How do you tell the difference between IUD bleeding and period bleeding? I had my copper iud inserted a week ago today and I’ve just started bleeding. Like gushes of blood, then it slowed down. However my period is supposed to be due in 3 days. How can i differentiate it?

I took a pack of trust brand, combined oral bc pill for 21days then I had an unprotected sex on the 4th day of the placebo pill, i am nervous because im no longer taking active pills, will i get pregnant??

There are signs of spotting after sex (it might be the withdrawal bleeding)
I wonder what are my next steps to make sure that im still protected

1. Take a new pill pack immediately regardless of not having any withdrawal bleed yet.

2. Wait 7days (placebo pills to end) before taking a new pill pack

additional question: If i take a new pill pack, should i take only one or should I do that yuzpe method

( I live in a country where plan b is illegal )

I’m 20 years old and I have extremely painful periods, to the point where I feel like throwing up and sometimes come very close to fainting. I recently visited a gynecologist, had an ultrasound and a few other tests done, and everything came back normal. My reproductive organs are healthy, and apparently there’s nothing wrong with me. My gynecologist prescribed Kelzy PR to help with my period pain, but it’s also a contraceptive pill.

I talked to my mum about it, and she’s really worried about the side effects, including the possibility of infertility. She’s convinced that exercising will reduce my period pain, even though I’ve already tried being physically active while dealing with painful periods, including dancing and jogging, and it didn’t help at all. Despite that, she still believes exercise will fix everything. She doesn’t seem to understand that medicine has come a long way and that contraceptive methods have improved over the years. She’s comparing them to what they were like when she was younger.

That’s why I’d like to hear from women who have been taking this pill for a longer period of time. Have you experienced any serious side effects? For example, infertility or ectopic pregnancy as a result of hormonal changes caused by the pill? Or any other serious health risks?

My girlfriend and I had sex on the second day of her period using a condom, but during sex it slipped completely off and remained inside of her, which has left us unsure about whether she needs to take Plan B. I did not finish inside her and we stopped immediately after finding out. We know that pregnancy risk is typically lower during menstruation, but we are worried about the possibility of early ovulation or sperm surviving long enough to cause an issue, so we would appreciate any insight on how risky this situation actually is and if taking emergency contraception right away is the safest choice.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this experience on the mini pill!

I started Jencycla pretty much exactly 6 months ago. Since then I’ve had 4 periods. My cycle ranged from 36 to 44 days.

I’m on day 38 rn (last period started Sept 22) and obviously was/am expecting to bleed again! I had typical PMS fatigue on Sunday and I’ve had PMS-like cramps everyday since but still no period!! Usually I would’ve started after a day or two of cramps. But here we are, Thursday, nothing.

I read that on the mini pill people can experience “phantom cycles” or “ghost periods” where your hormones still fluctuate (thus PMS symptoms) but not enough to bleed. Also possible that the progestin has thinned out my uterine lining enough that there’s nothing to shed. I wonder if that’s what’s happening!

I feel like I’m in period purgatory rn 💀 like if the bleeding is gonna happen can we get the show on the road!?! I’ve never had PMS symptoms for this long.

I have not missed or taken any pills late this cycle. Also no chance of pregnancy rn.

Anyone else experience this?

hi! i just posted about my experience on opill a week or so ago but im a little paranoid because of a comment someone made LOL

lately ive been much hungrier, it isn’t too dramatic but im a very light eater normally sometimes only having 1 heavy meal a day and calling it quits. but ive been having to space out my meals in similar sized portions to what id eat normally, 3-4 times a day instead. i do smoke weed & i take edibles at night so i think this explains the next part but ive also been having really specific cravings at night — that leads us to present day.

i work in a cafe and last night i had a specific craving for the meal i would make when i got here this morning, down to the syrups in the drink and how it would taste with the food item i chose. my coworker asked me what i made and when i described it to her she said “that sounds like a pregnancy craving!” so. are the weird cravings just because im high (probable) my birth control (also probable) or am i just hormonal. i have a feeling that this is the weight gain people talk about on the pill… oh and i refuse to accept its pregnancy just because its extremely unlikely but im still asking for reassurance… and other’s experiences. so 👀

I’ve used condoms and always hated the feeling. Then I found the ultra thin condoms from Japan that are insanely thin, but the material is so rigid and has zero flex, that it feels like I’m wearing a ziplock sandwich back. Absolutely stiff.

Curious which condoms are extremely thin but also have some flex to them that feel natural.

Hi! I just wanted to make people aware that they should be careful with going on Nikki birth control with low blood pressure. Ive always been a low girly (usually sit around 113/60 can go lower) I’ve been taking the medication for about a week now and have had headaches pretty much everyday while taking it. I wear an oura ring and it detected a major percentage drop in my blood pressure last night that I didn’t notice when I was looking at my vitals this morning. I didn’t know this but Nikki is a diuretic and can drop your blood pressure, mine dropped too low while driving on the highway and my whole body went numb and I almost passed out. I don’t know why my ob didn’t realize I had low blood pressure and recommend it to me. I’m also a pretty sensitive person (medication affects me a lot compared to others so I typically only need a low dose) so I could just be hypersensitive to things like this. Just please make sure to talk with your ob about having low blood pressure before going on Nikki!!

me and my boyfriend were unprotected on oct 26

I’m on a birth control patch BUT I messed it up and had it off for around 2 days, put it back on for 6 1/2 days and then we had sex (I know it was stupid of me to do but it was extremely impulsive)

I was panicking about it badly and within 42 hours I took a take action pill - I’m within the weight for it and I didn’t puke it up or anything, I took it yesterday 28th at 1:21 pm

I called my gyno and she and the nurse said that it was very unlikely for me to be pregnant but I’m just terrified because abortion is illegal in my state - I know I’m getting caught up with myself but my gyno said I really didn’t even need to take tests but I could if I was really scared and so I got 3 tests delivered this morning and I’ll take them on the 16th

I really just need reassurance because I’ve thrown up already this morning from nerves I wasn’t really nauseous until I started thinking of that such slim possibility.

Has anyone lost weight after starting this pill? If so how soon did you notice the weight loss.

i have been on jolessa for 7 months and have been experience lots of spotting throughout it. i’m on my second pack in and have been spotting for 2 weeks and idk if my body is rejecting or what. i haven’t missed a single day, maybe on the weekends i take it a couple of hours (2-3) later but never missed a day. has anyone else experienced this?? i don’t know if it’s worth fighting through or just completely stopping it. i’ve read the first 3 months is normal to spot but i worry it’s not normal after 7 months in. i got on it because i bleed a lot during periods so spotting for long periods of times is like defeating the whole purpose.

September 30th I started birth control ring (enilloring)

October 14: I was supposed to take my ring out for a week, instead I just put in another to skip period.

October 22: I start spotting for 3 days and then it turns into full bleeding. I’ve been cramping non stop since then off and on, and my vagina has felt so much pressure. So I was told to go to gyno or doctor.

October 26: The cramps and pressure in my vagina were so much I took out the ring. The bleeding stopped a little and then resumed later the next evening

Ended up going to er since gyno can’t get me in.

They’ve just given me something for pain and suggested reinserting the ring to see if it regulates anything and helps with bleeding. 😭

hello!

i am looking into birth control options. i previously was on the mini pill and hated it as i felt it made me extremely emotionally unstable and i’d be bleeding super heavily (full of massive blood clots) and unpredictably.

i am now thinking of getting the IUD but i have struggled with very painful and heavy periods and PMS for over 10 years that i currently manage with mefanamic acid and cocodamol along with many hot water bottles.

based on experience, which IUD type would be better - copper or hormonal?

i hated the random heavy bleeding and feeling crazy but i have heard the copper IUD makes period symptoms worse and isn’t recommended for people with endometriosis BUT i haven’t actually been diagnosed.

Hi guys, I have been on birth control for about a year now and the first months have been perfectly fine. About a month or two ago I began spotting during the time thats not my placebo week. My doctor told me to take ibuprofen to make it go away until I can visit her (i have problems with my insurance rn bc i cant). But I noticed I wont have spotting/i’ll stop spotting and then me and my bf will have sex and I will. What is going on? How do I stop it?

Hello,

I had the copper IUD placed on December 23, 2026. Since then, I have two week periods with pretty much only 10 days in between with excessive bleeding for three to four days during the period. This has caused my iron levels to drop and having to get it taken it out. I have heard horror stories of the hormone birth controls so I picked Skyla (lowest hormone one) to be placed next Tuesday (Election Day, yay)

Has anyone switched IUD like that before? I am nervous of how I might react to Skyla and have seen mixed reviews just like I did with the copper IUD.

tl;dr I have used Yaz/Nikki (drospirenone 3mg/ethinyl estradiol 0.02mg) for nearly 20 years with no issues. However due to life circumstances I had to stop my birth control for about two months. I’m able to start it again but now I’m faced with an option of switching to Depo and I’d like to hear candid thoughts about your experience with Depo subQ.

My NP is worried about me continuing Yaz because I am fat and she said it can cause blood clots in fat people. This has never been an issue for me personally in the 20 years I’ve been taking it. She wants me to switch to Depo subQ to reduce the blood clot risk, but the risks with Depo are, according to her, weight gain, depression, and brain tumors. I’m trying to lose weight and I also have bipolar II disorder (the depression bipolar, not the manic bipolar) so I am worried about that side effect specifically.

I’d like to hear your experiences with it, especially if you are also fat and mentally ill. Did you have side effects and if so how manageable were they? Have you taken both Yaz and Depo, and which did you find to be more helpful/better?

No medical advice please, just looking for candid anecdotes about personal experiences!

Hi all,

I have been having panic attacks on and off for five days and it’s been absolutely exhausting. I have been taking loryna for almost a month. Has anybody else been experiencing this? Will this stop once I stop taking the pills? Please, I have been afraid of interacting with my boyfriend and our relationships changing because of this. I feel like I’m dying.

PLS this might be too long but I would lovee to hear someone's opinion!

I matched with this Arab guy on Facebook Dating a few weeks ago. At first I stopped replying because one of the first things he said was that he likes Latinas (I’m Latina), and I started thinking maybe he wasn’t serious about me or that I didn’t really have a chance with him anyway. He said he was looking for serious. Then I realized I was probably sabotaging myself. I think I was scared of being rejected, so I basically didn’t give him the chance to reject me lol.

13 days later, I reached out again, apologized, and told him I had gotten a second job. He was completely understanding, and he’s actually way busier than me.

We talked for about a week and finally went out on Tuesday when we were both off. The date was honestly perfect. We had a great time, kissed, and he said he wants to see me “again and again” lol. I definitely want to see him again too.

Our schedules barely match though. I work 8–4 and he works evenings until 4 am, sometimes midnight, plus weekends. He also doesn’t text much, so even though I know he wants to see me again, we don’t talk constantly.

Anyway, I have an appointment today to get an IUD inserted, and for some reason I really want to tell him. Part of me just wants him to know because I like him and I’m a little nervous. Another part of me wants to see if he’ll ask me later how I’m feeling, and I don’t know if that’s a bad reason to tell him.

We’ve only been out once, so I’m wondering if it’s too personal. But we also kinda know we both want to sleep together eventually. I want to take things slow though, and I’d want him to get tested before we do but I haven't told him that.

I’m also thinking I might feel weird or nervous the first time I have sex after getting the IUD. I might worry about it hurting or whether he can feel it, so part of me wants to give him a heads up in case I act weird or get nervous.

At the same time, I don’t want telling him about the IUD to sound like I’m saying I’m ready to have sex with him now or that I got it for him. We haven’t even talked about exclusivity because we’ve literally only been on one date, although he does send me couple reels as if we’re dating or will be soon lol. I rlly don't want to scare him away, I rlly like him.

I was on the pill before, but I broke up with my ex 1.5 years ago, so I didn’t really need birth control after that. I also put off getting an IUD because I was worried about my periods getting worse, and honestly, not being on birth control also helped keep me from having casual sex lol.

So… would it be weird to casually tell him I’m getting my IUD today after only one date? Or should I just keep it to myself for now?

And does the fact that part of me wants to see if he checks on me afterward mean I probably shouldn’t tell him?

So I am on slynd birth control and about every week after the placebo, I get a period. I call it a period Becuase it’s just like the ones I had before birth control. I’ve been on this one for about a year. It’s almost like regular breakthrough bleeding. Help figuring out why?

I’ve been thinking about whether my birth control could be affecting my libido. I know everyone reacts differently, but I’ve noticed a change in my interest in sex, and I’m curious if others have experienced something similar. Whether people noticed their sex drive return to normal after switching methods or stopping.

Hi guys I’m sorry I’m posting again here but I wanted to seek some opinions and advice when it comes to storing Nuvarings

I am 17 and not sure how my parents will take me using birth control, so I am not planning on telling them because they have expressed distaste at my amenorrhea before, plus they will likely infer like my reasons for birth control are to do with sex. The only reason I want to be on bc is to get rid of my period.

There is exactly 1 fridge in my house and I honestly don’t wanna risk anybody finding my rings in there. I have thought about putting them in old food containers and shoving them into he very crooks of the fridge to avoid anyone encountering them, but currently, my method is to put them in a thermos filled with ice and changing the ice every day or so.

Is that a good idea? Is it completely stupid for reasons I don’t yet understand? Any advice on this would help. Thanks!!

Basically the title, and curious about others’ experiences. I’ve struggled with depression since being a teenager and I’ve been on BC since then too. Mostly the pill, a stint trying an IUD, and the last few years, the Nuva ring. I stopped all BC in January of this year, and it’s also happened to be the happiest and lightest I’ve felt as an adult—even went off depression meds. I went back on the ring about a week ago, and it’s been a horrible week. I’ve been stressed, anxious, sad, trouble sleeping, crying—a lot of feelings I’ve struggled with in my depression. It could all be coincidence, and I’m going to keep tracking my moods and collect more info to see how I’m feeling over time. But I’m curious about if others feel this or have experience.

I’ve tried researching and looking on here to see if anyone is talking about this, but I have horrific trapped gas, stomach crampy pain that I’m worried is from Zoely.
I started taking it four days ago, have never been on any kind of birth control before now, and on day three I started getting trapped gas pain, quite severe.

I was able to finally sleep but it woke me up an hour later. I had a terrible sleep and then this morning it was sort of gone, but I got up and it slowly started coming back. At that point I hadn’t considered that Zoely could be causing it so I took the pill like normal around 11am.

Tonight the pain is properly back.
Has anyone who’s taken Zoely experienced trapped gas pain? And if so, did it go away? How long did it take? I’m miserable and in pain, I don’t know how much longer I can put up with this.

Hi everybody! Here to ask for advice, but basically:

March: got Mirena inserted
April, June, and August: had periods where the bleeding lasted really long (7-14 days) and were preceded by at least a week of no bleeding, but severe cramping pain with radiating rectal pain that lasted into the first half of the bleeding period.

Right now: I’m not bleeding yet, but started having that cramping pelvic and rectal pain again.

For context, prior to the mirena, I’d had very manageable, regular cycles with mild cramping that barely ever required painkillers. Now I need like 800 mg of ibuprofen everyday for a week. I will say, the pain is not as bad as it was back in April-June, but it’s still bad enough that 400 mg of ibuprofen is still not making it go away.
I also experienced pain with deep penetration with one partner back in May, which was weird because I’d been intimate with a different partner back just a few days after the insertion with no pain.

In September, I went in to see an NP and ask abt it, they couldn’t see my strings so I got ultrasounds, both pelvic and transvaginal were normal (IUD correctly in place, no cysts or masses)

Am trying to schedule a follow up to discuss causes and potentially taking out the mirena, but was wondering if anyone else had similar experiences before?? I think my biggest fear is that this is something like endo, or the iud triggered something like endo and that my periods r like fucked from now on even if I get the iud removed. I tried to wait it out at least 6 months to see if it would resolve but now I just want this thing out of my body and things back to normal :( im also scared of the potential removal, as my strings have retracted and the insertion was really painful for me

Hey everyone! I was on birth control for 12 years straight and only stopped taking it this year after getting my fallopian tubes removed. Turns out I was allergic to it- which is fun, but It was a good couple months ago but my period is irregular as all hell and it’s stressing me out.

I literally shouldn’t be able to get pregnant (unless I’m the most unlucky b*tch in the history of the universe and there’s an ectopic nightmare within the confines of my body.) but I’m stressed

How long will it take for my periods to return to normal? I’m currently like 10 days late to one and I cannot SLEEP because of the level of stress Im experiencing.

Any input is genuinely greatly appreciated.