Mirena IUD?

[simplekelly]

anyone post HG have one of these? My lovely dr. brought up birth control options and this was one of the options. i am hesitant to go on the pill or mini pill or any version of it and my dr agree's with me and understands my concern. he suggested the Mirena because it has no estrogen and a very low amount of progesterone (which I am low on anyways). my dh has talked and agreed to a snip snip but I NEVER want to be pg again so I want to be totally protected and am willing to do double birth control for a couple of years.

have you had any nausea with it? did it hurt going in? any depression/mood swings? any weight gain due to Mirena?

any experiences or experiences of friends are appreciated!

[aaronsmommy]

I think JennyK has a Mirena, not sure who else. I have a Paragard.

It hurts a little going in, but not bad at all. Take some Motrin first.

[ahzryn]

I've had a Mirena for just over 4 years now, and I love it. Insertion wasn't bad...wasn't fun either but wasn't bad. Had I taken something before hand it probably would have been better. I don't have any periods with it, and every once in a blue moon I have about 4 hours of really minor spotting. By the time I even locate a panty liner, it's LONG gone.

I haven't really gained any weight due to the Mirena I don't think, but I am back to my before 2 HG pregnancies weight. I didn't have any problems at all with milk supply nursing with it, no acne or anything else strange. Every once in a while I will cramp, which I never had before this , but it's really mild.

I have certainly never regretted it, which is saying something since I paid out of pocket! Well, ok, I do regret that I can't sneak in a pregnancy on it, now that I am feeling like trying another. The darn thing won't fail An accidental pregnancy is one thing, but consciously going in and having it removed for the sake of getting pregnant seems insane, kwim?

[aaronsmommy]

I agree completely Tam. I wouldn't be comfortable with anything less effective than what I have, but sometimes I find myself wishing for an accident. I've thought about switching to the Mirena, but then I feel like it wipes out even that very slim chance that I have now.

Of course if I got pg it would be a total disaster.

[JP]

My dr won't prescribe the pill or Mirena for me because of the fact that they both contain hormones and there's a history of cancer in my family and because of my age (36). So, my only option is Paragard (my dh has pretty much said no to the Dr. Snippy option). I cannot even imagine having to deal with HG again so I have to find something!

Aimee - Are there any negatives to Paragard?
Thanks!

[aaronsmommy]

My periods are much heavier than without the IUD, and they last at least a week. If I am good about taking Motrin every 8 hours for a few days once I start spotting, they are pretty normal, but I'm not very good at that. The really heavy stuff is only a day or two though, and I'd say that while I may hate it for 2 days each month, I love it for the other 26, so all in all it is great for me.

My last 2 periods have been quite normal, so I hope that keeps up!

I'm not sure what your doctors concerns about the Mirena are based on though.

[ahzryn]

I agree, my doctor recommended the Mirena specifically BECAUSE the amount of hormone is so small and so localized it is much less risky that any other form of hormonal birth control. And yes, I have a pretty much 100% maternal line of breast cancer in my family, and heart disease on both sides. We both read over the literature and studies, and had no reservations whatsoever.

The best thing of course would be abstinence, but.... of the remaining options, condoms have too high an incidence of user error, and I have allergies to several of the materials. The copper T etc IUDs have higher risk of puncture, heavier periods and thus risk of anemia, and discomfort issues. BCPs have much higher doses of hormones, and are distributed more widely in the body. The Nuva ring also caused some awful itching....so it was out as well. So, that's what my decision was based on, ymmv

[simplekelly]

The best thing of course would be abstinence, but.... of the remaining options, condoms have too high an incidence of user error, and I have allergies to several of the materials. The copper T etc IUDs have higher risk of puncture, heavier periods and thus risk of anemia, and discomfort issues. BCPs have much higher doses of hormones, and are distributed more widely in the body.

ditto. these are all the reasons my dr suggested the mirena. i'm glad to know there hasn't been any bad side effects for you. my periods are SO heavy due to pelvic congestion sydrome (basically waaaay too many veins/blood vessels on and in my uterus so i have some serious bleeding and cramping every month and it's only going to get worse not to mention endometriosis and fibroids blah blah blah). i will eventually be getting a hysterectomy but not for a couple of years down the road when the baby gets a bit older and i don't have to carry her etc.

my dh has ALWAYS said no to the snip...until this pregnancy, lmao!! he even made an appt with a dr a few months ago to discuss this option and the risks and pain etc. it was such a switch!!! a nice switch considering i have always asked him to do it after we were done having kids (before i knew i would be getting the hysterectomy....) but now that i have HG, condoms aren't going to work for me to get in the mood, lol. all i would be thinking about is the failure rate and those little guys sneaking out. lol! that doesn't equal a romantic hot passionate night to me.

thanks for the discussion! any other thoughts/experiences?

[aaronsmommy]

The Mirena is often used specifically for heavy bleeding in people that don't even need birth control and keeps a lot of people from needing to get a hysterectomy - if you were trying to avoid the surgery, it might be worth a try.

[simplekelly]

wow REALLY???? omg that would be an even better reason for trying it!!!!! i had no idea! thanks for that info!!! my periods are seriously hell and they have only been getting worse each month. i mean i would pass out from the pain and bleeding. they were HORRIBLE. and i have been DREADING getting them back. i exclusively BF and i get my period back at 6 weeks. i bleed from the birth for 3 weeks...have a 3 week break then have my periods monthly....even when i am BF every 4 hours around the clock and i have so much milk...with my first i donated over 500 ounces to a milk bank in Denver AND BF my baby AND had a ton frozen for later use. i am very unlucky in this area of getting my period during BF.

[ahzryn]

I was a two week on two week off person with periods....let me tell you how much I miss that and hate having nothing at all......NOT!

[JennyK]

I got a Mirena at my post partum check-up. I felt a pinch when the doctor put it in, but nothing too bad. I had mild cramping and spotting for about two weeks. After that, no side effects whatsoever. I haven't a period yet, but my baby is 5 months and exclusively breastfed so that's probably why. I lost 8 lbs in January without trying, so I'm pretty sure the Mirena isn't causing me to gain weight. My insurance even paid for 100% of it, so I can't think of a single complaint!

DH volunteered for a snip. It was good of him to offer, but it would just make me too sad to do something permenant.

[simplekelly]

excellent! thanks!

i know what you mean about the permanent solutions. i would love to have had a 4th baby...but with the risk of HG again and my age (and dh's age), I just have to come to terms that we are done. but for me, i would be sad even after that 4th baby. kwim? it's a stage of life that's sort of sad to be done with...although this tired body is happy, lol!

[Atsie]

Mine just got put in about 30 minutes ago. I have no info on side effects but I can say the insertion isn't that bad. It is a bit uncomfortable but very quick. Like a pap bit with a few little extras. I have som period like cramping but he said it would go away soon.

I loved my Nova T IUD so I have high hopes for this one.