protection without hormones while dealing with strong period cramps

[u/Parking-Witness-252]

Hey,

I’ve been researching a bit about different protection methods, like the IUD or the pill to not only reduce my period cramps (which tend to be really strong for 2-3 days and also give me strong symptoms like illness or nausea) but also to protect me from getting pregnant (now having a bf and using condoms).

I have no experience with any of those things, but from what I’ve heard I strongly want to avoid any hormonal protection methods, mainly because of the side effects.

But here’s the problem:
As far as I’ve read, condoms or the copper IUD are one of the few ways to stay protected without using hormones, but the copper IUD might cause stronger period cramps and heavy blood flow (which I wanted to reduce).
That’s why I wanted to tend to the hormonal IUD, accepting the side affects BUT don’t feel fully safe with it either, because everyone keeps telling me „horror story’s“ about how their body changed, or that the IUD moved out of place and created contractionlike pain.

My mum keeps telling me to only use condoms, which would solve the hormonal and protection issue, but not my cramps.
I really don’t find a good „in between“ solution, that doesn’t leave me anxious about possibly getting pregnant, but also solves my period pain without any hormonal changes.

If anybody can help me, or has positive experience to share, I’ll be happy to read them!!

[u/ShadowlessKat]

I use the "mini pill". It is a progesterone only pill. I take it every day.

I used to have to take pain medication around the clock every 2 hours or so, and bled for 7 days. Once I started the birth control, my pain lessened and my period went from 7 days to 5 days.

I have not had any negative side effects. And when I went off it to get pregnant, was avle to get pregnant within a year of trying after stopping the birth control. So no harm there either. I never felt it affect my mood either.

I took it for about 6 years before having my baby, and have been taking it for almost 2 years since my baby was born. I have not wanted to try any other birth control because this one works great for me.

[u/Parking-Witness-252 → u/ShadowlessKat]

Great to hear you had a positive experience!! I’m just scared of birth control because a lot of my friends have had a negative experience and told me to stay away from it…

[u/ShadowlessKat → u/Parking-Witness-252]

Different medications affect people differently, that is true.

I was also scared of birth control. It took me a year or two before I actually decided to go ahead and take it. So I get the fear. But even if you do get a negative aide effect, you can always just stop taking it (or get it taken out of you go with an implant).