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...