Sex & Romance
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I know, another BC post!
I'm getting married January 1st and my fiancee and I will both be virgins (we are committed to that, I know ya'll don't like it.) I have an appointment to talk with my dr. about birth control next week, but I thought I would get some thoughts from you first. My first choice would be Mirena, but I hear that it's not so great for women who haven't had a baby yet. Any of you use Mirena before you had kids?
Thanks!!
Re: I know, another BC post!
I have a Mirena. I don't have kids and don't plan on having any. I love it and will never use anything else (aside from sterilization at some point, probably).
The reason they don't advise it for women who haven't had children yet is because, if your uterus is too small, you have a higher likelihood of expelling the IUD shortly after insertion. Since the uterus expands from pregnancy, it's more likely a childless woman's uterus will be too small compared to a woman who has had children.
BUT this doesn't mean that, just because you haven't had kids, you can't have an IUD. Your doctor can sound (measure) your uterus and find out whether your uterus is an acceptable size.
I hope it works out for you! Mirena is great!
Thanks for the info! I really appreciate it
If the IUD was going to "fall out," would it do it soon after insertion, or anytime? If I get it inserted soon, I have until January to see how it does... would that make a difference?
I'll see what the doc says! Thanks again
Technically, there's always a chance that it can fall out... but I think for the most part, it happens pretty soon after insertion if at all. I'm not 100% on that, I'd ask your doctor to make sure.
It will have strings that hang down from your cervix, so you can feel for them with your fingers any time to check that it's still there. They'll be really easy to feel at first... after a few weeks, they'll soften and curl up around your cervix, so it may feel like they're gone, but you'll just have to hunt a little bit more for them. They feel like fishing line. My doc let me feel them pre-insertion just so I had a tactile reference.
If you know you're the paranoid type, you can ask your doc to leave your strings a little longer. You can always go back and have them trimmed shorter later on if you want. You can check for them every time you have sex, if you really want to.
I did a ton of research on IUDs before I got mine, so I know a lot about them, and I don't mind answering questions.
I'm such a Mirena cheerleader. But if you want more resources besides my big mouth, this community is awesome:
http://community.livejournal.com/iud_divas
And Planned Parenthood's page is really informative:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/iud-4245.htm
Hi There,
Kuddos on the virgin til married thing! We did the same and got married about a month and a half ago. I got Mirena inserted in May (as a childless virgin). I got it for a few reasons, first being that I needed to start birth control for my upcoming wedding, but also because I am going through some issues where out of the last year, I bled for 10 months of it, and I get suicidal on other forms of birth control that were meant to regulate my period earlier in my life. I loved that this uses minimal hormones and that they don't really travel out side of the uterus much.
As a virgin, I had a hard time with things like paps, and found the insertion very painful. I had really bad cramps for several weeks, and still occasionally get them. Every time I exercised or exerted myself a little I was down for the count with my heating pad ,and ibuprofen on hand, for atleast a month after insertion. On the plus side, my body finally decided to stop bleeding, so I can finally see how this thing is really working to regulate me.
They do warn that you should not have an IUD if you have not had children for one reason being that it can penitrate the uterus, or make you steril. Both reasons to consider something else. My dr downplayed the penitrating the uterus thing saying it will heal back up and is no big deal but if I want kids it is a big deal to me! It also increases your chances of an atopic pregnancy. These are risks you have to take if you want to use it. I chose to because of my history with other BCP's and the possibility that it could take my period away all togheter. Also, I know myself well enough to know that I will NEVER remember to take a pill every day, and it is one of the easiest alternatives to the daily pills to reverse if need be, no surgery like the implants, no 3 month shot you can't get out of your system ect.
They say it can take several months for your body to adjust, so if this is the one you really want, it is good you are getting it now. I said a little about my situation, I got my IUD on May 15th, and finally ended my period on August 16th, so I don't know if that was just my body doing it's thing (highly possible) or if that was my body finally saying that it was used to the IUD and might start cooperating now.
Most importantly, do your research, know the risks, know the benifits, talk with your husband to be, and see what will fit your lifestyle. Every woman reacts differently to any BC drugs, so definatally don't take my experience to heart. Remember I have other unidentifyable issues of my own.
Good luck! I hope everything goes well both with your BC experience and with your upcoming wedding!
67/200
Are you against the pill? You can take Seasonique and only get tour period 4 times a year, or skip your placebos if you don't want your period.
I guess I would recommend Mirena, but you haven't had sex and it seems like it would be a huge shock for you. Adjusting to sex for the first time could be hard for you in the first place, let alone adding the Mirena, checking for the strings, etc.
I would recommend it if you don't plan to have kids for 3 years or longer.
You could also look into implanon, which goes in your arm.
Woo, thanks for all the advice!
Those were pretty muchmy fears from all the reading that I have done, but personal experience is definitely something to consider. I'm not against the pill, I just don't want the hormones to weird me out... A lot of my close friends (and my mom) have had serious problems resulting from BCP and if there would be a way to avoid that, it'd be great. Not a huge deal though. Nuva Ring also sounds cool, but it has a lot of hormones as well. I have time before I get married to see how it goes though, so that's nice. Plus, we don't want kids for at least 5 years while I'm finishing school... so I'm really hoping the Mirena works out.
I trust myself to remember to take a pill every day, so if all else fails that shouldn't be a problem. I thrive on spontaneity, so mainly I just won't want to rely on condoms or anything that has to be used every time. I'll see what the doc says... thanks again for all of your advice!!
If you would prefer not to use hormones, you should ask your doc about Paraguard as well. It's copper and doesn't contain hormones.
I had a Mirena IUD, but that was after I had my daughter. I was on the patch for 10 months and it was great. I have a hard time taking pills and didn't have the patience to find one that worked for me. Since this miscarriage and the fact that my husband and I don't want try to conceive again soon, we will probably try and get the nuva ring. I haven't talked to my husband or Dr about this, I am still not allowed to have sex....sorry. TMI probably. BUT the mirena is really only worth it (money wise) if you have it in for at least 3 years like a pp stated. And I'm not sure I would want that up there if I were a childless virgin because it was painful...