My Experience with Birth Control Part 2- The IUD
I decided I wanted to share my experience with contraceptives with this series “My Experience with Birth Control”. You can check out the Part 1: The Pill here. My story is not one that is unique and I hope that in sharing it, it will remove stigma, bring awareness, and encourages young womxn to ask questions, seek all the information thats available, and know ALL the options and can make their own empowered choices.
Hope you follow along, learn, get inspired, and enjoy ✨
Part 2- The IUD: Why I got it, why I had it removed, and what I wish I knew before
Why I chose the IUD
After 3 years of being on several versions of the pill, I knew it wasn’t working for me. First off, I can’t believe it took me 3 years to make that decision. In retrospect I can identify so many side effects I was experiencing that I never connected to the birth control I was on. I can say with certainty now that a lot of the mood swings I was experiencing were definitely exacerbated by the pill. Sadly, I didn’t even know this was a side effect and spent many years blaming myself for the mood swings and strong emotions I was experiencing. At this point, I started to look into the IUD. I liked that it had lower levels of hormones released only in the uterus and that there was a lower risk of the many side-effects the pill causes.
I know now that when it comes to birth control, every single one has its risks, and I was just trading one set of risks for another. The truth is that my tolerance for different risks and side effects changed as I learned more, grew up, and as my life circumstances changed.
My experience with the IUD
If I’m being 100% honest, I actually had a good experience with the IUD. I am glad that I was compelled to go out of my way to do research on the best option for that point in my life. For some women getting the IUD placed is very painful but luckily mine didn’t hurt any more than normal cramps. After getting it placed, I spotted for a few weeks and I stopped bleeding all together (spotting and periods) after 3 moths. I basically didn’t think about my period for 5 whole years. I remember liking the lack of bleeding which was strange since I have always approached life more naturally. I would tell friends how amazing it was to not have to “deal with my period”. There was so much I didn’t know then. Periods aren’t something you “deal with”, it’s a MAJOR tool that is under-appreciated and misunderstood. Anyway, about 2 years into having my IUD, a friend said something that shifted my perspective. She said:
“I could never be on a form of birth control that takes away my bleeding. Bleeding gives me peace of mind, relief, and I like knowing that my body is working the way its supposed to”
Something deep inside me agreed with her but I continued to justify my decision. This justification was even easier when I got into a committed relationship and was sexually active. I was relieved I didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant when I wasn’t ready and like I said before, I didn’t know a lot at this point so I made the best choice for me with the information and education I had at that time.
Still, the seed planted by that beloved friend was slowly growing. Something inside me wondered if I was doing the right thing FOR ME. I was still telling myself and others I was on birth control to regulate my inconsistent periods and severe cramps. But was this truth I had been telling myself for almost 10 years still true? I didn’t know. I knew that it had been almost a decade since I even knew what my cycle was like. How could I know after shutting down my reproductive and many parts of my endocrine system?
“Something inside me wondered if I was doing the right thing FOR ME”
Removing my IUD
As my 5 years on the IUD were coming to an end, I allowed myself to wonder if my body had changed, were my hormones different now compared to before I got on birth control? What if there is something wrong and I have been ignoring the signs all along? I was curious about my body and my cycle and what it would do if it went undisturbed. It felt like it was a friend I had lost long ago and my curiosity to get to know her was slowly coming back.
So I had a conversation. First with myself and then with my partner. I knew I wanted to get off birth control all together to become re-acquainted with my womanhood and with my body. It was also important for me to take this step WITH my partner. Although what I do with my body is always 100% MY decision, I wanted to include him in the process because this change would be affecting both of us. I brought him into the conversation and explained what my plans were. We talked about what it meant for our sex life, the risks, and whether we were willing to deal with the consequences of those risks. I explained that I needed his support and I wanted both of us to be educated on the subject. I am grateful that he has been supportive and curious every step of the way.
I made an appointment to get my IUD removed a few months out and spent that time educating myself. My plan was to get back on birth control once my body rested and I found my baseline again but my journey lead me in a different direction. Stay tuned for the last part of this series to find out what type of birth control I chose after the IUD and am still using today!
disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor do I provide any medical advice but if you are thinking about getting BC, if you want to switch the type of BC your’e currently on, or if you want to get off it, talk to your physician or OBGYN and come prepared with your body/self understanding, lots and lots of questions, and willingness to have a conversation. If you need someone to bounce ideas off of, I’m your girl! I can help get you the resources you need to make the best choice for you. If you want to talk more head over to my contact page here.