IUD Experiences

I got the Mirena last December. Let me just say I asked tons of questions about it before hand, yet I was totally unprepared for the pain it caused me during insertion. It was bad. Most ladies will tell you it was mild cramping, but for me the pain was so bad it caused me to almost pass out, and then I threw up! The rest of the day I had bad cramping in my back, uterus, and legs. I bled lightly for about 2 weeks. In my opinion, though, it was worth it. My period used to be so heavy I would have to go to bed with an overnight tampon, overnight pad, and then an old pair of my husband's boxer shorts because I bled so bad for over a week. Now I can get away with just a pantyliner for about 3 or 4 days. I also love the fact that I don't have to worry about taking a pill.
I didn't want to scare you, I just wish someone would have told me that not every woman just feels "slight cramping" when they are getting it put in. But, like I said before, I think it was worth it.

I have the Paraguard. I had it put in three months after having my son. My midwife suggested I wait a few months just to make sure it didn't affect my milk production. I won't lie, having it put in was not fun, it felt like the first cramps you get while in labor but it took only about 10 minutes to put it in, so it was quick for me and I just used breathing to get through it. Definitley take some Motrin before and a good nap afterwards(it helped me). The next day I was fine. I had cramps the first couple months during my period and my flow is heavier than before but it seems to be slowing somewhat in the past months. The fact that I do not have extra hormones in my body is reassuring to me. I really like that I don't have to worry about taking pills either. My midwife has it and suggested it and says she really likes it. Supposedly when I want to get pregnant again they just take it out and there is no waiting period in fertility. I had issues with the depo shot(weight gain and trouble getting preg afterwards)and the pill I felt caused me to have excessive mood swings( my husband was not a fan of that). I never feel the paraguard so it has really been pretty nice having it. I have had it for almost a year now. I have a friend who has the Mirena, she really likes it and for her it made her periods lighter and some months she doesn't even have a period. This may be appealing but it does contain hormones. I have one other friend that tried to get the Mirena IUD but ended up not getting it because she found it too painful while they tried to insert it. Hope this helps you.
L. P

Hi D., it seems like you're decided already but I feel so strongly about this that I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in anyway. I have had the Paraguard (non-hormonal) for about 5 years and I LOVE IT. I mean think about it, no hormones, no condoms, no pills it's perfect! Yeah it sucks to get it put in and it is kind of expensive but I'm sure in the long run I am saving tons of money and when my husband and I want to have another baby we just take it out and voila I'm open for business! So I thought I'd share that w/ you, the doctor may tell you to take motrin about an hour before hand (I encourage you to take that advice) and it is totally worth it in the long run! Good luck.
L. M.

Hi D.. I have the Mirena IUD, I got it in December of 2004. I LOVE IT. The insertion was painful, not exactly "mild" cramping, pretty severe. My cramping was the most severe immediately following insertion, and slowly subsided until it was gone by the next day. My doctor had suggested that I come alone to get it done and make sure I would have someone helping me at home with the kids that same day. Other than that I have nothing but good things to say. I am one of the lucky ones. I stopped having my period regularly 2 months after I got it inserted. For about 6 months I would have occasional bleeding, but it was way too little for tampon use and geerally lasted 1-2 days. I can't even remember the last time I had any bleeding. I will also say that I have never had a pregnancy scare on the IUD, and my sister-in-law was on Mirena for 3 years, got it taken out and was pregnant with in 3 months. So in my opinion, go for it! Goodluck!

i think for most women the iud is a totally postive experince but i thought i would let you know about mine. i got the mierna iud put in and two weeks later had gained ten lbs....i know i know never supposed to happen, i can say that all hormone contraceptive i have used in the past has always affected me heavily....i then got my period for three weeks nonstop unitl i added bc pills to help regulate i only took those for a month and it did help....my husband was finally coming home for the desert so the last thing i wanted was my period! my pms was awful....i mean awful i was more moody then when i was pregnant and well i felt depressed, i wouldnt base any descion on my opionon because this is a very rare occurence. i did get my iud out about 6 months later and felt a billion times better! i am sure i havent made the descion any easier but everyone i have talked to has raved about it!

Hi,
I have the Mirena it was put in 6 weeks after my second child, so that would have been January 2007. I did not have the choice of pills or other hormone containing birth control due to Migraine problems. I was told that the hormones in Mirena were not as bad, I still do get Migraines and want to get it checked out but all in all the Mirena seems to be good.
I did have problems though I had never stopped bleeding from having my second and continued to bleed off and on for the first 6 -8 weeks with the mirena in, this has since stopped and I randomly bleed for like 12 hours at a time now usually about once or twice a month.
I also do seem to get a mild case of PMS right before bleeding, and have the highschool acne all over again. But my body is very sensitive to any changes - so it could be just me.
But if you are looking for something that will last for a while it seems to be the way to go, my doctor also has the Mirena and loves it.

I have the Paraguard and it's great. I chose this one, because it was covered by insurance. I do notice that my period is a little heavier, but it's so much better than remembering to take the pill. Hope this helps.--N.

Hi D.. I have had a mirena in place for 3.5 years & I love it!! Will probably have another one placed when this one expires. The procedure was nothing & I expected it to be at least a little painful. I work with a lot of women who have it & we all love it. Some other women I work with swear by the nuva-ring but that's just too much work for me.

I have had the Mirena IUD. I have had it for 2 years no problems. I recommend it. Good Luck!

I have has 2 Mirenas. They are wonderful! You never have to think about it. And it made my periods light to almost nothing at all. I have reccomended the mirena to all of my friends!

Hi D..... I love my IUD.....it is the best thing ever....you wont regret having it.....for me it is the absolute best BC out there...unless your very young and want to have more children in the not so far future...my IUD is good for 10 years....and will continue to have it as long as my body needs it.....LOL...Good luck D....

I have the IUD, and I absolutely love it, but hopefully I will have it removed soon, so that I can have another baby.. My son will be 2 on Saturday, so it's time to start thinking about having another baby.

Hi D.,

My name is N. and I am the mother of two (ages, 7 and 3). I decided to get the IUD (Mirenda) 2 years ago, after months of consideration. As with anything else, it has it's pro's & con's. During the first couple of months, I would get a yeast infection but, after the 3rd month, everything was back to normal. It was a good choice for meand my husband... I hope that it will be the right choice for you.

I've had the Mirena for about a year and a half, I like it. There's no taking pills, and I only get cramps every once and a while with it. Like if I have to pee really bad, then I can feel it because I think it get's squished or something. The most uncomfortable part was when they put it in, I hadn't had anything to eat that morning so I got kind of queasy. I, like you, had to choose between the two and I chose the Mirena because it lasts for 5 years, and I will probably be ready to have another baby by the time it's ready to come out. I hope I was helpful. Everyone's body reacts differently so what works for me may not work for you. It's also very expensive if insurance doesn't cover it. Good luck and I hope I helped.

Hi D.,
I'm obviously the minority here, but wanted to tell you to pay attention to how you feel with the Mirena in place. I loved the idea of it--didn't want the hormones in pills, and had just had boy/girl twins--but it wasn't for me. The cramping on insertion was severe, and I bled for eight days. Every period after that lasted eight days long--it wasn't heavy, but it was long, with lots of spotting on days one and eight. Five months after having it in, I skipped a period altogether, which sounds nice, in principle, but my body still went through the PMS/bloating WITHOUT the relief/release of the flow. That was insufferable. That, the fact that there was definitely an odor present (I could smell it when I urinated, even after a long shower), and the fact that my husband claimed he could "feel something scratching" compelled me to have it removed after seven months. It may be fine for you, but it's not for everyone, so if you don't feel like yourself, pay attention. L. M.

I just had the Mirena removed after 4 years (only because we don't want to prevent pregnancy right now). I had no pain at insertion or removal at all. It was a completely 100% positive experience. Good luck with your choice!