Sex & Romance
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
IUD questions
I am thinking about getting an IUD put in but I have some questions. I have a history of weight gain on some birth controls (depo mostly). I am also hung up on the hormones vs. non-hormone option. It is a little concerning putting a piece of copper in your uterus. Especially if you plan on using it later! Of course, there are the "did it hurt," and "how long to heal" type questions.
Any of you have suggestions for me? Share your experiences.
Mrs Honey!
Re: IUD questions
I have the Paragard (copper) and love it. I've had it 2yrs next month. Only side effects: heavier periods and more cramps. Although, I was always pron to cramps and some months I have them and some I don't (this month I did not).My period is very light on day 1 (sometimes I don't even need a tampon), days 2 and 3 are really heavy (super plus tampon every 4hrs) day 4 is normal flow and day 5 is either normal flow or very light and I don't even need a tampon.
As far as healing time: none. We would have been able to have sex that night. We didn't but only 'cause I was to tired from working all day. The day after I had it inserted I did my normal hr. workout and ran errands all day long. I had not spotting and very minimal cramps after insertion and the next day.
As far as pain: ehhh...little prick,little cramp,medium cramp, big owwww...cramp and done. Literally took 5min to insert. That's coming from someone who has never had children.
I would strongly like pps have said recommend speaking with you Dr. first and having he/she answer your questions.
Kristi and Kerry June 21,2008
I have Paragard (copper IUD); I got it almost a year ago. It's not like they're just shoving a copper wire up into your uterus; it's a teeny tiny copper wire securely wrapped around the IUD piece (which is plastic). Copper is not bad for you--you actually need copper much like you need iron and vitamins, so this is not a bad thing, unless you have Wilson's Disease--which you would know by now. I chose Paragard because after nearly 20 years of hormonal birth control, I was completely done with hormonal options.
Insertion was no problem, although my dr. gave me a local anesthetic beforehand, which I understand from the boards is uncommon. Whether you get Paragard or Mirena, doctors typically prefer to do insertion while you're on your period because the cervix is softer and insertion easier during that time. I'd taken 4 Aleve before insertion, per dr.'s instructions, so I had zero pain after insertion; I went to work afterward and carried on with my day as normal.
My periods are heavier since I got it, although not as bad as the first few months, and it's shorter now. Cramps are a little worse and go on longer, but Aleve takes care of that very nicely.
I have a Mirena and had a similar experience to MonkeyGirl. I've had mine for almost 4 years now and I lo-o-ove it.
I'd had issues with hormones, too, of the batshit-crazy-mood-swing variety (it was the worst on depo). I was on the patch, too, which constantly made me itchy and did not mix well with my asthma (landed me in the ER once, although they never told me *exactly* what happened, just that it was related to the patch). The Mirena is the hormonal option among the two IUDs, but the doses it puts out are so low, that you don't get the same effect you do when you're on the pill or the patch. I was concerned about the copper version, too, but when my doctor informed me of this, I was all about the Mirena.
I love not having to think about it. My periods have always been light/irregular; with the Mirena, I get them maybe twice a year, and they last two days tops. I don't think I've gained weight due to the Mirena, although I've gained weight the last few years just by eating like an *** and not working out. ;p
The insertion was pretty uncomfortable, maybe a notch or two above intense menstrual cramps. But they only last a few seconds... once it's in and your doctor pulls all of the tools out of you, you're back to normal. It is different for all women... some cramp for a few hours after, some a few days, some months... but the beautiful thing is, if it's really a bother, you can have it removed as easily as you had it put in. And it doesn't impact your fertility. Have it yanked out (by a doctor...) and you're all set to get knocked up.
As far as sex goes, your partner may feel the strings poke him at first, but they soften and curl up over time. Then he won't even notice them.
Take Ibuprofen before your procedure... most doctors recommend 800mg. However, I didn't because my doctor didn't tell me that specifically--I took the maximum recommended dose on the bottle (200mg) and when I got there, they went, "Did you take 800mg of Ibuprofen?" *facepalm* But I was still fine.
I researched IUDs A LOT before I got mine, so I know a ton about them! If you have any more questions, throw 'em out! Usually how it works is, you'll have a consultation with your doctor, ask all of your questions, she'll stick a tube up in you to sound (measure) your uterus (some women, if their uterus' are too small or too large, are more likely to expel an IUD), and schedule a second appointment for the insertion.
For the record, I have also not had children. Some doctors are biased against this when agreeing to insert IUDs. If it's an issue for you, just keep doctor shopping, and show your doctor that you've done your research and that your decision is well informed. This worked for me.
Good luck! Keep us posted!