IUD's ????

Question

I have recently had a baby (4 months ago) and am trying to figure out what type of birthcontrol to use. I was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion/experience on the Paraguard IUD.

Answer 1

I have a copper IUD and I love it!

I had pretty terrible side effects on hormonal birth control and was happy to go hormone free. My first couple of periods were heavier with more cramps. But, the pain was manageable with OTC pain medication and heating pads.

Having either IUD inserted is going to be painful, but how much depends on your pain tolerance but having had a child before, it will probably be easier.

I'm a huge fan of the copper IUD. Although there can be considerable cost up front if you're uninsured, it's actually cheaper than other types of birth control over the 10-12 years that it's effective.

Answer 2

I am a midwife, and I insert IUDs every week. They are very popular, and for good reason.
The Paragard will give you 10 years of great contraception, but of course it can be removed at any time. The biggest complaint I get from patients, and the main reason people request to have it removed is cramping and heavy periods. This is common, and considered to be normal to a certain degree. Usually it can be controlled with Motrin, and usually it gets better after the first 3 periods.
The Mirena is also great. It has progesterone in it, which causes the side effect of irregular spotting, especially in the first year. It's not a lot of bleeding over all, but it's unpredictable and this drives some women crazy. After 6 months to a year, most women get almost no bleeding. Some women love this, others would rather have regular, predictable periods.
The Mirena is much more expensive, if cost is an issue for you.

Answer 3

I also have Mirena. I love it! I do have a friend who has the Paragaurd, and they are similarly happy. If you already have a short period, and don't mind it, the Paragaurd is probably a fine choice.

However, if you have long periods already, just know that it is possible that they might increase in length with use of the Paraguard. Mirena could decrease the length, or eliminate the totally, as in my case.

Depending on your insurance coverage, it might be a little spendy if you decide to have it removed to have a baby before the time is up. Just something to think about. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

I have an IUD but it is Mirena. I love it. I went with Mirena because it is the one my doctor recommended. Sorry no help about Paraguard.

Answer 5

I have Mirena and have had no problems with it at all. I've had it for 2 years I've not had any periods for a year now (they use mirena to treat dysmenorrhea, because it lightens flow to spotting in a lot of cases). My doctor did not like paraguard, because he said many women had more bleeding with it.