Gettin' Down in Chi-Town
                              I’m Not A Doctor, but I Am a Lady                           -Unqualified, but Helpful, Health advice- IUD Follow Up; AKA I LOVE YOU THERMACARE MENSTRUAL HEAT PADS Dear Lucy, Hi! I enjoyed your post about your experience getting an IUD. I was considering the same option myself and was wondering if you still recommend it a while later. I’ve been using the IUD form of birth control for a few months now, and I’ve had several readers ask how it’s been going. (previous articles on IUD and birth control) Well, my darlings, ups and downs. The first month or so, there was “spotting” (a little bit of bleeding) rather more than I liked, like about every other day. But, one woman told me that she had spotting pretty much every day ever since she got the IUD (like, a lot of months). I figured that if mine only lasted a month, not too bad. Besides, the same thing happended for the first month every time I’ve restarted using hormonal birth control over the last 10 years, so I’m used to it. No big whoop. The periods themselves are, to be honest, not great. Length of time, blood flow, and cramps vary for every woman, and for every form of birth control. I didn’t like the clockwork-like artificialness of my period on hormone BC, even though the cramps were lighter. It made me feel like my body didn’t make its own decisions or something. Now, on the IUD, my cycle happens about as regularly as when I’m on no BC. The blood flow is, for about 2 of the 5ish days, fuckin crazy heavy. It sucks, what can I say. Super tampons, and sleep on a towel. Showering after sex mandatory. But then it tapers to normal, and stops. Then there’s the cramps. I can’t sugar coat this, unfortunately: they’re bad. The first month of IUDness, I had cramps on and off willy-nilly. Now they only really happen during my period, maybe a twinge or two during ovulation. I like to spend a lot of time on bed with my hot water bottle during the bad days. But then… I took an IUD-comrade’s advice and got these 8-hour heating pads (pictured above). They’re not cheap- about $8 for three- but dear lord they’re worth it! If you’re trying to get through your work day and you’ve got these monster IUD cramps, I don’t see any other way than by using these pads. I picked em up at CVS, in the muscle creams, etc., aisle. Read the directions before applying, as you’re not supposed to adhere it directly to your skin and other important instructions. But let’s just say, I applied one this morning, and it’s still keeping me warm, cozy, and comfortable. OK, now that I’ve freaked everyone out (except those of you who just applied a heating pack and are having a moment of pain-free bliss), let me gush about the pros of the IUD! Sex has been fan-freakin-tastic. Imagine- no worry! No missed pills, condom breakage, counting days. It’s just there, keeping babies out of my womb until we’re ready for them. It makes sex more comfortable, spontaneous, and just plain great. My man and I are quite pleased. He’s felt the string (the only part of the IUD that you can feel in you vagina) poke him in the penis a couple times, but he just move it over with his fingers, or we just adjust to a different position. Easy peasy. And, to even things out since I have to deal with the annoying stuff, Lance has to give me a massage during the worst days of my period. And fetch me things, like the hot water bottle and ibuprofen.  I’d still recommend the non-hormonal IUD to just about every woman who is having regular sex with a trustworthy partner. Go for it, gals! Xoxo, Nurse Lucy

                              I’m Not A Doctor, but I Am a Lady

                          -Unqualified, but Helpful, Health advice-

IUD Follow Up;

AKA I LOVE YOU THERMACARE MENSTRUAL HEAT PADS

Dear Lucy,

Hi! I enjoyed your post about your experience getting an IUD. I was considering the same option myself and was wondering if you still recommend it a while later.

I’ve been using the IUD form of birth control for a few months now, and I’ve had several readers ask how it’s been going. (previous articles on IUD and birth control)

Well, my darlings, ups and downs. The first month or so, there was “spotting” (a little bit of bleeding) rather more than I liked, like about every other day. But, one woman told me that she had spotting pretty much every day ever since she got the IUD (like, a lot of months). I figured that if mine only lasted a month, not too bad. Besides, the same thing happended for the first month every time I’ve restarted using hormonal birth control over the last 10 years, so I’m used to it. No big whoop.

The periods themselves are, to be honest, not great. Length of time, blood flow, and cramps vary for every woman, and for every form of birth control. I didn’t like the clockwork-like artificialness of my period on hormone BC, even though the cramps were lighter. It made me feel like my body didn’t make its own decisions or something. Now, on the IUD, my cycle happens about as regularly as when I’m on no BC.

The blood flow is, for about 2 of the 5ish days, fuckin crazy heavy. It sucks, what can I say. Super tampons, and sleep on a towel. Showering after sex mandatory. But then it tapers to normal, and stops.

Then there’s the cramps. I can’t sugar coat this, unfortunately: they’re bad. The first month of IUDness, I had cramps on and off willy-nilly. Now they only really happen during my period, maybe a twinge or two during ovulation. I like to spend a lot of time on bed with my hot water bottle during the bad days.

But then… I took an IUD-comrade’s advice and got these 8-hour heating pads (pictured above). They’re not cheap- about $8 for three- but dear lord they’re worth it! If you’re trying to get through your work day and you’ve got these monster IUD cramps, I don’t see any other way than by using these pads. I picked em up at CVS, in the muscle creams, etc., aisle. Read the directions before applying, as you’re not supposed to adhere it directly to your skin and other important instructions. But let’s just say, I applied one this morning, and it’s still keeping me warm, cozy, and comfortable.

OK, now that I’ve freaked everyone out (except those of you who just applied a heating pack and are having a moment of pain-free bliss), let me gush about the pros of the IUD!

Sex has been fan-freakin-tastic. Imagine- no worry! No missed pills, condom breakage, counting days. It’s just there, keeping babies out of my womb until we’re ready for them. It makes sex more comfortable, spontaneous, and just plain great. My man and I are quite pleased. He’s felt the string (the only part of the IUD that you can feel in you vagina) poke him in the penis a couple times, but he just move it over with his fingers, or we just adjust to a different position. Easy peasy.

And, to even things out since I have to deal with the annoying stuff, Lance has to give me a massage during the worst days of my period. And fetch me things, like the hot water bottle and ibuprofen. 

I’d still recommend the non-hormonal IUD to just about every woman who is having regular sex with a trustworthy partner. Go for it, gals!

Xoxo,

Nurse Lucy

25 April 16
sexsex adviceIUDbirth controlheating padcramps
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Notes

  1. idonthaveabellybutton reblogged this from gettingdowninchitown
  2. gettingdowninchitown posted this

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I'm Lucy. I live in Chicago and I like to talk about sex. Give me a topic: I'm happy to answer any questions about love, sex, and relationships. Email me at LucyRockwell@gmail.com


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