I have seen reproductive endocrinologists, standard endocrinologists, obstetricians, gynecologists, perinatologists, and psychiatrists, but with the exception of a few visits to whomever-happened-to-have-an-opening-that-day (once for a kidney stone, once for a foot injury secondary to pathological clumsiness), I haven’t had a general practitioner in years. Alas, my perinatologists finally stopped refilling my prescriptions, so I picked a doctor off a clinic website and made a date for this past Wednesday.
It was mostly uneventful, though I did leak milk on the poor woman during my breast exam. I emerged with an appointment for next week to have a Mirena inserted into my…cavity. As odd as it feels after years of burning money and neurons in single-minded pursuit of a child, birth control is a necessity. I have gotten pregnant on my own before, though briefly, and as much as I would like—in a purely theoretical fashion, and that’s a whoooole other post—to have another child someday, the thought of pregnancy still fills me with a dizzying, sickening terror, and besides, I want to give Simone my full attention for the next few years. I have been taking Micronor, but I am seduced by Mirena’s ease, compatibility with breastfeeding, and low side effect profile.
HOWEVER. Because of my creatively arranged lower anatomy, insertion is sure to be tricky, and my new doctor waved aside my request for a morphine drip, spinal block, injection of Torodol, and handful of Percoset—maybe washed down with a Valium milkshake—instead making the laughable suggestion that I take a pair of ibuprofen half an hour before the procedure. Listen, lady. A very fancy and expensive reproductive endocrinologist was unable to slip two microscopic embryos past my cervix without aid of a custom-bent catheter and spelunking headlamp, and even then it took multiple attempts and was easily the most painful part of my IVF cycle. So inserting a pronged plastic anchor is going to require more than this “ibuprofen”’ you speak of.
Are any of you harboring Mirenas (Mirenae?)? Are you fond of your wee uterine hangers-on? Did you hemorrhage during insertion? The strings worry me as well. I am trying to think of them as festive, like intravaginal streamers, but they disturb me all the same.
The other item on the agenda was my Metformin prescription, which proved problematic. When I returned from my appointment, I had a message on my machine from a nurse: the doctor hadn’t been able to find any studies regarding the safety of Metformin for breastfeeding mothers, and so she had decided not to phone in the prescription. I called back and left a message of my own, very politely citing Thomas Hale and several studies indicating that Metformin does NOT pose a risk to nurslings. This morning I got another call saying that the doctor was not impressed with these studies because they were not long term, but that while she would still advise me against taking it, she would write the prescription. Basically, “Go ahead, just don’t come crying to me when Simone grows a horn and possibly a sleek, furry pelt!”
I am conflicted. The NICU lactation consultants and Medications and Mothers Milk seemed to agree that it is safe, and it may even help me maintain milk supply in the face of my PCOS. Metformin doesn’t even TRANSFER into breastmilk at anything approaching clinical levels. Besides, would a horn really be SO bad? Maybe we could hang tea towels on it.
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I harbor a Mirena and love the damn thing. I think I “may” have felt it once. The string, never felt. I barely bled, and still barely do, which has been a welcome respite to my “OMFG I’m gonna bleed to death” and “OMFG the pain I can’t function”. In fact, I think if I ever have another kid, I may name him Mirena.
That being said, coworker’s wife also apparently has strange anatomy, and her insertion went wrong, and required going to hospital to find/insert rightly. So… get your RE to call the damn woman. Or be more insistent with her, you’re paying her (a copay) she works for you.
Since Metformin supposedly helps with hair growth (or so I’m hoping desperately when I quit nursing and go to an endo myself), wouldn’t she be more hairless than anything else? Horn not withstanding.
I *heart* my Mirena. Seriously, it rocks. Insertion was a breeze but then again, my embryo transfer didn’t requiring any spelunking tools.
I’ve had it for a little over a year and my period has disappeared.
The strings are a non issue and never noticed.
Good luck with insertion!!
I harbor a Mirena and LOVE it. I’m still nursing (at just slightly over a year) and have yet to have a period – yay! Added bonus – no reduced sex drive or crazy hormonal swings that I used to have while on the pill.
Insertion was pretty damn painful. Of course, though I have birthed a child, I’ve never experienced labor, so I don’t have much to compare to. Other than a few slight cramps after the day I got it, I had no bad side effects from the Mirena. My doctor (a male), gave me part of the clipped string to take home to my husband so he would know what it was and what it felt like :)
Good luck!
I had an IUD for 4 years and loved it. I was involved in a trial and got it free. I found the first year my periods were very unpredictable heralded by the worst cramps ever. After that, periods were lighter with no cramping. I’m thinking of getting another. Loved it. As for the string, i was told to check every month or so to be sure I still felt them. Kinda felt like fishing line. The former claims to never have felt them. Enjoy!
First off, Wow… When the title is “And Everyone Loves a Furry Pelt” and you begin talking about gynecologists and such I assume you meant a furry, womanly, down-below kind of pelt, if you catch my drift. Sorry.
Secondly, I have to agree with the other two posters about Mirena. I love it. It is slightly uncomfortable during insertion for a woman whose anatomy isn’t a bit askew, so I would hope you have a stiff drink along with your ibuprofen. Also, nary a period in sight 8 months into the game for me. And finally, my doctor basically told me that since everything seemed to be in place after Mirena had been “installed” for one month, I didn’t really need to check for strings at all as it is highly unlikely it will move once in the correct position.
I got an IUD after Andrew was born and really liked it for a long time (we’re working on #2 now).
I nursed until 15 months, and between the two, didn’t get my period until the kid was a year and half. That alone was worth it. I did have light spotting after insertion, for maybe 3 weeks, but that was minor. I’ve heard women say they bled for 3 months after, which sounds less minor.
I thought insertion was not a big deal, but I don’t have a 90degree turn in my cervix, so, there’s that. I think you should definitely have your RE call this new doc.
The only side effect of the Mirena that I didn’t like was that it killed my libido, just like birth control pills did oh-so-long ago. That’s clearly a hormonal thing, though, and I’m not going to avoid it.
Neither I nor my husband ever noticed the strings. I would definitely get another Mirena after our next baby.
I had Mirena inserted just a few days ago. My Midwife numbed my cervix before inserting it, maybe your doctor can do the same. She sprayed some numbing spray up there and then injected some novacaine. If your doctor can’t do this maybe an OBGYN should insert it instead.
The strings aren’t really strings but more like fine fishing line. I can’t imagine they’d ever be bothersome. So far I like it very much.
My local guidelines say that metformin is entirely compatible with breastfeeding. That Dr is just a bit of an overcautious ass, methinks. :)
J
You crack me up. I really love your blog.
I am an ex-mirena harborer. I could lie to you or I could tell you that it was mildly uncomfortable to have inserted however it sounds like our anatomy down there may be shaped differently than mine as my transfer (aided by valium) was not painful at all. However I did hemorrhage. I bled heavily for 6 weeks followed by not a drop for a year when I had it out. (I gained 20 pounds within a month of getting it. I had it out hoping that was the cause but now I’m 30 pounds heavier)
I also have PCOS and need to make an appointment with an endo to possibly discuss metformin. It didn’t like me the last time I took it so I’m not looking forward to it.
OH! My string got lost so when I had it out the ob was digging around in my uterus guided by external ultrasound. Now THAT was painful.
I wish I had some advice on the met and breastmilk.
Mirena here, too. My anatomy is straight forward, and dude. You *totally* want more than ibuprofen. Have you hoarded any narcotics for this occasion? Beg, borrow, steal — take something. It won’t kill you, but it’s ‘uncomfortable.’
I really like mine as well. No weight gain, but I have other premenstrual symptoms of which I’ve never had before. In addition, a teensy bit (very small, but worth the mention) of depression which I’ve read is linked to the iud.
OTOH, no period. At all. 100 kinds of awesomeness. Totally.
And I was told to do a string check each month; with small hands, this is no small task. Oh! The fun!
Good luck with the IUD. I am still trying to convince my Dr to write that Metformin prescription also. for the same reasons you have listed – and My Dr is less than impressed with my research and request
You had me at “intravaginal streamers.”
I have a Mirena, I bled lightly but daily for about 4 weeks and not a drop since then (and that was 16 mos ago). I had very mild cramping after my insertion. I did not take any ibuprofen or anything stronger. I have lost (with lots of hard work) 12 lbs with the Mirena in. I nursed for 14 mos with the Mirena in. The strings have not been a big deal to me (or my husband) at all.
i love my mirena and have had no side effects. i did bleed the day i got it in for 4 days, but i thought it was my period as i got it inserted at my 6 week postpartum visit. my baby is now 6 months old (today!) and i haven’t had a period since, so i assume it was from insertion. i have been nursing with it in for i guess 4 and a half months now, and havent noticed any problems, neither has my hysband.
Good luck with your insertion!
my experience is a bit different…
I had a mirena, and though insertion (and removal) were no big deal, I really didn’t like the mirena.
In part because I had vestibulitus (which was brought on by pregnancy) and the hormones in the mirena didn’t make matters any better. Once I got it removed I felt much better. I have a friend who also didn’t like hers, but our ob’s tell us that we pretty rare in not liking ‘em.
I am a lactation consultant. I see plenty of women breastfeeding with Metformin, and from a recent talk I attended, would recommend that you take it if you have PCOS. They are not sure why but the idea is that its balances the endocrine system.
I have a Mirena and I love not thinking about birth control. My ob/gyn at the time said that it would be “tricky” to place mine due to the angle of my uterus. I was put off by that remark and avoided it for a year. Then my primary care suggested it when I couldn’t handle the pill. She had zero problems inserting it. However, she did say that she had inserted many, many Mirenas during her residency at a local hospital. So that might be something to ask this dr. Also, it was a little painful but she was very quick and then the pain went away. I don’t recall any excessive bleeding afterwards. I wouldn’t be completely honest if I didn’t tell you that I’ve experienced two bothersome side-effects. 1.) Acne – the cystic kind that can get pretty big; and 2.) painful cramps – the cramps don’t happen all the time but they CAN be brutal. I should also mention that I had an unmedicated labor with an 8lb baby and these cramps remind me a little too much of that particular event. Enough to make me break out in a sweat. All that aside, will I get it again in 4 years? Absolutely! Good luck, Alexa.
I would caution you against having a general practitioner insert the Mirena. I had the copper IUD after my daughter was born 6 years ago, inserted by my OB/GYN, and had no problems; I didn’t even feel it. But I hated the copper IUD, so I had it removed & got the Mirena instead. It was a long wait at the OB/GYNs office, so I just had my general practitioner insert it instead. Big mistake! It ranks as one of the worst afternoons of my life: incredibly painful, I passed out on the table, and she never did get the thing in. A few months later I was ready to try again, so this time I called the OB/GYN. They got me in, and the insertion went smoothly. On the way out, she told me that IUD insertion requires a certain finesse, and usually general practitioners just don’t have enough practice. She estimated that GPs usually do a few a year, but she said that she did a few a week. Good Luck! You’ll love the Minera!
I love my Mirena but hated the insertion. Failed the first time due to cervix being too tightly closed, after multiple injections into my cervix, etc. My OB prescribed Cervadil for a couple of days prior to insertion attempt #2 and it went beautifully.
I’ve had few side effects — some pleasant (decreased menstrual flow) and some less than pleasant (two ruptured ovarian cysts) — all in all, though, I’d recommend it.
I did very poorly on the pill and just feel that I’m too old and married for condoms.
You are maybe the coolest girl in the room right now.
I had my Mirena inserted as part of the whole c-section procedure so I can’t comment on how it felt (it felt like major abdominal surgery! Oh wait), but I CAN tell you those strings were craaaaazy. Apparently it’s common to have Issues with the strings when it’s inserted at a time when your uterus is all enormous, because as my internal organs de-puffed, the strings became more and more Obvious, and as my friend described them, they are hostile motherfuckers at first. Like fishing wire. Fishing wire poking out of your GIRL PARTS. But! They were trimmed, first by me (would you like me to describe the yoga pose I used to do so? No? Okay then!) and then by my OB, and no concerns since then. Almost no period each month, too – no cramps, no super-sized tampons. I’ve had no unpleasant side effects that I’ve noticed. Thumbs up for the Mirena!
I had a copper IUD, and I loved it, although I will warn you, pre-childbirth the pain was horrendous. It’s a go home and rest on the couch.
I would take 600mg of Advil – what my GP, who used to be an OB prescribed when I told him I had an HSG booked.
MotherRisk at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto maintain’s one of the largest data bases of drugs and breastfeeding/pregnancy interractions, and they recommend women take Met. during pregnancy, particularly during the 1st Tri. Seems to me if they are recommending that you take it then, it’s pretty darn safe to take during BF.
Silly GP. . ..
I have had both copper and mirena and they are great though I do prefer mirena as I bleed less. For me insertion didn’t hurt and I didn’t have any issues besides a bit of spotting. I don’t have your anatomy so that my not help you much. Good Luck!!
I’ve had my Mirena for two years now. Insertion was not pleasant, painful and crampy even with a 600 mg Motrin in me. I cramped and bled for a couple of days. After that, my periods were lighter but longer. Like 10 days of light bleeding/spotting. About 8 months in, I started skipping periods, and then they stopped entirely. The closest I’ve come was 2 months ago, when for 3 days I felt like my period was about to start, but it never did, and the feeling went away. I walk past the feminine hygiene stuff at the store and feel incredibly smug. No side effects at this point, and DH and I have never noticed the strings. Love the Mirena!
Ditto on the Mirena. One of them will be residing in my girly bits for the next few years. The only way you can feel your streamers is if you really go on an expedition for it. And realy, it’s much better to imagine all the festivity in there anyway.
In the best of circumstances, insertion feels severely pinchy and crampy. Ibuprofen schmibuprofen. I share the other’s concern for the GP doing the insertion, but I suspect your judgment can be trusted :) Best of luck.
Can’t comment on the Mirena, other than to say I’m reading the other comments with much interest because it’s something I’ve been considering.
On the med front, speaking as a pharmacist’s sister, I say ask your friendly neighborhood pharmacist about any drug concerns you have. They know so, so, SO much more about drugs than your doctor will. I double check all of my and my kid’s scrips with my brother, because dosing errors and negative interactions can happen so easily.
I feel you on the medication thing. I recently had major surgery and was in the hospital for four days. I had to take a variety of medications (and I still take a few of them) and this is all while breastfeeding a 7 month old. In the weeks leading up to the surgery, I talked to two lactation consultants, 1 pediatrician, 1 OB/GYN, 1 certified nurse-midwife, 1 pharmacist, and Dr. Hale. All agreed that my daughter would be just fine. Still, I got almost daily calls from the hospital/nurses/surgeon’s office in the days leading up to my surgery. They were all very “concerned” about my decision. The funny thing was that they flat out admitted that I was their FIRST breastfeeding mom, so their concern came from a feeling and had no basis in fact.
Long Story short, I continued my metformin through treatments, pregnancy,breast-feeding and beyond. No worries, that horn falls off on it’s own, nary a scare in sight!
Not to mention, I would think that if it really had adverse effects, we would all be well aware by now.
Hale trumps primary care docs and their googling every time, and twice on Sundays. Seriously. I’ve had primary care people telling moms to pump and dump because they’re on Robitussin, for pete’s sake.
As for the Mirena, the patients I see (that come through the ER for whatever reason, some cooter-related, mostly not) are about 70% totally in love with it and think it’s the best thing ever, and 30% not so much. Very few in the “meh it’s ok” column.
Not trying it myself, as I’m planning to stick with the successful-so-far “not having a sperm-laden partner” plan, but it’s a pretty good option for moms, particularly breastfeeding ones.
I have sensory issues so those damn strings drove me crazy. Paranoia over where they were drove me slightly batty. I kept running into bathrooms and checking them so often, I must have looked like I had a bladder control problem.
Anyway, the people to check with if your doc still needs reassurance is Motherisk.
http://www.motherisk.org/prof/index.jsp
They have enough science to blow away any GPs opinion. Just call the 1-800 number and check with them for exact quotes. (They like to know the dosage etc.) (They will answer American questions, but if you get an ornery operator who says Canadians only, email me and I’ll loan you my canadian address, phone number etc.)
I’d definitely keep up with the domperidone for milk supply btw. Metformin might help, but domperidone is a star.
Mirena = very good. had 5 years, removed to have last baby, conceived within 3 months (not to sound brazen in light of your struggles, only to say it did not interfere with any fertility present). Mirena also nearly wiped out my periods, which = yay. Mirena may have messed with my hormones a BIT, which = watch yourself and your meds.
Have you yet found Kellymom.com for breastfeeding/med questions? Very very good source.
Good luck with all.
I got the Mirena yesterday, and used 1 advance Percocet in case of pain which was pretty momentary. I really had no cramping afterwards, just light bleeding. I had the Mirena between my two babies and once I got done ruining all my underwear with spotting, I had no period (and therefore no PMS) for an entire year. Not being a shrew from PMS for a year was worth the inconvenience of the early bleeding. Removal was a bit of a drag, they had to use a ultrasound to find it when I wanted to start trying for a baby again, but as with the spotting, worth it for the hassle free convenience for a year. Two ovaries up! Good luck.
I clicked the link to see what a Mirena was.
It looks like an IUD. I hosted an IUD for all of 2 weeks before my uterine cavity hacked an audible lugi and spat it from my body. The OBGYN mumbled something about my “difficult anatomy” and suggested I use the pill or the shot.
I hope your experience will be more productive (or non reproductive) than mine.
I harbor a Mirena. I’ve had mine for 3 years. Before that I had a copper IUD for 3 years. Mirena is a walk in the park. My periods after the first 6 months nearly disappeared, we’re talking light day tampons. Whereas before it was soak through super mega tampon and pad in four hours.
My OB when describing the location of my cervix says “It’s way up there and to the left. Let me get this
medieval torture devicetenaculum so I can see your cervix better.” It hurt a lot. The strings pinched me for a week or so after insertion. I just went in and they trimmed them a little shorter. It was much better after that. As for the partner noticing them, sort of, not often.My major side effects, I believe someone else mentioned it, ginormous pimples. I had them on the pill also though.
I was also one of the few that did not like my Mirena, and had it removed after 1 year. But I would assume that my reasons for not liking it would never be an issue for you–for me, the lack of a regular period disrupted my hormones enough that I gained weight VERY easily, and then couldn’t lose it in spite of eating 800 calories/day for 3 months. Not so fun. Had it removed and then lost 30 pounds within 4 months. But like I said, I can’t imagine weight gain would be an issue for you.
The other reason it wasn’t so great was less to do with me and more to do with my husband. As a couple other commentors mentioned, those “strings” are less flexible string and more poky fishing line. Have you ever touched the end of a piece of fishing line? It’s actually rather sharp. And, might I say that it would be a lot more sharp on delicate male parts than on a finger? Ahem. I’m assuming you get my drift. So yeah. My husband didn’t like it at all. He made contact with it on nearly every intimate encounter, and I got used to hearing “ouch!” instead of pillow talk. But again, I haven’t heard this kind of complaint from anyone else, so maybe we’re just anomalies all around?
I hope you like it–it certainly seems to work well (the actual function part), and it’s definitely carefree and easy.
In a way, I wish I had had that “problem”. I went through a divorce and had no boyfriends for a long time. Then I started dating again and lost a couple pregnancies. In my early 30s I had so much pain and a never-ending period, with bleeding 31 days out of a 28-day month (sarcastic, yes), that I had a hysterectomy at age 34. The surgeon told me later on that my uterus was like a “cess pool”, (thanks Doc), and the ovary they removed had a blocked tube. The other ovary and tube came out only 6 months later due to those lovely adhesions (scar tissue) that wreaked havoc on my innards. Surgeon said of that ovary, the tube had been blocked as well. Sadly, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get pregnant again. I had only one full term, and many miscarriages.
Best of luck with the Mirena, Alexa, and I hope down the road you can have another baby.
I now am thankful for my 4 grandbabies, boys ages 10, 8 and 6, and a girl age 3.
I do indeed love my Mirena. I’ve had it now for 5 years. No troubles. Very easy form of b.c.
As far as Hale, et al? They know their stuff. I think the benefit to Simone likely far outweighs any low chance that something that doesn’t even enter breastmilk would have some kind of effect.
As for the medication, I can’t speak specifically to Metformin, but I agree with the others and say ignore your general practioner and go with the recommendations of the experts in breastfeeding.
I developed severe trauma and infection in my nipples from pumping and my lactation consultants recommended a prescription for Dr. Newman’s All Purpose Nipple Ointment and told me it is safe to use while nursing. My OB had to write the official prescription, but she had never heard of it before because it requires a compounding pharmacy and as my OB stated she’s “not a compounding kind of girl”. The OB agreed the ingredients in the ointment where just what I needed for my treatment, but she told me not to allow the baby to come in contact with the medication. I called the lactation consultants and told them what the OB said and the LCs told me it is not only safe to use while pumping, but it’s safe for direct contact breastfeeding as well.
My theory is when a GP or other doc doesn’t have specialized knowledge in some area, it’s easier and safer for them to say ‘No – don’t it’. Quite often if the GP is working in a large group practice, they’re so driven to focus on their productivity that they don’t get the time to delve in and thoroughly research anything.
In my very brief tenure as a mother, I’ve found I regularly get incomplete care or conflicting advice between my LCs, perinatologist, regular OB, and pediatrician, leaving me to assess all the information and decide what I think is right for me and my baby. It pisses me off to no end that new mothers are left to their own devices like this just when they are most vulnerable and need the best medical acre they can get, but like it or not I’ve just come to accept that this is the way of the US medical world!
I am an enthusiastic advocate for the Mirena. I didn’t get right it after S was born because it wasn’t covered by the insurance we had at the time (boo). When I did, though, it was like a choir of angels.
Insertion hurt quite a bit, and I was crampy for a couple of days and bled for … I think six or 8 weeks after insertion, but I would NOT have called it “hemorrhaging” (of course, I had post-partum hemorrhage, so my metric is calibrated towards that). These days (three? years in? I wonder where I put that damn card they gave me…) I am occasionally a little crampy in various ways, sometimes even enough so that I spare half a thought and contemplate taking an advil but rarely actually get around to it, and I bleed very lightly (we’re talking, it’s been AGES since I used anything but a pantiliner for feminine protection) for anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days.
I’ve had the Mirena for about three weeks now. I didn’t think insertion was all that painful – the worst cramp I had was about a 4. I have a crazy tilt to my uterus, so I was worried about pain (imagined my doctor fumbling around down there with a headlamp, etc) but she informed me that after doing 400-odd insertions, she knew what she was doing.
My cervix did NOT want to open, so it did take longer than I assume it’s supposed to, and I spent most of that time focusing on a ceiling tile and doing deep breathing exercises. I think the 800mg of ibuprofen helped as well. ;)
So far, I like it. Some pretty intense cramping on the first day, and I’ve been spotting fairly heavily since (well…a light to medium tampon every day – I guess that’s more than spotting. I’m used to much heavier flow, though.) I’m waiting for the magical Time of No Periods that I keep hearing about. I’ve had a couple bad breakouts on my face and chest, but I’m hoping that’s from discontinuing the Nuvaring and the sudden drop in hormones. (Pretty sure the switch from higher hormones to almost none is what shrank my already teensy breasts…)
you know, no one even thought to mention that I should CONTINUE taking metformin. Not a one. Even though I feel rather lovely on it, as does my body. Hmmm.
I don’t have MIrena but a different, older IUD. It’s been in for 10 years.
I’ve had 4 insertions all together and I bled profusely after one of them, in which it began to come out and had to be removed and another inserted. Otherwise I haven’t had any problems with it and never have felt the string, although she cut it very short accidentally during a colp. procedure about 7 years ago.
I may go for the mirena next time I have one, since this one’s time is just about up. I’d like to have shorter, lighter periods for a change, since the one I have makes them longer, heavier and more painful. In fact, your blog post just spurred me on to have that done. I’m calling my OB/GYN tomorrow!
Thanks!
The mirena really didn’t suit me, it made my libido go down the toilet, I put on weight round my middle (worst place possible), and I had a low grade depression , starting about two months after I got it, lasted for about a month after it came out. No real drama going in, but I’m pretty sure my cervix points in the right direction, spotted on and off for a few weeks, then no periods. Had it for nearly 12 months before my husband said he would rather have another baby than have it in any longer. Total breeze to have it out. Hope that helps
I had mirena 4 years ago…my dr. never instructed to take ibuprofen prior…I nearly passed out…cramping for about 24 hours after…I had to have it removed after 4 months because my body REJECTED IT! I had bleeding the entire time.
I was told I was one of thos .05% cases!
I had a regular copper IUD for a bit and hubbie said he could often feel the string. I also had a lot of pain during insertion and that was at my six-week followup when my cervix was still pretty open.
I ended up getting the copper one taken out because of the string. Even after getting it “trimmed” by my OB, DH could still feel it sometimes. And I bled and bled with it. Having said all of that though, I am thinking about trying the Mirena so have enjoyed the comments here.
Hello Dear Alexa!
I have a Mirena… I LOVE the Mirena…
BUT
The first one I had inserted, it didn’t hurt so bad, a little crampy, bled for a while after… no biggie. UNTIL – husband said, “feels a little pokey down there”. WTF!?! I immediately made an appointment to have it checked. Guess what… IT HAD COME OUT! EEEK! She said she could reinsert but we should wait till my next period to be sure I wasn’t… get this… PREGNANT. So I nervously laughed so that I wouldn’t cry and said a meek “ok”.
I returned and had it reinserted – the uterin cramping was unbelieveable – like going into labor. It was short lived, and if you can live through giving birth (c-section or not) it should be fine. I have a tilted uterus so they have to be good at insertion – but I love it now, I don’t think about it, not poking the husband at all – I think its great.
Hi…. I have had a mirena and I fit them regularly. (I’m a GP in the UK; I agree with your previous commenter that it’s important to find someone who fits them regularly but I think that can be a GP. I fit around 30 a year and I think I’m pretty good!) I find that the majority of women have a fairly easy fit but it is definitely more painful in women who have never had a dilated cervix. I’ve never had to stop because a woman found it too painful though.
Having said that, I went to a gynae to fit mine and it was rather painful – I had an elective section so never laboured… She then thought she ahd perforated my uterus so I ended up having it inserted under a GA with a hysteroscope and it turned out I had a weird shape uterus which probably explained my recurrent miscarriages…. I absolutely hated having the mirena though; it killed my libido stone dead and also made me feel a little flat. I still recommend them to patients because I think my response was unusual – but I’m less enthusiastic than I used to be about them….
Oh and just to add – I would say 50% of women have no bleeding afterwards and 50% have quite a lot of bleeding on and off for 6 months and then it settles down. No knowing which camp you’ll be in though anecdotally I find larger women bleed longer than smaller women….
He he! I am relevant on both. I have a Mirena. It’s great and I highly recommend it. But I have the usual arrangement of lower anatomy and two vaginal deliveries, so I think that makes the insertion easier.
I also took Met while breastfeeding both my babies and neither one grew any horns. Anecdotal, at best, but there it is.
No Mirena, but i’ve had 3 copper IUDs and will never use anything else. My body doesn’t tolerate the hormones in pills very well, so I thought it best to go with the non-hormonal kind. Insertion wasn’t fun the first time, but i hadn’t had a baby and it’s only ONE day out of the 10 yrs of no birth control. The copper IUD will make your flow heavier and your cramps worse for a few months, but then things even out. Totally worth it to me.
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