WOMEN: anyone have any knowledge of

[aprild]

IUD's??

i am currently pregnant with #2. i really don't think we want anymore children. i talked to my midwife about getting my tubes tied, and she suggested an IUD.

anyone here have any experience with IUD's? I have heard some negative stuff about them, and thought the dis was the place to come for info.

i have googled info about it, now i just want first hand info.

Thanks.

 

[Iott Family]

I wish I could give you first hand experience but I cant !! We are in the same boat, sort of. My OB suggested IUD as an alternative to a tubal because I am only 30 and even though we are sure enough we have hit our magic number, what if??? So we decided to go with Mirena. Its good for 5 years and we dont have to think twice about birth control after its inserted.

BTW, we are due in early March. If you are due after that I can share with you our experiences going this route. We have always relied on the pill in the past so this will be a new experience in many ways.

HTH!

 

[crz4mm2]

I've never had one, but I've put in dozens of them.
What specific questions do you have?
The Mirena IUD is good for 5 years after insertion. It can be taken out before that time if you desire and fertility returns.
Insertion is fairly easy. It can be done at your 6 week post partum check up if your care provider determines your uterus has returned to pre pregnant size.
It only takes a few minutes to insert, most women do not complain of 'pain' but there might be some slight discomfort during insertion (cramping most likely) I usually encourage my patients to take some ibuprofin before the visit. It is important to complete your follow up visit to make sure the IUD is in place.
IUDs are very good at preventing pregnancy if they are inserted properly. Pregnancy can occur, especially if the IUD is not in place.
Easy method of birth control IT would be my choice if I needed birth control (I had a tubal years ago).

 

[Tinkertude]

I used the same devise for over 10 years, so I saved a lot of money on contraceptives. In my 30's I tied the ole tubes. Only problem I had was what I thought was heavy flow a few days a month.

 

[EthansMom]

I never had an IUD either. After DD, I was certain that I was done having babies. I used pills for the last year and a half and then had a tubal. I had a lot of discomfort for about 4 days and now feel great after 2 weeks.

 

[RachelEllen]

I love it, love it, love it. As someone who didn't react well to hormonal methods, wanted future fertility, and wanted almost perfect, don't have to think about it birth control.
I think it's a great choice for someone at extremely low risk of STD and responsable to follow-up a possible pregnancy. There is a concern that any infection could assend, but if you are in a situation safe enough that you are not using condoms, it wouldn't worry me.

I have a copper IUD (i.e. no hormones) which is good for 10 years. It was very uncomfortable to put it. It also gave me cramps during my period and extended bleeding at first. This diminished every cycle until about 6 month in when I was back to pain free cycles. I guess it has to 'settle in'

You also should be comfortable 'checking' the string to make sure it's still in place.

I'm a physician myself, so I did a lot of research. I think they are an overmaligned, underused method which is fantastic in the appropriate circumstances.

Rachel

p.s. There's also a misconception that they can cause tubal pregnancies. They don't cause them, but since they prevent uterine implantation so well and don't prevent tubal pregnancies, if you are unlucky enough to become pregnant, there's a higher risk that it happened to be a tubal. So it's important to follow-up quickly on any late periods.

 

[cakesnkids]

Well, I have never used an IUD, but after having my 3rd child DID not a tubal, and honestly, never had worse periods than after that. I had a hysterectomy 4 weeks ago....so it's definately a good alternative to less "permanant" forms of sterility.

 

[ntburns22]

I would like to read some info too. I moved this past year and I had to change my doc. He told me since I had 2 c/s that I might have too much scar tissue to have one. If I wanted one he would do it. I would hate to spend all the money and have it fall out. But on a plus side DH's insurance is now covering the pill but not IUDs still.

 

[mickeyminnie]

coming up on my 6th year with mine, copper type, good for 10 years. I love it, never have to worry, hormone free, effective, no problems with insertion, not a big change in periods. we did this because after #2 we were 99.99999% sure we were done, but you never know so we didn't want anything permanent yet. Now we are debating the big v verses another iud

 

[Annette_VA]

I have a Mirena IUD & I love it! I've had it for about a year and a half now.

Insertion wasn't bad. There was one "yikes!" moment of discomfort, but it was over quickly. I did cramp for a couple of days and spotted mildly. But since then, no cramps, no spotting, and best of all no period!!

I highly, highly recommend the Mirena

 

[WDWfor5]

I had a non-hormonal IUD implanted when my DS was 6 weeks old (he was 12 weeks premature and I didn't even want to think about another baby since I also had DD 2 1/2). Well, wouldn't you know that when DS was 7 months old (4 mos corrected age) my milk supply started to drop off and one pregnancy test later I found out I was pregnant

When I went to my OB, he said it wasn't possible - I was exclusively nursing a baby with an IUD in place but unfortunately I was. After he removed the IUD, I had an incomplete miscarriage and subsequent D&C.

After my youngest DS was born (15 mos later) I got a tubal - my new OB promises he burned them for me

Anyway, just wanted to share with you that IUD's are not foolproof. I think the hormonal IUD's are better but can be a problem for breastfeeding mothers.

Hope this helps

 

[Independent]

Ditto the LOVE it, LOVE it, LOVE it.

I have the Paraguard 10 year, non-hormonal, copper one.

I did it in my 40's and kick myself for not doing it earlier. I took 3 advil before insertion and didn't feel a thing - just a microsecond twinge as the doc went through the cervix. I was one of the lucky ones who had no spotting between periods and never experienced cramps during periods.

It has been the easiest form of birth control I have ever tried! You never have to think about it!

And as for its effectiveness - nothing is 100% effective - so, as WDWfor5 mentioned - do be aware of your body.

 

[crz4mm2]

IUDs are not foolproof (nothing is except abstinence!). There HAVE been pregnancies with IUDs in place.
The Mirena has progesterone only (no estrogen) so theoretically, should not have a huge impact on milk supply (same theory as using the 'mini' pill which is progesterone only).
Both patients that I have had get pregnant with IUDs in place had the ParaGard (copper). One did not return for her follow up visit and the IUD had slipped and was no longer in the uterine fundus. The other patient's IUD had also become dislodged and was in the cervix.
Unfortunately, the IUD is not a "guarantee" you will not get pregnant, but neither is a tubal ligation.... occassionally someone manages to still get pregnant after a tubal
As I said, nothing is 100% except abstinence.

 

[Stacey2grls]

I have had my IUD in for the past 5 years and it has been nothing but WONDERFUL! I have had no negative side effects, only positve ones. I used to have severe uterine cramping before my periods began and now nothing, my periods are a little lighter too. Also, the added bonus of spontaneity (sp?) is great! I became pregnant two times in my life, both times I only had to try one month to become pregnant, so I know this really works. I know that it is not for everybody, but, if you are in a monogamous relationship, and already have kids, you might have good luck too.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

I have had my IUD in for the past 5 years and it has been nothing but WONDERFUL! I have had no negative side effects, only positve ones. I used to have severe uterine cramping before my periods began and now nothing, my periods are a little lighter too. Also, the added bonus of spontaneity (sp?) is great! I became pregnant two times in my life, both times I only had to try one month to become pregnant, so I know this really works. I know that it is not for everybody, but, if you are in a monogamous relationship, and already have kids, you might have good luck too.

I practically could have written the above post! I've got the Mirena. I got pg with ds first month trying, and dd 2nd month trying. I've had the IUD since 3 months post-partum with my dd. I had two C-sections (first one emergency, second scheduled), and my dr. offered to do the tubal while in there on the second c-section. And, like another poster, I was 99.99999% sure, but didn't want to make that commitment. So, I went with the IUD. I LOVE it! Small discomfort during insertion, and a brief period of spotting after it was in. But now, it is "thought-free" birth control (you do still have to check the string every so often to make sure it's still there), but nothing to think of "in the heat of the moment". And, my once horrid periods are next to nothing now. I plan to continue getting the IUD re-inserted every 5 years.

 

[va32h]

As I said, nothing is 100% except abstinence.

I don't think my husband would go for that, however! And come to think of it, neither would I.

I have the Mirena IUD. It was uncomfortable having it inserted, but that didn't last long.

My periods got progressively lighter, and around the 6 month mark, disappeared altogether. At first, this drove me nuts, because I kind of like that monthly reassurance that I am not pregnant.

I never liked bc pills, and was always forgetting to take them, so I like the "fix it and forget it" nature of the IUD.

 

[PlaneJoy1]

I love my IUD! I have had the Mirena for 3 years now. It was inserted when DD was ~3 months old and I continued to breast feed until she was almost a year old.

I knew that I didn't want my tubes tied or go on the pill, and that I wasn't ready for DH to have the 'snip-snip'. So this was a GREAT option for us. I think it is totally underutilized and mis-understood by some.

 

[aprild]

thanks you guys! this makes me feel so much better about iud's. we are 99.99999% sure that we don't want anymore after this, but the thought of something permanent is scary. i am only 26. i have a very hard time during pregnancy with morning sickness. i am 13 weeks and still getting sick. so i don't think i could handle being pregnant with 2 kids to run after.

Is it supposed to make you not have a period, or is that just the effect it has on some??

 

[crz4mm2]

Is it supposed to make you not have a period, or is that just the effect it has on some??

No, it is not supposed to make you NOT have a period. It just has that effect on some people (I would LOVE that effect!).

 

[MamaLema]

I have a Mirena IUD & I love it! I've had it for about a year and a half now.

Insertion wasn't bad. There was one "yikes!" moment of discomfort, but it was over quickly. I did cramp for a couple of days and spotted mildly. But since then, no cramps, no spotting, and best of all no period!!

I highly, highly recommend the Mirena

I feel the same way, but I've had mine only 3 months.