Hello guys..
So this week I had a birth control method session experience (whatever you call it)
Ok, lets start from the beginning. I’ve been on birth control pills since I was 19, which means I was on it for almost 12 years (except the time when I was carrying Sophia). I was on Yasmin for a couple of years, and then it gave up on me. I remember the first month when I started taking the pill, I gained a lot of weight, my cheeks were puffy, my boobs were swelling and I felt bloated. I was eating like mad too. But it was only during the first month. Things were back to normal after the second month. Ok, why I switched from Yasmin to Nordette? Basically I had some breakthrough bleeding, and the doctor adviced me to switch brand. She said that sometimes at at certain point a certain brand doesn’t work for your body anymore. I changed to Nordette. And that went pretty well.
Fast forward 12 years later, I get pretty worried about the bad side effects that the pill can give me. I mean I’ve been on it for more than a decade you know. Plus I hated the fact that I have to take the pill everyday at the same time. Its difficult to remember if I have a night out. Or when I’m on a vacation. So, I decided to look for other options of birth control method with less side effects. Here are the list of options that are available (in Malaysia) & shortlisted:
- IUD (shortlisted)
- Implant (shortlisted)
- The shot
- The patch
- The pill
- Condom
- Vaginal Ring
- Internal condom
- Morning after pill
After taking consideration of the costs, time and effects, I was down to IUD and Implant. I kinda like the idea of the Implant because it inserts this stick looking thing in your arm. It stays there for 3 years, and then the doctor has to pull it out and reinsert a new one. It looks less dodgy too. But I found out that it would cost me more than RM1000, so that’s totally out of my budget. So that left me with IUD. My doctor said it will only cost me around RM 200 including consultation and ultrasound. Perfect budget for me.
So I made up my mind and decided to go with the IUD, and made an appointment during my second day of period (doctor would encourage patients to get an insertion during menstrual). I was honestly excited to do it, because I really wanted to be free from The Pill. So the day came and the doctor was ready to insert the IUD in me. She even showed me a mock up IUD in a uterus and how its going to work. This was done in Klinik Razana, Section 13, Shah Alam. I like this clinic. Price is reasonable, and the service is good too. The doctor knows what she’s doing.
So, all tools were ready, and I was lying down on the bed. I already started feeling uncomfortable when the speculum was inserted in. If you’ve done pap smear, you know how uncomfortable it is. And then the doctor use a long rod to measure my uterus, and where the curve is. Now that was painful. Basically, when she already knows where is the curve, she would know where to place the IUD. However, this differs from one person to another. Different people have different uterus. The doctor somehow could not find the curve of my uterus. Usually the procedure takes a few minutes, but in my case, it was taking longer than usual. So after a few painful and uncomfortable tries, she said she could not do it, and it was better for me to go to a more equipped hospital to get the procedure done. Other hospitals have other brands that might suit me more. Basically, in my case, she needs a more flexible IUD. She also mentioned that she can try pushing it in, but she didn’t want to take the risk.
I was ok with going to another hospital, but the other brand (Mirena) was going to cost me more than RM 500. That’s totally out of my budget. So the doctor sat down with me to discussed other options.
So my next option is the birth control shot. It lasts for 2 months (for the first time), and then you have to take it every 3 months. The doctor suggested for me to go for this option first, and later when I’m ready for the other IUD, I can go ahead and get it anytime. Or I can also just continue with the shots. So I did. And it only cost me RM 75. She said that this is a very safe method, and there is no bad side effects that I should be aware of.
However, many people have discussed this online and they said that birth control shot may cause weight gain. Hey, I don’t like that! But I believe, by being active and eating right, I can beat that. And so far, I haven’t felt anything weird or out of the ordinary. My appetite maintains the same. No tender boobs. No puffy cheeks. And no cramps. Lets just hope this continues. So if you’re thinking of taking any types of birth control methods, make sure you do a thorough research first. Sometimes your preference might not suit your body
Its Nana Zul 