The thought of inserting a small device in my uterus after I gave birth the first time made me shudder. “No, thank you, I’ll take the pill instead,” I told my ob-gyn. She prescribed the mini pill (known as the progestin-only birth control pill) because I was breastfeeding. It has a lower dose of progestin than the regular pill, so my doctor said that I needed to take it at the same time every day…or risk getting pregnant again.
With so many sleepless nights attempting to soothe my newborn, I couldn’t remember when (or if) I had taken my daily dose. I remember finally looking at my little foil packet of missed pills and freaking out. My postpartum hormones were still too out of whack for me to want to have sex, but I was worried I’d be terrified of getting pregnant when we finally did make love. We had no other forms of birth control in our home. When my doctor recommended an IUD at my next appointment, I went for it.
Short for intrauterine device, an IUD is a small plastic t-shaped device that contains either copper (the hormone-free version) or hormones. The insertion procedure only takes a few minutes and can be done at your doctor’s office. Depending on the type of IUD you choose, this form of birth control is effective for three, five, or ten years. My health insurance even covered most of the cost. My only side effect was slight cramping for a couple days afterwards. Nothing ibuprofen couldn’t take care of.
That little device changed my life. Not only did I no longer have to worry about swallowing little pills at the same time every day, my period eventually disappeared. After the initial cramping from the procedure, I pretty much forgot it existed. There’s a tiny string that hangs out of your cervix (for when it’s time to remove it). Don’t worry, you can’t feel it and my husband didn’t even notice it. Which means we’ve had more sex and better sex since I’ve gotten it.
When my daughter was 3-years-old, we were ready to start trying for her sibling. After a 10-minute office visit, my doctor had removed the IUD. The baby making factory was back in business. I got pregnant less than two months later.
Now we can get busy when the mood strikes us. I don’t have to worry about getting surprise visits from my period. I remember the one time we planned a long weekend away to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I was so excited about getting busy with my husband in a nice hotel, but, you guessed it, I got my period. Talk about ruining the weekend of debauchery.
During my annual appointment last year, my doctor reminded me that I was due for a replacement device in a year. When it was time to replace my IUD, I didn’t wait to call my doctor. I cleared my calendar and made an appointment.
I’d rather practice making babies than actually make babies.
How does your birth control affect your sex life?
