Shopping

I like shopping. Sometimes.

When I was about 11, I loved spending hours in department stores, looking at clothes, big plastic earrings and shiny belts (yep, it was the eighties).

But now I'm not so sure. I love shoes, I like makeup, I like pretty clothes, but I hesitate.

I try not to buy things that were probably made by people getting treated poorly. I try not to buy things I won't use (although I do have a stupidly large eyeshadow collection for someone who doesn't tend to wear eyeshadow - blue, green, pink, brown, grey, neutral, purple...). I try to look after the environment. I love Fairtrade. I don't want to buy things that are tested on animals. I want things that fit. I want things that are comfortable. I want things that look good. I want things that are easy to use (I bought a hairdryer/hair straightener and have not mastered it). I try not to support companies that have dubious ethical practices. I don't want to buy things that will run out too quickly, but I don't want things to expire before I've used them (see eyeshadow collection).

I would really like someone else to work it all out for me and then just tell me what I want!

And it's hard at Christmas too. I don't want to buy hippy-alternative presents for people who won't like them, but I refuse to go to the $2 shop for my Secret Santa present. If I'm going to buy something someone won't really use, I may as well make it a Fairtrade ornament so at least the people who make it are happy! :)


PS IUD still going well

Contraception Again

Hello again!

I have comments from two different people - that's pretty exciting. Thanks, Sarah and Brandy.

I have just had an IUD put in and I thought I should report for your greater edification.

A helpful person has taken this
picture of one. I think it's slightly smaller in real life!

I was given a helpful advice sheet that said to take a painkiller, have some food and to eat something sweet beforehand, so I did. The painkiller I took was only Disprin, so I doubt that it did much, but I doubt that it made anything worse :) I also had a raspberry leaf tea to help me and my appropriate muscles relax.

The actual putting in really wasn't too bad - I was worried that it would be really painful and I thought it would involve more bleeding (I don't think there was any blood at all). It really was just like period cramps.

However, my body did react to it a bit, meaning my blood pressure dropped, so I had to lie down for a while and they kept checking my pulse and my blood pressure and they even gave me oxygen (and a barley sugar and a sweet tea - but not all at once)! I do have low blood pressure anyway - it's partly a genetic thing. Trevor made me stay at home for the rest of the day (I think I could have gone back to work, but now I get to stay at home and read books and play on the Internet - I'm not complaining!).

It was great having him there with me. In fact, I was really lucky in that I had the Doctor, a nurse and Trevor, so I was well supported, and the nurse was making conversation so it took my mind off the thought of what was going on and the cramping (which, as I said, wasn't actually that bad).

So, all in all, I would say that it has been a little uncomfortable, but that I was well prepared and I'm feeling fine.

I asked if I could stay on my pill for a month or so because I thought it might counteract the potential heavy first period. The Doctor encouraged me to do that and even suggested that I stay on the pill for six weeks, so I'm happy with that.

And married life is good! It's not all about contraception ;) I do enjoy sharing my whole life with Trevor. I do need some "me" time, but it's cool being part of the big and little things in each other's lives - like cleaning our teeth, going to the supermarket, getting a joint bank account, making sure one of us takes some toothpaste when we go on holiday, making sure he eats breakfast, finding out that we need a new duvet because we have different temperature requirements in bed, having sex...

Parchemina's Tips for Virgin Brides

I find myself in a strange kind of limbo land...

I am 32 and I've never had sex, but I am about to get married and I do plan to have sex after that. So "Trevor" and I have been finding out about contraception. There is something quite amusing about talking to people about contraception as a 32 year old virgin!

As a result of this limbo land experience, I have decided that I will try to talk to more people about contraception so that they know what's available and who are good people to talk to about it. I'm not going to accost random strangers or anything like that, but if there are appropriate people and appropriate conversations, I will share my newfound knowledge.

Trevor and I weren't keen on the idea of going on the Pill, and I particularly wasn't keen on going on it just before we got married, what with the possible mood swings, skin problems and other such things it might cause. But we have been through a very good decision-making time together and have eventually ended up with me on a progestogen only pill. It's going fine so far, but I only started it on Friday!

We first thought that IUDs (intra uterine devices) looked promising, but since I haven't had any children (no immaculate conceptions for me, thankfully!) that's not such a good idea. And I found the pre-exam uncomfortable enough. Plus the fact that the first month is apparently rather uncomfortable - not so good in combination with the month before your wedding!

Another piece of advice that I would like to share with anyone else in my position (I'm sure there are some others out there!) is that it's probably a good thing to check out more than a month before your wedding. I felt too silly to do anything about it earlier, but I think it could have been a good idea. And there were good books in the library once I was brave enough to get them out!

So there we go... I might start a series if I can think of any more useful tips :)