nooly

hi everybody, i read this thread because i'm going to the family planning clinic to get an IUD as emergency contraception tomorrow (if they decide i'm suitable i guess - don't know what their criteria actually are - i live in britain btw). i went to get the levonorgestrel pill today and the doctor suggested that IUD was another option, more reliable and can then be retained as my primary form of contraception for maybe 10 years. having read more about it online i'm a bit surprised by how casual she was about recommending it but i guess the in-depth spiel is for the family planning clinic to do.

it all sounds rather alarming but at least i know about different sides of it now. i'm quite young (25) and have had no kids, but i've never had problems with painful or heavy periods (just a little occasional cramping) so i hope that means insertion won't be too painful.

as regards spotting/inconvenient bleeding and having to wear pads all the time - maybe using a menstrual cup would help? i've been using a mooncup for my periods for the past year and a half or so now and it's so much better than tampons or (ugh) pads.
it sits inside yur vaginal canal just below the cervix and collects the blood - no leaks (unless you let it overfill) and you can't feel it once it's in. from the sounds of it you would need to change it quite often for the heaviness of bleeding a lot of you have described.

thanks for all the info though. i may be back here later tomorrow bitching about the IUD fitting.
-----Added 17/11/2008 at 07 : 20 : 22-----
PS i'm in a monogomous relationship of 2 and a half years now; the need for emergency contraception came from a split condom on friday night. i was only seeing him for the weekend and we immaturely but irresistibly took the opportunity to go bareback all weekend...i didn't realise that the effectiveness of the morning after pill decreases quite sharply (to 58 % apparently) if you delay til day 3. will be doing my research in future...