Questionhi, i am a woman about to be 30. i have 3 children and
decided i am going through the sterilization process. the
problem is, i got the depo shot 8 days ago, on my 3rd day
of my period, and have been spotting with cramps ever
since. i have a follow up next week, and then hopefully my
surgery the first week of July. i guess i have a few
questions, what can be done to stop the spotting in the
mean time until i have my surgery, and if i choose or if by
some means i cannot get the rx filled, can i still bank on
getting the surgery done in July? or would i have to wait?
also, i am a waitress, so i wanted to know which procedure
has the best bounceback rate? with 3 kids, i cant afford to
be benched for too long. i would have to lift trays of
sometimes 50 pounds as soon as i could after the surgery. i
have the option to stand in one spot and "tray" food for the
weekend so i don't miss out on funds, and i wanted to know
if i could do that as soon as maybe 2-3 days later.
AnswerHello Melissa,
Spotting is a common side effect of the depo shot. Usually you just have to wait it out, as it tends to get better with time. In your case, you could consider going on birth control pills. You don't need it for birth control, but it would probably resolve the spotting. Otherwise the depo shot is in you for 3 plus months, and all you can do is wait it out. In any case, the spotting won't keep you from having surgery, unless you're having the Essure method. The 2 main methods are by laparoscopy or Essure, which is done through your cervix. This has a quicker recovery time, but it's only a few days with either one (can be longer with laparoscopy). Bleeding could make the procedure difficult. Discuss this with your doctor. You should be able to "tray" food in 2-3 days with either, but sooner with Essure. More information is at http://www.essure.com/Default.aspx?tabid=55 and http://www.mjbovo.com/Contracept/Instruct-SterileF.htm
