Birth Control - Brighton,CO

Just be aware that many IUDs (like Mirena) are recommended for women who've already had a baby. So, while it is a great option for long-term but not permanant birth control (I've loved mine), it may not be for you.

I would also be careful of anything that is fairly new. There have been some recently that have been linked to serious side-effects; now I am suspicious of anything that hasn't had a while to be established safe.

I have a Mirena IUD and I love it. It has a few key differences from the copper IUD's. It can only stay in for 5 years, it gives you a very low dose of progesterone which prevents the uterine lining from becoming really thick, so my periods are super light or nonexistent. It is extremely effective. I paid about $750 for it (about $525 for the device and $225 for the doctor visit for the insertion). If I use it for 60 months, this is pretty cost-effective birth control that I hardly ever have to even think about.

I'm a little late in responding, but I've had the Mirena IUD for 3 years and love it. Some cramping and light periods the first 6 months and now I only have some occasional spotting. The hormones are so low that it doesn't effect me in any way. You can read how it works on the website mirena.com. Luckily, my insurance covered it. It's great to just not have to worry about BC at all. We don't plan on having more kids, so this was the best choice for us without doing something permanent. Best wishes in whatever you decide.

I love the Mirena IUD. I've had it for 4 years now. I've never been on the pill or anything else tho, so I can't say how it compares to other methods. Some people do great with it, some have trouble with it. It seems like that's the same story with any method tho. Only way to find out how your body will react to it is to try it! You do have to give it several months to let your body adjust. But I do love that I don't have to think or worry about it at all!

Hi T....
Have you thought about using Natural Family Planning? It costs nothing and you stay away from the hormones used in most BC. I would be happy to get you some info on it if you'd like. It is 100% effective if you use it correctly and when you are ready to get pregnant again, you don't have to wait after getting off the pill. I highly rec it!!

Well, my first opinion would be to stay with what is working for you. But I can understand if it's starting to cost to much. I do have an IUD and I love it. The first 6 months were the hardest with cramping here and there. But no heavy periods. Just annoying cramping. Now it's great. Although I think it also makes me very tired and sometimes moody. Those are rare side affects, and they are not that bad. Easy enough to deal with. There are worse side affects that are even rarer, but happen. There are a lot of good things about it though. It's really, really, really convenient and works well. I've liked having it. I'll probably get it again. But I'm interested to see how I feel after it's been out for a while.

I have the Nuvaring and love it. It's not very cheap however, even w/ insurance, but I love the fact YOU can remove it anytime, but only have to "do" something with it twice a month.... just put it in and three weeks later - take it out. Seems less evasive to me and my body does really well with it. Good luck

In my opinion your best bet is to stay on the pill. I have had so many friends who had the IUD and still got pregnant and or had bad cramping and massive weight gain. In my experience I've taken the pill, the patch and the shot. (Never take the shot, it is not good when your body doesn't have a period and has a high risk of you becoming sterile, I took the shot for 2 years and didn't have a period, and when I came off it it took 3 years for my body to get back on a slightly normal cycle. Plus the doctors told me it was going to be hard for me to get pregnant because of it. Thank god he was wrong for me. :) ) The patch on me didn't work because it didn't stay stuck when I went for a swim so my advice would be to stay with the pill. I hope you find what you are looking for. :)

Hi T.,
For years I didn't know that the birth control pill and IUDs are abortifacient, meaning that they can cause an abortion of a fertilized egg. One of the methods of the pill, and also the way that the IUD works is that it makes the lining of your uterus inhospitable to implantation, which causes an abortion. I was so grieved when I found this out. Research whatever method you use if this is something that is important to you. I wish I had known before I ever used bc.
Blessings,
Tonya

T.,

I really really liked the nuvaring. I don't know about cost effectiveness anymore since it was a LONG time ago when I tried it and my insurance doesn't cover birth control well, funny thing they don't do maternity well either! Good luck! I do hope you find something you love!!
V.

I hated the pill because of the reason you mentioned and because they were all making me crazy. My doctor told me that nuvaring could help because you don't have to digest the hormones like with a pill. The first few periods I still had really bad PMS one day each month and after about 4 months it's starting to subside.

Anyway, see if you can get a few samples of the ring. You don't really have to think about it and doesn't have the complications of an IUD.

I have had the Mirena IUD for over a year now and LOVE it! I had some cramping the day I had it put in and then had very light periods the next two months but havent had a period since. I would strongly recommend it to anyone. Talk to your doctor about it.

I've been using Nuvaring for about 4 years and love it. I get free samples for the whole year from my ob/gyn because I work for a Catholic organization and my insurance won't cover any birth control. I have two friends who have the Mirena and they love it.

I HATED HATED HATED the IUD both times I had it put in. The first time, I got an infection and had to have it removed after 6 weeks. The second time, (don't know why I bothered) I had terribly heavy periods, severe bloating and cramping, fatigue (probably from blood loss, 28 days at one point), moodiness, just all around awful!! I had that one in for 8 months, I tried to hold out for a year but I was too miserable. Unfortunately my periods did not return to normal after that and I have since had to have an endometrial ablation(cauterize the lining of the uterus). I have a friend who has used Nuvaring and loves it. If I had not had so many bleeding problems, that was going to be my next method of birth control but I am done having kiddos now, the ablation took care of that, and my husband had a vasectomy as well.
Good luck.

I also have the Mirena IUD. It's been a part of me for 2 years now. I do like the fact that I don't have periods anymore...well one day out of the month with one pantyliner and I am through....just like the other mamas. However, I do experience a lot of cramping with mine and here lately I have considered having it removed and going with something else. Part of it sort of scares me because I wonder if it's even still where it should be inside me and snce I do not have health insurance it's hard to just go get it checked.

If I didn't have all this cramping then I would have nothing negative to say about the Mirena. So I say give it a try and see how you like it. Everyone is different and I am just in need of a doctor's visit to assure me everything is ok or not ok.

I just got the Paragard IUD right after valentines day (8 weeks after having my second baby). Insertion was a breeze (kinda felt like getting 3 pap smears in a row, no biggy, only like 5 mins long) and after that I didn't have any cramping and only spotted for about a week. I chose the Paraguard (copper) IUD over the Mirena because it doesn't contain any hormones, and so there is lots less side-effects. You don't have to worry about the hormones making you gain weight, get, acne, causing moodiness, or giving you ovarian cysts. But, you also don't get the thinned uterine lining that makes a lot of women who get the Mirena's periods go away. You will still have a regular period, with potentially heavier bleeding or more crampiness for the first 6 mos or so. I chose the regular periods over the hormones.

I haven't noticed anything different yet since getting it in. I am currently breastfeeding, and I love that the IUD will not make my period come back faster than it normally would. They say that you can expect heavier periods with slightly more cramping ect for the first 6 mos or so after getting the copper IUD, sometimes with spotting in between, but I haven't had my period while on the IUD yet so who knows? I might just get lucky and have my period not return at all until that first 6 mos is already past - wouldn't that be great? Anyways, as you can tell, I really like it so far. I can't feel it at all, and my hubby has only felt the strings once, and I also just read that after about 3 mos the strings really soften up and get alot harder to feel anyways. I love the convenience of not having to remember anything or disrupt anything but still being "baby-proof"... and with an 18 mo old and a 3 mo old, I definitely want to have a little break before the next baby arrives!!!

PS: I have always been interested in trying the NuvaRing, but I hate that you have to wait 6 mos or more after giving birth to use it if you are breastfeeding. My period came back only 4 mos after having my first baby, and I got pregnant again at 6 1/2 mos after! I HATE the pill because I can never remember to take it and I hate how the hormones mess with my body, so I chose to try to IUD this time, and I figure if it doesn't work for whatever reason in a few months I can get it out and then go on the nuva ring anyways. But, so far so good!

I was also on the pill for many years...about 18, and decided to go off. I immediately had problems with excessive flow and acne. I had heard good things about the IUD (mirena, specifically). Had it put in about 4 months ago. While my period isn't regular yet, I love it! Lasts for about 3 days, little cramping, low flow. Am thrilled to death with it. And a nice change from the pill.