if bcp worked for you- how did you like mirena?

[rhiOrion]

I know a lot of you hate hormonal bc, but if you have no major issues with hormones, how did you like mirena?

I was on bcp for 8 years before ttc. my 6 week pp visit is coming soon, and i need to make a decision. my periods are already heavy (or they were pre preg), so I think i've ruled out the copper iud. mini-pill is possible, but i'm thinking about an iud.


let me hear your experiences!

[blessedhome]

While I have friends who LOVED their Mirena, I had the mirena for 6 months and hated it. I think it's a good concept, if you're looking for bc, but I had what felt like constant pms, I bled for a solid 6 months, and grew tired of wearing pads every day, and had serious cramping, which reminded me of when I used to have bad ovarian cysts.

I also ended up having some fertility issues afterwards--my body never went back to normal. I had to have intrauterine surgery and go on the pill for a couple of months to get things fixed. After the surgery, I was able to conceive.

So, that was my last attempt with hormonal bc. LOL Now I just stick with LAM.

[Baby_Cakes]

I had my mirena for a year and a half but I wasn't too happy with it. I recently had it taken out. I thought I would love a birth control that I didn't have to think about or worry about -- but I did think about it, more often than not, and a few things made me worry.

I had mine inserted at my 6 wk pp check up, too. My lochia had stopped and I was finally feeling better. After getting it inserted, I started bleeding again and it didn't stop for 5-6 weeks. Ugh, it was a nightmare. And it was painful for the first few days - I remember feeling like absolute crap.

Then when all that finally went away, the strings had to be cut. They were poking me, poking DH when we DTD, and were just overall annoying. So, I had to go back to my midwife and have the strings cut. Not painful, not horrible, just annoying.

After THAT was resolved, I noticed how low my libido was. DH would literally have to beg and plead and I was just so not interested. I'm not going to say it was 100% mirena's fault, b/c having an infant can also deflate your sex drive, but it was a bit ridiculous.

Then (and I guess this was the big one for me) I learned that fertilization can still occur, but it won't implant. It bugged me. A lot. I tried to put it out of my mind, I tried not to think about it, but at the end of the day I felt like I didn't want to DTD during potential "fertile times" and was distraught over it. So I talked it over w/DH and he agreed that we should just go back to FAM and condoms.

So just think about it. If you can get past a few roadblocks, you should be fine. I'm just amazed at how different I feel w/o it (libido is back, fwiw) and I just feel more comfortable using FAM and condoms for now.

[eclipse]

I've had my Mirena since November, and I like it. I actually did have some issues with BCP (no libido and weight gain, in particular), but I haven't had issues with the Mirena. I did spot frequently for the first couple of months, but it usually wasn't even bad enough for a pad. I've had a few incidents of heavy spotting for a week or so that I assume were AF, but it really wasn't much heavier than the "regular" spotting. My periods were wicked before Mirena - 8+ days of heavy cramps, huge clots, leaking through pads, etc - and I haven't had anything like that with Mirena. It doesn't seem to have affected my libido at all. I did have to have the strings trimmed about a month after I put them in - but the gyn told me she leaves them long on purpose because they're easier to remove when they're long. So if dh and I couldn't feel them, they'd just stay long. But we could (and it was more annoying to me than to him, actually), so she shortened them up a bit. I haven't felt them since.

[Buzzer Beater]

I loved my mirena the entire time I had it, almost 5 years. I had no loss of libido, no hormonal side effects, and no period (yay!) the whole time. I literally _never_ thought of it again after the first paranoid month or so for a new method. I also avoided growing polyps in my uterus which I'd had to have removed twice before.
Mirena was perfect for me, you never know until you try!

[rhiOrion]

So it sounds like it might be at least worth trying. I think I'll go for it, and then can always have it removed. I assume my insurance will pay for it except for my prescription copay, so monetarily it makes sense, too. That's 35 dollars a month I can put towards daycare

[MyFullHouse]

I absolutely LOVED my Mirena for the year I had it. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. It made my periods a breeze, and I didn't have to remember anything.

Unfortunately, I am in the -1% who conceive while using it (and it wasn't displaced!), and had an ectopic pregnancy.

I still give rave reviews b/c of how much I loved it, and I'd even get another if it were medically advisable. I do try to share my experience so other people using the Mirena know to be aware of any signs of potential pregnancy and seek immediate medical help if they get a + test.

ETA: My insurance has required me to pay OOP for both the copper IUD and Mirena, though they covered the insertion/visit.

[eclipse]

My insurance paid for everything but the copay to have have it inserted. They did want me to check with my insurance before they put it in to make sure that it was covered - some insurance companies don't I guess. If you use it for the full 5 years, though, it's still cost effective enven if you have to pay for it OOP. I think they said if I had to pay OOP, Mirena would have cost around $700. That's about 20 months of your $35 copay, so if you use it that long, you'd break even.

[Mama Lo]

I had my mirena inserted 8 wks pp and kept it for about 13 months. No complaints the entire time that I had it, no discomforts, no bleeding, did have tiny tiny spotting for the first month, but it was just enough to mix with discharge. Never had a period the whole time. No noticable side effects. It cost me about $60 to have it inserted.
Now, I had it removed in Jan in preparation for ttc. It's been 5 months and I've only had two periods. That's a little frustrating for me. But there again, I've heard of women who get pregnant right away coming off of it. So, something to think about for the future, if you know when/if you want another baby.

[Sarah W]

I loved my Mirena! I had it for a little under two years because we're getting ready to TTC. I'd have very light spotting monthly instead of my normal horrible AF. I had no issues.

[peabean26]

I had my Mirena put in at my 6 week pp checkup. I bled/spotted for many months afterward. I had very little libido, although I did have a newborn so that contributed to my problems too.

My biggest problem with is was that it HURT to have sex. It was like DH was stabbing me in the uterus. I dont know why, perhaps because I have a 'very tilted uterus' (to quote my former gyn).

I had mine taken out after a year. My midwife was kind of pissed because it was 'in perfectly' and she just couldnt believe that the IUD was causing me so much pain during sex. Well, since having it out I've been pain free! I would never get one again, clearly they arent right for me.

That said, my best friend has a paragaurd and loves it. I think it just depends on your body.