Nexplanon

Disclaimer: I hate, and I do mean hate it when guys, or really anyone, tries to assume any intense emotion a woman has must be because of hormones. You insinuate that women can't have real or genuine upsets, and if they do, they're so simple minded, it could only be hormones. It's a very sensitive and intense pet peeve of mine.

However. I can admit (after the fact) when it is indeed hormones causing my melt down. Lately that's been more and more than I like.

I recently got the nexplanon birth control. It's a small stick that goes into your upper arm and releases small amount of hormones, over a course of years, to increase the mucus around the cervix and prevent the sperm from entering the uterus. I enjoy the ease and simplicity of it, but it is clear that it has downfalls.

Reasons I am glad I got it:

1. It's easy- there's nothing to remember and the insertion was painless, despite the nasty looks of it.

2. It lasts! It provides you with birth control for 3 years. No re-insertion in that time period.

3. If your insurance covers birth control, it covers this. Which is great since it's a fortune out of pocket.

4. It's safe to have while breast feeding.

5. It's VERY effective. It does have one of the highest effectiveness rates among birth control options.

6. It's discreet. A myth I'd heard was that it's visible in your arm. I didn't really care, but I'm glad it isn't. It'd be weird. You can see it if you pull the skin tight around it, but at rest and un bothered it's virtually invisible. and after the first two weeks I completely forgot about it.


Reasons I might not leave it in for the whole 3 years:

1. It's giving me CRAZZZYYYY mood swings. I'm doing worse than when I was pregnant. Literally. I cried for half an hour becuase my boyfriend bought the pack of diapers with the better money value (more diapers in the bag for a lower price) rather than the bag with the cuter baby on it. I cried, folks. About a pack of freaking diapers.


I think that about wraps it up, I'd still reccomend it to any one looking for long term birth control, but it is a bit of a struggle at first with the mood swings.