More IUD

I also mentioned having trouble taking weight off after getting the IUD. I have a small build, gained a lot of weight with my twin pregnancy, and dropped a lot immediately after having the kids. About a month after having the babies I got the IUD, and about a month later started doing the whole Body for Life regimen, eating really healthy foods and working out like a fiend. I normally have no trouble taking weight off, especially if I am eating right and exercising. I started hearing other women I knew talk about weight problems and the IUD, which I thought was crazy, actually, b/c I didn't see how one could affect the other (I had the non-hormonal IUD). Finally, 15 months later, after having other problems with it, I got it removed and not only did the weight fall off within about two weeks, I am even smaller than my pre-pregnancy size and not working out or eating that great (although I need to do those things as well sometime soon!). I don't think this was purely a coincidence, but it could just be the way it reacted with my particular body chemistry, too. I agree with the girl the said to try it - If it works for you it really did seem to be a great option, and if it doesn't you can easily have it removed. Good luck!

I have the Mirena IUD. My doctor specifically recommended the Mirena because of the relatively low risk of side effects compared to the copper IUD. The insertion wasn't fun but it wasn't that painful either. I didn't have any significant cramping during or after the procedure. I am definitely not pregnant. :) My periods have been almost nonexistent. I spot just a tiny bit for about a day every month or two. I 'forget' about my period because I haven't had a real period in a long, long time. My experience has been positive. Good Luck!

I was the one who responded about the weight gain after insertion of the iud, to answer your question- I put on 40 pounds with pregnancy and lost 20 right after the birth but the other twenty refused to come off after I got the iud. I hope that answers your question. Im also the one who became preggo after having an iud for nine months. I have a friend who became pregnant after having an iud and she ended up with an ecotopic pregnancy. I guess it happens more than what they say in the pamplet.

I had the copper one, the one with no hormones. I did have lots more cramping and bleeding during my period than I did before, but it wasn't enough to make me take it out. i had no change in my weight or anything else.

As with any birth control, there is always a chance you could still get pregnant and there is room for human error. You are supposed to check the string each month, for example. And as for the weight gain, if you get the IUD with hormones, it isn't that much different than the pill, which also causes many women to gain or not be able to loose weight.

HTH!

I'm on my second Mirena IUD. The first one I only had in for 3 months. I cramped the entire time and intimacy with my husband was painful and uncomfortable. Not only that but the dr. cut the string too short and my husband was able to feel the prick, which was really embarrasing for me. So, I finally had the IUD removed. After my second child we exhausted all other options and decided to try the IUD again. This time I explained the uncomfortness I experienced with the 1st IUD with my gyno (WHO IS GREAT!!!) He had me come in around the end of my period to insert it, He cut the string a little longer so that it would be able to curl up and not be felt by my hubby, and had me take Advil for the weekend to help with any cramping. I've had the IUD in for three months now without any problems and I LOVE IT!! I've heard of a woman getting pregnant on the Mirena IUD but this is actually more effective then female sterilization (tubes tied) which is .5 percent chance vs .01 percent with Mirena. Also, Since being one the IUD I haven't noticed a difference with weight loss. I gained 60 lbs with both pregnancies and I work out, eat healthy, and am still having a hard time loosing the last 15 lbs. It wasn't any different before I had the IUD inserted.

Good luck with what you decide. I hope this wasn't too much info but I just dont want anyone to go through what I did.

I have the Mirena for about a year and it's been great. Insertion was painful and I had cramping for a few weeks afterwards, but advil helped. Now that all that has passed, everything is great. I was looking for birth control that was effective and worry-free, and I found it. It's "bridging the gap" for us while we decide if we're truly done having kids.

As far as trouble losing weight -- that's NORMAL after a pregnancy :-). An extra 5 -20 pounds (or more) could hang on for a couple years. (sad but true)

As far as getting pregnant on an IUD, every woman's body as different. But if you like your current method, stick with it. Why fix it if it's not broken?

I've used IUDs for years, most recently the Mirena. I love it! But, the truth is there is never going to be one birth control that is right for all women. If this was the case, we would see more than one product on the market. Give it a try if you think it is right for you. If it isn't, you can get it removed and try something else. The rate of pregnancy with an IUD is lower than with the pill but even getting your tubes tied, there is still a risk of unplanned pregnancy. Best wishes.

I've had the Mirena for almost two years now and have had no problems. The first three months were a nuisance because I had spotting for three months and was bloated, but no pain. Insertion felt like a bad menstrual cramp for a few seconds and then it was over. I actually don't even think about mine unless someone mentions it. I've had two periods since insertion. One lasted about a month but both times the bleeding was very light. I was able to use a panty liner.

I've also heard women say they gained weight or weren't able to lose weight as easily with the IUD. I just attended a women's symposium on health and learned that you burn hundreds of calories during menstruation. It made me wonder if, since I wasn't menstruating anymore, if it made the weight seem more of an issue.

The whole point of the Mirena is that, because of the hormones released directly where you need them, your body doesn't build up a uterine lining, therefore -- in theory -- it is physically impossible for your uterus to support a pregnancy. ( Obviously, if women are getting pregnant while the Mirena is in, this isn't an absolutely solid fact. :-) On the other hand, I have discussed the Mirena with a lot of women and have never heard of anyone getting pregnant before -- bad insertion, maybe? I have no idea.) The side benefits are reduced periods and less difficulty around periods, for women like me who had a bad time pre-baby and pre-Mirena.

As far as weight gain, I gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy, lost about 20 after birth, and then GAINED again while breastfeeding. Because it was very hard for me to lose the weight (I am an older first-time mom and also work full-time), I did a lot of research and tried different programs to find what worked for me. I learned that it's all about what I eat and how much I exercise, and have lost 20 pounds this year. I still have 10 to go to get back to pre-baby weight and 10 more to go overall, but I now know exactly what I have to do once the holidays are over. :-)

Also, on the subject of weight, because the Mirena puts less hormones into your body than, say, the Pill, it shoudn't affect your weight loss as much. But again, that's just a theory. :-)

http://www.epigee.org/guide/iud.html

I found this site somewhat helpful after reading Rebecca's post. My dr keeps pushing the IUD...the heavy period sounds scary w/the copper one...
R.