Ahhh Contraceptive Conumdrum!

So, who would have thought that getting an IUD would have been so much work? Certainly not me, but it has been.

On reading week I went to see my family doctor. The first thing she told me was that, contrary to what my all-knowing gynecologist has said, the IUD is so small, that I would never feel it! Also, a pelvic ultrasound is unnecesary! She was able to show me a "sample" IUD, and told me that no one would have uterus that was too small for that IUD. I would conclude that such a circumstance is rare, not impossible, but she does it every day and says that it is not possible. Essentially my doctor told me that this doctor had gone out of her way to discourage me from the IUD, but not for legitimate reasons.

My doctor informed me that what the OB/GYN had told me was really quite untrue. I expect everything she had told me was a possibility in rare cases, but she made it seem as though these problems were immanent.

She did however tell me that she strongly discourages women who have never had a child before not to get an IUD because it increases your risk of eptopic pregnancy. I asked her by how much, she said it was small but she doesn't have the statistic. So, more questions! Does the IUD increase my risk of Eptopic pregnancy forever or just while the device is inserted? How much does the risk go up? does it go from 0.01% to 0.012% or does it go from 0.01% to 50%? I don't know!!!!

So, i feel better leaving my family doctor because I've got the straight truth, however, I don't know the specific stat, and only don't know if its a permanent effect or one just while the device is in so I still don't know how to make my decision...

Then, on the weekend I'm in Sobey's with Daniel to get some food etc for breakfast, and we go over to the pharmacy and what do we randomly see? Contraceptive sponges! They were like $8, so I think: "might as well try them!" and- I love them. They're not as inconvenient or messy as I thought they would be, and I don't have to fill my body with artificial hormones that could have some sort of long-term effect, and to be honest, it's really quite empowering! In the age of the pill and IUD and all this other Contraceptive technology, it feels almost subversive to pick up on this slowing dying, yet completely non-invasive/permanent method of birth control.

So, on Sunday we go back to Sobey's and I buy the last 2 remaining boxes of the sponges for fear that I'll never see them anywhere again, and then head off to Health Services this morning to make a doctor's appointment! I think we have a winner, and it'll be the diaphragm :)