Thinking about getting a IUD/ never had kids, need your opinion.?

Question

I am 38. I have been on the pill since I was 21. Now I am getting high blood pressure and need to come off the pill. Have been using condoms but my husband and I hate them and can't amagine using them here on out, we have been together 18 years. I am thinking abut the copper IUD but have read that women that hasn't had children shouldn't get 1 for the risk of it falling out. I don't plan on having kids. So a 10 year birth control sounds ideal. Do you think it would be a good idea for me since I need to stay away from hormones for my heath. Help please don't know what to do haven't had to think about birth control for a long time. The ring sounded good but still has hormones.

Answer 1

I had the IUD for 10 years. I heard that the reason they don't want women getting who hasn't had children is because the complications could cause infertility.

I never had any complications at all except for more cramps, and it did fall out once. No big deal, just went and had them reinsert it. I also did the ring and it made me feel very ill and I kept getting bacteria infections.

If the iud does fall out you will be able to tell when you check it. That will happen in the first few weeks if it is going to happen. I think the IUD is a great choice, and I chose it because of the "no hormone" reason. Never had to deal with the illness and I never knew it was there.

Answer 2

As for a previous poster who said their mom got pregnant on the IUD yes it was very common back when the IUD 1st came out. But they have wrked out its kwirks.

I think if you don't plan on having any children it would be an excellent option. The reason why they don't allow women who haven't had children is because one of the complications is infertility. However that is a small possibility. I also cannot take a hormonal type of birth control my body cant take it. But I choose Mirena since its a low dose and it doesn't get into your blood stream and its only good for 5 years. I have a question tho if you don't want to have any children why not go ahead and have the surgery instead?

Answer 3

I have the ParaGard (copper) IUD and I absolutely love it! The only side effects I had were slightly longer/heavier periods for my first few cycles after having it put in, but things are back to normal now. I've had it just over a year, and so far so good. :)

I like it mainly because it's non-hormonal and won't screw with my body like the pill, patch or depo will. The only drawback is I *think* you have to have had a child before or else you can't/shouldn't get one. Not sure why though. I could be wrong...

It's also great because there's nothing to remember--no pills every day, no changing a patch once a week, no foam or cream or anything else to remember. All you have to do is check to make sure the string is there once a month, but that takes only seconds to do. It allows for complete sponteneity, too. ;)

It also allows you to still ovulate and have a normal period.

I'm all for it, and I always chip in my $0.02 when there's an IUD question on here. The vast majority of the women on here seem to have the Mirena (hormonal IUD) and I don't know why their doctors haven't told them about ParaGard.

Answer 4

Are you planning on kids at some point? A vasectomy for your husband sounds like the best plan if you aren't (it's an office procedure these days).
The reason IUD's aren't recommended for women without kids is the possibility of it causing uterine scar-tissue from friction, or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, both of which make it harder to conceive.
The ring isn't such a bad choice, it has really low hormone levels (i'm veeerrrry sensitive to birth-control hormones, and the ring didn't affect me almost at all), and it's really easy to use.

Answer 5

Look into ParaGard or Mirena. I have a Mirena, the hormone is levonorgestrel, which is different from most hormonal BC. I'm 40 and childfree and chose the Mirena because it's BC + stops your periods. The best of both worlds! (I know, I sound like a paid spokesperson. But I love my Mirena.)

If you have a good relationship with your GYN (s/he is sympathetic to your decision not to have kids) you should be able to get either type of IUD with no problem.

Answer 6

hey, she said she didn't want kids, that's her right. i think at 38 she knows her own mind, jeez. anyway, i had the ring and it raised my bp too so if you're real sensitive to hormones that wont work either. just go to a good gynecologist, preferably a woman. they put iuds in all the time, they are much better than they were back in the 70s and 80s when there were problems

Answer 7

My mom got pregnant with me while using an IUD and I got pregnant with three of my four kids while on the pill. With this type of history, I no longer have much of an opinion on any birth control! LOL

Answer 8

Talk to your doctor about IUD. I've heard of them being used on women with no kids before. It'll be harder to convince the doctor to do it though because they are so pro-breeding but, if you don't want kids and you can convince them of that then go for it. Why not look into sterilisation for either yourself or your husband?

Answer 9

Sounds like a good idea to me. I think though it would be better for hubby to take care of it. It is a quick one time procedure and then your done with it. No worrying about if falling out or cause cramps or getting preg. Thats my 2 cents on it.

Answer 10

How about your hubby getting fixed? Why should the burden be on you? All the things you mentioned have health issues with them. Let the man take one for the team, it's a simple procedure that is recoverable in a few days