[godusjourney]

Hi Mamas,<br><br>
I've never posted here before, but I've had a thought weighing on my mind lately and need a few pointers in the right direction. I have decided that I am done having kids for quite a few years, or done, period. I'm not interested in abstinance, and I'm not interested in hormonal birth control. Neither Dh nor I are interested in permanent surgeries, etc. I really, really would be devastated if I got pregnant in the next 5-10 years+, so I need to find something VERY reliable and something I can depend upon doing easily. I've looked into the copper IUD, and into the Lady-Comp. I need something easy, and portable (computer software wouldn't work for me). I've looked at the pros and cons of using something IN my body, and using a system to watch my body. Of course the IUD sounds appealing because it's almost brainless, but I'm not sure I'd like to bleed more, and will I actually enjoy having something IN my body??<br><br>
Any advice, tips, pointers, systems/brands anyone could recommend?? I would really, really appreciate it!<br><br>
Thanks!<br>
Sarah

 

[ecoteat]

I wish I knew the answer... I am looking for the same thing. It seems like a pretty hard thing to figure out.

 

[cutekid]

I use FAM, and Diaphragm for back up. Unfortunately my life style right now doesn't let me do FAM with accuracy. I don't have a normal sleep schedule and cannot temp, my CM is off due to nursing.<br><br>
So I am relying heavy on my D.<br><br>
I have thought seriously about an IUD, a copper of course, because I don't like the idea of hormones..not even local ones.<br><br>
Denise

 

[godusjourney]

Well, I just read through a thread in this forum about IUDs, and I think they just might be my thing. I was not interested in the Mirena before simply b/c of the hormones, but now the local hormone idea doesn't bother me so much. I thought it was a lot of it throughout the body. Less of a period is also appealing I must admit. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> So those of you with IUDs, how did you pick which one? For those of you with a Mirena, why did you pick this and have you been happy with your decision?<br><br>
Thanks so much!<br>
Sarah

 

[polyhymnia]

I'm considering an IUD and looking at the Mirena. I will not consider the copper IUD because it tends to cause heavier periods w/more cramping and I already have bad cramping. with the Mirena it does introduce some hormones to your body but they are very localised.<br><br>
Good luck with your decision.

 

[momto l&a]

My mw really likes her Mirena so I did a google search and scared myself.<br><br>
Way to many possible side affects for my liking.

 

[srain]

My concern with the IUD is the likelihood of miscarriage/ major birth defects if it fails. Terribly unlikely, I know, but the reason we're sticking with condoms (even though we hate them).

 

[treemom2]

We are in the same boat! I'm absolutely horrified of getting pg again. We've talked about the IUD (copper) and using condoms. Problem with condoms is that I am allergic to latex and, well, I don't know about going back to condoms. We were doing FAM when we got pg with Naiya--so I don't want to continue using that method (it was working until one day when our hormones got the best of us<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment"> ). Ugh, such a tough decision!!

 

[crystaldawn]

I had the mirena for 3.5 yrs and had no side effects other than no periods which I hardly considered an inconvenience.LOL. My dh could feel the strings for a while after I got it but eventually that was not an issue.<br><br>
I'm not sure what we'll go with after this baby. I'd like to avoid anything hormonal but we seem to be pretty "fertile" so I'm thinking that I'd end up preggo again right away. My dh is willing to have a vasectomy for his 40th birthday so we may have two more by then LOL. Good luck

 

[425lisamarie]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>momto l&a</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7985425"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My mw really likes her Mirena so I did a google search and scared myself.<br><br>
Way to many possible side affects for my liking.</div>
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I was in the same boat. Although after the scary last couple of months I've had (a pregnancy that ended on it's own) I realized just how devistating it would be to me. I have had the Mirena in for 3 weeks and I am very happy.<br><br>
Never in my whole life did I ever think I would consider, but I am glad I did. I have been NFP for over 5 years and am very happy, feel very fulfilled as a mother/wife that I stayed true to my feelings/beliefs for so long. But now my feelings have definately changed now that I am done having children maybe for good. Our sex life is amazing because i am not longer parranoid and stressed every month.<br><br>
Just so everyone is clear though, I have extremely irregular cycles and am very very fertile! And I am not preaching against natural methods. If you can do it without the stress, then it is really great. But I am so glad I got the Mirena. I was not going to take oral BC, surgery is out of the question. I am not ready to end my fertility but NFP was not working. I feel like my whole life has gotten better now that I have something reliable. I literally feel like a different person/mother/wife now that my number one stress has been lifted.<br><br>
I think everyone has to do what they believe in. I believe in NFP, and we did it for over 5 years, but now I need something more and I am glad I did it and I have no guilt/dissapointment.

 

[nonconformnmom]

I've had the Mirena twice and I love it like crazy! I had a lot of problems with the hormones in BCP, but the trace hormones in Mirena stay localized to the uterus and I've had no problems or side effects other than almost no monthly flow (this happened gradually over more than 2 years of the flow decreasing over time). If I am without protection and my period starts it is no big deal because it is literally just a smudge.<br><br>
Good luck with your decision.

 

[Juvysen]

I'm worried about this too. I'm pregnant, and due in July, but planning on nursing after that. I don't like the hormone idea either, and didn't do it after my dd was born but 9 months later while I was still bfing on demand I got pregnant (sort of on purpose, but we didnt' know if it was really possible). This time, I don't really want that to happen because I'm not sure I can handle 3 babies in 4 years. I want to wait a few years and then have more. We were supposed to be doing the FAM and condoms when I got pregnant w/my dd, so it shows you how good we are at that <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> We had a weak moment when I knew it was probably too close to ovulation and *boom* we were parents.<br><br>
Are there other options other than an IUD, barrier methods, and hormones? I mean aside from abstinance (I was sure we'd use that after my daughter's birth ... hehehehe <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> )

 

[eightyferrettoes]

I love my Mirena! Best form of birth control I've ever used.<br><br>
My husband has repeatedly offered to get a vasectomy. I said "fine, but I'm not getting rid of my IUD!"<br><br>
The lack of real periods is fan-friggen-tastic! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[tarablesue]

Uh. look at my siggy<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> I was done ,too after having my son. We contimplated sterelization, but decided it wasn't right for us since *I* wasn't ready to commit to never having another child. NFP is what we used to concieve our son and I couldn't understand how I ended up pregnant to begin with so i figured NFP wasn't the way to go for birth control. I got the Mirena , and yes it is *supposed* to be localized to the uterus, but after 6 mos, I started having severe depression issues, and I just knew it was the hormone in that IUD because I knew( I researched throughly,after I had it inserted) there was a 26% chance that it affected women who had the Mirena. I had it removed and we did the pull and pray method for several months, but i was afraid we'd have a slip up. So I got the Paragard, and the first 2 periods were EXTREMELY painful. 3 and 4 were pretty regular , though longish, and number 5 never came because that egg got fertilized and implanted.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue"> So for me it was a no win situation and sterelization is next on our list~

 

[Funny Face]

I went in to get the copper Paraguard IUD but they talked me into the Mirena for the same reasons you are considering. It was painful to have inserted (I hadn't had any children yet) and they had to take it out less than a month later because I never stoped bleeding, I had a friend who recently had hers taken out after a year because of constant break through bleeding also, but then some people's bodies work well with it. hth a little!

 

[425lisamarie]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>moodyred01</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8071511"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I went in to get the copper Paraguard IUD but they talked me into the Mirena for the same reasons you are considering. It was painful to have inserted (I hadn't had any children yet) and they had to take it out less than a month later because I never stoped bleeding, I had a friend who recently had hers taken out after a year because of constant break through bleeding also, but then some people's bodies work well with it. hth a little!</div>
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That is very odd considering they don't even suggest you will be "normalized" from the procedure for 6-8 weeks.

 

[awbabygiggles]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>tarablesue</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8066409"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Uh. look at my siggy<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> I was done ,too after having my son. We contimplated sterelization, but decided it wasn't right for us since *I* wasn't ready to commit to never having another child. NFP is what we used to concieve our son and I couldn't understand how I ended up pregnant to begin with so i figured NFP wasn't the way to go for birth control. I got the Mirena , and yes it is *supposed* to be localized to the uterus, but after 6 mos, I started having severe depression issues, and I just knew it was the hormone in that IUD because I knew( I researched throughly,after I had it inserted) there was a 26% chance that it affected women who had the Mirena. I had it removed and we did the pull and pray method for several months, but i was afraid we'd have a slip up. So I got the Paragard, and the first 2 periods were EXTREMELY painful. 3 and 4 were pretty regular , though longish, and number 5 never came because that egg got fertilized and implanted.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue"> So for me it was a no win situation and sterelization is next on our list~</div>
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That's a little scary for me since I have the ParaGuard. I am having depression issues even with this one and it may not be the cause but I was feeling fine before this thing was inserted so I'm really undecided about what to do this Friday at my Iud check. I was just going to ask to have it removed but NFP is also a little scary, I'm so confused.