BC poll follow up- I want to hear from the IUD users out there!!

I have Mirena and I love it. Skyla was introduced either soon after or around the same time, but I didn't really care because Mirena lasts longer. Honestly, insertion isn't fun any way you slice it. Any doctor who says you can't have Mirena because you haven't had children yet is lying; you can totally have it.

Insertion sucked, but it was over very quickly. My partner came with me and held my hand! Real life saver. Had some cramping for the next week or so, and then nothing. Haven't had my period in over a year, just some infrequent cramping and spotting.

LOVE it.

I had the Mirena and it was awful!! I stopped having normal periods I just had random bleeding. It was awful. Then my skin started breaking out constantly and I never had skin problems not even as a teen. I got on acne meds and those didn't help much.

After all those issues the mirena fell out of place which was painful. The doctor said the Mirena not staying in is totally normal. I'm back on the pill and everything is back to normal. Not sure how the Skyla works but I would Definitely discuss with your doctor of what could go wrong and normal expectations.

I have the Paragard and it's awesome, it's been 2 years now and I barely have any cramps, and my periods are about 3 days. No hormones, so no complications. Love it and would recommend it to anybody.

I've had paraguard and mirena

Paraguard - legit fell out - I bled a lot more than I did before I had it placed.

Mirena - I gained about 30 pounds in 3 months (still working on losing the last 10 pounds) - i had ever side effect that was listed ... including losing my hair. I had it pulled after 3 months.

Needless to say I have hadn't good luck with either IUD - I have friends that have the Mirena and swear by it ... I think it's a trial and error type of thing.

I just had Mirena inserted almost two months ago - and so far so good! The first period after was little weird for me- I'm used to a period of 2 days, and my first one after Mirena lasted over a week. But it'll adjust and find the new "normal". I also was diagnosed with PCOS (this was a hot topic a few weeks ago as well) and since Mirena, I am officially PCOS free!!!

Needless to say I highly recommend it. Talk to your gyno dr. though and get their insight.

I have the paraguard. I will never look back!! I love it <3

You really want to put metal in your body?????? Dont put a tiny metal corkscrew in your body. If you get into a minor car accident, at even low 30 MPH, the IUD will pass through your soft organs causing massive hemorraging and death if youre not in an area close to really great surgeons.

I had the Mirena. I had lighter periods but they lasted like 10 days. Oh and I hit pregnant on it. The end.

I had the Mirena inserted about 3 months ago and so far I LOVE it!! Insertion wasn't fun, but it honestly wasn't that bad. I just took a few ibuprofen about an hour before the appointment. I had light bleeding for about a week, and then nothing at all.

I've also lost about 15 lbs since I got it inserted. No idea if this has anything to do with the IUD, or because I'm off the pill now, or just me trying harder at my diet. My doctor did tell me that even though Mirena uses hormones, they don't circulate throughout your body the same way the pill's hormones do, so even people who are sensitive to hormones can sometimes use the Mirena.

There is a lot of scary information out there about IUD's in general--like they cause infertility or are dangerous. Please don't listen to random strangers on the internet, but take your concerns to your doctor. According to two different doctors I talked to, IUD's are less likely to cause infertility than the pill is, and they are incredibly safe. I mean there has to be a reason that IUD's are more commonly used by female ob-gyn's. Good luck!

ETA: here's the article that convinced me I needed to at least talk about the IUD with my doctor http://www.livescience.com/21866-iud-gynecologists-birth-control-myths.html

Anisea, wtf are you talking about? LOL

Getting Mirena was the best decision I have ever made. My white sheets have stayed white and I no longer have to buy tampons!!!

The initial installation, for me, was extremely painful and I did have a lot of discomfort/spotting for the first three months or so. I think this makes sense - it's literally scraping soft tissue out of your body, right?

But now, ten years and one replacement later, I'll never go any other way. I never notice it anymore and not having a period or cramps is AMAZING!!! FH has his tubes tied, so I don't even need it, but my doc has one too, and she was like "but you still want it, don't you?" Yep. So, since it doesn't really have any (negative) side effects for me (but lots of positive), we replaced it.

Can't recommend it enough.

I have the paraguard - I got it after my second child. I can't take BC with hormones - I get sick, like admitted to the hospital sick, so this was one of my only options. I've had no issues with it at all, no side effects. My obgyn had me come in when my period was ending so they didn't have to soften my cervix at all. it did not hurt at all. Definitely would recommend this

I actually just got an IUD on Monday for the first time. I chose the Liberte copper wire IUD. I am not sure how it will be down the road but I am hoping it is better than having to take a pill at the same time everyday. Anyways for the insertion it hurt a lot but it is only about a 5-10 minute process start to finish. The doctor who inserted mine told me every time I would feel a pinch or pull and I sure felt it! I had horrible cramps yesterday (the day after insertion) but today I am back to normal but with some spotting.

I had the pill, and thanks to some antibiotic interference I ended up pregnant. After my daughter I went on the Nuva ring, hated trying to take it out to replace it so, I got a 5-year Mirena IUD. On year 4 and I love it. No cycle, only side effect is bloating, but I had that before, my cramps have disappeared completely. It is slightly uncomfortable initially but, I took some Aleve and it was better within an hour or so.

Paragard is the way to go so you're not infecting your body with hormones that will more than likely make your crazy, cause you to gain weight, screw with your cycle and increase of risk of breast/ovarian cancer. Bc of my family's medical history (my grandma and all of her sisters and one niece carry the BRCA1 gene, which is what causes breast and ovarian cancer), my dr refuses to put me on a BC with hormones.

Anisea, your comment is ridiculous. Stop watching so much tv.

I've had 2 mirenas and now the nuvaring. The first mirena was the worst pain i've ever experienced. It took a few tries but went in. that was 10 years ago. A different OBGYN removed it and i was like "you're done?" really? I asked for pain meds before the insertion of the 2nd and one in i swear it took 15 seconds and had the discomfort of a pap smear. After a discussion with the new GYN she said, it should never be that painful. I had it removed after the 5 years and decided not to insert another because i was 6 months out from my wedding. When I had them both in I never got my period, would get some PMSing but did have weight gain. Weight gain and leg fluid which I NEVER realized was due to the mirena. I am now on the nuvaring and like it. I dropped 10 lbs and although i now get my period i can still manipulate it (like not getting it on my honeymoon!) good luck with whatever you decide!

I had the Mirena inserted last September, and I have had no issues with it. Maybe some weight gain, but that's my own fault for not exercising and being kind of lazy...lol

My horrible period cramps are gone, I have no acne, and I'm not nearly as hormonal as I used to be! It was uncomfortable to have it put in, but I wouldn't say it hurt. And I didn't have any bleeding from it.

I had the mirena about 5 years ago after I had my daughter. I had cramps almost daily for the first 3 months and then nothing really after that. I stopped getting a period and I loved it.. Until, I started getting infections pretty much almost every month. If it wasnt a BV, it was UTI. I had to get it taken out and that helped but ever since, I get infections more often than before. I read that if you're prone to infections then its probably not for you.

I absolutely HATED mirena... I had it in for two years I spotted for the first six months.... After id spot usually instead of period which I hated. I would much rather have a period. Happy to say I took it out a month ago and am regular again thank goodness! NEVER AGAIN for me. Everyone is different though.

Don't do the paragard... Copper IUD. For me, the cramps it caused were debilitating. My dr said they mimic labor contractions. I was down for the count 5 days a month, my periods were insanely heavy also. I had a friend with the mirena and she loved it.