Here's a thing: in my late teens and twenties I was just grand at taking the combined contraceptive pill, every single day for 3 weeks and then a 7 day break. Drunken night out (how long ago are those?!) or hangover even, I'd get that pill down me at roughly the same time each day and was therefore pretty well protected against surprise pregnancies.
After coming off said pill in my early thirties it took 6 months to get pregnant which is pretty standard as far as all the literature on it goes. M is now 19 months old and it felt time to address the question of what will work now, for the long term.
After some discussion with the GP, my options were: the coil or the pill. I used to get bad migraines so the combined pill was off limits as it raises the chances of these happening.
So, Progesterone-only pill it is, every day, at the same time, without a 7 day break. Just a little pill, every day, for the rest of my life (until the menopause clucks her feathers at my currently whisker-free chin), when, in the words of Fleabag's, 'Best woman in business' (played by the wonderful Kristen Scott Thomas), I'll finally be "free!" Sounds glorious! Apparently horrendous and then glorious but still! Something to look forward to hey? (2019, Waller-Bridge).
So, 7 days into taking the Progesterone only pill and I already forgot to take one at the right time, classic. I also had horrific, extra depression symptoms which I hadn't realised might be a thing and think perhaps I should've read up a bit more first before diving into my fertility-free lifestyle. A couple of weeks in to the pack now and the depression has gone back to how it was pre-pill and my period has arrived. Joy.
Since having M, and old Mother Rouge returning as I rejoined the work-life parade at 7.5 months post-partum, periods have been initially sporadic and then, after 3 months, regular. And really, REALLY heavy. Night one and night two are a permanent hygiene challenge when Co-sleeping as I can't make it through the night without a change of mega-night-time, super tampon plus mega-night-time, super sanitary towel. I've seriously been considering one of those silicone Cups but I'm still a bit hesitant, how will it feel? Is it messy? What if I get covered in menstrual fluid without the ability to clear it up in private? *shudder*
A three month prescription for the pill is what I'm on initially and I know, I KNOW, that I need to give it at least a month before making any hasty decisions about coming off it and living life al-nunnery (no offence to nuns but this is surely a positive for joining the sisterhood, no contraceptive worries?).
But being a working mum, studying part-time, trying to remember to feed my toddler vegetables each day and not just give in to his inner carb monster, it's so hard just remembering to take the damn thing!
Apparently intermittent bleeding is a real thing whilst taking this pill too... Excellent.
Is there a magical way of remembering to take your pill each day whilst caring for a toddler and generally just trying to stay alive? I'd love to know how you approach the contraceptive side of life, post baby/'s.
And that's the final thing, do I want any more kids? Sure. Will I have any more kids, probably not. Because head over heart is real when you're suffering with PND and financially I've not got the savings I had when I was pregnant with M. So maternity leave wouldn't be an option.
Why do contraceptive options seem to lessen as we get older? It all seems so simple in our twenties but as mid-life hollars me over she's holding out just the two options so which will it be, the red or the blue pill?