I am pregnant with #3 and my husband is happy but certain we're done having children after this one. I think I'm fine with 3 but if he said he wanted one more I would happily agree. In any case, considering I'll soon have my hands full with a newborn, a toddler and a preschooler and won't be having another baby for at least the foreseeable future... I'm wondering if anyone has any feedback on Mirena. Side effects, removal, replacement etc? I'd rather not deal with the pill or its side effects if I can help it, but I really don't want anything more permanent just yet.
Thanks for your responses so far. Very helpful..although the side effects some of you have had have made me truly unsure of what to do! As for the "natural method" - we are not candidates. I get pregnant when my husband looks at me funny.
Hi E.,
I had the Mirena and gained 20 pounds. Had it removed several months ago, but the weight is remaining. Very frustrating! If I had to do it over again, I would've chosen the Paraguard Iud that has no hormones. I wish you the very best.
After my first daughter I had the mirena and loved it. I had no problems, didn't really cause any side effects. In the beginning I felt pregnant, back pains and stuff but it soon went away. I had it removed to get pregnant with my 2nd, easy to remove no pain or anything. I will have it put back in as soon as I have my second. Good Luck!
I got Mirena after my second son in November. I love the fact that I rarely ever spot, definately never fully bleed. I ahve noticed I get more PMS-y in the ways of mood swings. Also I have gained a considerable amout of weight :/
But I got pregnant with #2 while on the pill, so I think Ill stick with my Mirena :)
Positives and Negatives take them as you will...
1.I have not had a period in since April 2007 (when I got pregnant with my son). I had the Mirena placed in in Feb 2008.
2. In May of 2008 I weighed 160 lbs today 210....and I work out, eat right and nothing changes.
3. I can handle the weight more so than I can the chin hairs! Not many by any means but enough that I have to pluck at least once a week.
4. I can be happy in one second and a raging lunatic the next.
WHY, do I keep? I too get pregnant as soon as my husband looks at me. One missed pill ..and we have a beautiful almost 6 year old. One time of ok let's see if we can get pregnant and one handsome son!
I hated my Mirena. I had constant break-through bleeding, so I never knew when it was coming or not, my face broke out like when I was 15 years old, I had pretty bad mood swings, and the worst side effect was the 30 plus pounds I put on that were next to impossible to get off. I literally lost all but 10 lbs of my baby weight and ended up weighing more after pregnancy than I did during it! Needless to say, after 2 years of having it, I had it removed and am thrilled that I did. I don't recommend it to anyone!
I haven't had ANY side effects so far... no mood swings... mild mid-month cramping, mild periods... some spotting for the first few months, but I've been on it for about 6 months and all good so far! Best part of it is I don't have to take a pill!! OR shots or any other daily, weekly, or monthly thing! It's pretty exciting. My husband and I just thought we wouldn't have kids for a few years, but we recently started talking and we might start sometime this year for our second baby. But big deal... you just make an appointment and have it taken out... and next month, I hear, you are golden! :) Oh, and sometimes I have some cramping, but I'll notice it's mid-month and just attribute it to that. I'm still having a hard time loosing post-prego weight, so I don't think the mirena has anything to do with that!
I wouldn't do it again because it was so painful. I mean when I was in labor and had that much pain, I was able to ask for an epidural. I didn't go with the pill because of all the hormones, and I just didn't think this would be the same. The day after getting it, I looked about 3 months pregnant, and they said that's normal. I finally quit hurting and lost most of that belly, but I still have more belly than I did. I had just gotten to where I was comfortable with my body after #2, and now I can't stand the way I look. I can't lose anything. AND my mood/emotions are all over the place. My husband and I have been talking about taking it out, but we want to know what we're doing for sure. He wants to get a vasectomy, but I keep wondering if we'll change our minds and want more later.
I love not having to worry about anything, but I can't say that i think it's worth it.
I had a bad experience with Mirena. It has the same hormones as Depo-Provera (heavy progesterone) and it disagrees with me terribly. I could not lose a pound no matter what I did (and I have always been active and know how to lose weight when I need to) and began to lose clumps of my hair. I did not have a period which was nice but not nice enough to put up with becoming the fatty balding lady. I had it removed after 3 months with no regrets.
As for insertion/removal - I felt nothing at all - so I can't speak to the pain part.
Good luck.
Please read the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. The fertility awareness method will allow you to easily avoid getting pregnant since you're only fertile for about 5 days a month, and it can also help you to quickly acheive pregnancy. It's super easy to do.
I've had Mirena since October, and it's been fine for me, thus far. It wasn't really painful to have it inserted. There was some cramping the first couple of days after having it inserted, but it wasn't unbearable. A bit of hair shedding, but nothing drastic (so I don't even know if I can attribute it to the Mirena); no major weight gain.
I think the reason I love it so much is because I don't have to think of birth control on an everyday basis, and even more importantly- it hasn't negatively affected my sex drive. I've tried many types of bc pills before, and the Depo Provera. ALL of them had too much hormone in them for me, and took away my "mojo" (as I like to call it). I had no interest in sex, limited orgasms, low "moisture" (sorry if that's TMI), etc. With Mirena, I haven't had ANY problems in that area whatsoever :-) I'm probably hornier than my BF most days, and he always marvels at the "waterfall", LOL!!
I had the Mirena inserted in May and had to have it surgically removed i Jan of the next year bc of horrible discomfort during intercourse and my springs got coiled up inside of me. Not a good experience for me, the pill was even worse with Migraines every month. I tried the Nuvaring, and that was a joke. It wouldn't stay in. So now we are trying the Natural Family Planning Method, it has worked well for nearly 3 months of us.
Have you considered the Paragard (the copper - no hormone - IUD)? That's what I got 5+ years ago after my 2nd was born. I can't even tell it's in me, no pain when it was inserted other than a tiny pinch (really no worse than a normal gyn exam), it lasts for 10 year vs 5 for Mirena, and NO HORMONES! Only difference I've noticed is that my periods seem to be a little heavier and last maybe a day or two longer than before, but that may just be normal period vs hormone-controlled period (in other words, this could be my period activity if I had no birth control at all). I highly recommend you looking into this option too.
And since there are no hormones you can apparently get pregnant almost immediately upon removal if you decide to have another kid.
I've had Mirena since July 2010, and it's been great! Cramps for a few days, light bleeding for the first 2 months or so, and then no periods!! Just a tiny bit of spotting every month. I don't have mood swings (but I'm on anti-depressants). Haven't gained weight or broken out. And the freedom from periods (and pregnancy) is wonderful!!! I would give it a try and see how you react. It can always be removed.
P.S. My GYN told me that Mirena only has a tiny bit of hormones, and that's the part that keeps your period light/non-existent. Otherwise, IUDs tend to cause a heavier period.
