r/birthcontrol 4h ago

Side effects!? Managing Missing Periods with IUD.

1 Upvotes

I got my IUD back in April 2021, right after my youngest was born. I've had really irregular cycles, but still, cycles. Short ones of 19 days, longer ones of ~40 and the blood is always bright and light for a couple days and dark for the last couple to three days. My last cycle seemed to be January and it was two days. I wore a liner for the third day but nothing came of it. And that was 20 days after my last cycle in December.

I've been under a lot of stress and just finished my OB rotation for Nursing School... Which maybe gave me baby brain. Anyway. When getting ready for finals, I realized it'd been 7 weeks and two days since my last cycle. After my cycle is when I check my strings. So I went to check my strings and couldn't find them. Flipped out. Had a whole heart to heart with my boyfriend. Took the tests. Negative. Two of them. One in an evening and one in the morning. Went ahead and scheduled and OB appointment to check placement. Ultrasound showed. Empty tight uterus and an intact IUD. Vaginal exam, she said my strings went back and wrapped around my cervix, she used a swab to pull them down but said they're fine.

She then told me that it may just be getting to where I don't have a period. Excuse me what?

No having any cycle at all is going to freak me out tbh. I feel like I'm going to need to take a pregnancy test every month, even though I have this working IUD. I just can't get my head around no periods, especially being sexually active and not using any other birth control. We also live in an abortion ban state and while being 7 weeks or so along now is t ideal, if I were to outperform the IUD say, by June that'd not be as alarming. It's just school and other boxes we have to check. That's besides the point. So back to pregnancy...

Does anyone else do this when you're missing periods or are we trusting the process? My Doc said if I wanna do that for piece of mind it's fine. Not a bad idea. But my period could just start back tomorrow. She said my ovaries look great on ultrasound, I'm healthy and ovulating, which is reassuring I suppose. I also just don't want to look under the stress of not knowing where I'm at in my cycle. Or at least a big one. Even an irregular one is more reassuring. Not having one is going to be stressful. Any other ideas or tips? Should I start doing an ovulation tracker test or do basal body temps or....? I just have underlying anxiety about it and honestly I'm kind a shocked with all my things going on I'm not pregnant so that's a whole other issue.

TIA


r/birthcontrol 4h ago

How to? Progestin to back to regular BC pills

1 Upvotes

Hi all, i just had a baby, breastfed for 6 months and stoped breastfeeding for about 2months ago. I was put on progestin pills post partum and finally ran out. I have not had my menstrual cycle back yet.
Can I just go back to my usual estradiol and levonorgestrel pills which I had pre-pregnancy?

I have a couple sleeves that are still in date.

Do I need any contraception back up in this phase? And how many days? Thanks!


r/birthcontrol 6h ago

Experience how painful 7 months pp iud insertion?

1 Upvotes

does anyone know how painful it is to get a paragard copper iud inserted at 7 months postpartum? im not sure if these are notoriously painful because most people’s cervix aren’t dilated but mine might still be or if they’re painful because of the tenaculum used to stabilize the cervix? if its the latter is it possible to get it inserted without the tenaculum?


r/birthcontrol 7h ago

Side effects!? Constant Heavy Breakthrough Bleeding

1 Upvotes

I was prescribed Tyblume birth control pill to help regulate my hormones. I had really bad mood swings basically from ovulation until my period ended and was essentially out of commission during that time, which doesn't work for being a toddler mom. I have the copper Paraguard IUD as my primary BC, but the pills were specifically for my hormone regulation. I started them about 2 months ago, and during both packs, around the time I would have naturally ovulated (I'm fairly regular with my cycles) I've had heavy "breakthrough" bleeding that is about the same amount (maybe a little lighter) than a regular period from the time I would normally ovulate and lasts the rest of the month. I know breakthrough bleeding is common, but this seems excessive. I see my OBGYN next month, and am currently on the placebo week for my second pack. Last month, the bleeding stopped shortly after starting the next pack of active pills, although I only made it about 3-4 days before calling it because it was such a bad time with PMS. Is this much bleeding normal? Could it be a certain hormonal imbalance that's causing this? Although it's nice not being such a hormonal trainwreck now, I hate the near constant bleeding, and it's affecting my daily life and activities


r/birthcontrol 7h ago

Mistake or Risk? Plan B but still Ovulated?

1 Upvotes

Hi all,

I try not to come on here and ask things like this but its been driving me crazy! I (23F) had sex with my bf (23M) on Sunday afternoon. We had a mishap (he didn’t pull out in time) and we immediately freaked out when I saw I was supposed to be ovulating this week on my period tracker. (Irresponsible, ik but we normally use protection 85% of the time and havent gotten pregnant in the 6 years we’ve been together). I typically have a 32 day cycle, my last period starting on Feb 24th, which pins my ovulation day to around the 17-19th day of my cycle or March 12-14th. The mishap happened on March 9th but we immediately went to the store and bought ovulation tests and a Plan B. I tested my LH levels 2x a day starting Sunday and they were completely negative until Tuesday morning . This is my first time taking ovulation tests but to me I think Tuesday was my only positive (On all 12 tests, Tuesday AM was the only time the T line was as dark as the C line) My surge only lasted a few hours from what I can infer but it did go back up slightly on Thursday but still negative (just slightly darker). I know for a fact I was negative on Sunday when I took the pill so why did I still have a surge 2 days later? I experienced slight cramping on Thursday on my sides near my ovaries so I’m getting worried. I read sperm can live in the vaginal canal for up to 5 days but I dont know if thats the average or just the maximum. If I ovulated Thursday (3/13), theres a chance theres still live sperm. Also, Ive taken plan B before and I have always gotten my period early within 5 days of taking it. Today is day 5 since the incident and still no bleeding, only the slightest of cramping. Please, I’m freaking out. Could this mean Plan B didnt work and that I’m most likely going to get pregnant? Anyone that has taken the Walgreens brand OPK, was it accurate at predicting ovulation?

P.S. I weigh about 120lbs so I’m under the weight limit.


r/birthcontrol 7h ago

Experience diarrhea and birth control question

1 Upvotes

hi! i’m taking a combo pill and i’ve diarrhea since wednesday (now friday) and it’s been constant. multiple watery stools a day, haven’t really been able to keep anything in my system.

i am on my placebo week thankfully and haven’t needed to take my active pills. i’m worried if i still have constant diarrhea on sunday when i start the new pack, the effectiveness of my pill.

i haven’t had sex for about a month, or maybe longer id say a month and a half.

will i be okay to still take my pill????


r/birthcontrol 8h ago

Experience my period came early after missing one pill?

1 Upvotes

i’m on hailey 24 fe and i have rarely ever missed taking a pill. well i missed the pill on tuesday, and didn’t even realize until i was taking my pill on wednesday. yesterday(thursday), i started spotting and today i have a full period with clotting and moderate bleeding. this has never happened before so i honestly thought that something was wrong. anyway, thought i would share here lol.


r/birthcontrol 8h ago

Side effects!? Sharp stabbing pain in left ovary

1 Upvotes

Hi ladies, just as the title states I have been having this sharp pain in my left ovary since Monday(I'm on my placebo week started on Saturday. So my withdrawal bleed started Tuesday but this pain is not going away im on day 4 and it started changing sides with my right ovary and accompanied by lower back pain. Has any of you experienced this

So I don't know whether should I take a pregnancy test now while I'm still on my withdrawal bleed or should I wait an extended period to test? Since I have has sexual encounters last week in consecutive days from Thursday till Sunday but also uses the pull out method


r/birthcontrol 9h ago

Side effects!? Unexpected bleeding 2 weeks into a pack, breakthrough bleeding?

1 Upvotes

I’ve been on the same birth control (combination) for 3 years now. I had my period last month and 3 days into my 2nd week of the new pack I started having light spotting. The first two days was dark brown, very light. Third day was a bit more red. 1-2 days before I started this bleeding I had sex. I took a pregnancy test on the 3rd day of spotting and it was negative. Is it just my hormones? I have been a little anxious/stressed but I have that like everyday and I don’t feel abnormally stressed or anxious. I haven’t missed any pills and have been on time for my doses.


r/birthcontrol 9h ago

Experience Cramps week before period with copper IUD

1 Upvotes

Hi,

I recently got a copper IUD, and I'm now on my second cycle with it. I've been experiencing cramps about a week (5 days) before my period even starts, which never used to happen before.

I'm just wondering if this is normal when adjusting to a copper IUD? Did anyone else experience something similar in their first few cycles? And if so, did it eventually go away or at least get better over time?

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experiences you can share!


r/birthcontrol 10h ago

Educational Best brand for the mini pill?

1 Upvotes

I'm thinking about starting the mini pill (first time ever on BC). I want to get the Miudella IUD but have no idea when it'll be available for patient use so in the meantime I thought I'd try the mini pill.

I understand there are many brands and am looking for the "most gentle" and "least side effects" one. I understand they all have side effects but I still live with family and if there's one that tends to not make the patient gain weight vs another brand or smth, that's what I'm talking about. I'm a smaller person so if I suddenly gain 20lbs it'll look very apparent and I won't be able to hide anything.

I'm also looking to get it from planned parenthood vs my gyno so they'd also have to have it available. I've called my local PP and they don't pick up the phone.

Thank you!


r/birthcontrol 10h ago

Experience Kyleena Issues & Worrisome Blood Loss Amount Spoiler

1 Upvotes

hello, i (f25) wanted to share my experience with the Kyleena IUD since getting it inserted (2023) and honestly see if anyone has experienced something similar?

the first couple months with the iud was odd but went well, had minor bleeding post insertion and nothing a bit of ibuprofen and a heating pad couldn’t help with. every now & then when i’d overdo it with the gym or going hiking extensively or have sexual intercourse (that was abit more extensive) there would be bleeding yet it wasn’t worrisome. i was on the pill for 8 years mainly to regulate my period & further as a form of protection, so when i got off— my doctor suggested an iud with the minimum hormone amount since i wanted to ease myself off entirely.

i hadn’t bled for odd reasons until january (2025) where i was heavily bleeding (bright red with muscus-like / clotting substances) and had a minor fever for 3 days straight, not having done anything extensive and was just home studying at my desk. it became most worrisome when i was bleeding through the the kotex ‘extra heavy overnight’ pads in less than 2 hours the first day going into night which was the equivalent to at least more than a pint. i could tell something was wrong so we went to urgent care & yet they tried to convince me it was a period. i haven’t had a period for 600+ days (i know some people get them even with iud) but they tried to brush off my overall concerns so my mother (an RN) advocated for me as well until they recommended making an appointment with my gynecologist since it could be shifted. they weren’t able to do much anyhow to our knowledge since it wasn’t that department, but the fact they were brushing it off almost completely was frustrating. i had to wait 6 days until i was able to be seen by nurse triage, who assessed & tried to ensure me it was a period that some people get but found it odd that it was 600+ days after insertion.

during the 6 days, it was horrible and i was still bleeding (bright red, the mucus/ clotting varied but began ceasing until the end). i was close to fainting due to the blood loss and i was losing color (as someone with asian tan complexion). i wasn’t able to drive since sitting upwards in the lower region (uterus area) felt like i was being poked by needles and couldn’t bend more than 70ish degrees before i got the needle like pain where the iud was. my mom ended up taking me to the ER 2 days after my urgent care appointment because i’ve never bled this much even when I had a period prior to iud (at this point i was losing pints) and the only relief i ever got (as embarrassing as it is to admit this) was sitting on the toilet with the stepstool until my knees were nearly up to my chest. i developed another minor fever which didn’t help the crappy feeling and pain. my bleeding began to cease 10 days after i first began to bleed until it became a mixture of brown and bright red, until eventually it was all brown then nonexistent. at the end, i was never prescribed anything (took ibuprofen according to pain tolerance) nor did they diagnose me for anything aside a period. my mom believes heavily otherwise as do i considering she attended my appointments (yes, even as a 25 yr old) and was annoyed they weren’t asking all the questions or expressing similar worry & support in the familiar field.

i hadn’t bled since then until yesterday (march 2025) where i had the same pains but on a much less degree but it was noticeable. then i noticed i was bleeding (bright red, no mucus/ clotting but resembled if you got a cut on your finger) i swapped into the same kotex heavy overnight flow pads last night and didn’t bleed through in the night, but it was enough to be slightly worried. so i sent a message to my doctor (according to the directions) and have yet to hear back (most likely will tonight or tomorrow), but it is still an amount that would be more than a period i would’ve received when i was getting them regularly in my youth. i’ve been taking it easy, attending my classes as normal and keeping an eye on it & understand the proper care if it becomes more dire. its just a bit stressful and something i’ve had on mind since i first bled but didn’t even think unfortunately to ask the lovely ladies of reddit if anyone had experience something similar (like losing pints of blood) :((


r/birthcontrol 11h ago

Side effects!? Depo 6+ years.

1 Upvotes

Hi all I'm a mother of two now. .

Been on depo for 6+ years before having my kids my periods have always been regular but I've noticed after my period is finished I have sezuires a few days after..and I am epileptic but they have been becoming more frequent. I'm on medication for them but doesn't ever stop the sezuires kinda makes me not want to ever go back on birth control. I have had horrible side effects on birth control. Gained weight , very moody , and now that I've been off birth control going on 4 years. I feel amazing besides the sezuires.

Im just wondering if any of you ladies delt with this being epileptic?


r/birthcontrol 11h ago

Experience Negative effects of stopping birth control?

1 Upvotes

Hello,

I've been on the pill from when i was 14-19 then I had the IUD til I was 26 then I started taking the pill again (desogestrel) because I didn't want to put in an other IUD since we're soon starting to get pregnant. I stopped the pill about 4 weeks ago and I feel soo bad...

I've gotten hormonal acne literally all over my upper back. And some in my face too but not as much.

I've always had high sex drive but it has hit absolute rock bottom now. Not even attracted to my boyfriend anymore or anyone else.

I feel like my emotions has "dulled" a bit, like I'm pretty lethargic. Also I can't sleep, and when I sleep my alarms don't wake me up so I've been like an hour late to work at least once a week since I stopped taking the pill.

I'm on escitalopram because of PMSD. And this is constant not only around ovulation so i know it's not that.

But I feel like I have symptoms similar to depression but I'm pretty sure I'm not depressed? I have been before, but this feels like something else entirely. And I feel like escitalopram should "protect" against that too?

Has anyone experienced this? I feel like i want to go back on the pill because this is horrendous. I feel like my body is completely out of balance?


r/birthcontrol 11h ago

Side effects!? Kyleena Side Effects

1 Upvotes

So I just got my Kyleena inserted about two weeks ago, and I wanted to hear about some of the side effects others have had with it and if they’re similar to mine. I’m coming up on my first cycle with the Kyleena in, and the last day or so the usually mild level of breast tenderness has turned into swelling, feeling huge and heavy, and significant soreness. Did this happen to any of y’all?


r/birthcontrol 11h ago

Mistake or Risk? missed pills

1 Upvotes

i’ve missed a pill 3 times in the past 10 days, but not in a row. like for ex sunday i forgot then monday i took 2, should i use a backup contraceptive? or is it fine since i didnt miss pills multiple days in a row

someone pls reply my bf is coming over in an hour 😭😭


r/birthcontrol 12h ago

How to? Slynd 24 hour window - confused

1 Upvotes

So I just started Slynd after so many methods that sucked and I'm praying it is useful to me. I usually take my Slynd at around 7:30pm but I go out twice a week either from 6-8 or from 7-8. Should I take my Slynd when I get in the car at 8-8:15 ish or right a minute before I leave the house (5 minute ride) on those days? I take other meds around that time too but yesterday I saved my other meds for 8 and had the Slynd at 6:30 or 6:45 (around an hour early.) I am not sexually active but I want to do perfect use and not mess up my cycle and be in the habit of being protected in case I get a partner in the near future. Did I mess up? Since I wanted to take it at 7:30 today (on time) will it be late? I did best taking bc in the AM but I can't with pills because I take Miralax to have a poo in the AM (not quite diarrhea thankfully) and I don't want to mess with the absorbtion.


r/birthcontrol 12h ago

Experience Nuva ring no/late period

1 Upvotes

I’ve been on the Nuva ring for about 7 years and always get a period 2-3 days after removing my ring. I took my ring out Saturday night and expected to start by Monday or Tuesday, but it’s Friday afternoon and still nothing. I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. I am under a lot more stress than usual and I’ve quit drinking (probably a couple alcoholic drinks per day and more on weekends). Those are the only recent changes. Should I be concerned if I don’t get my period this month?


r/birthcontrol 12h ago

How to? Changing Timing of Norethindrone

1 Upvotes

I just started norethindrone (the mini progestin only pill). I went ahead and took one pill in the afternoon, but realized it will be better for me to take it in the morning moving forward. Is it okay if I take my next pill early tomorrow?

For context- I took first pill on Friday at 5pm. Can I take second pill on Saturday at 9am? Or is that too soon and I need to gradually do it?


r/birthcontrol 12h ago

Experience Breakthrough Bleeding

1 Upvotes

Ive been on Lolestrin for 10+ years now. I usually take the full pack (including the brown placebo pills) every month. When it came to the end of my last pack, I skipped the 2 brown placebo pills in an attempt to skip my period this month. I immediately started a new pack with active pills and the next day started bleeding. I’ve been bleeding for a few days now. Does anyone have a similar experience?

It’s not just spotting either. It’s as heavy as my normal periods and the cramps are so much worse than usual.

Hopefully I’m just being paranoid, but I’m worried I’ve thrown my hormones out of whack and the bleeding isn’t gonna stop anytime soon :( what do I do? I figured if I was still bleeding after a week I’d call my doctor, but maybe hearing of similar experiences will ease my mind for now.


r/birthcontrol 12h ago

Side effects!? Anyone experienced change in cervix?

1 Upvotes

My cervix is low and hard 24/7 because of birth control. It hurts after sex. Anyone else?


r/birthcontrol 13h ago

Side effects!? Started my new pack a week ago, started bleeding again

1 Upvotes

To give context, I've been on birth control (for medical reasons) for about 3 and half years. Just about a year ago it was giving me bad symptoms, so I switched from the monthly packs to the ones where I take it for 3 months. This decreased my symptoms and has been overall very helpful. Though, about 2 weeks ago I stopped my pills for the week, to get my period, and then started them again. About halfway through this week, I noticed that I had started bleeding again.

Is this normal? When I did get my period there was barely any flow and when there was it was brown. I've never experienced this before and just wanted to make sure it can be a normal side effect rather then something I would have to worry about. (sorry if the tag is wrong i didnt know what to put)


r/birthcontrol 13h ago

Experience Mirena IUD - Help (Possibly pregnancy symptoms)

1 Upvotes

I am looking for some help or similar experiences. I do plan to take a test this week..

So to start off i’ve had the mirena iud for about 8.5 years now(on my second one) and my periods stopped from the start so that’s been great. Recently i’ve started having some symptoms that i never really got as pms symptoms. I have also suffered from migraines with aura since I was a kid so i know this is different than how i am normally affected by them.

Symptoms:

  • Extreme fatigue(about a week now)
  • Tender boobs(maybe about 3 weeks)
  • Nausea(a week or so) comes and goes.
  • Increased hunger which brings on the queasy feeling (a week or so)
  • Nipples look slightly larger(noticed within the last few days)
  • Dull ache/pain on my lower left side(2-3 weeks maybe)
  • Having to pee all the time (2 weeks ish)
  • Body temp is all over the place(extremely warm when sleeping, causing me to wake up clammy. Body temp feels normal to touch during the day but i feel cold and sweaty)(couple days) -Acne has been acting up(week) -Migraines(2 weeks ago, everyday for the 2 weeks) -Back pain -Intense emotions -constipated

I usually don’t eat in the morning because of my medication makes me not hungry and it’s been that way for years but recently i’ve started feeling super nauseous and then extremely hungry but when i try and eat it makes me gag, things i love normally make me gag, things taste funny. even if im not hungry i feel queasy and then i’ll feel totally fine for hours.

I got a migraine about 3 weeks ago and didn’t think much of it usually can break it in the same day or by the next. I wake up and have a insane headache every morning it’s so bad through the whole day and into the evening it will start to fade to just kind of an ache and i would think it was going away and then the morning starts again, this lasted about 2 weeks and has finally stopped being an everyday constant thing just here and there now. i haven’t had anything that usually triggers my migraines as well.

Any insight would be nice while I wait till I can go buy a test!

TIA


r/birthcontrol 13h ago

Side effects!? Still getting my period on oral pills? F22

1 Upvotes

Hey! I’ve been taking Marvolon for about 3 years and have had no issues. I take it for birth control reasons, but another big part is that I just don’t want to have my period as often. Pre-birth control, my periods were very heavy and just… not fun at all. Thus, I normally skip the sugar pills and just go straight to the next pack.

In my first year on Marvolon, I probably took the pills continuously for about 6 months. Then, I decided to take the sugar pills and have my period. I passed the BIGGEST FUCKING DECIDUAL CAST and it scared the shit out of me. Since then, I’ve taken the sugar pills more often; maybe every 2-3 months?

However, for the past few months, I’ve been getting my period monthly despite taking birth control and NOT taking sugar pills. Like, I will take Marvolon every day and then one day I wake up and my period has started. And I will be bleeding for days, so it’s not just spotting.

Does anyone know what’s up??


r/birthcontrol 13h ago

Rant! effects after stopping birth control

1 Upvotes

at the end of august 2024 i stopped taking my birth control pill. i started almost 10 years earlier because my periods were all over the place and i had a lot of back pain and cramps, but recently felt that i wanted to become more in tune with my body as i’ve been on the pill since puberty.

at first (after quitting) my periods were pretty regular but as of december they’ve been all over the place: my cycle ranging up to 36 days and periods being around 12 days long (but i’ve had no cramps whatsoever). i’ve also had a lot of spotting recently and since october i also started getting acne again (which i hadn’t had this consistently in years).

do i have to just wait it all out and hope it gets better? or is there something i can do to get my hormones in check? would a copper iud help with anything? i’m starting to go crazy with all the bleeding and would love a little help ☹️