An email from Eloise Minton to the Women’s Quest website regarding her experience of using the copper coil.

Hi there,

I wonder if you could help me with a query? I've recently had a copper contraceptive coil (IUD) fitted after much research into the side effects of this method of contraception. I decided to try the IUD, which contains no hormones, as I felt that there was so much conflicting data that I needed to try this method for myself. I have been surprised that I have not suffered from unnecessary pain in the 6 weeks since I had it fit. However I have become aware of some other changes that appear to be on an emotional and/or bio energetic level. I've also been feeling loss at altering my cycle.

 

I'm in deep Autumn bordering Winter - in fact I thought that I was going to bleed yesterday (day 25) but I didn't...I was exhausted from treatments and other work and went to bed quite early. As I lay down on my back deeply enjoying the feeling of surrendering my autumnal body to the bed I had the most powerful moment of insight and creativity I have ever had!  

My Menstrual Story (so far)

Hannah Rose Tristram

 

To cut a long story short, I was on the pill aged 15 – 19, and had great fluctuations in bodyweight during my teenage years. During this time I also lived a stressful inner and outer lifestyle. When I came off the pill aged 19, I had no bleeds of any kind until, aged 25 I went on it again briefly for a few months, under the (very unhelpful and downright harmful) advice of the NHS. Deciding that I was going to follow my intuition, and not follow any advice that jarred with my instincts, I came off the pill. I began to search for and create a path to menstrual health that made sense to me, and would actually help me rebalance my system on every level, rather than covering up the problem and creating further imbalance as the pill was doing. I made changes to my diet and thinking about food, and began to restore my digestive health from some IBS issues. I maintained my daily yoga practice, whilst also relaxing my attitudes about it. I received treatments in acupuncture, shiatsu and reflexology. I said ‘no’ more and rested more, incorporating more downtime and becoming more practised at speaking what I actually need, feel and think. I gained a little weight, moving from the lower margins of what might be considered as healthy for my height into the middle margins, and maintained it in a steady fashion. Most crucially, I addressed my thinking about menstruation. I filled in some blanks about the biological workings of it, researched where my judgements about it might have come from, and opened up to receiving its Spiritual and personal benefits, for the life of the soul. Opening up blocked channels inside me to thinking and talking about menstruation at all (having had a mental silence on it as well as a physical one), and to doing so in a positive light, brought up painful memories of life-events which I had suppressed. Processing the emotions associated with these allowed me to let go of inner holdings-on, which unstuck some energies on physical and emotional levels. I also began to chart my mucus and feelings, and pay a little more attention and respect to the female aspects of my body. Shortly after I turned 26, on the first New Moon of 2012, on Chinese New Year (year of the Dragon), my natural menstrual bleed returned, for the first time since I went on the pill aged 15. And this time, I was ready to celebrate.

 

I am putting on a play. WOW. Hurrah. You were right. My ‘winter’ has an equal and opposite ‘summer’. I am riding my massive emotions and facing my block. I am using the cycle map to read my reactions. I am also trying to use the cycle to feyness my writing. I have written this show for myself and when i want an ingredient in the show I write at the right time. I wanted a bit more sex so I wrote when i was ovulating. I wanted to contact the character's anger so I wrote when I felt a progestrone dump after ovulating. I haven't fully accepted my depression yet but I am riding it. I am trying not to judge it and letting all the tears flow.

 

The Pill book was quite recently recommended to me for various reasons. My name is Sarah I live in Bristol and am 26 years of age, I have been seeing a counsellor (Sally Walters http://www.personalreflections.org.uk/) for five years now as I have suffered with depression during that time I have also been diagnosed with poly-cystic ovaries and have faced extremely bad issues with my cycle year after year. My symptoms have varied overall, my periods were very irregular and painful enough for me to up and leave my place of business every 48-56 days for retreat with many pain killers hot water bottles and generally feeling very sorry for myself. I then felt forced to take the pill as a way out of the nightmare I felt trapped by my body and being in my early 20's at the time acne plagued my life and added to my depression.