Me and my friend, Mirena, the IUD: Part 1, Decision & Insertion

Image courtesy www.mirena-us.com

When I was in college, I started taking Yaz birth control pills. To be honest, I'm pretty sure I was taking them more because I thought it was cool than because I really needed them -- goodness knows I was anything but sexually active, and my periods weren't nearly as crampy or heavy as I made them out to be. Looking back, I recognize that wanting to feel like I was part of the "in crowd" is not the right reason to add unnecessary hormones to your body, but I was young and dumb, and I know this now.

Three years later, while I was interning in D.C. for the summer, I finally found a gastroenterologist that sympathized with my complaints about years of stomach pain -- constant gas, bloating and overall upset that other doctors said I was "making up" -- and during a CT scan (in which they discovered I might have Crohn's Disease, which would explain my symptoms) they also discovered that I had a new little friend: a liver tumor.

The tumor was small -- 2 cm X 3 cm -- and they were 99% sure it was benign, but it was there and they blamed it on the estrogen in my Yaz. I had to immediately stop my hormonal birth control, and after discussions with my doctors, it was decided I'd have the tumor removed (although it would not have harmed me in the immediate sense, they advised that blunt trauma to the abdomen could make it burst, and an eventual pregnancy could make it grow, and both of those sounded awful).

The surgery was painful, and I was in the hospital for a week. I also left with a 7" scar and a warning that I was never again to take any hormonal birth control, lest it might cause another tumor to grow.

It's been 6 years since I had that tumor removed, and this entire time I've steered clear of any birth control pills, patches, shots and the like. But then, as all of my friends started procreating in their early 30s, it hit me that I still really, really did not want a child. So I called my OBGYN and re-opened the conversation. She suggested the Paraguard IUD. It's a hormone-free, copper device that's implanted in your uterus and creates an environment in which sperm can't survive. But when I did my research, I also learned that it can cause heavier, longer periods with more cramping, and let's face it, that sounds pretty bad.

Then I discovered Mirena. Mirena IS a hormonal birth control, but it does not contain estrogen and the progestin is very low dose compared to other options. Many women have lighter, shorter periods on it, and many stop having a period altogether after a year. It lasts for 5 years and you can get pregnant immediately after removal. I called my gastroenterologist to discuss risks, and after he consulted with his hepatic (aka liver) specialist, they all determined that since it's not estrogen-based, I should be fine. I did some more research, made an appointment and then got scared shitless.

When I made my appointment, the nurse was very clear in saying that insertion was painful. She said I should take 600mg of Advil before my appointment (that's three pills), eat a good breakfast so I didn't pass out and wear comfortable clothing. I mean, usually doctors minimize the pain associated with things, so when someone proactively tells you it's going to hurt, you really believe them.

I went onto Facebook to crowd-source some additional opinions and got a mixed bag. Half of the women that responded to my post sung Mirena's praises -- "It's the best decision I've ever made," said one friend. "I love it!" said another. And then there were the horror stories. Non-stop bleeding for months. Intense cramping that felt like labor pains and lasted for days or weeks. Insertion pain, that while brief, was so strong they got light headed. Yikes. Supposedly, it's less painful for people that have had a child or pregnancy. I've had neither.

Let me tell you that I almost canceled my appointment four times. They tell you to get your insertion while you're on your period, and the research says this is because your cervix is already partially open and you're already feeling crampy and gross, so adding on top of that isn't so bad. But of course, my period came three days earlier than expected, and my appointment was no longer lining up. I called to reschedule, but was told, nah, you'll be fine, being on your period is just a recommendation. Damnit. My excuse was snatched right out from under me.

Then I got the automated reminder call where you're supposed to press 1 to confirm your appointment, and I was so scared that I couldn't even press the button on my phone. I just hung up and secretly hoped they'd tell me, whoops, your appointment was accidentally canceled. No dice.

Let's be real. I've had 8 surgeries, including said liver tumor removal and spinal surgery at 13 to correct for scoliosis. I'm no stranger to pain, and in fact, I'd like to think my pain tolerance is higher than most people's. But I still don't like it (few people do), and the reports about the intensity of this pain in a very sensitive region just had me spooked. I kept trying to tell myself that I didn't really NEED this, that it's so hard to get pregnant at 32 anyway that I'd probably be fine with just condoms. But then I remembered that an abortion is expensive and something I don't desire to experience either.

When business hours ended last Friday, it hit me that there was no backing out, and when I woke up this morning knowing I was actually going through with it, the nerves hit...and hard. This is sort of dramatic, but it was a solemn, silent morning in my apartment. I dressed in my baggy Star Wars sweatpants, ate a good breakfast and then, heart pounding the whole way, made the journey to the doctor's office. When I arrived, I think I told every person I encountered how nervous I was, and when I put my feet up into the stirrups, I tried my best to remind myself I was brave.

Spoiler alert for those who don't want to get the nitty gritty details: It hardly hurt. And I was shocked.

Now for those details.

The doctor had spoken to me about what would happen before anything happened, and I stared at the ceiling the entire time because I didn't even want to see the device or the insertion tube. I thought that if I saw how big it was, I'd freak out more, even though I had read that it was just over an inch.

The speculum always hurts (why, I couldn't tell you). Once I was open to the world, she cleaned me out with some iodine and then, as she mentioned, used some sort of instrument to measure my cervix. This was probably the worst of the pain, but it lasted for a second (literally). I took one sharp inhale and then, as she put this clip on my cervix to hold everything in place, it felt as though I was experiencing a moderate period cramp. Nothing horrific at all. It certainly wasn't comfortable, but I used my yoga breath and just kept taking deep inhales and exhales. I felt a little tugging, but the pain never accelerated beyond that moderate cramp, and then within 30 seconds, the doctor said she was done.

I literally said, "Really? That's it?"

When she took the speculum out, the nurse handed me a heating pad, and I felt the lightest of period cramps, but nothing more. She gave me a giant, thick pad to put in my underwear and warned that I might have some bleeding off and on for a while. She suggested that I could lay there as long as I wanted, but I really felt completely fine so I got dressed and left within 5 minutes. I did notice that I could feel the strings a bit when I was walking back to the train station (they hang down into your vagina for eventual removal and you're supposed to feel for them each month to make sure everything's still in place), but I expect that sensation to eventually go away, just like you can no longer feel your contact lenses once you've gotten used to them.

Other women I've spoken to have said that in addition to the insertion pain they had horrific cramping for days. Granted I'm only 4 hours out from insertion, but I seriously feel completely fine. There's a teeny tiny bit of cramping, but it's a 1 on a scale of 1-10. I did pee once and had a bit of blood on the pad, in addition to in the toilet, but again, not nearly as bad as I expected. A few friends have said the cramps were so bad that they felt akin to labor pains, so I keep sitting here waiting for this flood of discomfort to hit me, but nothing has happened. Of course, I can only hope it stays that way. (I also had a friend tell me that apparently this means I have an "accepting uterus" -- something she suggested I add to my dating profile. ;))

I have an appointment scheduled for a month out as a check-up, but my doctor said that if all continues to go well, I can cancel it and that giving it a look-see will just be part of my annual going forward.

I totally get that everyone's experience can, and will, be different. And maybe I am just lucky or really good at dealing with pain. But I'm walking away from the experience pleasantly surprised at how easy it was (although perhaps expecting worse is better than expecting no pain and finding it).

In terms of the hormones and my liver, my gastroenterologist will have me start back on liver ultrasounds in 6 months, just to make sure the progestin isn't doing anything funny to my system.

If you find these posts interesting and/or helpful, stay tuned! I plan to check back in with some additional write-ups over the next several months, as I want to make sure I'm painting a complete picture. If you have any questions you'd like to ask me, please don't hesitate to pop them into the comments section below, or if it's personal, you can send me an email one on one (see the contact me page for details).

I hope that this was helpful! Til next time...!

P-S: I was able to get the Mirena with absolutely no out of pocket costs. Most insurance plans cover IUDs at 100%, so check with your provider if cost is a concern!

Making periods chic, safe and socially responsible with Cora

There are lots of ways for women to add a bit of finesse to their lives -- freshly-polished fingers and toes can give us an air of je ne sais quoi, a new pair of pumps can help us walk with an extra pep in our step. But somehow, our confidence erodes during that time of the month, and if you're anything like me, you find yourself stealthily reaching into your purse, deftly sliding a tampon into your sleeve and gazing at the other faces in the room as you walk to the bathroom as if it's just another "I drank too much water break." Am I right or am I right?

There's a larger statement in here about period shame and how we shouldn't feel embarrassed about managing a natural process, but today we're going to talk about a company that's not only making periods chic, but also safe and socially responsible. This company is called Cora.

One of Cora's founders, Molly, reached out to me about a month ago after noticing Beauty Babble's focus on safe, non-toxic products, and she offered to send me some of her organic, fragrance-free tampons to try. Her timing was great, as I had just wrapped up my period and had tried another brand of organic tampons (called Natracare) that I did NOT enjoy (let's just say they were super long and gave me worse cramps, plus they leaked...no thanks). I was anxious to give another brand a shot, as returning to bleached cotton, perfumed and otherwise non-regulated tampon ingredients was NOT something I was looking forward to (and throwing out underwear every month was not a viable option).

After I gave Molly my address, I knew I was getting tampons in the mail, but when I got my Cora box, I got just as excited as I usually do when there's a Sephora or ULTA box on my stoop.

Cora makes your period feel special -- the packaging is sleek, modern and oh-so-sophisticated. In your "Signature Kit," which comes free with everyone's first order, you not only get your tampon supply, but also a vegan leather carrying case, a black storage box and a handful of "stowaways," which we'll get to in a minute. It's all fit perfectly into this custom box, and really, it feels like some sort of VIP treatment. For the first time in my life, I couldn't wait to get my period, just so I could crack out my fancy tampons. Hey, there's a first for everything, right?

By now you've gotten the point that Cora knows how to market their products and create something you can feel safe putting into your body, but then the company also has a socially-conscious component. For every month's worth of tampons that you buy, Cora donates a month's worth of sustainable pads to a woman in need. We've all heard the sad statistics about how many women and girls miss work/school each month because they don't have access to reliable menstrual products, so Cora's doing their part in making this problem more manageable.

But let's get back to the actual product for a second, because I'm just finishing this month's period and putting these babies to the test was perhaps the most exciting thing that's happened to me in the last 5 days.

Cora tampons come in a softer plastic wrap than your normal Tampax. Are they completely silent? No. But compared to the usual excessive rustling sounds required to remove your tampon from the packaging, there's definitely an improvement. Second, all Cora tampons are those mini, pop-out-the-applicator variety, which means they're much more convenient to carry around and stash in even the smallest of purses. If you recall, I mentioned earlier that Cora members get a "little black clutch" to carry their tampons in, but sometimes you just want to stuff one in a purse and be good to go (and you can!). I found the application to be easy, although I'll admit that on occasion I was too forceful in popping out the applicator and it dislodged from the top -- with some maneuvering I was able to get it put back together and didn't ever waste a tampon, but it's a warning to be gentle.

In terms of absorbency, I was impressed, but also realize that no tampon is perfect. I once forgot to change my regular absorbency one (I got very absorbed in work, no pun intended), so yes, I leaked. And on one particularly heavy evening, I put a pad on in addition to a super tampon, and had some spotting in the morning that the pad had caught. Right now, I don't see that Cora offers super-plus or light absorbency tampons, so you're limited to what the regular and super can do. Generally, I felt confident that these tampons weren't going to leak unnecessarily, and they were easy and comfortable to wear and remove.

Let's hop back to the "stowaways" that I mentioned, because they're cool on multiple levels. Firstly, the packaging (surprise surprise) is chic and sleek. It looks a bit like a lipstick container, only there's a magic tampon surprise inside! If you're still not quite confident enough to whip one out in plain sight, but also don't want to bring the "little black clutch" to the restroom, these stowaways are a great way to hold something incognito in your hand. They're also made of a crush-free cardboard, so even if it's tossed into a giant purse along with your other must-haves, it'll stay in one piece.

Stowaways are also cool, because they're Cora's way of helping you refer your friends to the program. Each one has a little bitty code on it, so when you pass one underneath the stall to a friend and she uses it to sign up, you BOTH get a free month's supply of tampons. Win-win.

Are you sold yet? Because I've got just a few more things to mention.

1) If I didn't make it clear already, Cora is a subscription box. I know, it sounds a bit weird to sign up for period products, but it can also be nice to know that you've always got a supply on its way.

2) The pricing is reasonable. Depending on how many tampons you need each month and your preferred absorbency, the average prices hover around $12-$18 per month (there's a $9 plan but it only gets you 6 tampons per period, which really isn't a lot). If you sign up for a yearly payment plan (rather than monthly), the price knocks down to $9.50-$14 per month. So it's certainly more than buying a box of Tampax, but I also believe you get what you pay for, so paying a little more for something safe for your body can be worth it.

3) My only gripe with Cora is that their product assortment is limited. As I mentioned, they only have regular and super absorbency tampons available, and I tend to prefer having a few lights and super-plus ones in my rotation. I'm also a big believer in pantiliners and sometimes like having some pads for nights or really heavy days when I won't have easy access to a bathroom -- neither of these are available right now. Obviously, this means that the slightly higher prices I'd be paying for period products wouldn't cover all of my period needs. But who knows? Maybe if enough people are interested, they'll expand into these verticals too.

If you think you want to give Cora a try, Molly was kind enough to offer a $5 off coupon code, just for Beauty Babble readers. You can cancel and/or adjust your subscription at any time, so you could give the service a shot for the cost of a box of regular tampons. Just use the code CORA5GABRIELLE at checkout, and you'll be good to go.

If you've tried Cora, I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below. And if there are other organic period products that you'd say are a go / no-go, please share those thoughts as well. Have a happy period!

*I received a 3-month supply of Cora tampons for consideration, but was not compensated for my review of the product, nor will I be making any money off of sales referred from this post. I simply want to share great products with people to help them live safer, happier, more beautiful lives. :)

Review: Ole Henriksen's 3-step Power Bright At-Home Facial System

As much as I love skincare, I have to admit that I can be a bit of a curmudgeon. Why, you ask? Because so often skincare lines promise you the world and simply don't deliver. And when you spend bazillions of dollars on products waiting for them to do things that they, well, don't, you start to become really tight-fisted with your money, and dare I say, even afraid to shell out and try new things.

Since I'm a part of the Influenster community, I sometimes get the opportunity to sample products for free, and I recently qualified for an Ole Henriksen VoxBox, which I was excited, but you guessed it, also skeptical about. I had heard of the Ole Henriksen brand, but couldn't remember having tried anything from them.

When I got my box, I was pleasantly surprised to not only see two deluxe sized samples, but also this nifty little 3-step, at-home facial system called Power Bright. 

Now technically, ALL of the products I was sent are part of the Power Bright "system" but truthfully, I found the serum and moisturizer to be similar to any other serum or moisturizer I might use (and by that I mean, nothing too out of the ordinary). That said, I was sort of blown away by the magic stored within those three little pods.

According to their literature, the system is supposed to be "brightening." Truthfully, I didn't really notice much of a brightening effect, but what I did notice was this: touchable, smooth and REALLY soft skin without any added moisturizer AND visibly reduced appearance of pores. 

So how does the system work?

You start with Step 1, a brown-sugar colored polishing scrub with a light citrus scent. After applying it to clean damp skin, you let it sit for ~10 minutes, then massage with warm water and rinse. The scrub is pretty chunky, and interestingly, I noticed an immediate warming sensation when applying it (although there was no caution around this in the pamphlet). It wasn't bothersome and dissipated quickly...I actually enjoyed it...but something to be aware of. 

Rinsing off the scrub, my skin felt really smooth, although I'll admit that I found the "massaging" instructions challenging, because most of the sugar bits that you'd use to create a massaging sensation had dissolved after the 10 minutes and use of warm water on my hands.

Step 2 was the "brighten" step, and here I sort of felt like I was slathering my face with cake icing. It had the same sort of color and consistency, and even the scent reminded me of cake batter. You only leave this on your skin for 2-3 minutes, so it's a much faster step, and even though the mask starts to dry and set a bit, your face doesn't feel hard (like with some masks), nor do you feel like you're covered in a goopy, uncomfortable mess.

Step 3 involves applying a "glowing" cleanser (they call it a melting cleanser for some reason unknown to me) directly on top of the vitamin C concentrate from the last step. The instructions say to blend it in evenly over your face and then leave it on for ~15 minutes. Here they mention to expect a gentle tingling sensation, but I didn't experience this at all. After your time is up, they suggest using one of the provided complexion sponges or a warm wash cloth to swipe away the product.

Let me say that I had one of those childlike, pleasant surprises when I dunked the itty bitty, basically flat wafer of a sponge into the water and saw it puff up into a real, full sponge. As someone who has used sponges before, I shouldn't have been so surprised, but I was, and it made me happy. However, I will say that the sponge was not really all that effective at completely rinsing the product from my face. I swiped several times using warm water, but still felt like there was some residue, so I also splashed my face with my hands. Frankly, that didn't do a perfect job either, and I still felt like there was a film leftover on my skin, so I just turned off the water and patted dry. 

And that's when the miracle happened. Maybe it was just the film left on my skin, but I'm telling you my skin felt baby's butt soft. And as someone who routinely deals with acne and those annoying, rough, under-the-skin clogged pores, this felt amazing. I was tempted to skip my evening moisturizer altogether because my skin didn't even feel like it needed it (although I caved and applied, just for good measure). I was also impressed to see that I had enough product left in each of the three steps to be able to give myself this fun facial again later this week (you can use up to 3 times a week).

All in all, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience and the products, and I was also surprised to see that this is not shockingly expensive. For $55 at Sephora.com, you can get 6 of the 3-step system packages, and if you consider that you can get two uses from each pod, that's 12 facials or roughly $4 per facial (I dare you to try to find a salon that can beat that price). Just for good measure, I'll also mention that this product is free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates, so it's something you can use on your skin with confidence.

Have you tried the Ole Henriksen Power Bright system and did you enjoy it too? Any other products from this line that you'd recommend? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Til next time!

*Note: I received these products complimentary, courtesy of Influenster. I have not been compensated for this review.