Questions on an IUD??

I did not have the Mirena IUD mine was non-hormonal but I loved it. I got pregnant with my son while on the pill so after he was born I got the IUD and loved it I didn't have to take any pills or remember anything I had a little bit heavier periods but they were not unbearable. I had the IUD for 4 years until we decided to have another child and if my husband didn't get his procedure I would have gotten it again.

I currently have the Mirena (IUD) this type of BC will last for 5 years. you are correct in saying that there is a possibilty that you will not have a period but if you do it is very light and will only last approx. 2 days at the most. Currently I'm not having any problems loosing weight. I feel pretty good with this IUD! The first week was a little rough because the procedure was a little uncomfortable. But, other than that it was fine. I had a problem remembering to take my pills and the patch didn't work for me so this was my last resort before going permanent. Your doctor could provide you with a DVD that will go into more details about the Mirena. Personally I think it's worth your time.

I have had the Merina for almost 4 years now. I love it! No periods (although I do get a bit crabby when it would be that time, and I do also like to eat at that time), and no side effects, and no unexpected pregnancy.
I have never felt it while having sex, I have not found it difficult to lose weight (I lost over 30 leftover baby pounds with healthy diet and daily exercise), and I would definitely get another one when this one needs replacing.

I have a paraguard IUD- its good for 10 years and contains no hormones. My periods are heavier and longer then before but I was on the pill so they werent my "true" periods anyway. It is great not having to remember to take a pill everyday. I dont seem to be having a problem in the wt area- I mean I could lose a few if I stopped eatting junk and playing on the interent but I dont believe its IUD related. It didnt hurt going in and I have no problems now thats its in. Not all insurances cover IUDs though so that may also be a deciding factor for you- I was lucky and mine did but if it hadnt it is around $400-500 depending on the type you get. Hope that helps and if you have any other questions please ask.

I have the Mirena IUD which is the 5 year one. I did not have any trouble losing my pregnancy weight and had the IUD inserted 6 weeks post-partum. I was on the birth control pill before my son, which is how we got pregnant with him. This October will be 2 years of having the IUD, and I have no major complaints about it. Good luck in your decision!

I have the Mirena IUD (which lasts for 5 years and has a lighter / no flow period) - just for a couple of weeks. I love it. I'm not having any problems with gaining weight and I don't have the cravings that I've had with other BC methods - specifically loestrin (the pill). I highly recommend it, as I don't have to do anything but check for strings once a month.

I understand your possition. Although i do not have an IUD I was in your shoes when i was 22 and pregnant with my 2nd daughter.(a middle of the night wake up from my husband,lol)
birth controll never worked for me evan though i took those pills religously. money was tight and i knew i could not keep having babies and afford to suport them. I tried the Depo shot with horrible results after my first baby (I bled for a whole year)and did not want to continue to take hormones as they messed with me bad. I decided to have a tubal ligation and now I am soo sorry i did. I wish i had looked into other options but now it is to late. if i had heard about the IUD i may have concidered it as an alternative that is not permanant. lotts cheaper than a reversal or invitro. i cant give you any advice on the pros and cons of an IUD but i definatly recomend that you keep reserching your options as you dont want to regret your decision later. who knows how your life may change.

My very good friend at work also got pregnant on birth control. She opted for the IUD about 3 years ago and loves it! She talked her sister into an IUD after she had 2 kids in 2 years- She also loves it. I was considering the option right before I got pregnant with my son (Oops!). The only problem she had was some cramping after sex for the first few weeks, then about a year later she had some hormone issues- Doctors weren't sure if it was from the IUD or not. She does not have periods, and thinks she will have another IUD after this one needs to be removed.

The only thing I really suggest (to all mom's) is to really research your stuff... The internet is FULL of material (just google the medical insert to have all the information at your fingertips...) on the IUD, or pills you may want to take or was suggested.

Remember, even if you choose to skip the monthly cycle, it still really is not "healthy" for you. It's incredibly convenient I know! But if mother-nature intended it... (this is just my take, so PLEASE do not be offended...). I am just a natural-type of person...

I have in my cabinet my sample packs from my OBGyn, as two people I know had some Serious issues in the GI tract due to taking B/C. Please, just be VERY careful, talk OPENLY with your doctor and ASK everything... even if you think you are annoying them. It is your body this is going into.

As for 'weight', anytime you "play" with hormones, you run the risk of weight gain/ loss... everyone's body is effected very differently.

I hope this helps somewhat...? Good luck on your decision! :)

I got pregnant with an IUD. It is NOT the next best thing to sterilization, as the manufacturers claim. I would suggest either the pill, condoms, or tubal ligation (I know, sorry!).

H.

I had a Mirena IUD and would not suggest it. About a month after I got it I started having random sharp pains in my side as well as nausea and vomiting. My appendix was already gone, so we knew that wasn't it! It ended up being the IUD! It was not where is was supposed to be! In fact, when they tried to remove it, they couldn't find it. They had to do laproscopic SURGERY to put a camera inside me, find the IUD, and remove it! Crazy stuff! This is a rare occurance, however they did tell me that they have been seeing more problems recently. Good luck!

Just remember that some IUDs work by preventing an egg, often fertilized, from implanting...they don't prevent the conception from happening. That statemtent doesn't come with judgement from one side or another of the prolife/prochoice issue, it's just something that I didn't know when I inquired about an IUD years ago. I wasn't comfortable with that, as there are plenty of ways to prevent pregnancy before it starts instead of ridding my body of it after the fact. Aside from that, I have heard pros and cons to IUDs so be sure to do your research and be aware of the side effects that may occur. Also, if you are sure you do not want more children, there is a new procedure called Essure (sp?) that is a non surgical option, done right in the office. Good luck with whatever you find!
~L.

I used the pills for almost 6 yrs off and on (when not prego or trying). When looking into BC originaly I decided against the IUD because of cases that women WITH IUD's get prego, and the baby actually develops around it the a baby is born with an IUD embedded somewhere in them. Even though the chance is minute of that happening, its still there. Then because of issues with weight gain I started to do more research on different more natural methods...Have you ever heard of the standard days method? It depends on you cycle length on if it would be an option for you. But couple that with condoms (for the off limits but you just gotta times :-)...)and you've got a pretty good method. Any time hormones are supplemented your body becomes dependent on them to be supplied by an outside source and stops or slows down natural production..
Congrats on the marriage, and the babys!!! Hope you find something that works for YOU!!!

I just got an IUD inserted about 2 weeks ago. I did the Mirena. I actually think that losing weight will be a little easier for me since I am going off the pill. I had some cramping the evening that the insertion was done, took some tylenol and by the next day felt fine. The reason I decided to try this is that I could not for the life of me remember to take that little pill anymore each day! I was having periods for 1-3 weeks each month, no fun! So right now I feel good, no complaints. I am still experiencing some slight bleeding each day, about one tampon. I go back to the doctor in three weeks. A girlfriend of mine got one after her third child and loves it! She didn't have a period for four months and I think has a much lighter period now. You have to make the right decision for you, this is my experience. I would definately check out some other options since you got pregnant twice with birth control!

I have three children, two of which I was on different kinds of birth control. However after the third I started using the Nuva Ring and I have had wonderful success with it. My youngest daughter will be 7 this year. You change it once a month. Stays inside you for three weeks and then out for one (for period), then reinsert. I highly suggest it.

The Mirena IUD is a hormone based IUD. It is the one that lasts for 5 years and cuts down or eliminates your period. You could have trouble losing weight with this one because it does contain hormones.

The Para-Gard IUD is copper and lasts for 10 years. This one does not contain hormones and won't decrease your period. It might increase flow.

With both IUD's you MUST check for the strings each month. This is to ensure that it is still in place.

That said, I had the Para-gard IUD for 4 years with no worries and then I found out I was pregnant. My daughter is now 3. There is a risk of becoming pregnant with any birth control. Nothing is 100% effective. This time, my husband got a vasectomy.

H.

Hello, J.. I'm a lot like you. If I fold my hubby's underwear, I get pregnant. A few months after the birth of my 2nd child, I got a Mirena IUD. I'll admit, I disliked it the first month or so. But once it placed itself in my uterus, I've had no problems what so ever. I've had VERY light monthly periods with mild cramping. I haven't had any weight gain with it- even when I stopped breast-feeding 4 months ago.
The only birth control method that's more effective than an IUD is a tubal ligation or vasectomy...Good luck with your decision!

J., I am J., Just wanted to let ya know that I got pregnant with an IUD. My doctor told me that it was 99.9% safe. LOL. I dont know if anything is 100% except No uterus. I always felt like the way the IUD worked was not to prevent pregnancy but to prevent the embryo from attaching to the uterus. I had heavy periods and wonder if I was aborting the pregnancy. The doctor would never admit it. He said they werent entirely sure how the IUD worked. Mind you some have hormones and may be better. Mine had copper.

I spoke with my doc about this, she informed me that if you decide to have kids later you can have it removed. It sounds like a great option to me. You are really young and you have time to try to build your family if you later decide. Good Luck on your pregnancy and your decision.
God Bless,

Hi J. - congrats on your second bundle of joy! I, too, had a surprise baby and I know it can be overwhelming. You will be super busy for awhile, but it gets easier. Mine are 5 and 4 now, and they are the best of friends. As far as the IUD, I recently got the paragard IUD and have had no problems so far. I have my period each month, but it is not any worse than it ever was - no extra cramping or anything unusual other than a little heavier flow. I went with the paragard because it has no hormones. I am older than you :) and I had been on and off birthcontrol pills for a long time. I just wanted to stop the hormones so my body could be normal again. I have felt much happier and my libido has gone up, as well (my husband LOVES that part) :). I know everyone is different, but I can tell you that I have had a positive experience with the IUD and would recommend it. Good luck!

I did try the IUD and didn't like it at all. For me I had my period but I had it every other week or for 2 weeks at a time. I had it taken out after a year when I finely had enough of that. I did maintain the weight I was at but then I was not all that active between work and at that time my 2 boys I didn't have much time for any thing else.

Hello J.,

Congratulations on your lovely family and on your new pregnancy. If you read the responses yesterday to the lady asking questions about the IUD and weight gain, you will read my response to her. I would like to let you know about the same thing...it is natural family planning (NFP). It doesn't involve taking any chemicals or using anything potentially harmful. A woman's body is actually only fertile for a certain time during her cycle. Natural family planning teaches the couple how to recognize this time and plan marital relations according to whether or not they feel called to have another child. It boosts communication and respect between the couple. My late husband and I practiced NFP for 25 years before his death. NFP is 99% effective if learned and used correctly. See www.ccli.org for more information.

F.
P.S. I just read an article yesterday that said women live longer than men because of their periods! It keeps us from having too much iron in our bodies...how about that?!

I have never had an IUD, but my mother used one for years after she had us kids. She swore by it, as she had problems getting pregnant while on birth control also. She didn't have any problem with weight gain either as far as I know.

I used a Mirena IUD after my last child, and it worked great. Barely any period or PMS.

Good luck.

J.,PLEASE DO NOT GET THE IUD,I had this and had so much problems with it,it just kept sliping and made my periods so messed up it was not funny,also I had a lot of pain with it at times,the one that I had was the copper "7".
Please think this over and talk to your Dr. find out if there are other things that you can use.
I could not use any kind of birth control as I had problems with them all minus the "coat for men".
But of course men don't like to use them.
I wish you luck.
D.

Hi J..
My friend had an IUD for about 3 years and it ended up coming out during intercourse. She had the one were your period is almost nothing every month. She said she will never have another IUD again. It made her depressed to the point were she had to be medicated. Her hormones where all over the place. She said every month when she would get so called period, it just felt like everything didn't get to come out. When the IUD finally came out on its own she said it was like the flood gates opened and it felt wonderful. She no longer takes meds. for depression. I would also like to add that my mother had an IUD after having 3 kids and could never hold a pregnancy again.

I've had the Mirena IUD for 2 years now. I really love it because I don't have to really worry about it. It does hurt a little when it's put in, but after that, I didn't really have a period for a year and a half. Now, I've started having periods again, but they aren't any worse than before.
I would recommend it.

I currently have an IUD and I love it! I have the non- hormone type which does not stop periods. Since there are no hormones involved, it doesn't have any affect on your weight. I have tried almost all types of birth control. I gained some weight on the pill and ALOT of weight on norplant. I think the IUD is the easiest and least affecting form of birth control.
V.

i had the mirena and had it for about a moonth and it was being rejected by my body it hurt like hell to be put in and it didnt get better i bled the hole time i had it my obgyn said that was normal and about two weeks after that it came out olmaost the rest of the way i had to remoze it the rest of the way myself in my bathroom. my stepdaughters mom had the same thing happen to her but hers took like three months to do this. mirena is the five year one with no periods(boy was that a lie)

I am 33 and have an IUD. It has its good and bad points. I do not have periods (i have the 5 year) but in the beginning and on occasion now you can feel it when you are having sex. It sometimes hurts my husband and me so I have been thinking of having it removed. I have had it just over a year now.

I had the one where you still get your period--the other one releases hormones, which might be why that other mom was having problems losing weight. I had mine for 6 years, and had no problems at all. It was great--you hardly ever have to think about it (you do have to feel for the string once a month to make sure it's still there). I'd recommend it!

I have the Mirena IUD and I love it! I haven't noticed the weight issue, but I haven't really been trying to lose any. (I had mine put in when my son was 17 months old.) I haven't really noticed any side effects other than my sex drive was increased a bit. (which my hubby loved!) I usually have heavy periods and so far I have only been spotting when I have my period. I've only had one so far, and my Dr. said that I will probably stop having them soon. :)

Hi J.,

I do not know what your preference is about pro life or pro choice, however, before you accept the IUD as a form of birth control I would do my research. I had one after my first daughter, and I was unaware that during the 3 years that I had that, my uterus was literally spontaneously aborting any fertilized egg, by making my itself an unstable environment for the embyro to grow in. I don't know if things have changed or not, but it would be prudent to do some research. Talk to your health care provider for some other less invasive forms of birth control. I do understand your concern, our first daughter was 8 months old when my husband and I got married. Believe on the Lord, He will direct your path.

Walkin in HIS truth & light,
M.