My Mom Let Me Start Taking Birth Control Before She Was Ready
25.10.2022 - 04:43
/ glamour.com
and birth control.Her upbringing was hard, and she ran away from home when she was 16. Because she felt as though her voice was taken from her when she was young, my mother empowered me with a voice and a choice. We could talk about anything. Now, as a parent of a daughter, I can only imagine the amount of anxiety my mother must’ve had around with me.
She told me when I was young that if there was ever anything I didn’t feel comfortable coming to her with, I could talk to my godmother. So, , I told my godmother. In turn—and with my blessing—she told my mother.A few days later, my mom came to my room, and we talked about sex, birth control, and the importance of .
Initially, it felt pretty weird, but we talked through the awkward moments. When I told her I wanted to go on the Pill, she didn’t fully agree with the decision, but she said she'd allow it. Honoring my choice was one of the most empowering things she ever did for me. I remember the doctor looking me in the eye and saying, “The Pill is 99% effective , as directed.
The more you deviate from that, the less effective it becomes.” I immediately set an alarm on my phone that said, “Take your pill NOW unless you’re ready to have babies.” That worked for all of my 20s and into my 30s, when I got married. When I was ready to get pregnant, going off the Pill was just as easy as going on it. Birth control gave me the power to . And now, as a mother, I proudly give my daughter the same space my mother gave me to talk about sex and, one day, birth control.My daughter is more than just my child.
She is a human being who will one day be . Honoring her voice isn’t optional. No matter what, she’ll know I hear her and see her—even if I don’t always agree with her
.