Seeing those two little pink lines means your life is going to change forever. If you’re a mother you very well know bringing a baby in to the world means an endless responsibility, but it also allows you to go on the most wonderful, painful, and emotional journey-pregnancy.

Sometimes pregnancy hits us as a surprise, and were not mentally, physically, or financially ready. But inknpw theres some out there who dont just “wing it” and really prepare for beinging a baby in to the world. Believe it or not,  I was one who was really taken by surprise. The year that I got pregnant, I was bouncing back and forth from different birth control because nothing seemed to be the perfect fit for me. I had finally settled on the patch and has been wearing it for about 3 months, thinking that I had found the perfect fit.  If you don’t know how the patch works, here it is in brief: put it on and change it at the end of very week for three weeks. The fourth week you remove it so you can get your period.  Simple enough right? Well…

November had rolled around, and it just happens to be my birthday month. It was also the year I was turning the big 2-1! Woo! I had been drinking a ton (obviously) and I remembered week four had arrived, so it was time to remove it in order to get my period. I had removed my patch and it just never came. I didn’t thinking much of it and decided to start the month all over with a fresh set of patches. Can you see where this is going?

If you’re thinking I was possibly pregnant then ding ding ding ding! You my friend, are correct! I went through another three weeks worth of patches and again the fourth week rolled around and nothing. 

When I went to the clinic and found out I was almost 2 months pregnant,  I was shook! #shooketh. How was that possible? Well, turns out if you’re over a certain weight when you’re on the patch, it will only be 92% effective. That means there’s an 8% chance you can get pregnant. You guys are looking at a woman who was part of that 8%. Pretty crazy huh?!

Children are a blessing, plain and simple. I was certainly not prepared for what was to come but I knew that I had to charge at it with my head held high. Even though Cataleya, has been the greatest gift that God has given me, I knew that I didn’t want to have anymore “surprises.” I’m a very forgetful person, and guys, I mean very forgetful! I knew not having surprises meant that I also needed to be responsible enough with my birth control, so that’s when I decided on Nexplanon.

Nexplanon is a very small implant that is inserted under the skin of  your upper arm. It’s completely invisible and provides protection up to four years.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• 99.9% effective
• it doesn’t cover sexually transmitted infections.
• releases progestin, which is a hormone that keeps your ovaries from releasing eggs, as well as thickens the mucus inside the body to prevent the sperm to reach the eggs.

Here are a side effects to consider:

• Acne could surface or increase.
• Headaches may occur.
• Weight is unlikely to be affected but it’s a possibility.
• Menstrual changes could be irregular, especially during the first year.

My experience:

I personally didn’t encounter acne or headaches or gain any “extra” weight. For the most part my experience was relatively positive. When I first got the implant my arm was very sore and a bit bruised for the first week or so but that’s completely normal. The only thing that always made me wonder was my period. The first year I had irregular period but after that I stop getting it for the next two years. This year, which was my final year, I began to get my period again and it was a true pain. It was heavy and loaded with cramps. It also came very often, I would do a heavy period for a week or so and then just spotting.  But again, this just comes with the territory of the implant, abnormal periods will happen.

Do I recommend it and would I get it again?

Yes, I would. Now that I’m a mom, I’m all about convenience. If things can be done at a quicker and easier manner, I’m all for it. I mentioned earlier that I’m very forgetful and I truly am. This was very convenient for me because I didn’t have to remember to take a pill or change a patch. It was very set and forget it type deal and I love that.

I’m someone who can’t stand blood. I get woozy and start to get mild anxiety lol. So I didn’t look when it was inserted or removed because I would probably pass out. But they numb the area where it will be inserted so you don’t feel a thing. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices that benefit you, and for me this was something that took me out of my comfort zone, but I knew I needed to do it because it really was the best option for me. If you’re thinking about getting it, ask your doctor. Weigh in all the pros and cons and see if this really is a good fit for you and your body.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out! 🙂

Xo, Guadalupe ♥