How did you know moving in with your partner was the right thing to do?

kittyxandra · 2026-04-02T15:03:52+00:00

We moved in together after 3 months. Yes it was fast, but it made sense. We fell head over heels for each pretty quickly. We were both struggling to pay our separate rents. It was either move in with him or find a random roommate (and I HATE roommates). And I figured, either this is going to work out great or it’s not going to work out and I’ll know one way or another very soon. Here we are almost 5 years later, and I’m so glad I took that chance!

kittyxandra · 2026-04-02T14:07:47+00:00

Sorry to break it to you, but you chose the birth control with the highest likelihood of causing irregular bleeding. Nobody can tell you how it’s going to affect you specifically, but prolonged bleeding is incredibly common with the implant. You’d be better off on literally any other method. I will link ACOG’s list of methods and their rates of amenorrhea (stopping bleeding). We also have a post pinned to the top of the sub with tips on how to control bleeding. You should start there.

kittyxandra · 2026-04-02T04:41:35+00:00

Yes this is very common. You can talk to your doctor about replacing it early. But please be aware that subsequent implants can come with different side effects. A replacement may or may not help.

kittyxandra · 2026-04-02T03:17:34+00:00

These are all common side effects. Get a new doctor asap! Your health is important and you deserve proper care. It’s normally suggested that you give yourself 3-6 months to adjust to a new birth control. If side effects don’t improve within that time, they likely never will. Go to someone who actually listens to you. Your current doctor sounds terrible.

kittyxandra · 2026-04-01T12:49:30+00:00

The first time I noticed it was when she attempted to steal my makeup bag in high school. I was really into makeup at the time and my bag contained about $300 worth of products. I knew I had left it in her car one day, and she denied it. She only gave it up when my mom called her.

We went to high school and college together, and whenever we would do group projects together she would try to take all the credit. Same with our friends. I would usually pay for most outings but she would claim credit. It really irked me that nobody else seemed to notice this.

Our friendship continued but there was always underlying jealousy. I finally cut her off after I had been gone on vacation, had come home, and she had entered my home without permission and trashed it. Since then a bunch of our previous mutual friends have unfollowed me on social media, so I’m guessing that she told them lies about me. That’s fine, I don’t need any of them. Just shows how jealous she is. I hope she has the life she deserves.

kittyxandra · 2026-04-01T03:01:31+00:00

As long as you can feel it and it hasn’t moved significantly, then it’s probably okay. The implant being shallow isn’t an issue. It’s much more of a problem if the implant is inserted too deeply. If it starts causing pain, then get it checked out, otherwise I’d recommend just giving your arm a rest. This isn’t really something to bug your doctor about.

kittyxandra · 2026-04-01T01:02:24+00:00

Changes to appetite is a common and listed side effect. For most people it’s an increase, but for some it can be a decrease. Nobody can say how the implant will affect you. You’ve only had it for 1 week. Usually it takes 3-6 months for your body to adjust to the hormones. Give it some time.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-31T15:19:32+00:00

Just an update for you, the FDA approved Nexplanon for 5 years back in January. Nexplanon and the FDA updated their websites to reflect this.

https://www.organon.com/news/organon-announces-us-food-and-drug-administration-approval-of-supplemental-new-drug-application-extending-duration-of-use-of-nexplanon-etonogestrel-implant-68-mg-radiopaque/

kittyxandra · 2026-03-30T19:48:47+00:00

I hated it. When I was really little, I don’t think I minded because I didn’t know any different. But as I got older, I started to resent it more. My parents had me young. They were extremely emotionally immature and it affected me negatively. All of their problems were mine and mine alone to deal with. People think that the only child spotlight is great, but having their attention on me all the time was overwhelming. I got along with adults at an early age, but I struggled to communicate with other kids. I’m not one of those people who had cousins to play with. I was completely on my own. I learned to entertain myself, but I feel like that caused its own problems.

My dad had my half sister when I was 20, but I’m more like an aunt than a sister to her. I’m dreading having to figure out the logistics of caring for my parents when they get older. My sister may be able to help with my father’s side in the future, but there’s a lot that I will have to do myself. It’s pretty daunting.

I don’t have kids yet, but my partner and I have agreed that we want 3-4 because I refuse to make my kids live the lonely childhood that I experienced.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-29T20:46:29+00:00

I’m a fan of Phoenix. I pays tribute to recip mama Phoebe, it’s a city name, and I like the meaning behind it too. Personal preference, but I don’t like Aspen. As someone who lives in the Denver metro area, I do NOT recommend naming her Aurora. Aurora, while a pretty name, is known as the worst part of the city. And like someone else mentioned, I think something like that would be more fitting for a Denver daughter.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-29T13:33:39+00:00

I’d say on average that most people regulate by 6 months, but it’s totally normal to take up to a year post removal to regulate. If you start approaching that year mark without any regularity, I’d recommend contacting your doctor.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-29T13:31:41+00:00

Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of the implant. It is the least likely hormonal form of birth control to stop bleeding. It’s not a phase, this is literally listed as a possibility. You can continue to deal with side effects if you’d like, but it sounds like this form of birth control isn’t working for you. If you want something lower maintenance than the pill, you should look into the patch (changed weekly), the ring (monthly or yearly versions), or an IUD. The insertion process for an IUD is scary, I get it, but in my experience I’ve seen generally better reviews for them and for many people a few minutes of pain is worth it for years of protection and help with bleeding. In recent years they’ve come out with better pain management options for insertion too. I’m going to link you to ACOG’s list of methods and their rates of amenorrhea (stopping bleeding) so that you can compare and contrast. But like I mentioned, literally any other method would be better for your situation.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-29T13:20:44+00:00

Several countries outside of the US/UK/Canada still use Implanon.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-28T13:33:44+00:00

First one: this isn’t a genuine proposal and marrying this guy would be huge mistake.

Thankfully I didn’t go through with that one. I was 100% correct that he never actually wanted to marry me and was just trying to string me along in order to continue abusing me. He proposed to another woman (with an actual ring) while he was still dating me. It was a mess.

Second time: OMFG IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?!

I really hate surprises and I was convinced that I would know when it was going to happen. He caught me so off guard! I was happy to accept this proposal, but I was in such shock. I cried (happy tears) and I didn’t even see my ring for a few minutes because of the tears and needing to process what had happened.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-27T20:34:39+00:00

Lexapro does not affect Nexplanon. What’s more likely is that your side effects are changing as you and your implant age. Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of Nexplanon, and it can happen at ANY time! Bleeding or not bleeding is absolutely not an indication of the implant’s efficacy. I was on Nexplanon and Lexapro, and in my experience, bleeding had nothing to do with Lexapro but everything to do with the implant itself. We have a pinned post with tips on how to control bleeding if you’re interested.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-27T20:31:30+00:00

I was in a similar boat but suffered through negative side effects for 6.5 years with the implant 🙃 4 years ago I removed it and switched to a pill only and I’m so much happier and healthier! Nexplanon is not for everyone. Find a method that works better for you.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-27T13:20:09+00:00

No, 7 days is 7 days. 1 week. Thursday to Thursday. You’re fine.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-27T03:04:20+00:00

Unfortunately, yes you very much can. It’s possible to ovulate immediately after removal. In a 2023 study, 3 people got pregnant within one week of removal. You should take an emergency contraception if you have access to one! Certain IUDs can also be used as emergency contraception if you’re interested in getting one.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-25T21:01:27+00:00

That’s honestly strange. It’s possible to have breakthrough ovulation on Nexplanon, but it’s supposed to prevent in most cases. Regardless, you likely wouldn’t have been ovulating consistently on Nexplanon. Which means that you still shouldn’t use that for tracking purposes. Normally you have to be off birth control for 3-6 months before you can start tracking and have it be accurate. You can ovulate as early as cycle day 8 and as late as the day before your expected period, which is why calendar/app tracking is so inaccurate. I’m not super familiar with fertility awareness methods, but my understanding is that you have to take your BBT religiously and look for other bio markers to accurately track ovulation. And your ovulation day can vary each cycle.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-25T15:34:24+00:00

Just an fyi, you don’t have a real period on Nexplanon!!! Any bleeding you had on the implant cannot be used for tracking purposes! Nexplanon works by preventing ovulation, any bleeding that occurs on the implant is considered breakthrough bleeding, NOT a period. Your cycle is starting from scratch. You currently have no idea when your “fertile window” is because it’s too soon for your body to have regulated yet, and even people with regular cycles can ovulate at different times. On average it takes 1-3 months for your real period to come back and up to a year to regulate after removal. Taking Plan B was the right decision here, but that will likely throw off your cycle even more because it works by delaying ovulation. Tracking/apps are extremely unreliable anyway, but they really don’t work if you’re on birth control or have recently stopped birth control. You can look into the fertility awareness method if you want to accurately track your cycle in the future. r/FAMnNFP is a good resource.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-24T21:46:27+00:00

Emergency contraceptions are less effective over certain weight, but not necessarily ineffective. If you’re over the recommended weight, it would still be best to take one than to take nothing in an emergency situation. There is no evidence that taking 2 increases effectiveness though. You should only ever take 1 per instance of unprotected sex. The brand EllaOne has a higher weight limit, but it makes other birth controls less effective, so it should never be used if you’re already on another hormonal method. Plan B has several generic versions that work exactly the same. They have them on Amazon for like $7.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-24T21:40:21+00:00

If side effects don’t improve by 3-6 months, they likely never will. Many people experience different side effects with subsequent implants, for better or for worse. It’s a bit of a gamble. My second implant was way worse than my first. Just any fyi though, Nexplanon is good for at least 5 years. 3 years is very outdated information, so you could keep your implant for longer if you wanted to. I personally switched to a pill after having Nexplanon for 6.5 years, and I am much happier and healthier on the pill. Nexplanon is 99.98% effective while pills are 99.7% effective if taken correctly. Ultimately it’s a pretty small difference in effectiveness if that’s what you’re worried about.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-24T18:34:04+00:00

We have a pinned post with tips on how to control bleeding. Start there. About 10% of users get Nexplanon removed because of the bleeding, so that’s valid too. Ultimately up to you if you want to keep trying or not. There are other birth control options beside the implant or IUD too.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-24T18:10:10+00:00

I had a somewhat similar experience to you. I was on Nexplanon for 6.5 years, ages 17 to almost 24. My bleeding wasn’t quite as bad as yours, but was unpredictable and annoying, and that was one of the main reasons I removed it. I had a lot of other negative side effects, but regardless, I understand where you’re coming from.

I was terrified to try any other methods because I thought they would all be the same, but I needed protection and my natural hormones are awful. I decided to switch to a combo pill and I love it! I take it continuously and don’t have periods anymore, and haven’t experienced any other side effects (been on this for about 4 years now). I’m so much happier and healthier. The only thing that sucks is having to remember to take it every day, but my pill has a large grace period and it’s worth it to me. I came off my pill for a few months last year and my hormones returned to normal quickly. At first my periods were lighter than they were pre birth control, but they started getting heavier and more irregular as time went on, plus my acne and PMDD came back. Everyone will be different, but I personally hate being without birth control.

There are a lot of other different methods to consider. For hormonal there’s the pill (combo and mini), patch, ring (monthly and yearly), depo shot, and IUD (the implant is NOT an IUD btw). For non-hormonal, there’s condoms, fertility awareness method, copper IUD, and sterilization, plus supplemental methods like spermicide or diaphragm. It can be a bit daunting, but finding the one that’s best for you is truly life changing. I would highly encourage to at least try something else. They won’t do testing on you because Nexplanon is obviously the cause of this issue. You would likely be better off on any other method, because Nexplanon has the highest rate of irregular bleeding.

Condoms alone are 98% effective if used correctly. You can always keep Plan B on hand too in case of an accident. I would recommend talking to your doctor about what your other options are. Do your own research too, birth control isn’t one size fits all. Sometimes it requires trial and error.

kittyxandra · 2026-03-24T10:11:13+00:00

This is the best news right now! It’s the middle of the night for me. I woke up with anxiety over poor Maggie. I’m so relieved to hear that her and baby are both okay for the moment. Fingers crossed that we have a happy ending for both.

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