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
Hey I'm usually a lurker on here but I have a quick question for you ladies about birth control. I've been on the pill for several years going back and forth between different kinds of hormonal levels on the pills and I really want to switch to a less hormonal type of birth control.
DH and I have tried using condoms before and I've had this pain with sex for several years now (no doctor has been able to figure it out so far) and condoms have only made the pain worse, not matter what kind of lubricant we use, so I would like to find another kind of birth control to use.
I've looked at IUD's a little, I like how I wouldn't have to take it every single day like I do the pill, and it seems like theres a really low hormonal dose for an IUD but I just wonder how effective they actually are. I also saw that its recommended for women that have had children. Does this mean that if you haven't had kids that you can't get the IUD? And does anyone know how soon you can potentially have a kid again after having the IUD removed? Does it take a few years or is it like the pill after you stop taking it you can get pregnant relatively quickly?
Thanks so much!
Re: IUD
You can get an IUD if you've never had kids, but it's usually recommended for woman who are done having a family and want something long term for b.c. I had Mirena for over two years. I was 20 and don't have kids. It's a more painful procedure for people who don't have children. But in all honesty, 10 minutes or so of pain for 5 years of birth control is a good deal! IUD's are the most effective form of birth control. The doctor's say that once the IUD is removed the ability to get pregnant will come back right away but who really knows if that's 100% true.
If you're looking for something hassle free and convenient I would highly recommend the IUD. You could also consider the Implanon, which I just had put in myself. It's good for 3 years and is a little plastic rod that gets inserted into your arm.
Good luck!
Mirena is the best. My period stopped, too. The other IUD paragard makes your period much heavier. Don't get that one.
It is a little more difficult to insert if you haven't had children, but find a doctor with experience doing it. YOu are supposed to be able to get pregnant shortly after it is removed, but it can last for 5years.
IUDs are a great solution for long term birth control. The Mirena is more popular with patients and generally recommended over the Paraguard by providers. The Mirena contains low dose hormones and the Paraguard is hormone free. Many people who have the Mirena report that after several months they stop having their periods. With the Paraguard, this is not a side effect because it does not contain hormones. The Paraguard lasts for 10 years, but can be removed at any time. Bleeding can be heavier with the Paraguard. You just need to weigh your options to decide which will be more effective for you.
You will be in the exam room for about 15 minutes, but it should only take about 5 minutes to place.
One risk of having an IUD is that it places you at a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside of the Uterus).
For some people hormonal BC is not an option. I had the Paraguard for 3 years and I loved it. My periods at first were heavier but they soon evened out back to what they were pre-IUD.Paraguard is also a 10 year option if you want to wait that long.
Insertion kind of sucks if you haven't had a kid but that's because they need to dilate your cervix. It was like having bad cramps. A midol and a heating pad worked wonders.
I got pregnant within 3 months of having my IUD removed.
After getting Mirena ( I got it on Friday) I spent the weekend just relaxing because I had bad cramps and bleeding, but this is totally normal after having an IUD placed. At first my bf could feel the string but after a bit he couldn't at all. It never came out and I didn't start having problems until about two years after getting it.
My periods started getting painful. I would get bad cramps starting a few days before I started bleeding and had them until the end of my period. We're talking curled up in a fetal position cramps, not normal. I went in and got Mirena checked, it was in the right place, didn't cause any problems with my ovaries, etc, but I decided to get it out. After I got it out, it stopped.
It wasn't necessarily something that was wrong with the Mirena but my body wasn't happy with it anymore. Even though I had that issue I would still recommend it, it really was great up until that point.
Some people stop getting their periods after some time, but that wasn't the case with me, I got my period every month, with the exception of a weird skipped month in there (which really freaked me out! LOL)
Mirena isn't "better" than Paragard, they're just different. Mirena uses a very low dose of hormones (which does tend to make periods shorter) which is supposed to not have the same side effects as BCPs, but that's not true for everyone. Mirena is good for 5 years, Paragard for 10.
Paragard uses copper instead of hormones and therefore does not make periods lighter and, in fact, makes them heavier for many users (mine is heavier, but shorter, and nothing my Diva Cup can't handle).
Both are roughly the same size and shape, and because they are inserted into the uterus, they don't just "fall out." Expulsion rates for women who have not had children are slightly higher than for those who have had children, but either way, it's not common and if it's going to happen, it typically happens within the first few months after insertion.
You are considered fertile pretty much immediately after removal, regardless of which one you use.
I had the paraguard put in last month. It hurt for a few days, but now I can't even feel it. I haven't had my period yet, but am getting my pre-cramps, no worse than usual. I chose the paraguard b/c it does NOT have hormones. I'm into "natural" living, so the fact that I can be baby and hormone free is really really exciting! i've never had children and can vouch that the insertion hurt, but I think it will be worth it.
I have Marena also. I chose it because the hormones in pills made me suicidal, and I liked that most of the hormones released from this stay in the uterus, and don't travel through your body (for the most part). I was on a very heavy period from March until August (part of the reason I was prescribed b/c in the first place, that and my upcoming nuptuals). I got my IUD placed in May. My period continued til August (which sucked when my wedding was in July) but it is now october and other than a few days of barly any spotting two weeks ago, I have not bled since. I am taking this as a good sign, because I have never just spotted in my life! I am either on my period or off, not just very light for a day, off, then light for a day, and off...
My husband has said that he can feel the strings during sex, however, as long as he leaves them alone it is fine. I don't really reach up and see if I can feel them. The studies say you can have a kid as soon as you take it out.
I was sore and crampy for a couple of weeks, and could not exercise because of it (never had kids). My dr just told me to take some ibuprofen and I would be fine. I am one who will forget to take pills every day, so it is a great option for me, and best of all, no suicidal thoughts or tendencies...as the pills gave me. Good luck!
My doctor wouldn't let me get the IUD because I haven't had children. ) I've since switched to a different OBGYN.) I also had a friend who is in the 1% of women who got an allergic reaction to the IUD. No biggie, but she had to have it removed after a week of getting it.
I also just had a friend who found out she is pregnant with her 4th child and she had the Mirena IUD in for 1.5 years. Luckily, for the baby's sake, the IUD fell out (IUDs can cause birth defects), but my friend was shocked beyond belief that she is pregnant. If it's a girl, she's decided on the name Mirena! hehe...
My mother-in-law also got pregnant while she had an IUD.
I'm currently using Mirena. I've never had children, but my Dr. numbed my cervix with a shot, so insertion wasn't that bad (did hurt a little, but it's totally worth it). I highly recommend it. I can't imagine going back to the life when I used to have to worry about BC pills and condoms. I hated both. Mirena is supposed to be more reliable than any other contraceptive including sterilization.
Mirena releases a very low dose of hormones (my Dr. said that it's so low that it doesn't even compare to the amount of hormones in birth control pills), but I have not experienced any problems with this (as I have with the pill).
As for the strings, you are supposed to check them monthly, but that's a piece of cake.
Also, I haven't had a period in 6 months!
My Dr. also told me that she has a friend who was using Mirena for years, then decided she wanted to get pregnant. She got pregnant the same month she got the IUD removed.
Also, sex drive is MUCH better than it was on the pill.
I'm usually a lurker too but felt like I should say something.
I was on the pill for over ten years and decided to switch to Mirena after my Dr. recommened it. It did hurt a bit to have it put in, but not much. No more filling a presciption every month. Lighter periods. Awesome. About six months in I started getting cramps. They were worse then what I was used to but no big deal. Then I couldn't hold my pee anymore. Never pee'd myself but had to almost run to the bathroom everytime. (Still have that problem) Almost a year after having it put in I started having horrible cramps. Was out shopping and had to go home cause I was in so much pain. (Like bawling and husband wanted to take me to the ER pain) Went to the Dr's the next morning, Mirena was still in place but I was pregnant. Almost two and a half months along and the baby was in my right ovary. Yep, not my tube. My ovary. After weeks of bed rest, extreme pain, fatigue, vomiting and lots of shots my pregnancy was terminated. There was no way to save the baby. That was in May. I'm currently in constant pain and am now having to have diagnostic surgery to see if I need my ovary removed. My Dr thinks it was damaged beyond repair. I lost my baby and I might lose my ovary over birth control. My choice, I know. But I thought you should know the other side to IUD's.