as much 'fun' as I could have. I have taken HBC once before, I was on Diane-35 for acne problems and, although it cleared up my acne and gave me beautiful skin, all the rest went wrong. I didn't gain all that much weight, only about 10 pounds, but it's in the bust that I had problems: I gained quite a few cup sizes in a year. I started at a 36C, which I consider is not small in my opinion, and went up to a 32F (which is about a 36DD if I'm not mistaken) but my bra was getting a bit small so I guess I was up to a 32G (36E). The thing is that I have always hated large breasts and have grown up in fear of having large ones some day : my mom had told me once that they would probably be big, because a lot of women in my family are large breasted, but I used to reassure myself by thinking that it wasn't possible because I was slim and those women weren't, but I didn't know that being overweight or not doesn't change anything. When I got fed up and way too depressed with myself, I quit the pill and I lost those 10 pounds in about a week and it's been 10 months since then and I'm currently 5'6", 115 pounds and wearing a 32D (which I still consider big, but acceptable for me). I told myself then that I would never ever go on HBC again, by fear of having to go through all of that again. I cannot count the amount of time I spent crying, isolating myself and keeping myself from doing things I used to love, like working out and shopping for clothes, because of my large breasts. I'm sure anyone who has large breasts and is uncomfortable with them can understand me on that.

I had been thinking of getting a IUD, but I'm hesitating because of the fact that I'm still young (I just turned 17), that it can take a long time before I get an appointment to get it put in, and because I don't think I want to stop myself from having sex until then, and the first problem I mentionned with me not being able to 'let go' during intercourse because of the risks and the worries wouldn't make it very pleasurable neither for me or my boyfriend. So I've also considered trying HBC again, but a kind with a lower dose of hormones, like my doctor wanted me to try out instead. But I don't entirely trust that either, because my doctor had said that after 3 months HBC didn't continue to make breasts 'grow' and it's funny how they kept growing but stopped and became MUCH smaller when I quit Diane-35! Another problem that HBC could help is that my acne is coming back a little (but not nearly as much) and my periods are extremely irregular.

My final question is: has anyone who has gone through the same thing as me (breast size increasing due to HBC) tried with a different kind and has NOT experienced breast growth?

Comments

[everlastinggoo.livejournal.com]

I've never experienced breast growth with HBC (mine actually got a big bigger when I went off the pill, but I wasn't complaining because I'm still just a sad little b cup), so I'd definitely recommend trying something else. Unfortunately, it's just trial and error until you find what works for you.

For what it's worth, I have an IUD and LOVE it. And doctor's have been getting more and more open to giving them to women of all ages. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[psycho-lola.livejournal.com]

Did the IUD change anything with your periods, as in regularity or making them lighter/heavier? My periods are getting bad lately and they tend to be quite heavy somtimes, so if an IUD really makes it worse (because I read that it can) I'm not sure it's for me.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

It really depends on the type. If you get a copper, your periods tend to get heavier, longer, or both. Some people on iud_divas reported no change or even a reduction in volume, but if you want a nonhormonal iud, you need to be prepared for more blood, not less. With the hormonal iud, progesterone-only Mirena, the majority of women experience basically no period after a year. During that first year, there is great variation in bleeding, but you're unlikely to have more blood than you did pre-hbc.

Regarding breast size and the Mirena, I didn't notice an increase in cup size when I got on the Nuva Ring, but I went down a cup (or down a band, really, and my boobs changed shape) when I switched to the Mirena. It's been seven months and just recently I noticed my breasts had regained some of their plumpness. The switch temporarily deflated them, I guess. Of the new bras I got after the switch, 3/4 still fit. (The one never fit well to begin with.) The Mirena is very low hormone, so you may not notice an increase in size.

[everlastinggoo.livejournal.com]

I've only had mine for a month, so I can't say for definite, but my period was definitely no worse than it was when I wasn't on any HBC. It was actually pretty similar to when I was on the pill. I have some spotting going on, but I was warned that that's normal and should settle out in time.

A copper IUD (Paragard) can make periods wores, Mirenas usually help make them lighter or go away entirely. If you haven't already been pointed in that direction, check out iud_divas. It's full of all sorts of information about both types of IUDs and has answers to just about every question you can think of. I spent a ton of time there before deciding on my IUD.

[djonma.livejournal.com]

Just a thought.. are you sure it was the HBC causing breast growth?
At your age, and the age you were when your breasts were growing... they would be growing anyway.
Especially with the fact that a lot of women in your family are large breasted.

I do totally understand you on the breast thing though; mine are so large I now have to wear maternity bras. They've continued growing with and without HBC, and I'm 29, so not really sure the HBC had anything to do with it. They just keep growing. (Hopefully yours won't!!)

[djonma.livejournal.com]

Oh gah knew I forgot something!

IUDs... they do not like giving them to people who have not had a baby.
This is because they have to open the cervix a bit, to get the IUD in.
I had one as late emergency contraception when I was 19ish.. no babies... they only did it because it was emergency contraception really.
It hurt like HELL!

If your periods are still really irregular at 17, and your breasts are being weird, I'd suggest asking to see a Gynae. It could be there's something else hormonal going on there.

[archangelbeth]

It's not the cervix, so much as the size of the uterus. A uterus that has had a resident for several months is more likely to have room for an IUD without pushing it out, than a uterus that has never had to change to accommodate something that big.

But if the uterus is big enough, an IUD should work fine.

(And I suggest an endocrinologist for irregular cycles, actually -- thyroid checks, insulin resistance checks... A lazy gyno may just try to throw HBC at someone to make the bleeding regular. An endo should want to know if there is an underlying cause, first.)

[djonma.livejournal.com]

Ah sorry, I thought they talked about having to pry open the cervix... it was a long time ago and I've had a LOT of opiates since then!

I know it did hurt.

[archangelbeth]

Yeah, I think some doctors prefer to do the insertions during a period, when the cervix is more open, and many cervixes are permanently a little more "open" after childbirth (though some are "parous" even without having ever had kids, and some are "nulliparous" even after having had kids!), which may help with the discomfort -- but it's mostly in the "if the uterus is too short, the IUD won't stay in, and could cause damage" category.

Taking pain killers prior to insertion, and after, is probably a good idea! (Check with the doctor for which ones are okay, of course, if one has an appointment for an insertion.)

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

The OP's cup size did go down after quitting hbc.
I don't know what Diane's hormone level was like, OP, but you might have better luck on a low dose pill, such as the NuvaRing. And your breasts will continue to change size (both up and down!) throughout your lifetime. It sounds like you're wearing proper bras and not trying to stuff yourself into a too-small cup because that's what's available. For us big-titted ladies, that's a life skill. Knowing how to fit a bra is important to any bra wearer, but particularly essential for larger cups.

Unfortunately for your adolescent hopes, thin women can totally have large breasts. Check out thirty_twod (thirtytwo_d?) for support, tips and ranting. But definitely also return to your doc with archangelbeth's advice. There are enough bc options out there that you can probably find someting that works for you. Change doctors if you have to!

[psycho-lola.livejournal.com]

I thought of trying a low dose pill this time and see if I'm alright with it. For bras I'm more than alright, as I buy them in boutiques that have pretty much every bra size under the sun. They are more expensive, but they fit and are very comfortable. I have taken care of my breasts a lot when they were growing/shrinking, so they are in good 'shape', if you can say it that way. And anyway, back then I found that a good bra that fits made my breasts seem smaller!

Now I'm considering maybe changing doctor, or just going for a second advice. My doctor doesn't seem to think that there could be a link between HBC and breast growth, but it was kind of obvious in my situation.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

If the doc is dismissing you and you want a second opinion, go seek one out!

[six-dollar-baby.livejournal.com]

i've been on three HBCs (Depo, Ortho-Tricyclen, and Ortho-Tricyclen Lo) and the only one that caused weight gain or breast growth was the Depo shot. Definitely look around for the right HBC for you and your body chemistry- everyone reacts differently to different meds.

[psycho-lola.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's true, they say that you have often have to try a couple of times before you find the right pill for you. I hope I will find one sometime too, as in the right method for me. The Depo shot didn't really interest me as it was a high (I think?) dose of hormones all at once. I have a friend who used it and it was the only thing that worked for her after she tried pill after pill, but I'm scared it wouldn't be for me anyway.