I Got an IUD and I’m Never Going Back — This Is Why

A hormonal IUD can last for 3 to 6 years depending on the IUD, while a non-hormonal IUD can lasts for up to 12 years. If this isn't enough of a selling point, I also don't have to remember to take it every day like a birth control pill.

Although I was good at taking my pills like clockwork, sometimes life just gets away from you. I've gone on holiday before and came to the horrifying realisation that I forgot my birth control pills. Not only that, but trying to remember to take them while you're drinking margaritas on the beach, just forget about it. It didn't work for me. It's so freeing to know that little pack of pills isn't weighing me down.

Even though it was just three pounds, I felt happier and lighter. Most birth control pills have two hormones, progesterone and estrogen, while an IUD just contains progesterone. Sometimes the addition of the estrogen can lead to bloating and weight gain.

That's right, my periods are gone for good. On birth control pills, my periods got lighter, but never stopped completely. When I first got my IUD, I did have some random light spotting, but that went away pretty quickly. This is normal for a hormonal IUD, however a non-hormonal IUD, like a copper IUD can actually make your periods longer and heavier.

I happily threw away all of my pads and tampons and don't have to walk down that dark aisle in the store anymore. Now I don't have to worry about my periods disrupting my life.

I've always struggled with bloating and constipation, and had pretty much accepted my fate. I was so young when I started my birth control pills, I never would have linked the two things.

Pills that contain high doses of estrogen, like birth control, can actually irritate the stomach and even cause symptoms like nausea. The pill can also affect the hormone receptors in your digestive tract, which can cause other symptoms like bloating and constipation. Immediately after I stopped taking birth control pills and started on my IUD, my gut health improved.