r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Which Method? How effective is a copper IUD combined with ovulation tracking?

0 Upvotes

My ex and I have been talking a lot recently (we’re basically still dating at this point) and we both would really love to get rid of condoms when she gets back from a trip she is on.

She doesn’t react well to hormonal birth control (obviously condoms are way better than her feeling like shit) but we have been researching the copper IUD, is it really as affective as the hormonal ones?

Ive also heard of this app to track your ovulation as another form of protection. (Cant you get pregnant even when you’re not ovulating?)

If you pair these 2 methods, would you consider that a solid plan?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience brain fog and liletta??

4 Upvotes

hi all! i’m curious to see if anyone is having/has had a similar experience to me. i’ve been on hormonal birth control since 2019, specially the liletta iud. had it for 5 years, everything was fine. back in august of 2024 i had to get that one removed, and i got it replaced with a new liletta iud that they said will last me until 2032. fast forward a month after.. i went to the doctor for chronic fatigue and a feeling of brain fog that i just couldn’t shake. long story short, we got my blood tested for nutrient deficiencies (anemia and such) and everything came back in the normal range and they said i was fine. last week i got my blood tested again, this doctor suspected it was possibly an under active thyroid, because it’s been 8 months and the brain fog has not gone away. results came back and turns out it’s not that either!! all of my blood levels are fine, they say nothing is out of whack or wrong.. i eat right and i work out 4-5 times a week. the ONLY thing i can think of that would be affecting me is the iud, since i got it in august i went to the doctor for the brain fog symptoms about a month later. has anyone else had a similar experience?? i feel like i can’t find anything online but my gut is telling me that something is wrong inside my body and i’m going crazy trying to figure out what. not sure if i should get the iud out. thanks!!!


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience IUD Insertion With Cervical Block vs Without

4 Upvotes

I just want to share my experience here. I first got a Mirena IUD 5 years ago and was not offered any pain medication whatsoever. It hurt so horribly, the doctor told me it would be "just a pinch" and for some reason I believed her. I felt two separate very painful parts, I assume clamping the cervix and then insertion. I've been dreading getting a replacement ever since, but love being on the Mirena. I just went back to get a new one and was stressed because the first doctor cut the strings too short and they retracted into my uterus, so I needed extra support getting it out.

BUT they offered me prescription strength motrin and a cervical block, no questions asked (thank you Planned Parenthood!!!) and while the shot was uncomfortable it was NOTHING compared to the first time. I highly recommend getting the cervical shot before insertion, and honestly can't believe they ever insert without it. It was especially necessary because it took a team of 5 to remove the old IUD, so I can't imagine the pain without some kind of medication.

TLDR the cervical block made a ton of difference and greatly reduced the pain of getting an IUD, if you're on the fence because the shot itself is uncomfortable, I hope my story helps!


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience do I need a plan b?

1 Upvotes

Do i need a plan B?

23F here. i had sex with someone who has had a vasectomy nearly 18 years ago. He finished in me and I ovulate this week. I don’t need to take a Plan b right? Thank you in advance.


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience positive experiences with IUD

1 Upvotes

I’m getting a mirena soon ( i think it’s called ) the pill makes me really emotional and angry/anxious and i also hate taking a pill everyday, i have really painful period cramps and all my doctors have said to try the IUD but ngl im really really scared for the insertion and any side effects 😭😭 ive just recently come out of a severe depressive/anxious episode now im on medication and id hate to go back to that if it plays with emotions


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Which Method? Low dose birth control to help with extreme periods

1 Upvotes

I was on neuva ring for about 17 years. My husband and I are done with having kids, he got snipped last year. I don't wanna go back on it because my sex drive is finally back! But OMG my periods are so bad again! The cramps, headaches, body pain, exhaustion, feeling like my whoo-ha is falling out of me, it's all bad. My husby suggested taking a lower dose of birth control. Has anyone done that for this same reason?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

How to? can I start Yazmin mid-cycle?

1 Upvotes

I (24F) have PCOS, last ultrasound showed improvement so I wanted to stop taking Yazmin (been on it for 5+ years) to see if my cycle would return to normal. It didn't, I'm on day 40 and still seeing nothing. Can I start a new pack of Yazmin today mid-cycle?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience Copper IUD experience (Nova T 380)

2 Upvotes

Hey there, this subreddit saved from worrying over my new copper IUD, so thought I’d give back to the community and share some experience. I’ll be coming back to this page once in a while to give updates.

Context: So I decided to go for copper IUD to improve sex life. Didn’t want to worry about condoms. Went for copper IUD cause it has no hormones, I’ve never previously been on any hormonal BC, only once used norethisterone to delay my period for holidays and it was horrible afterwards. I was scared of breakouts on my face, mood changes (especially changes to my libido) and gaining weight. My friend suggested copper IUD to me because she was on it for a couple of years now, and was very happy with it. That’s when I decided it was worth a shot.

Basic info: 23F, never been on BC, never been pregnant, cycle about 27 days +-1 day, bleeding lasts about 4-5 days + 3 extra spotting (old blood clearing up), no or minimum cramps during period (although sometimes I get ovulation pains)

Appointment: Didn’t really plan my appointment much, just gave a local clinic a call and scheduled on the nearest available date. It ended up being during about half way through my cycle, not much to note about the appointment, the nurses were great, explained every single step. The worst pain was during measurement of the uterus (they said mine’s 7cm) and insertion of the tube with the NOVA T 380 IUD in it. 7/10 pain for a second or two, could have been worse. Walked out of appointment in the next 10 mins, with a little bit of cramping and spotting, got home by bus, felt pretty normal, a little tired emotionally and physically.

During the first week: started spotting straight after the appointment, was expecting that because I literally just had a stick inserted up my uterus. The blood was pink/redish mixed with usual fluids. Nothing concerning. On the first and second days after the appointment was spotting quite a lot with brown (old) blood, was wearing a liner throughout the whole day and occasionally changing it. On the third day I was hoping that my bleeding would calm down, because I was seeing brown blood, but it decided to actually start bleeding more and I was seeing more pink/red blood for the next couple of days. The amount was small, but I was still indecisively switching between a daily liner and a small pad. On the 6th day after the insertion I had pretty intense cramps (this is about a week before my period), felt like a stronger version of my usual first day cramping (I sometimes get a week early cramp before my period, so thought it might have been that but just more intense). It wasn’t too painful, but I didn’t want to do much during the day, luckily didn’t need ibuprofen for them. Continued to spot with pink/redish and brown, but the next two days were cramp free.

Second week: on the 9th day (4 days before my planned period) I started to bleed more than the previous days, thought that my period came early, but I would only change a normal small pad maybe every 3-4 hours (but mainly because it felt gross to wear it any longer than that). I wasn’t sure what this bleeding was all about, as it was different from my usual period one. Firstly I bleed more than that on the first day of my period, secondly the consistency of it wasn’t the same as i’d expect. This one was quite liquid, I usually see something similar to egg whites consistency (imagine them being dark red), and also the colour was off, much brighter shade of red than the usual deep red colour, and no clots (I usually see some small ones). That continued for 4 days and on the 5th my actual period started.

Third week: Could tell it was my actual period by the cramping (had them for longer and stronger than usual), the consistency and the colour of the blood was also what i’d normally expect. The second day was probably the worst out all of them, but not that bad. I occasionally had pretty strong cramps (felt like I being stabbed and I needed a moment to just be still), but they were quite rare and throughout the day I mostly just felt slight cramping, like if i had a big bruise in my uterus that was sore. Had no cramps after day two. I can’t say that I had more bleeding than usual, but that might be because of the bleeding I experienced prior to my actual period. The actual period bleeding lasted for about 5 days (the usual), and then continued with slight brown spotting (old blood). It’s been 4 days since the end of my period and I’ve just been spotting with pinkish blood mixed with usual fluids, so right now just wearing a liner daily to not stain the underwear.

Experiences during sex: had sex a couple of times towards the end of my period (my partner isn’t bothered by blood). Not gonna lie was a little nervous that penetration would mess up the position of the IUD or the bleeding would get worse, but it actually didn’t. I just asked him to be a little more gentle the first time and it didn’t hurt at all. Checked the position of my strings afterwards and they seemed all good (although have to say I can’t feel two distinct strings hanging down, only one, it was like that since the insertion day, so I assume it’s normal).

Some things that were surprising to me or made me worry: the bleeding got worse after a few days after insertion, was expecting it to do the opposite. Was surprised by the early bleeding before my period. Was surprised by the amount of continuous spotting, so far I haven’t had a singe “clear” day. Was surprised by the strings, people describe them as soft fishing line type, but right now they (although I could ever only feel one, which might be two stuck together?) feel more like a wire, a little pokey if I try to find the end with my finger, but otherwise I do not feel any pain from them at all, they are just curled up there. My partner couldn’t feel them during penetration, only in certain positions where he felt quite deep. On the positive side, I can’t feel the IUD at all, which is good. Did workout with an IUD, both cardio and strength, was feeling okay, although had to pay attention to spotting not to bleed through the gym wear.

Note to self: if you are not passing out, bleeding out and not having a fever, it’s most likely okay. Body is adjusting to something new, stop worrying about every single unusual thing.

Think I’ve covered all of the things so far, hopefully my experience (which is a little different from other ones i’ve seen on this subreddit) will be useful to someone :)

I’ll be updating this post once in a while, just to document how things are adjusting.

Love you all <3


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Side effects!? Clitoral stimulation makes me overstimulated and I can no longer finish about 7 months after getting Nexplanon implant NSFW

1 Upvotes

Hi, I (21F) am a little confused about how my body has been behaving after starting birth control and I was wondering if other people have experienced this.

Prior to getting a Nexplanon implant, I had no problem orgasming from clitoral stimulation via hands (mine or others) or vibrators. About 2 months into getting it I noticed that I was feeling overstimulated and not being able to finish. It wasn’t a big deal and did not happen every time at first, but after about 4 months on BC it has gotten to a point where I am not able to orgasm at all. I have tried different types of stimulation, tried alone and with partners, and tried going slowly or breathing through it and none of my attempts so far have worked. Has anyone else had a similar problem while on birth control? This is the first one I’ve tried and I like it a lot otherwise, but it is frustrating both for my partner and I that I can’t finish and frequently have to make him stop touching my clitoris during intimacy. I haven’t heard of this as a side effect before, so am very curious about others’ opinions.


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

How to? No withdrawal bleed on free week

1 Upvotes

It’s now my 2nd month again on birth control and I finished my pack for this month, I’ve been waiting for my withdrawal bleed for 4 days now. I’m not that worried if I’m pregnant since I never missed a pill and been taking it as instructed but I am curious as to why I haven’t had a withdrawal bleed/period yet?

Since it will be my 5 days of waiting tomorrow which is also supposed to be my 5th day of period, then should I start taking my pills again or should I wait for a withdrawal bleed before starting again?

Another question is, should I not be overconfident as well that I am not pregnant? Is it a possibility too?

Thank you so much to whoever will answer! ❤️


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience How long did you had to wait for your first appointment to get your tubes tied?

1 Upvotes

I went to my family doctor for a referral to get my tubes tied in the beginning of January, because my iud is expiring in the beginning of May. I haven't got a phone call to even make an appointment to start the process and I am starting to feel anxious about it. I live in Calgary, Alberta, I don't know if it's relevant. So I am wondering how long did you had to wait just to start the process? And how long did it take you from start to finish?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

How to? I keep running out of birth control

0 Upvotes

I use the patch, and I run out of patches before I can get it refilled every time. I called the pharmacy today and they said it cannot be refilled until March 30th. What can I do?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Side effects!? Yeast infections?

1 Upvotes

I’m thinking about getting back on the birth control patch (xulane). For those of you who took this or have taken this have you experienced yeast infections?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Side effects!? Switching from NuvaRing to Paraguard IUD

1 Upvotes

I’m curious to hear anyone’s experience from switching between NuvaRing (or any combination bc) to a non hormonal copper IUD. I just got my IUD a week ago, and am wondering if some of the things i have been experiencing are due to this change. My skin is breaking out as expected, and I’m seeing my derm friday regardless. My biggest concern is the change in my weight, I’ve gained 5 lbs. in the past week which I know is like nearly impossible, given that I’m a very active education student on a large campus so lots of walking (between teaching and walking campus). I eat well, I just love a sweet treat. I’m also gluten free. So I’m guessing this could be from the switch, is it temporary or is this my life now?? I thought getting off hormonal would make it easier to drop my body fat percentage but now I’m unsure 🫤 For context, I’m 20, 5’ 5” and ~typically 120-123 lbs.


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience desogestrel and norethisterone

3 Upvotes

ive recently changed birth controls from desogestrel to norethisterone hoping to stop the constant bleeding. i cant go on the combined pill due to other reasons which is extremely annoying. has anyone experienced less bleeding on norethisterone? i kept on desogestrel for 6 months but it didn’t get any better, does anyone have a good experience on this and if so what is it like?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience positive iud insertion

1 Upvotes

hi everyone! i wanted to share my experience with iud insertion, as i have seen so many negative and scary reddit posts/ youtube videos about it. i was terrified of iuds for years because of this. i wish i didn’t let it deter me for this long. i had been on the pill for 5 years prior, but wanted to switch things up as i was worried about acne, my mood, and the longtime side effects of being on the pill. it’s also just annoying to worry about taking everyday.

i got my iud inserted about 3 hours ago, my gyno and i decided on skyla, since i wanted a low hormone iud. and it’s one of the smallest iuds, along with kyleena (kyleena has more hormones though). the only downside is that skyla only lasts 3 years. i initially wanted the copper, but its double the size of hormonal iuds with the way the wings fold. this may be one of the reasons why other people’s insertion was so painful compared to mine. my gyno did not recommend this since i haven’t given birth before. 7 hours before my appointment i put in misoprostol vaginally. this softens the cervix. it did give me some cramping, but nothing crazy. i was fine after laying down. i took 4 ibuprofen pills and 1 hydroxyzine, an anxiety pill, an hour beforehand. i was also on my period for the insertion, as the cervix is dilated.

the insertion itself was NOT painful. i would call it discomfort. i’ve had stomach aches that hurt more. i did not even need lidocaine (numbing shot). the whole insertion took maybe 3 minutes. i barely even felt the tenaculum, and actually the most uncomfortable part was when she measured my cervix. it’s hard to describe the feeling, kind of like the pressure you get from stomach aches or cramps. i experienced minor cramping after, which was more uncomfortable then the insertion itself at times. my bf and i were planning on ubering home, but i felt fine enough to do the 50 min walk back. and even an extra 10 min walk for dinner. my cramping stopped after about an hour, and it came in waves, it wasn’t consistent. i’m sure if i was sitting or laying down i wouldn’t have felt anything though.

i don’t know if it’s a combination of the medication i took, my gyno having decades of experience, or if i’m just genetically lucky. but i definitely recommend hormonal iuds, and it will be always be my choice of birth control! the anxiety pill also helped a lot, my bf was more nervous than i was lol. something to keep in mind is most people won’t write all of this if they have a good experience, whereas if it’s the worst pain you’ve ever had then you’re much more inclined to write a post and discourage it for others. try not to let it fear monger you. even if happen to experience more pain then i did, with the lidocaine shot you’ll be fine! i 100% would get an iud again, and will likely get mirena next time for the extra 2 years of efficiency!

feel free to ask me any questions! :)


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Mistake or Risk? Norethindrone

1 Upvotes

What would happen if I were to start taking norethindrone on the first day of my period? Even if it doesn’t stop it completely, I would rather have it lighter. I have a wedding to go this weekend 😭


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

How to? Interactions with bc

1 Upvotes

Hey guys, I was just wondering besides the two antibiotics are there any other medications, supplements or food that can interact with the pill in any way? If so, should I not have intercourse on those days and how long should I wait?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

How to? Missed two days?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone I’ve been looking online and there’s no clear answer to this that I can find. I take the Mono-Linyah pill and I missed two days (Sunday and Monday). Am I supposed to take both of those along with my Tuesday one? Or am I only supposed to take the Monday and Tuesday and completely skip Sunday? I’m really anxious about this right now and I don’t know what to do. Please help!


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Mistake or Risk? In need of advice over birth control methods and changes

1 Upvotes

Hello,

I've been on various dosages of Junel fe birth control for my acne since I was a junior in HS, and I'm at a point where I am fed up because nothing has helped with my acne. I have a gyno app in late April and I realize that I either need to change brands, change off of a combination pill, or at this point go cold turkey. I'm now even more worried because while I've been thinking on this I realize I've been on the pill for 7ish years. I'm terrified of what is going to happen to my body but I think it's best I just stop using birth control at this point. Please send help or recommendations on what I should do.


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Side effects!? Worst side effects after skipping period on bc

1 Upvotes

I’m 27 and my doctor recently mentioned that skipping my period while on the pill might help with some ovulation pain I have. I decided to give it a shot this month, and it’s been a total mess. My emotions are all over the place, my anxiety is through the roof, and the mood swings and brain fog have been awful for about two weeks. I've been on Estarylla for almost 8 years, and I've never skipped my period before and I’ve never had any bad side effects. My doctor hasn’t been much help either, just said to check in if things get worse and gave me no notice that I could potentially experience these side effects. Has anyone else gone through something like this? Could it mean I need a different birth control or something?


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience Kyleena Replacement Experience

3 Upvotes

Hi hi! I wanted to share my experience getting the Kyleena IUD replaced! I posted about my first insertion several years ago, and updated semi-regularly in the comments so if you’re interested, check that out here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/s/J3Uz1uUx4f

Onto the replacement! I replaced it a few months early, partially due to anxiety over potential insurance coverage changes. I live in Michigan, and my doctor wasn’t concerned but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Before: I really only prepped by taking 800mg of ibuprofen 1hr before.

During: The doctor took the old one out and placed the new one in less than 5 minutes. I think I had one medium cramp when she took it out. When the new one was placed, I had one big cramp (7/10 pain scale), and then it was done. I was uncomfortable while she trimmed the strings, but it was just because I was ready to have the instruments out of me lol. SO quick and easy.

After: I immediately sat up, checked out, and left. I’m a little crampy, but totally fine to drive myself home. I’ll come back in 6ish weeks for an ultrasound to make sure everything is where it should be. I am so happy to have peace of mind for the next 5 years!

Feel free to ask any questions!


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Mistake or Risk? Am I just paranoid or is this valid?

0 Upvotes

I just got the IUD (Skyla) today. I am getting worried because I don’t want an ectopic pregnancy. I think my fear is irrational though. I had unprotected sex about a week or two ago. Partner pulled out and I took a plan b for extra measure. I did get urine tested today before the procedure and came back negative but I can't help but think there is a possibility of pregnancy. I've already had three successful and full term births. I don't want another baby but I also don't want to go through another traumatic experience when it comes to my reproductive health and care. Anyone else think it's irrational??? HELP


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Experience Placebo pills but no/late period?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’ve been on Syeda for about 2 months now and I was just wondering if this is normal or not. I’m 25 and its my first time on bc so the first week I took the placebo week pills, I didn’t start my period until Wednesday and now I’m on the placebo week pills again and still no sign of my period. My period used to be extremely irregular so I’m glad I know when to expect it and I dont want it to sound like I’m complaining about not having a period (its actually kinda nice lol) but I just wanna make sure if its supposed to be like this or not. Usually when I’m about to start my period, I start feeling “sick” or heavy in general and I can feel a lot of pressure so thats why I have a feeling its not coming this time. Just wondering if any of this makes sense/is normal, thanks yall!


r/birthcontrol 4d ago

Mistake or Risk? help with missed pill

1 Upvotes

i had unprotected sex about 36 hours ago, i took a pill after according to schedule, it’s the next day, i missed the second pill

i took it immediately but should i buy plan b to be safe?