Lindsay Ingalls

Lady Talk | My ParaGard IUD Experience

June 17, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls 41 Comments

I have talked very briefly about my experience with the ParaGard IUD and I am finally sitting down to share a little bit more indepth! Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional this is just my personal experience please consult your care provider if you have concerns or questions regarding the ParaGard IUD.
Towards the end of my pregnancy with Edith we were exploring our birth control options and to be honest we were leaning towards going the snip snip route because me + hormonal birth control do not mix. Seriously my experience with hormonal birth control is a whole other story in itself and if you’d like me to share it just let me know! When it came time to discuss birth control with the midwives we said we were thinking of going snip route and she said well unless you are 110% sure you don’t want more children that maybe a better route would be the ParaGard IUD a non-hormonal birth control. This was the first time I had heard of the ParaGard and was very interested to learn more. When we got pregnant with Edith we had been loosely practicing the FAM method for about two years. However, I knew going back to the FAM method wasn’t something I wanted to do just because of the potential risk of getting pregnant again before we were ready and the fact that it’s hard to follow this method until your period has returned and as a breastfeeding mom who knows when that would occur. So it seemed that since hormonal birth control was out, FAM method wasn’t ideal and we were only 90% sure we were one and done that the ParaGard was the (only) way to go.

At eight weeks postpartum I had the ParaGard IUD inserted and had no immediate issues with it. Within a month of having the ParaGard I found myself back up to my pregnancy weight, after having lost 15 of the 25 pounds I put on. While I can say that nursing, diet and lifestyle may have also factored into weight gain I continue to be unable to lose any of the weight even when improving diet and lifestyle. At around six months postpartum my period returned and the first month was on the lighter side but come the second month I was experiencing a heavier flow which I attributed to a postpartum period. I also had incredibly painful cramping to the point of nausea. I figured it was just my body getting back into things and that eventually I would get back to “normal”. Well that just wasn’t the case at all. Every month I experienced the same heavy flow and extremely painful, nauseating cramps.

I really didn’t know what to do though because we just were not ready to even consider having baby #2 and we were not ready to rule it out either. I decided to do some further research on my “symptoms” and found that it is very common for women to have pain and increased bleeding during the first year of having the ParaGard IUD and it’s actually one of the top reasons women get it removed. I also read that things usually common down after a year of having the ParaGard IUD so I decided to wait it out and see if things changed after a year.

Well nothing changed and that’s when I finally said I’M DONE. I discussed things with Neil and while we were not ready to have #2 we both agreed that getting my IUD out was the best choice for me and my body. We had planned to go back to the FAM method and while we were not officially ready for #2 yet we were okay if it happened. I set up an appointment with a naturopathic doctor/midwife and went in to discuss my IUD and having it removed.

At my appointment we discussed my issues with the IUD and one thing she pointed out is that the copper in the ParaGard IUD is there to irritate the uterus and work as a spermicide and all this can cause inflammation in the body. Inflammation in the body can cause an increase in appetite and weight gain. This is when I went DUH! I know this but why didn’t I just put this all together? So while we were supposed to just have a conversation about the IUD and my issues with it my doctor said she could take it out right then if I wanted her to and without thinking twice I had her take it out. Well I should have made note of the fact that Neil and I had been intimate the days before because I ended up ovulating that night and since sperm can live up to 72 hours we ended up pregnant with baby #2 (this is just a side note for those who are thinking about getting their IUD removed).

So that all being said I will not be going back on the ParaGard IUD after baby #2 arrives instead Neil is going to take one for the team because we are two and DONE.

I thought I would also include some other people experiences with the ParaGard IUD: Friend #1: She also got the ParaGard IUD after her daughter was born and found it challenging to lose the baby weight until after about a year of having the IUD. She didn’t experience any other issues and is still currently using the ParaGard IUD.

Friend #2: While she never experienced any issues with the ParaGard IUD she did end up with a surprise pregnancy after about 12 months of using the ParaGard IUD. Now she is debating what to do next as she doesn’t plan to go back on the ParaGard after #2 is born (I mean why would you if you got pregnant on it the first time around!)

Naturally Family Facebook Friend: I have a Paragard and it’s been fantastic for me. I got it one year postpartum (used a diaphragm first year postpartum for protection). It was terribly painful to insert (maybe because I had a c section). The cramping was awful and periods were awful for the first 6 months…but since then, things have completely stabilized. Normal periods, normal cramping (about a days worth every cycle). No weight gain or skin issues. Love that it’s non hormonal. I’m sorry to hear your experience wasn’t a good one! I am interested in reading about it.

Naturally Family Facebook Friend: I had a horrible time with it and had it removed roughly 17 months after placement, thankfully your advice about abstaining the day before prevented us from an unexpected #2

What are you currently using for birth control and how is it working for you? For those of you who have tried the ParaGard IUD what has/was your experience like?

Father’s Day Weekends at The Sou’Wester

June 16, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls 9 Comments

We didn’t really have much planned for Father’s Day weekend since we have been so busy and already took a mini coast trip back in May but at the very last minute (I’m talking Wednesday) I decided to see if The Sou’Wester had any open trailers for a night away. The Sou’Wester has become one of our favorite spots to visit and this was our second time as a family and Neil’s third visit (he went on a work retreat there last July).

Anyways to my delight they had a few trailers still open so I asked Neil if he would want to go and of course he did so we decided to head to the Coast Friday afternoon just for the night. We would have liked to stay two nights but Neil had a Sunday Father’s Day 5k to get home to so one night it was.

While the weather wasn’t really on our side (it was overcast and a little chilly) we still had a wonderful time “camping” out in Seaview at The Sou’Wester. We enjoyed a little family time without the distraction of our massive at home to do list and Neil and I were able to spend a little alone time chatting, drinking (root)beer, eating Earth Balance Sour Cream & Onion Chips and playing many hands of cribbage while Edith slept.

Check out more photos from our trip to The Sou’Wester, Astoria and the weekend over on Naturally Family today!

P.S. this post is not sponsored and we paid our own way to stay at The Sou’Wester we just love it there so I wanted to share.

Photo An Hour | 6.10.14

June 11, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls 3 Comments

7:13a Edith and I check out books in bed before sipping on a giant jar of lemon water and making/eating breakfast. 8:30a Edith and I work on finishing up a batch of My New Roots Vanilla-Rooibos Fig Newtons that I had made the dough for on Monday. P.S. found that giant bag of organic figs for $10 at Costco. 9:30a I finished my 40oz of lemon water so it’s coffee time with beans that were freshly roasted the night before by my loving husband.* 10a Cookies have baked and cooled so obviously we had to taste test them while watching Elmo’s World and blogging (me not Edith). 11a It’s time for some dishes to be done and lunch to get ready so that means kitchen playtime. 12:03p Lunch time! I had a (baked) sweet potato fries salad with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, green onions, sriracha and vegan ranch.1:15p Edith is finally down for a nap so that means work time and Royal Pains. 2:45p Edith is up so it’s playtime! 3p We take our playtime outside for a little baby pool action for Edith, Fit Pregnancy for me and lots of watermelon for both of us. 4:21p Time to prep dinner! (I made a lasagna with those no bake noodles and didn’t use enough sauce so dinner was kind of a bust). 5:05p All this cooking means lots of dishes to wash… 6:36p dinner has been eaten, Neil is home and it is time for a family walk! 7:01p Vegan Froyo. Enough said.

Share a moment in your day with me.

*I sat down to drink my coffee and check in on some blogs while Edith watched a few minutes of Sesame Street and instead found myself in tears at the news of another school shooting, this one only 20 miles from my house. My heart is feeling pretty heavy today – when will we finally put a stop to gun violence?

Postpartum Weight Loss “Plan”

June 10, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls 13 Comments

Here I am at 31w3d pregnant with baby #2

I’m not going to lie I am really hoping that I actually lose the baby weight this time around. With Edith I gained around 25-28lbs and within the first 8 weeks I lost 15 of those pounds. Then I got the Paraguard IUD and quickly the weight came back on. I will also admit the Oh She Glows Chocolate Chip Cookies and the stress of moving didn’t help with my weight loss either. When we moved to Oregon I made an effort to get my diet back on track, started running 4 days per week and doing 1-2 days of strength training. Despite all of that I simply wasn’t (and didn’t) lose any of the baby weight.

1 Year Postpartum after having Edith

Finally at 16 months postpartum I decided to have my IUD removed due to negative reactions to it (I’ll write more about that another time) and while I had it removed due to non-weight related reasons I was as little hopeful that I might start to see my weight go down. Well as you all know we are pregnant with #2 and due in 7ish weeks. So I never had a chance to test my theory. Also that means I started my pregnancy at the same weight I ended my last pregnancy and I have gained 20lbs so far and if you want to do the math that means I have between 45-50lbs to get back down to my baby #1 pre-pregnancy weight oh and on top of that I was already about 15lbs over my ideal weight when I got pregnant with Edith. So that is 60-65lbs to get down to my goal weight.

Summer 2011 before getting pregnant with Edith <-- also my goal weight

August before getting pregnant with Edith

Baby #2 Postpartum Weight Loss “Plan”:

I am not going back on birth control as we are two and done so birth control is officially all Neil *snip snip*.
My first priority is feeding baby #2 so for the 12 months my focus is to keep my milk supply up so I can feed my baby.
I plan to get back to running at around 9-12 weeks postpartum depending upon my healing this time around (with Edith it took me a lot longer to heal then I had hoped).
I plan to incorporate 2 days of strength training into my workout routine and light cardio once I am cleared to get back to normal activity.
I also plan to get back in a yoga routine since I have a 10 punch pass to a studio by our old house (and now by Neil’s new job) that I was lucky enough to get the expiration date extended until sometime in December.
Keep my eating in check! Postpartum/nursing hunger is no joke. Seriously when I first had Edith and was nursing non-stop I could have eaten everything in site. This time around instead of lots of Oh She Glows cookies I’m focusing on keeping it healthy but also making sure not to be too hard on myself when it comes to having a treat here and there.
Drink lots of water! Nursing makes you crazy thirsty and staying hydrated helps to flush toxins out of the body and helps to prevent water weight (I know crazy right?).
Buy myself postpartum clothes in whatever size I have to buy. I wore maternity clothes until around 8 months postpartum with Edith because I was just waiting to lose the weight and didn’t want to spend the money on new clothes that I hopefully wouldn’t have to wear too long. The thing is that wearing maternity clothes after the first six weeks of being postpartum is just depressing. Wearing clothes that fit well and look nice is an incentive to keep with it! It’s motivating! Feeling confident in what I am wearing helps me feel good and keeps me on track so this time around I’m not going to be wearing maternity pants for months and months postpartum. I actually have been consigning maternity clothes as the seasons change so that they just won’t be in my closet ie. I won’t be tempted to wear them.

So that is my current plan. How did you deal with losing the baby weight?

Friday Favorites

June 6, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls 5 Comments

Matcha Latte: I received a sample of Kiss Me Organics Matcha awhile ago but two little hands got a hold of the packet and hid it on me. I finally found it this past weekend and Monday morning aka the day Neil started a new job and stopped making my morning coffee I finally made my first homemade Matcha latte. Seriously I don’t know why anyone buys these out when you can make them so much cheaper at home with your own Matcha. My recipe is simply 8oz non-dairy milk, 8oz ice, 1 teaspoon Kiss Me Organics Matcha and 1 tablespoon honey (you could sub agave) and then I blend until smooth and creamy <– seriously so good!

Julep Maven Box: I have bought subscription boxes in the past but most of them are food/home products or children’s products. Finally last week after reading about Julep on another blog I decided to treat myself to my first beauty box- Julep. Now I bought this box with my own money and am in no way sponsored to post about them. I did however get my box for “free” by using PROMO CODE: FREEBOX and by “free” I mean I paid $2.99 for shipping. I took their style profile test and was categorized as the “It Girl” which means I received three nail polishes and a few sponges. While I love the nail polishes (going on day four and still no major chipping) I have decided for my next box that I want to change my profile and decided to go with “Class With A Twist” which gets you two nail polishes and a full-sized beauty product. Seriously so excited to get my next box. It feels great to get something special that is just for me. I don’t have to share anything in the box and I forgot how great it feels to wear nail polish. If you would like to order your free box and want to click my affiliate link that would be greatly appreciated! Let me know what you think of your Julep box!

Prenatal Yoga: When I was pregnant with Edith I regularly attended prenatal yoga classes however this pregnancy I haven’t even made it to one class. Unfortunately a toddler, lack of prenatal classes in my immediate neighborhood (or ones close by) and a husbands busy/new work schedule just hasn’t made yoga outside the home possible. That all being said I have been getting back to prenatal yoga at home with Daily Burn. I have been doing the Beautiful Belly program which has three prenatal yoga videos for each trimester and even has three postpartum videos. I have been getting in practice at least twice per week and sometimes that means having Edith join me.

What are some of your favorites this Friday?

Happy National Running Day!

June 4, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

While I’m not out hitting the pavement right now I will be in a few short months (yeah this baby is coming soon!) I am thrilled to celebrate National Running Day on the sidelines and cheer all of my fellow wannabe runners (myself included) and runners on. Next weekend I’ll be out with Edith cheering Neil on at his first 5k of the year- so excited!

Why do you run? I run to reach my goals, to keep myself active, because it feels good and for beer (obviously).

Celebrate #runningday with @RunRockNRoll – sign up today for an RNR race and get $20 off registration! www.RunRockNRoll.com*

*this is in no way sponsored just me sharing the love!

Blogging // How Much Are You Worth?

June 3, 2014 by Lindsay Ingalls 11 Comments

Disclaimer: I have chosen to the blackout the names of the people, event and minor details in order to not draw negative attention to this specific event or the people involved.

Source*

I was recently approached about covering a local event here in Portland. I was thrilled to be asked and was really excited about the event. The initial e-mail didn’t include any details beyond when, what and a link to the event so I responded that I was interested and looked forward to hearing more. Finally 18 days later I heard back from my contact stating that media bloggers would be receiving standard passes and that more details would be sent soon regarding the event. This was my first red flag.

A standard individual pass for this event has a value of $20 however at the time this was all happening you could buy a standard pass for $10 via groupon. This standard pass basically included admission and few minor things that really had little to no value.

My response to this email:
Five Days Later this is their response:

Hours:

2-3 Weeks of Social Media Buzz –> 2 hours
Attend Event and Interview Sponsors, Interview Key Note Speakers, and Live Social Media Coverage –> 8 hours
Blog post about event –> 4 hours (this includes time to edit photos, work on the post, edit post, social media around post )
Blog post review for the kit –> 3 hours (this includes time to edit photos, work on the post, edit post, social media around post )

Total Time: 17 Hours

Value: $80 = $4.70/hour –> I do not consider the Blogger Power Hour or VIP seating to have any value in the situation. As for a Blogger Exhibit space a. I don’t have a newsletter and promotional material beyond my business cards to hand out and b. I am not sure how I am supposed to attend the event, interview companies and key note speakers and try to work an exhibitor table; honestly it’s easier for me to walk around and interact with attendees and pass out my business cards. The Kit valued at $50 really shouldn’t be in the “what we’d love to offer you” section but rather in the “what we’d love from you” due to the fact that there is an expectation to do a blog review and company profile with it; as you can see this blog post is included above in the hours.

For fun let’s consider the giveaway option as well:

Blog post prior to event –> 2 hours
Standard sidebar AD

Total Time: 2 hours

Value: $30 – $20 for sidebar AD = $10

Total Value for both: $90/19hours = $4.73/hour <– minimum wage in Oregon is $9.10/hour and LIVING WAGE is $9.42/hour

Needless to say I declined participating as a blogger at this event because simply the cost/benefit of attending was just not worth it. I honestly felt insulted by the imbalance between the offer and expectations.

Curious about how much I’m worth? My rates basic rates for a sponsored blog post including 3-5 social media shares starts at a value of $100 however the average is $175 –> what is that hourly? $175 divided by 7 hours (prep, photos, post, edits, social media) = average $25/hour. While I do some free work/product only work I am selective about who I work with and only tend to work with companies that I already have a relationship with or ones that have a product/service that I love or think is a good fit for me, my blog and my readers.

How much are you worth? Consider this next time you are approached to review a product or attend an event.

Update: Since I wrote this post I did end up attending the event however not as a blogger but with a company that I work with frequently. The event overall was unfortunately poorly run and has resulted in a lot of negative feedback from attendees. I have to say in the end I am glad that I did not participate in this event as a blogger because I honestly would have had very little positive feedback to provide my readers. I also ran into a fellow blogger at the event who also had been invited to be a VIP blogger and she also declined due the requirements and the simple fact that their expectations versus the compensation was simply insulting.

*source

Naturally Lindsay

Author: Lindsay Ingalls