I match the method to your life, not the other way round. There is no method that is best for everyone; there is the method that fits your health, your cycle, your plans and what you can realistically remember to do.
We start with what you want from it. Is it only about preventing pregnancy, or also about less painful or lighter periods, better skin, peace of mind when travelling? Then I ask about your health: migraines, blood pressure, smoking, blood clots in you or in your family, liver disease, the medicines you take, breastfeeding. That is what decides which methods are an option at all.
Only then do we get into the detail: how each method works, how effective it is in real life (not only under ideal conditions), what happens if you miss a dose, what side effects it has and when it has to be stopped. I also tell you what I do not like about a method. The choice is yours, and you can change your mind.
I do not list brand names here. We talk about types of method, and choose the specific one at the appointment.
I fit the coil (intrauterine device, IUD) in clinic. It usually goes like this: first an appointment with an ultrasound scan to decide whether a coil is right for you, then a date for the fitting, and a check-up a few weeks later. Coils come in a hormonal and a copper version; they differ in how they affect your periods and how long they last.
The fitting itself is quick, but for some women it is painful, usually for anything from ten seconds to about a minute. I do not tell you it is painless, because that is not true. I tell you what we can do to make it easier, and what will happen step by step. If you want to stop part-way through, we stop.
A coil can also be fitted if you have never given birth. That needs an assessment beforehand and a conversation about what to expect.
After forty, fertility falls, but it does not disappear. Pregnancy is possible right up to your last period, and perimenopausal cycles can be irregular enough that nothing can be ruled out. At the same time the balance of benefits and risks shifts: blood pressure, migraine with aura, smoking and weight all matter more.
At this age I choose a method that does two jobs at once: it prevents pregnancy and helps with whatever is troubling you. Some methods reduce the heavy bleeding typical of perimenopause. We also talk about when you can stop contraception and how that fits with any treatment for menopause symptoms.
I am a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology (specialist since 2025), with 8 years of professional experience. Contraception advice and coil fitting are a regular part of my work in clinic. I also teach doctors the practical side of working in a gynaecology clinic - I run the courses under the doctornatt brand.
It is a myth that keeps doing the rounds. Hormonal contraception does not reduce fertility. Your periods usually come back within a few months, although with some methods it can take longer. If your periods have not come back within three months, book an appointment, because that usually points to a problem that long-term use of hormones may have been masking (undiagnosed PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome, for example).
For some women, yes - most often briefly, at the moment it goes in. How much it hurts varies a great deal from one woman to the next. Before the fitting we go through what can be done to make it easier.
The hormonal coil makes periods lighter for many women; the copper coil contains no hormones, but for some women it makes periods heavier and more painful. The choice depends on what your periods are like and whether hormones are an option for you.
There is no evidence that planned breaks are needed or good for you. How long you stay on a method is something we agree at your check-ups, not in advance.
Only condoms do. Hormonal methods and coils do not protect against infections, so sometimes it makes sense to use two methods at once.
Centrum Medyczne NZOZ Twoje Zdrowie
ul. Naftowa 13
Wednesdays 14:00-20:00
Sonicus Centrum Diagnostyczne
ul. Krasińskiego 8
Thursdays 14:00-20:00
Poradnia NFZ
pl. Wolności 23
Mondays and Tuesdays 14:00-20:00
For an appointment about contraception, bring a list of the medicines you take and any results you have. If you already know you want a coil, say so when you book, because you will need two appointments.
This site is for information only and does not replace a medical consultation. You cannot choose a method over the internet.
