More power to you, Jess! Contraceptives need to be taken all the time, which would leave me obsessing (and in my case, contraceptives are susceptible to getting TAMPERED WITH BY YOUR SPOUSE!), neither of which are very sexy *lol*. All hormonal B/C did was mess my body up and give me debilitating health problems. Paragard was an answer to my prayers. Enjoy the next 9 glorious fertility-free years. It’s a feeling of freedom unlike any other. Remember to ask your doc to make a knot at the end of the string and to tuck the string in. The knot makes it easier for you to self-check and tucking the string in…well, apparently you’re already aware of why >;.)

I don’t remember having so many appointments or fittings. It was during a regular annual exam that I asked my doc about it and told him what I wanted was a Paragard, no question about it. I had to order it myself because my wonderful insurance at the time would not cover any of it. Once it came in, the office called and scheduled an appointment for insertion during my next period.

I went, got it done and paid the doc out-of-pocket for that and he reduced the fee because it was all self-pay. I had a follow up in a couple of weeks and had him trim the strings while there.

The only negative part I faced was the price and the strong insertion cramp that almost caused me to faint. It’s been smooth sailing from there.

My previous doctor actually recommended the IUD to me (even as a childfree woman) when I was having issues with hormonal birth control methods. I was under the impression that most doctors wouldn’t give them to women who hadn’t given birth, but my doctor explained that while it may be more painful for women without children, there was nothing that should preclude me from getting one…