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I called my doctor about IUDs and she said I was a candidate for a hormonal one but not copper and that's alright - I'm on hormonal BC pills anyway and was just curious what going off them would be like. Anyway, now I'm wondering whether a Nexplanon is a better choice than an IUD. What exactly are the advantages of a Mirena over a Nexplanon, besides the fact that it lasts longer?
Tshirt Ninja fucked around with this message at 16:04 on May 22, 2013 |
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May 22, 2013 15:59
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Higher chance of not getting periods, lower chance I'd nonstop bleeding.
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May 22, 2013 16:21
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Tshirt Ninja posted:I called my doctor about IUDs and she said I was a candidate for a hormonal one but not copper and that's alright - I'm on hormonal BC pills anyway and was just curious what going off them would be like. Anyway, now I'm wondering whether a Nexplanon is a better choice than an IUD. What exactly are the advantages of a Mirena over a Nexplanon, besides the fact that it lasts longer? Yeah pretty much what Ceridwen said. Mostly it's more likely to give you spotting. A Mirena (or Skyla) also has less hormone than a Nexplanon- a Nexplanon at the very very end of its life doses as much as a Mirena does from the beginning. If you're looking to get away from hormones then a Skyla (3 years) or Mirena (5 years) is better than the implant. Otherwise I think it's up to your squick factor. Oh, and also if you are overweight you should do some looking into whether Nexplanon would even be an option for you. It is less effective on obese women but I don't know what the threshold is.
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May 22, 2013 16:25
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Nope, I'm a healthy weight and squick is not a factor. I think becoming a babyless cyborg via subdermal implant is just about the coolest thing ever, but a uterine one is almost as good. There's definite appeal in lower hormones/less bleeding, so I suppose I'll go ahead with the IUD in July. Thanks 
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May 22, 2013 16:31
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Tshirt Ninja posted:Nope, I'm a healthy weight and squick is not a factor. I think becoming a babyless cyborg via subdermal implant is just about the coolest thing ever, but a uterine one is almost as good. There's definite appeal in lower hormones/less bleeding, so I suppose I'll go ahead with the IUD in July. Thanks No problem. Please post a trip report
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May 22, 2013 16:35
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Yeah, the lower hormone thing was definitely a factor for me in choosing Mirena over the implant. Been about two and a half weeks and everything's going good so far! Minus all the spotting, but that's to be expected. I do have a really goofy question though. Has anybody had Mirena negatively affect their sex drive? It seems like everybody here said they had more of a sex drive on Mirena vs higher hormone methods. However, mine is still really screwed up, even though I quit the medicine I thought was the problem (SSRI) about three weeks ago, and I was hoping things would have evened out after I did that. I guess there are tons of other factors in my life aside from that and Mirena that could be causing the problems, though. Just wanted to see what other people's experiences were on that side of things.
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May 22, 2013 21:57
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I've heard of some women having problems with libido with Mirena. Then again like you said it could be other factors and maybe three weeks isn't enough time for all the side effects of the medication to wear off? I know it takes a while to get on and off SSRIs.
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May 23, 2013 00:23
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ExpletiveDeleted posted:Yeah, the lower hormone thing was definitely a factor for me in choosing Mirena over the implant. Been about two and a half weeks and everything's going good so far! Minus all the spotting, but that's to be expected. I was on birth control pills off and on from 16 to early 30's. (Stopped to have my two kidletts) They didn't effect my sex drive until the mid to late 20's and I didn't even notice that it had until I went off of them. Somewhere around 5-6 weeks after I stopped taking them I realized "Boy am I horny more than usual..." Wasn't on anything before getting my Mirena 'installed' 3 weeks ago. I didn't want anything to do with sex for about 10 days (the procedure was crampy for a few days and then I got my period, and that was VERY crampy/bloaty/I love you ibuprofen), but now I'm *barely* spotting and sex is a GO! It seems about the same. edit: heeey lookit me, I apparently have no idea what 'ssri's' are.  Thanks google!
SilverSliver fucked around with this message at 00:38 on May 23, 2013 |
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May 23, 2013 00:35
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Three weeks isn't really enough time for SSRIs to wear off, probably, and also to be frank if you've been on SSRIs it's possible that your preexisting anxiety or depression or whatever is also still affecting your libido.
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May 23, 2013 03:32
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I never noticed any issues with libido with my Mirena. If anything it was higher because I knew I wasn't going to end up pregnant. Speaking of which, I'm 3 weeks postpartum now (planned baby!) and getting my third Mirena put in at my 6 week appointment. Interested to see how different the insertion is post-baby.
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May 23, 2013 03:49
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Lackadaisical posted:I probably don't NEED vicodin but I'm a large wimp. This is a different kind of pain. I'm used to the dull, ache-y abdominal pain, but now I'm dealing with a shooting, sharp pain thats.. lower. Sometimes I get aches in my lower pelvic area, almost around the bone if that makes sense. And they do still make Thermacare heating pads for your underwear. I use them pretty much every period whenever I don't feel like sitting around with the plug in one on my lap. I think it just depends on the store, some of them stock the things and some don't.
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May 23, 2013 11:55
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Kimmalah posted:I think it just depends on the store, some of them stock the things and some don't. And, if this is your thing, Amazon can usually hook you up with whatever you need.
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May 23, 2013 13:16
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Three weeks isn't really enough time for SSRIs to wear off, probably, and also to be frank if you've been on SSRIs it's possible that your preexisting anxiety or depression or whatever is also still affecting your libido. Nah, I'm still on Wellbutrin, the SSRI was just an experiment to see if it helped with my anxiety but it mostly just killed my sex drive, as per usual. Hopefully it is just that it hasn't all worn off yet; I don't remember how long I took to get back to normal when I switched to Wellbutrin in the first place, so hopefully everything will sort itself out after a while. Glad to hear it's probably not Mirena--so far I like it so much better than pills, so I'd hate for that to be an issue!
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May 23, 2013 15:38
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Tshirt Ninja posted:I think becoming a babyless cyborg via subdermal implant is just about the coolest thing ever, I used to tell people this and they thought I was weird. Bring on the transhuman revolution! This thread has, however, made me feel a tiny bit better about the possibility of having to come off the pill if I test positive for the BRCA mutation. IUDs kinda terrify me, but it's good to see so many people having relatively few problems.
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May 23, 2013 18:46
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Bollock Monkey posted:if I test positive for the BRCA mutation. Off topic, but is that test affordable in the UK or did you bite the bullet for peace of mind/preparation?
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May 23, 2013 19:35
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Geolicious posted:And, if this is your thing, Amazon can usually hook you up with whatever you need. Yeah, I never thought to look there but that's probably a good idea. They definitely sell them at Drugstore.com though. If it helps, I always find them at Kroger. Walmart never seems to carry them and I haven't tried the local pharmacy chains. This is all assuming you're in the U.S. of course, so apologies if I'm off there.
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May 23, 2013 23:37
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Geolicious posted:Off topic, but is that test affordable in the UK or did you bite the bullet for peace of mind/preparation? For now we have healthcare that you don't usually have to pay for, so it's free. My GP referred me to a genetic counsellor when I last went to pick up my pill because he noticed my family history and said that I shouldn't be on the pill if I do have the mutation, so getting tested is the best thing for everyone's peace of mind, really.
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May 24, 2013 22:26
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Just got confirmation from my OB's office that my Mirena will be completely covered by my (student) insurance plan. Quite a nice change after shelling out more than $800 each for the previous 2. Yay Affordable Care Act!
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May 24, 2013 22:31
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Ceridwen posted:Just got confirmation from my OB's office that my Mirena will be completely covered by my (student) insurance plan. Quite a nice change after shelling out more than $800 each for the previous 2. Yay Affordable Care Act! I just came to this thread to post the exact same thing. Five more weeks! 
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May 25, 2013 19:59
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Ladies with Paragard: have you experienced a decrease in your period flow? I'm on my third period since getting the Paragard and each one has been less and less. My first one was the river of blood that I was expecting but the following 2 have been less than what they were pre-IUD.
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May 25, 2013 20:24
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My appointment is finally made! Week after next I will have my Implanon, all going well :3 I managed to miss a pill this week completely randomly - I guess I just got distracted somewhere in the five seconds between turning my phone alarm off and opening the compartment in my bag where I keep all my lady-problems-stuff - and knowing that soon I won't have to rely on my lovely memory/phone alarm is great! How uncomfortable is it immediately post-insertion? My appointment is in the morning so I'll be back to work afterwards, but if my arm is super sore that might affect things. Also do I count as a cyborg once I get this implant? It counts, right? I really really want to tell people I'm becoming a cyborg 
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May 25, 2013 21:36
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floofyscorp posted:My appointment is finally made! Week after next I will have my Implanon, all going well :3 I managed to miss a pill this week completely randomly - I guess I just got distracted somewhere in the five seconds between turning my phone alarm off and opening the compartment in my bag where I keep all my lady-problems-stuff - and knowing that soon I won't have to rely on my lovely memory/phone alarm is great! They numb your arm. It may be a bit sore in the afternoon once the number wears off and bruised after that, but if you work a desk job you should be fine. If you are in a physical labor-type job be more careful. I iced mine for a couple hours (really) after insertion and had almost no bruising. By day 5 it was all better. And yes, welcome to cyborghood.
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May 25, 2013 22:41
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sexily posted:Ladies with Paragard: have you experienced a decrease in your period flow? I'm on my third period since getting the Paragard and each one has been less and less. My first one was the river of blood that I was expecting but the following 2 have been less than what they were pre-IUD. I usually have 1 day that's a "river of blood" kind of day, then it drops off really sharply and I have very little bleeding really. Just enough to be annoying mostly. I just started my period today this month in fact and aside from a few random monster cramps it's actually been pretty normal. I'm keeping my fingers crossed here since I'm getting close to the sixth month mark (this will be the fifth).
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May 26, 2013 00:01
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I took the day off both times I've gotten Implanon, but only because the appointments were inconvenient. If you work a desk job it ain't no thing. I would just wear something with roomy sleeves because the whole deal will be wrapped in an ace bandage. I did get a fair amount of bruising, but it wasn't really painful, just purple. I think they ask you to skip a shower afterward, that's the worst. If you feel like taking a day off to get it done, go out to lunch, and lay around, it's a fine excuse. If you want to go in for whatever reason, I think that's totally fine as long as it's not manual labor.
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May 26, 2013 00:15
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i like nice words
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floofyscorp posted:How uncomfortable is it immediately post-insertion? My appointment is in the morning so I'll be back to work afterwards, but if my arm is super sore that might affect things. I bruised like crazy and still went back to work after I got my Nexplanon. The bruise I had actually hurt for quite a while, mostly because I kept banging it into my winter coat, bag strap, and seatbelt (I am clumsy). They didn't ask me to skip a shower (oops?) and I think I showered 16 hours or so later.
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May 26, 2013 00:50
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I was fine after mine got put in, although it did get slightly infected within a week. All that happened was that the insertation site got a bit red and itchy, but I happened to have made a follow-up appointment because I'm paranoid about these things and the doctor took it super seriously. Do watch out for that!
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May 26, 2013 10:58
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I just want to chime in to say that you should always remember that you are your own biggest advocate in the health system. It's your body, and if one doctor won't listen to you and what you want, you should find one who will. If one type of BC isn't working for you, don't stay on it just because the one doc you're seeing thinks you should suck it up through whatever problems you're having.
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May 26, 2013 13:31
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Die Schafe posted:I just want to chime in to say that you should always remember that you are your own biggest advocate in the health system. It's your body, and if one doctor won't listen to you and what you want, you should find one who will. If one type of BC isn't working for you, don't stay on it just because the one doc you're seeing thinks you should suck it up through whatever problems you're having. Very true. I didn't have a lot of resistance, but I did have to be fairly insistent about the fact that I wanted off hormonal birth control before anyone would give me a Paragard. I've had great doctors for the most part, but even so I still had to be really clear about what I wanted and why.
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May 26, 2013 14:19
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Kimmalah posted:Very true. I didn't have a lot of resistance, but I did have to be fairly insistent about the fact that I wanted off hormonal birth control before anyone would give me a Paragard. I've had great doctors for the most part, but even so I still had to be really clear about what I wanted and why. Pretty much just bragging here but I went into my student health center ready to have to make a case for Mirena and the doc was all "Okay when should we schedule it?"  I got really lucky I guess.
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May 26, 2013 14:23
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Pretty much just bragging here but I went into my student health center ready to have to make a case for Mirena and the doc was all "Okay when should we schedule it?" It was pretty much like that for me too with the second doctor I saw about an IUD. The first one wasn't bad, but she was all about Mirena for some reason. So when I brought up the idea of an IUD, she got really excited and started rushing me through all the tests/paperwork for a Mirena before I'd had any time to think about it. Weird. I also got a lot of skepticism about why I wanted off hormones since no one seemed to believe that my insanely bad migraines were hormonal. So it was kind of like "We'll get you the IUD, but I don't think it'll help.  " (which it did, immensely). I guess it's understandable since a lot of people blame every side-effect under the sun on their BC pills, but I think if hadn't been really sure about what I wanted it would have made me doubt my decision big time.
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May 26, 2013 14:33
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Wow, that makes me like my doctor even more, I didn't get any poo poo from her when I asked her about IUDs, even though I'm childless and in my early twenties. She told me that Mirena and Paraguard are the two main ones, explained the main differences, then wrote both the names down and told me I should research them then call back in a few days and tell them what I wanted to do. I do wish I didn't have to leave my doctors behind when I move.
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May 26, 2013 15:43
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sexily posted:Ladies with Paragard: have you experienced a decrease in your period flow? I'm on my third period since getting the Paragard and each one has been less and less. My first one was the river of blood that I was expecting but the following 2 have been less than what they were pre-IUD. I had the Paraguard for a year and half. The first period was a doozy, and then it was p much what Kimmalah said: one wow day and a sharp tapering off. Every 5-6 months I would have another doozy though I'm not sure if that is typical seeing as Paraguard did not work out for me and I had it removed. In other news my Mirena is still good. First period is done and I'm spotting barely every 2-3 days. When I do spot it feels very mildly crampy and sort of bloaty. Both times I got my IUD's it was at my doctor's suggestion. He's a bit of an IUD fanatic - no joke. If he gets onto the subject his eyes light up and he'll ramble on about how the Mirena saves more women from having hysterectomies due to menorrhagia, and that IUD's in general should just be 'free for every woman!'.
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May 26, 2013 22:08
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floofyscorp posted:My appointment is finally made! Week after next I will have my Implanon, all going well :3 I managed to miss a pill this week completely randomly - I guess I just got distracted somewhere in the five seconds between turning my phone alarm off and opening the compartment in my bag where I keep all my lady-problems-stuff - and knowing that soon I won't have to rely on my lovely memory/phone alarm is great! I went straight to work after I got my Nexplanon inserted and was fine. I felt a bit dizzy/woozy a couple of times but it wasn't a big deal! My arm bruised but it wasn't painful at all - maybe something to do with all the numbing stuff? That area was numb all day for me. I got it put in on the 11th, a week before my period was due on the 18th. It's now the 26th and no period. I had sore boobs and mild cramps for a week or so - the same kind of thing I get for a couple days before my period - but that seems to have stopped now. I was also super irritable and emotional which I don't usually get, ugh. My doctor said anything could happen with my period so I'm hoping I just.. don't get it. That would be nice. Gonna take a pregnancy test just in case. I can't imagine ever not being paranoid haha.
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May 26, 2013 22:21
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Thanks for the reassurances ladies! My GP stressed that pretty much anything could happen to my period once I get the implant(although she was generally pretty enthusiastic about the whole idea and told me it's apparently about as effective as surgical sterilisation, which is neat), but I'm hoping that since it's the same hormone as in my current pill that nothing will change and I'll continue having no period at all, cause that owns. I think I can deal with having periods again as long as I don't need to worry about daily pills and accidental babies though.
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May 26, 2013 22:27
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Zvezda posted:I went straight to work after I got my Nexplanon inserted and was fine. I felt a bit dizzy/woozy a couple of times but it wasn't a big deal! My arm bruised but it wasn't painful at all - maybe something to do with all the numbing stuff? That area was numb all day for me. They should have done a pregnancy test at time of insertion right? Anyway the first few months nothing will make any sense period-wise. You'll go weeks without it, then spot, then maybe bleed normally, then maybe if you're like me and other posters here you'll spot for six weeks straight! It'll be like an adventure but the end result will likely be lighter periods and no babies.
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May 27, 2013 03:55
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sexily posted:Ladies with Paragard: have you experienced a decrease in your period flow? I'm on my third period since getting the Paragard and each one has been less and less. My first one was the river of blood that I was expecting but the following 2 have been less than what they were pre-IUD. I've had mine for a little over a year. I have one day that's heavier than it was before the Paragard (no hormones) but it's still not that bad. I've used a Diva Cup since 2006 and I usually just empty it twice a day, once in the morning and again at night. Now I have to empty it every 8 hours for that one day. My period also lasts a couple of days longer now too. It's now about 7 days instead of 4 or 5.
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May 27, 2013 05:53
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InEscape posted:They should have done a pregnancy test at time of insertion right? I didn't get a pregnancy test! She just asked me when my last period was and whether I'd had unprotected sex since then. Since I hadn't, she said I'd have to have been extremely unlucky to have gotten pregnant and that if I missed my next period, it's probably the implant but I should take a test to be on the safe side. I'm hoping she was speaking with professional experience and not, y'know, laziness.
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May 27, 2013 10:28
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Zvezda posted:I didn't get a pregnancy test! She just asked me when my last period was and whether I'd had unprotected sex since then. Since I hadn't, she said I'd have to have been extremely unlucky to have gotten pregnant It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Eggplant Wizard fucked around with this message at 12:00 on May 27, 2013 |
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May 27, 2013 11:58
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GoodBee posted:I've had mine for a little over a year. I have one day that's heavier than it was before the Paragard (no hormones) but it's still not that bad. I've used a Diva Cup since 2006 and I usually just empty it twice a day, once in the morning and again at night. Now I have to empty it every 8 hours for that one day. My period also lasts a couple of days longer now too. It's now about 7 days instead of 4 or 5. Mine's definitely still pretty heavy, but on the plus side I haven't been having the insane cramps/aches that I normally have so I think I'm starting to adjust to the Paragard finally. Word of advice for the Paragard users out there though: either have period sex in the shower or put down a towel. We've done it before without too much mess, but I think I may have traumatized my boyfriend yesterday. There's nothing like turning the lights on afterwards to clean up and everyone's covered in blood. Luckily our sheets are red at least. 
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May 27, 2013 14:56
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Kimmalah posted:Word of advice for the Paragard users out there though: either have period sex in the shower or put down a towel. We've done it before without too much mess, but I think I may have traumatized my boyfriend yesterday. There's nothing like turning the lights on afterwards to clean up and everyone's covered in blood. Luckily our sheets are red at least. Soft cups are the way to go.
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May 27, 2013 19:11
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