Life Without The Coil
Background
I've been tracking my menstrual cycle IN DEPTH for about a year (yes you can do that even with the Mirena coil) and in the process I have learnt so much about my body! Like a lot of people, I’ve been on contraception since I was about 17 and only started it to ‘regulate my in hindsight fairly normal periods’. Also like most people, the only time I had a break from it my hormones went fucking mental and I had the worst skin breakout and spotting ever. Who can relate???
Since starting to research the menstrual cycle more and educate others along the way, it's made possibly the biggest change to my health and mindset, not to mention that of my female clients!
Decision
I am not trying to get pregnant. Let’s just get that straight.
But when I was a teenager with super heavy periods that I didn’t understand, the pill seemed like a smart solution. Now I’m 29 and fed up with this blinkered narrative. We need to know more about our bodies, instead of just going through our reproductive years blindly and then panicking when we want to have kids since we know sweet FA about our menstrual cycle. I have a friend who is a vet and she said she knows more about an animal’s cycle than her own. There is everything wrong with that picture.
Since I’ve delved into the wonderful world of the reproductive system, hormones, menstruation, ovulation and everything in between, I am making this decision solely to learn more about my body. I know there are only 5 days in a cycle where I can get pregnant – and I’m already pretty clued up on when those are!
So, armed with this understanding and empowerment I am heading forth and experiencing my fully natural rhythms as an ovulating woman for the first time with full awareness; I have a feeling this ride will be significantly smoother given all the work I've put in.
…and do you know what? I'M FREAKING EXCITED (albeit slightly nervous about the first time I use a menstrual cup while hiking…)
Experience
I’ve decided to write the next 4 days in diary form because it shows a better timeline of when I noticed different things. Following these few days, I’ve gone for a broader overview. Strap in because this is way too much information…
04/10: coil removal – I am ovulating as I write this (which I know from tracking my cycle on a daily basis) so my cervix is pretty high and soft; they have further to go to get the coil but it’s going to be less painful since I’ll naturally have more cervical mucus kicking around. I hardly felt anything when she took the actual coil out, just a barely noticeable cramping in my lower abdomen and then boom done. Whole thing took less than 5 minutes.
Side note: when you are in your menstrual phase, your cervix is low and hard, which is why is can sometimes be painful to have penetrative sex. You also produce less cervical mucus, so even though you’re potentially bleeding, you are actually in a ‘drier’ phase.
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05/10: sex – Yep. Having the coil removed is FAR more fun than having it put in and I didn’t feel any pain afterwards. Plus, I’m ovulating so my sex drive is h i g h. But no coil means no protection, so we had to wrap it up. Please be safe if you decide to remove contraception. Nature made it as easy as possible to conceive by making us as horny as possible during the window in which we produce an egg. If your sex drive is through the roof and you’re producing a fair amount of cervical mucus, don’t chance it!
I haven’t had any after effects since yesterday; no spotting, no cramping, no weird sensations, no nothing really. The nurse did say that I could have bleeding last for about 5 days (anything longer is abnormal and should be followed up) but I’ll attribute being very in sync with my cycle beforehand to a so far very chilled experience.
06/10: cervical mucus – Still in my ovulation phase. How do I know? Changes to cervical mucus occur across our cycles, and around ovulation you produce more and the consistency changes to something resembling egg whites to allow sperm the best chance of finding the egg.
Not entirely sure whether or not this is linked to the coil removal or ovulation, but I did notice an unusually large dollop (sorry but let’s call a spade a spade here) of cervical mucus this morning that wasn’t consistent with what I would expect. Could be post-coital something or other or just a side effect. Still got a ton of energy and feel pretty damn good.
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07/10: energy – Energy levels have remained as I would expect. No crashing into my luteal phase post ovulation, but a nice tapering as I generally experience (except when I am stressed and barely notice the change, or notice a big change too late to do anything about it). I imagine the changes between phases may be slightly more pronounced without the additional hormones, but so far there has been no noticeable difference in my energy levels since.
Aftermath
Early luteal: hormonal skin
Normally, if I have too much caffeine or am not eating right around my ovulatory phase, my skin will breakout. But this month has been much worse than usual (nowhere near as bad as when I just randomly came off the pill mind you!) and I’ve seen far more spots than usual breakout along my jawline, forehead and neck. These are typically the areas that are affected by my hormones but, creeping down onto my neck is a bad case which I’ll attribute to the sudden change in hormones following the removal of the coil.
FYI – I’ve tried no additional creams or facial products to help me get rid of these; it’s just a result of a hormonal imbalance that will only correct itself once I’m back in balance. Food will help and since having the coil removed, I’ve been concentrating on including phase specific foods into my diet as well as increasing my caloric intake to match my luteal phase needs to get that balance back ASAP!
Energy levels have remained pretty good during this phase as a side-note and I’ve been exercising regularly and enjoying my resistance training as set by our sample movement calendar.
Late luteal: sore boobs
Clearly PMS has hit me harder than usual this month! I’ve had sore breasts for a while now (which again is very unusual for me unless I am particularly stressed, which I am not) and when you couple it with the hormonal skin effect I described above, it has resulted in a more drastic change than I would expect at this time of the month. I’ll be interested to see how this changes over coming cycles and what adjustments I might need to make to fine tune the transition between one phase and the next. I’m used to a fairly smooth ride across my cycle, with one phase gently moving into the next, however without the presence of additional hormones my natural rhythms may change more noticeably than before.
Menstrual: self-care
I’m sure you’ve also experienced the few days leading up to your period as fretful; not knowing exactly when it might arrive and constantly checking yourself in the bathroom every time you feel a drop somewhere in your lower abdomen. Feeling slightly irritable until it arrives and then realising why you were so irritable with the clarity that only hindsight provides. Am I right?
Due to the difference in my mood and energy levels during my menstrual phase, I can pretty much always guarantee that the effects hit me on the 20th of every month, even with the coil. That’s only because I’ve tracked and journaled and spotted the patterns that appear basically every cycle. The few days before are a gentle wind down that include the following period prep:
Less social interaction
More time resting / sleeping
Less intense movement: I opt for gentle yoga and walks
Fewer calls and meetings
A fully body massage
Any additional self-care that makes me feel good (like getting my hair done or spending some time in a bath with a face mask on)
Prioritising fiction books over non-fiction
This additional knowledge around my cycle has helped me ease into my menstrual phase every cycle without the drama that so many of us have experienced in the past. And although my first period in a very long time hasn’t arrived yet (because this was written before the 20th) I am genuinely looking forward to the experience. Why?
Because I know what to expect; I know which symptoms to look out for and which to be concerned by. I can also effectively prepare for my period using the above techniques to make sure the transition into this phase is as smooth and chilled out as possible. No drama please.
Fear is always in the unknown and I no longer harbour any fear around this subject.
