Has anyone used an IUD?

Question

I am pregnant with my first baby and want a more permanent form of birth control. Has anyone used the IUD implant? What was your experience on it? Did your period completely go away?

Answer 1

Hello
I had an IUD in place for 8 yrs. I didn;t want to worry about taking a pill every day nor did I want and injection every 3 months.
Placement was like a TERRIBLE cramp., but lasted only seconds.
Taking it out was the same.
Periods were regular. All you have to do is check for the IUD once a month yourself while in the shower.
I did have a newer IUD placed in March 2006, had a period in April, May and have not had one for June or July.
THe newer IUD comes with a small amount of hormones on it
which for most women dimishes or eliminates their period altogether.
The IUD is comfortable, you don;t even know that it is there
is 99% effective against an unwanted pregnancy. Has no mess or fuss..

I recommended it to anyone who has had a baby.
A OB.GYN will not usually place one unless you have had a baby .
Also right after the birth of your child on your first follow up visit will be the ideal time for placement, because before it is placed you are tested for std's. And you will have already done that.


all the best to you
and good luck with your new baby

Answer 2

I have had two IUDs.

My first was put in after my son was born. It worked great and never had any issues other than my husband feeling the strings poke every now and then. I had it removed to have my second child.

After giving birth a second time I had another IUD put in and figured everything would be like before. However since my cervix wasn't quite as toned as it was after my first pregnancy, the IUD began to slide out and I got pregnant. I had the IUD removed and wound up having a miscarriage.

I went on the pill for a while, but disliked the way it made me feel. Anyway it wasn't long before we decided we wanted a third baby so the pill wasn't an issue for long.

So after my thrid (and final) pregnancy I did some homework and chose to have my tubes tied. I am so happy I did because I have no worries and it was a laproscopic tubal so I have no visible scars.... just one tiny 1/4 inch mark inside my belly button and another one that you can't see unless you look really close in my pubic hairline.

I highly recommend a tubal over any other method, that is of course if you are done having babies. The IUD worked great the first time and I think if I knew more about what it felt like if it was falling out I could have done fine with the second one too, but I'd rather not have to worry about birth control at all.

No, your period doesn't go away, in fact, it gets heavier and possibly lasts longer with more cramping.

Good luck with your choice!

Answer 3

My IUD (I used the Copper-7 in 1996) lasted all of about 5 months. This was because even though I'd had a child (which is one of the recommendations for IUD users), my uterus was too small to fit it properly. The insertion was excruciating! And every time I had an orgasm or my period, I would get such horrible cramps I thought I was going to die.
To make matters worse, my period (which has always been irregular anyway when not on chemical control) became unbearable - SUPER heavy, and lasting up to 15 days at a time. One month, I never stopped bleeding.

The final straw came when my now ex-husband gave me Chlamydia, and I ended up having to have a D&C because the infection helped to inflame the uterine wall to the point where when I had a cramp the IUD actually punctured my uterus. NEVER again.

As an FYI, the information packet that your doctor will give you will outline that an IUD will actually (typically) elongate your period and produce heavier bleeding and more severe cramping. While I understand that there are better ones out there today, I would NEVER trust an IUD again.

The only thing I am aware of that makes your period stop completely is the Depo Provera shot. I used this for a number of years and had almost immediate and complete cessation of my periods (I would get one every 15-18 months!).

My recommendation is if you're looking for an exceptionally reliable and worry-free type of BC, go with the DP shot. Once every 3 months and no worries!


There are other methods out there...Nuva Ring - cervical contraceptive ring - gets changed every month...Seasonale BC pills - you take a pill every day for 3 months then have a period...the patch (though this has been linked to higher incendences of blood clots and other high-risk complications) gets changed weekly for 3 weeks then you have a period for 1 week.

Do your research - the internet is an absolute FONT of good information!

Answer 4

I had 2 children, and decided the same thing as you. I wanted a more permanent form of birth control. I got the IUD, and as a form of birth control, it worked great for 5 years. No problems. I decided that I wanted another baby, and we had it removed.

That's when the problems started. My first pregnancy afterwards was ectopic ( caught in the fallopian tube) and I had to have surgery to remove the fetus.. and that part of the tube. It was due to scarring from the IUD, and the other one is just as bad.

I was told that if I got pregnant again, I had a 80% chance of the same thing happening, which would require me to have the other tube removed, leaving me with no natural way to conceive.

Weigh the risks. If you do not want to have more children, then it is a good form of birth control. If you do, think of something else.

Answer 5

Yes, I got my IUD in March 06, I was so happy because I was never good with the pill. So for the first month I had spotting and then no period at all. But about a week ago I found out I was pregnant. And the IUD is still in me. So be careful. If you don't want anymore kids.

Answer 6

Keep in mind that the IUD has been in use since ancient Rome. Nobody knows why it works to put a foreign object in the uterus, and it only works somewhat. It is associated with heavier than usual periods, in-between period spotting, and sometimes even infections.

Much better is some kind of pill plus condoms as birth control.

Answer 7

it depends you can get 2 different kinds the Marena that lasts for 5 years or the plain old IUD that lasts for 10 years. I had the 10 year one and it made me bleed for 3 months straight. It was awful. My best friend has had both kinds she likes the longevity of the 10 year but the light periods of the Marena that is the kind I would go for if I were you. I would also look into the ring it gets changed once a month and has less hormones it shortens your periods. I love it and if you decide to have another child later on all you have to do is sake it out. No Dr visits to get it out ar any thing like that.

Answer 8

I have had one and I agree with the last post-it makes periods longer, more painful, and it hurts BAD when having it inserted. My Uterus was too small, also, and the Dr. had to cut the IUD somehow to make it fit...

Answer 9

I am not a woman, however the IUD is much less effective than the pill. Get on the proper pill and you will do much better.