New Information and updates

Alright, first an update an update on Nexplanon:
My spotting and bleeding from the mini pill has completely stopped!
I had a scary looking bruise the next day, but it was nothing I wasn't expecting.
They put the rod slightly higher in my arm this time. Before, I would have to look in a mirror to see the poking edge, but now I can see and feel it without any adjustments. Strange how much different it after only 5 years!

Second is some possibly helpful info for anyone taking the Mini Pill:

For the past 2 to 3 months, I've been having pain during sex. Right near the opening and sometimes on the left side of my vaginal wall. At first, I thought it might be a lack of foreplay. My boyfriend and I have been together for almost 2 years and sometimes we just wanna bang without all the teasing and such, which I think is totally normal. Usually, I have no problem with this, but lately it's been painful and I'll be sore after.

So, I told my boyfriend about it and we did some legit foreplay, but still, there was pain, especially during missionary. It seems to be less painful/not at all painful when I'm on top though. I finally wised up and thought maybe this was something to tell my doctor. The answer surprised me and yet, also made me feel better. At first I thought for sure I had an infection, but my pap came back clear. This is the outline of what he said:

The Mini Pill (PCPs) can cause painful sex because it thins the lining of the vaginal mucosa. He said this would most likely go away now that I have Nexplanon because the hormones are so much lower. Generally what they suggest is rubbing coconut oil around the opening to help heal the area, as well as using it before sex. If that doesn't help, then I'll have to come back in 2 to 3 months to rule out any infection.

Crazy, right?!?! Also, I had no idea that BC could cause painful sex! That would have been good to know. Luckily there are solutions and I've already fixed the possible cause. I also thought putting any kind of oil near or in your vagina was not good vagina care. I guess coconut oil really is the miracle that Pinterest says it is. If that isn't enough, my favorite sex guru endorses it, so that seals the deal for me.

Speaking of my favorite sex guru, Emily Nagoski, I am going to shamelessly plug her awesome book, Come As You Are!! This book will change your life and completely shake up everything you know about women's sexual desire. If you aren't sure about committing to a book ( highly recommend the audio book), you can watch her Ted Talk, listen to her Podcast, listen to her on Sex Nerd Sandra's podcast (Sex Nerd Sandra is another favorite of mine), or check out her blog, The Dirty Normal

I'm more than a little obsessed with her..... Her work made me realize that I should have gone to grad school for sex research instead of Library and Information Science! But, I don't want to go back to school, so maybe in another life.

Day #3

Still very crampy as of today. After reading some reviews online, I realize this is normal.

Cramps are to be expected for about the first month, off and on. I keep seeing the first week is the worst though!

Other than that, I don't have spotting, although I did when I first got it in. My doctor says this was because the cervical clamp (Satan's giggles) caused minor bleeding. It wasn't anything major, I used a panty liner but today, there is no spotting.

I have also read that investing in black underwear is advisable because spotting will occur and for an extended period. So, I'm probably going to do that sometime soon. And get more panty liners, which are cheap and you get a lot of them. 

Right now, I'm not sexually active, but I was for about 6 months and it totally freaked me out to be having sex without two methods. Even though me and my partner broke up, I still wanted birth control. But, at this point, I can't imagine wanting to have sex. This feels just as gross as being on my period, all crampy and bloated like! Blah.

Alright, I will probably wait a week for another update, unless something major happens, but hoping all I'm in for is cramps and spotting!