To Have an IUD or Not

Hi K.,

I personally wouldn't get an IUD because it is an abortafacient. It doesn't prevent you from getting pregnant, it just doesn't allow the embryo to grow and forces you to have a spontaneous abortion. I have heard several stories from women who have gotten pregnant with the IUD inserted and had major complications from it. Also, heavy bleeding..So, just my opinion, but I think there are better methods out there. Keep searching for the right one for you.

Molly

Hey there, I got an IUD about 3 or 4 months after my second daughter. I personally am very satisfied. I did have heavier periods for the first couple of months, but it was not unmanagable, and now they are totally normal and I haven't thought about birth control for years. My husband has felt it once or twice, but it has never been a bother to intamacy. in fact it is very much better than condoms, pills that make me crazy, or the nuva ring, all which i have tried. I know there are a few non-success stories out there, but I don't have a single complaint.

I tried one for five years. It is great for spontaneous love making sessions! I had no side affects and because of the hormone on the IUD - I would only spot every so often! It was awesome to not have periods! :0)

Hi K.,

Some of the info you have received about IUD's is totally false. I recommend reading an up-to-date, researched article before you believe everything you read here.

While I love this website and all the great moms who write in - it gets a bit depressing reading all the incorrect information that keeps getting passed around here.

We are supposed to educating one another, not continuing to spread incorrect information, which just serves to confuse everyone and continue our collective ignorance.

There is great article about IUD's in this month's Cookie Magazine - with ACTUAL REAL information - not a bunch of old wives tales, rumors and disinformation.

It gives the facts and the truth about IUD's.
Here is the link:
http://www.cookiemag.com/brain/momhealth/2008/08/iud_info

Take care,
K..

Hi K.,

I hate the whole having to remember to take pills and all so I don't. Currently I have the Mirena IUD. It was so painful going in I don't think I have ever been in that much pain. It was bad. The midwife stopped and I was like what are you doing? Just put it in already...I am not going through this again. The midwife said that the reason it was so painful is because I have only had C sections. So none the less I still have it in. I have had it for about 9 months now with no problems. I bled for the first 5 months...not a lot, just mildly. My husband gets poked when we have sex by the fishing line like string hanging down from the device but he has gotten used to it. I have even gotten it trimmed and he still can feel it. I recommend it but is ultimately your choice. Good luck with your decision. I'll tell you one thing though when I take the IUD out I will not get another one inserted because of the intial pain of the first one.
N.

Hi K. Im so glad people spoke up about this subject. I have a 7 yr old daughter and i had made the decision to get an IUD with no hormones, a couple years back. A good friend and I got them within a week of each other and to begin with omg did it hurt to have done. (Infact I don't wish that pain on anyone!)

And for a while everything was fine except ths wierd smell when you pee, (my friend complained of it too)Oh ya when it was around that time of the month the cramps sucked!!

Then one day I had this terrible pain, I couldnt stand up i was sweating and could bearly walk. I had to drop my daughter off at my moms and run to the emergency room. Needless to say I had to have it removed and now am the proud mom of another daughter. Oh ya my friend is also a proud mom of little boy . . . Thats how well it worked for us. Seems to me that it only helps you get pregnant!! I guess we both agreed that we would rather take a nail through the eye ball before doing that again!!!!

I know I might be one person with a crazy horror story but while I love the baby and everything, the facts remain that it was an extreamly painful procedure that was supposed to last many years and did not last for a 1.

I hope Im not rambling, good luck and if you do get it I hope it works for you. :)

I was never fond of the whole IUD thing and after the birth of my son I knew I didnt want to go back on the pill. I wanted to wait probably a full year before I had gotten pregnant again, so I wanted something temporary.

I opted for the Implanon. It is the 2008 version of the Norplant. 1 single plastic hormone releasing rod that is implanted in the fatty skin under your arm (tricept) area. It is good for 5 years. Takes about a week to get the hormones into your system and once you take it out, takes 24 hours to get out of your system.

I worked great for me.

I wish you luck in your decision making. And feel free to ask me any questions if you need

K.,

I had a Mirena IUC after my second child was born. I was drawn to the idea of no hassle birth control, and the idea of not having a period. Who wouldn't love that? Anyway, right after it was inserted I began to have horrible side effects- back pain, migraines, weight gain, skin issues. I won't go on and on about how horrible my experience was (it was terrible), but if you want more info or if you have any questions, I'd be happy to talk with you more. Just be careful. If you do go with an IUD/IUC, and begin to experience any abnormal symptoms, even if you don't think they are related, go back to your doctor and have it removed. Trust yourself. My doctor didn't take me seriouusly when I complained, but I can tell you that since I've had the thing removed, I have not had any of the pain and headaches, my weight went back to normal. Anyway, just be careful.

Warmly,
C.

I don't know a whole lot about IUDs, but the MAIN reason I have never chosen one is because it alters the uterine lining in order to inhibit implantation of a fertilized egg. Isn't that, in effect, an abortion????
While an IUD can prevent conception, my understanding is that it also prevents implantation of a fertilized egg. So, on a monthly basis - we cannot know if it prevented conception that month or dispelled a baby by preventing implantation of the fertilized egg.

I know there are two kinds: hormone and copper
Check out: http://www.pamf.org/patients/iud.html

But other methods are effective. Rhythm, Condom, VCF = Vaginal Contraceptive Film, etc.

Good Luck!

Mom of 4 wonders: 19, 11, 6, and baby any day (due 10/1)

Wow! I read this post because I am interested in getting an IUD. After reading about all the problems that real women have had with it--there is no way I am doing it! From what I understand the risks (which are all the real things that have happened to women here) are the IUD tearing through your uterus and getting lodged in another organ, its very painful to have inserted, heavier periods, spontaneous monthly abortions, back pain, skin problems.....ugh!!! I'm glad there are some people who had a good experience, but I'm not taking the chance. Thanks!

I had a bad experience with my Mirena IUD. I had it inserted at my 6 wk check-up after my second child, then went back for a 1 month check-up and couldn't find the strings. After numerous ultrasounds at the doctors office and hospital, no one could find the IUD. My doctor suggested basically a D&C to remove it so I had surgery and they still couldn't find it. Finally I had a CT scan and they discovered the IUD had gone through my uterus and was embedded in my lower bowel. I had to have laperscopic surgery to remove it finally. I had my doctor tie my tubes at the same time since I was done having children. I never had any pain or cramping from the IUD (other than minor right after insertion). I have friends that love their IUDs, but I would suggest using something else if you can. You could be 1 in a million too.

Hi K.,
I'm a first time mom of a 14mo old, and my husband and I didn't want to worry about getting prego again, so I decided to get an IUD. I used to be on the pill for years, but remembering to take a pill everyday was way too hard with an infant around. I did some research about IUDs and decided the Mirena would be best for me. I also did look into the copper IUD (no hormones) but the side effects were not what I wanted to deal with.

I got the Mirena(http://www.mirena-us.com)about 7 months ago and have had no major problems with it. It is a hormone IUD; lasts up to 10 yrs and can be removed at any time without complications of getting pregnant again. The insertion at the OBGYN literally took 2 minutes and was painfree. My periods are very light (there was some bleeding and spotting the first couple months), and last only about 4 days (wearing a mini pad or panty liner).

I'd suggest going to the website to read all about the possible side effects and whether an IUD is right for you (there is a quiz on the Mirena site that you can take). Also, make sure your insurance covers it (most do), but if not, be prepared to shell out $400-$500 for an IUD.

Hope this helps.
-H.

Hi K.,
I had the Copper T IUD put in almost two years ago. I chose this IUD because there are no hormones (I felt if I wanted hormones I could go on the pill). It was painful to put in, but I was fortunate enough to get Acupuncture immediately after and the pain went away. My periods were very regular but every other period was extremely painful and heavy. Sometimes I would have one day where I was in bed due to heavy bleeding and cramps. A few days ago I realized my period was late. I took a pregnancy test and sure enough, I am pregnant. I immediately went to my family doctor (couldn't get in to see my OBGYN until this week) who confirmed the test and ordered a ultra-sound. My IUD is exactly where it should be in my uterus. The embroyo is also in my uterus (there is increased chance of ectopic pregnancy with the IUD) about a centimeter away from the IUD. Now I am faced with an unplanned pregnancy and an increase in miscarriage when they remove the IUD. Very scary to say the least!!
When you make your ultimate decision remember that 99% effective means that there still is a 1% chance--and from my own experience and what I have read on the internet this 1% is pretty common.
I wish you good luck in your decision making. I was happy with the IUD until I got pregnant. I did suffer for 2 years but thought it was worth it if I wasn't going to get pregnant!

I have the Meredia and I LOVE it. I am one of the 20% who doesn't get a period, that in itself is a real + for me because I used to get REALLY bad cramps. I had my first IUD inserted when my daughter was a little over 6 weeks and just recently had it replaced with a new one (my daughter is 5 now). THe first day I was really crampy and a little out of sorts, but after that I was feeling fine. The great thing about it is if and when you do decide you want to have another child you just have it removed and if you don't want another one, you keep it in for the 5 years then get another one. At least with the IUD you are always protected and it is isn't perm. like having your tubes tied. One thing you will want to look into is if it is covered by your insurance. My OB doc told me alot of insureances do not cover it. I had 2 different insurances, Blue Shield, when I got my first one and Aetna when I got the 2nd, both DID cover it! Good luck with your decision.

I had the Mirena and hated it. Although it did knock out my periods entirely, I had a serious weight gain problem and depression with it, and then developed an autoimmune reaction to the plastic and had to have it removed. I ended up going on Micronor instead (progesterone only birth control pill) with the same benefits and no reaction.

Based off my experience I would say NO? NO, NO! I had an IUD put in on my 6wk app. after having my 2nd and it was one of the worst mistakes ever!!! Having it put in was very painful and the pain continued. It got so painful where I just couldn't move anymore and went to the er. I had to have a dr. try to remove it and he could not get it. It was so horrible and painful! I was getting poked and proded and the dr. was frustrated making it a truly horrible experience and after what had seemed like being gutted, I still had to get emergency surgery to have it removed. The first time in my life I had to have surgery and they had to remove it. They found that it had actually ripped thru my uterus and was found floating around my ovary. The whole experience was so horrible!!! I couldn't even talk about for a long time. Plus it was then when I heard all these other bad stories from other woman. I wish I had heard it before I chose to have it! On the other hand some woman say they like it a lot, so it's up to u. I just feel obligated to tell any woman my experience when ask about iud. there are other options, like the nuva ring if u don't like the pill. I just stayed on the pill and then we decided we weren't going to able to have more kids, so my husband had a vasectomy. now no worries! good luck

I LOVED my IUD - I would recommend one to anyone and everyone. In fact - I am preg. right now after having one in (I chose the Merena) - I didn't have a problem getting pregnant - In fact, it happened much quicker than I expected. I had one period, and then I was pregnant! I did not have a period when I had the IUD in after about the 2nd month of having it in. (which to me is a GREAT thing!) and I had no mood swings like I had when I tried the NuvaRing. Although it has hormones in it, the Dr. explained to me that they are "topical" and never enter the blood stream. I had no problems with weight gain, and actually was finally able to lose the weight that I had been trying so hard to get rid of. The only thing that I would caution you is to be sure to take the Advil like they suggest before you have it inserted. I forgot to take the Advil, and it HURT - but I went home and took the advil, and then after it kicked in I was fine.......so anyways, I hope that helps you with your decision! Good Luck! ~ Janine

I guess it all depends on each person's body, I had the paragard(no hormones) for about 5 yrs. After about two years with it, I experienced bleeding for 6 weeks. About a year after that incident I started cramping two weeks out of the month and would bloat enormously! I hated it. I was asked tons of times if I was pregnant! So I decided to get it out. I have heard very good things about it too, so I guess you'll never know until you try it. :)

I have the IUD and a few of my friends do and we all love it. None of us have any side effects from it. You do not have your period or have to worry about taking a pill or remembering to go get a shot so it is real nice. I always suggest the IUD to everyone.

I have the Mirena IUD as well. I have had it in for a year and a half and love it. I don't really notice any problems with weight gain and love not having a period every month.

I would highly reccomend it.

Hi K.,

The good thing about a copper IUD is that there are no hormones involved. It works to irritate the lining of the uterus, preventing implantation from taking place. It is good for, I think, 5 years but can be taken out if pregnancy is desired again.
The cons that I've heard are: periods can be a bit heavier and crampier, but I think it might be an ok trade off for hormone free birth control, depending on how your periods are.
This is just for the copper IUD, I'm not sure about any other kind

About Me: 33yr. old Ayurvedic practitioner (www.solacehealth.com), mother of 4mo. old girl and stepmother of 15yr. old girl.

Hi, I've had an IUD for 5 years now. I like it because it has no hormones in it that make me feel sick or moody like the pills did. I don't have to worry about missing pills. I tried the Nuva Ring that kept coming out and the patch would come off so this really was my only option besides having my tubes tied. The cons are my periods are a heavier. It also increases your chances of getting yeast infections. Since I had mine in five years ago they have improved it so this may not be as common now-I'm due to have a new one put in. Otherwise, I think the pros outway the cons if you're not ready to get pregnant any time soon. Good Luck

I personally wouldn't use an IUD because some believe it is an abortifacient.
We use Natural Family Planning.

Hi K.,

I have had my IUD for over a year and love it! I decided on the paraguard over the merana because I did not want to be on hormones at all. I have found that my period is heavier and I cramp a little more with the IUD but it's totally liveable. The paragaurd can stay in for 10 years and the best part is, there are no hormones. I think either one is fine. It is a bit uncomfortable when they insert it but hey, you had a baby so you can totally live through it! Good luck!

J.

An IUD prevents conception and absolutely does not function like abortion. So, no worries there. It delivers a small dose of local hormones to prevent conception.

I have one, and it works great. It is easy to put up there and easy to remove. Take a few advil before you go in because you can have some cramping when it is inserted.

It requires no attention, of course, and I'm not willing to oops, get pregnant at this point, so I was careful to make sure to choose something reliable. My fabulous doc (head of OBGYN at a major hospital) recommended Mirena.