Healthy Swellness: #3YearGoals and upcoming World Contraception Day

Earlier this spring, I talked about #3yeargoals and I shared a few of my aspirations and I also chatted with Dr. Christine Palmay about the importance of knowing about all of your contraception options are. With World Contraception Day (WCD) coming up in two weeks on September 26, 2016, it seems like a good time to delve into this topic a little further. If you’ve never heard about WCD, it’s a global movement created to empower women to make informed choices when it comes to contraception so that we can create a world where every pregnancy is wanted.

We thankfully live in a world now where discussing birth control isn’t taboo. I think we can agree that that is something we are grateful for. I know I’ve had convos with my girlfriends about what we use, any complications or successes we’ve had, and shared stories about doctor’s appointments. It’s not something we chat about every day (we discuss very important things like whether the latest celebrity gossip more regularly, haha), and that might be because many of us have chosen a contraception method years ago, and continue to use the same one.

Many women use the condom and the pill. This pill is one many of us started with and continue to use partly because it’s easy and for the most part we have no complaints about it as we’ve found one with few side effects. But have you ever missed taking a pill? I know I have. And I just learned a surprising stat: on average, Canadian women miss 2.6 pills per cycle. That’s a lot of missed pills (in my opinion), missed pills that could lead to an unwanted pregnancy.

Which makes you think if taking a pill daily at the same time isn’t proving to be that efficient (2.6 pills missed each cycle!), then is it the best option for most of us? Because there are other options available, long-acting non-daily forms, for example. And when you consider your #3yeargoals, if having a baby in the the next three years isn’t in your plan, using a long-acting form would take responsibility of taking a pill daily off of your plate and you can continue working towards your dreams and goals knowing you won’t be thrown off course with an unexpected pregnancy.

I’m not suggesting you hold a party on World Contraception Day on the 26th (although if you’d like to, please do go ahead, any reason for fun times with friends!). But I think WCD offers a great opp to consider your goals again and your choice of contraception and whether it is what is best for you and your life goals. “I am very busy,” is a meme because we all are. So busy we sometimes forget to take our daily birth control. So why is a daily option the route you’re on when it could mean getting pregnant (and we all know a baby will make your life busy in an amazing but completely different way that may not be in the 3-year plans you have envisioned!).

Take WCD as a reminder to chat with your healthcare provider about what you’re using and what other options are available on the market that might work well for you, and you can also explore about different options if getting pregnant isn’t in the grand plan for you at www.birthcontrolforme.ca.

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(This cute “I am very busy” notebook? It’s from is.)

Leave a Comment September 12, 2016

Healthy Swellness: Is it time for you to break up and move onto something new?

I’m terrible with breaking up with anything; I’m the first to admit that. I’ll only remember the good times in a relationship (when it likely ended for a good reason). I tend to hoard everything from clothes to beauty products, and that’s even when the clutter gives me anxiety. I tend to not break up with people or things until it gets to, well, a breaking point and I can’t take it not a second longer. (Note to self: stop bottling everything up)

A much healthier approach would be to let go and be proactive about filling your life with better experiences and things rather than just sticking to the same old routine and habits just because it’s the way things are and the way things have been. Why stick to the status quo when there could be even more for you out there in life?

Yes, that might mean having a difficult conversation with that former bestie who’s become such a drain on you (so much so you’ve been avoiding her). It could  mean having to resist texting back that ex-boyfriend whenever he reaches out to you, even though talking to him makes you sad. It might call for enlisting the help of a pro to assist you in decluttering your life or your closet, all to make room in your life for better things.

It may also call for a little bit of research so you can look into at what’s newer on the market that might suit you and your lifestyle even more than whatever you’ve simply been sticking to “just ’cause.” For example, have you been taking the birth control pill for years, refilling that prescription annually with your doctor every year? It’s been doing what you need it to do, and you’re fine with that, but should “fine” be enough? Could there be something else out now that would be even better suited to your needs? You may very well choose to stick to what you know, but consider at least exploring the options to make sure you’re making the best choice for you. Talk to your GP, of course, and you can also find more information about rethinking your birth control choices at www.birthcontrolforme.ca.

(And by the way, as for that ex-boyfriend, chances are, you should cut him off. I’m guessing that there’s likely a good reason you guys aren’t together anymore, right?)

For more inspiration, visit www.BreakUpAndMove.ca.

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Leave a Comment March 30, 2015