Me! Okay- I was terrified to get it. (I made the mistake of looking up an insertion video on YouTube.) I’ll explain the whole process then get into side effects, etc.

I made a consultation appointment with my regular doctor and my mother (I was not 18 at the time.). The consultation was generally to make sure I was picking the correct birth control for what I want, taking a pregnancy test (because you can’t start on BC if you’re pregnant.), and explaining what would happen at the actual appointment.

I set up the insertion appointment for a week later, and I didn’t have to be on my period when they inserted it (many offices have you make an appointment when you start your period so 1/ you’re definitely not pregnant, and 2/ the birth control becomes effective within 3 days rather than 5). I went with my mom again since I was under 18 and was going through my public hospital, not planned parenthood. Okay, so at this appointment, they took me back to a regular room that you’d get your checkups in, and I spoke with the woman who would be doing the procedure, and she explained what would happen, any possible side effects of Nexplanon, and the risks (as they have to do with any medical procedure.)

The actual procedure took possibly 10 minutes from start to finish. She used a lidocaine(i think?) shot to numb up the underneath of my upper arm, and used the handheld machine that inserted the little rod into my arm, I had no pain whatsoever other than the small burning of the numbing shot. She then had me feel my arm to insure that it was there, and then wrapped me up in a compression wrap for 24 hours to lessen the bruising (oh boy did I bruise.)

The little dot at the top is the actual wound, so there is no open cuts or anything. After about four weeks, the bruising was gone, and after five weeks, the pain/soreness in my arm was gone as well (nothing unbearable, just uncomfortable to move my arm too fast or certain ways, and only once had to take ibuprofen.)

Okay, onto my side effects:

+ =pro

- =con

+ over 99% effective

+ the MOST convenient BC out there

+ low maintenance

+ can be removed at any time

+ not super expensive/should be mostly covered by insurance depending on your provider

+ I have experienced no period related cramping in the 4 months I’ve had the implant.

+ you can feel it at any time in your arm to insure that it is there and hasn’t moved, where as with the Mirena IUD, you can’t really know.

+ it is only progestin, and doesn’t have any other unnecessary hormones.

+ my sleep has been positively affected

- very moody the first two weeks

- I have been on my period for just under 3 months now. But it’s mostly just been light/spotting versus my regular heavy/medium flow without the implant.

So there you go! I hope i was helpful!! I love it, and have no horror stories. My appetite wasn’t affected, weight, depression, nothing. I think the horror stories are so prevalent simply because they are horror stories and people would rather listen to the minority problems than the majority benefits.

HELPP

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