I finally started getting my periods again since getting the paragard put in. It's good to know that I'm not infertile. I'm jealous of R's wife. I want to stay home and have babies. Sort of.
How long ago did you get your Paragard? I have one too, since June 2008. I hope there will be little posababies running around someday, but not anytime soon!
My IUD story is in the SLR archives. I have experienced only expected side effects - heavier periods (but they do not last as long) and PMS as my body "withdrew" from the Pill and NuvaRing. I have never been pregnant so it took me a few rounds of being rejected as a candidate before I FINALLY found my clinician at Planned Parenthood who agreed that it was the best option for me.
If for whatever reason you are not monogamous, be sure and use a condom as an IUD can complicate things if you get an STD. Otherwise, worry not - the IUD is as safe and effective hormone-free way to enjoy a carefree sex life.
My periods have regulated to a 27-29 day cycle, in touch with the Full Moon with one exception (2 periods in a month) which my doctor attributed to stress.
About mid-cycle, you can expect to start ovulating again, which feels like a little pinch on whatever side is the active ovary that month. It feels good to be in control of your fertility, doesn't it? And the best part is that when you decide to conceive, you can do so right away once it's removed by your doc or NP. I understand that's not as painful as the insertion.
Nobody in the medical field knows why the IUD is so effective, but I like a little mystery here and there, and I'm happy I got mine.
Hooray for safe and effective contraception!
My IUD story is in the SLR archives. I have experienced only expected side effects - heavier periods (but they do not last as long) and PMS as my body "withdrew" from the Pill and NuvaRing. I have never been pregnant so it took me a few rounds of being rejected as a candidate before I FINALLY found my clinician at Planned Parenthood who agreed that it was the best option for me.
If for whatever reason you are not monogamous, be sure and use a condom as an IUD can complicate things if you get an STD. Otherwise, worry not - the IUD is as safe and effective hormone-free way to enjoy a carefree sex life.
My periods have regulated to a 27-29 day cycle, in touch with the Full Moon with one exception (2 periods in a month) which my doctor attributed to stress.About mid-cycle, you can expect to start ovulating again, which feels like a little pinch on whatever side is the active ovary that month. It feels good to be in control of your fertility, doesn't it? And the best part is that when you decide to conceive, you can do so right away once it's removed by your doc or NP. I understand that's not as painful as the insertion.
Nobody in the medical field knows why the IUD is so effective, but I like a little mystery here and there, and I'm happy I got mine.
Hooray for safe and effective contraception!
That's funny b/c at the clinic I had it done in, they were very upbeat and proud to offer the paragard as an option to me. I had mine put in in August and had a "mini-period" in November, and had a real one this month. I bled for 5 weeks the last month I was on hormones (the patch), so my gyno told me maybe my body is recovering from all that blood loss and it was probably stress, too (and I weighed nothing).
She told me about the IUD causing STD complications too; turns out I had a freak pap though- the HPV test was negative! :D
She told me about the IUD causing STD complications too; turns out I had a freak pap though- the HPV test was negative! :D
^Weight loss is known to affect menstrual cycles; if you have lost a significant amount of weight, your period may stop altogether. That it has returned is a sign of health and your body seeking its own level.
The reason my clinician gave me when I asked her why more women don't get IUDs and why I had to try other methods first was that Big Pharma has a vested interest in trying to sell name brand BC pills. I generally saw private OB-GYNs previous to Planned Parenthood, and an IUD was considered "elective" under the health insurance I had at the time so I'd have had to pay ~$800 to get one. My insurance would have covered an abortion or full pregnancy expenses. WTF?
As it turned out, I qualified for a state-administered program that is in the long term much less costly to taxpayers than me having an abortion or a baby, neither of which I was/am ready to do. I got it for free and made a generous donation to PP as my thanks. I continue to support them and believe they provide an immensely valuable service to women. They are true professionals.
The reason my clinician gave me when I asked her why more women don't get IUDs and why I had to try other methods first was that Big Pharma has a vested interest in trying to sell name brand BC pills. I generally saw private OB-GYNs previous to Planned Parenthood, and an IUD was considered "elective" under the health insurance I had at the time so I'd have had to pay ~$800 to get one. My insurance would have covered an abortion or full pregnancy expenses. WTF?
As it turned out, I qualified for a state-administered program that is in the long term much less costly to taxpayers than me having an abortion or a baby, neither of which I was/am ready to do. I got it for free and made a generous donation to PP as my thanks.
I continue to support them and believe they provide an immensely valuable service to women. They are true professionals.
I got mine at planned parenthood even though I had health insurance because they are so chill and non-judgemental! I LOVE PP! They even sent me a random (refund) check in the mail, so I ended up getting mine for free, too, though I'm not sure why!? It IS nice to feel my real hormonal clock again.