Paragard users?

[Ummy]

HI

I wanted to know all about the IUD pargard. I read that for nursing mothers there is a risk of expulsion (I guess the uterus contracts itself while bf).

What are the pro's and con's of having this iud and is the bleeding and cramping really unbearable even if you have a normal 6 day cycle with mild cramping?

Can your dh feel the strings and how long should it be? Is it flexible?

Tell me all about it

[Nathan1097]

Hi. Saw your post, though it seems to be in the wrong board.

I had the paraguard T-380 in 2000. I now have had the Mirena (the one with hormones) for nearly 3 1/2 years.

The strings are a bit different between the two- the way they are attached. Other than that, I didn't notice a difference. My current partner can sometimes feel the strings, even though they wrap around my cervix and don't normally poke down. (That depends on how your OB/GYN cuts them.)

I have less bleeding now than I did without the IUD. I had more bleeding with the paraguard than without the IUD. The cramping was more, yes, and the bleeding heavier with the paraguard.

I was breastfeeding when I got the paraguard; I got it at my six-weeks post-partum check-up and had it removed when my daughter was 15 months old. I concieved my youngest within a week of removal. The IUD didn't have any effect on my milk supply, nor did it get expelled. I'm not sure about the Mirena and milk supply, however. I would think it would be comparable to the mini-pill (Which I had after my youngest) as both are just low-doses of progesterone.

[Lohagrace]

I don't think risk of expulsion is raised by bf'ing--at least i've never heard that. i had my paragard put in at 6 wks pp with dd, removed when she was 21 months and concieved on the next cycle.

dh has said at times he has felt the strings a bit, no big deal though.

i have always been a heavy bleeder/cramper. i think because of that, it didn't bother me too much. i think having a baby made my cramps less bad than before i ever had a baby, so the paragard didn't make them worse than they have ever been or anything. i didn't spot in between periods, but sometimes i would cramp in between. honestly, the thing that would annoy me with mirena is that for some women you stop menstruating. that freaks me out. i didn't menstruate for 2 years during college because of depo-provera and that really bugged me. it doesn't seem natural.

i'm getting my second paragard put in tomorrow morning! can't wait to not have to worry about b/c again (since giving birth in nov). the only reason i'm not getting mirena though is the cost. it is SO much more expensive (my health insurance doesn't cover it). in some ways, i do prefer the paragard because of its longevity (12 years as opposed to 5 for the mirena) and because there are no hormones. even though its a low dose, i just feel like those hormones affect me badly.