Paragard IUD experiences please

I'm considering using this as birth control due to the fact that it is
non-hormonal. I know IUD's have been discussed here before and I did google
a bit, but I was hoping to get some fresh opinions. Anyone use it?

JennP.

JennP wrote:
I'm considering using this as birth control due to the fact that it
is
non-hormonal. I know IUD's have been discussed here before and I did
google
a bit, but I was hoping to get some fresh opinions. Anyone use it?

JennP.

I've had mine for a couple of months now. I'm nowhere near regular
yet, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

My periods are definitely worse than they were - I bleed a LOT more,
and I get cramps more often. While they're not as heavy as they were
in high school, they're definitely not the delicate little five-day
non-events that had me all worried when we were ttc. (I'm 40, btw.)

I was told it would take a year for the bleeding to settle down into
what it would likely be long-term, so I'm still in the evaulation
stage, I guess. That said, I'm not entirely happy with it. Although
it's great not to have to think about birth control, it's just been way
too long since I've had any significant discomfort during my period,
and I'm spoiled. I'll stick it out for the year at least; but at this
point I'm considering ditching it and going back to the Pill (yes,
hormones - which maybe means I should've just tried the Mirena to begin
with).

YMMV, as always.

Liz
mom to Emily (5/25/04)

JennP writes:
: I'm considering using this as birth control due to the fact that it is
: non-hormonal. I know IUD's have been discussed here before and I did google
: a bit, but I was hoping to get some fresh opinions. Anyone use it?

: JennP.

Monika uses the copper T whidh is non hormonal, and it seems to work fine.

Larry

"Larry McMahan" wrote in message
...

Monika uses the copper T whidh is non hormonal, and it seems to work fine.

Larry

Ok, here's an IUD question for a man then. Do the strings interfere at all,
KWIM?

JennP.

"Elizabeth H. Bonesteel" wrote in message
oups.com...


I was told it would take a year for the bleeding to settle down into
what it would likely be long-term, so I'm still in the evaulation
stage, I guess. That said, I'm not entirely happy with it. Although
it's great not to have to think about birth control, it's just been way
too long since I've had any significant discomfort during my period,
and I'm spoiled. I'll stick it out for the year at least; but at this
point I'm considering ditching it and going back to the Pill (yes,
hormones - which maybe means I should've just tried the Mirena to begin
with).

Bummer you haven't had a good experience. I most likely won't be having
periods for a while though due to LAM. I wonder how that will play into the
whole scenario?

JennP.

JennP wrote:
Ok, here's an IUD question for a man then. Do the strings interfere
at all, KWIM?

My husband has never complained about mine (I've had it for over 2 years
now). They're really *very* fine; I have to fish around to feel them with my
fingers, really.

I've had an excellent experience with my copper-T and wish I'd gotten one
between #1 and #2 (although, if I had, I wouldn't *have* #2). I find the IUD
to be incredibly easy and almost entirely worry-free.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to the Politician [7yo], the Diva [5yo], and the Daredevil [2yo]

Tolerance, equality, and personal liberty *are* moral values!

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

"JennP" wrote in message
news:lnjud.547724$D%.546080@attbi_s51...

"Elizabeth H. Bonesteel" wrote in message
oups.com...


I was told it would take a year for the bleeding to settle down into
what it would likely be long-term, so I'm still in the evaulation
stage, I guess. That said, I'm not entirely happy with it. Although
it's great not to have to think about birth control, it's just been way
too long since I've had any significant discomfort during my period,
and I'm spoiled. I'll stick it out for the year at least; but at this
point I'm considering ditching it and going back to the Pill (yes,
hormones - which maybe means I should've just tried the Mirena to begin
with).

Bummer you haven't had a good experience. I most likely won't be having
periods for a while though due to LAM. I wonder how that will play into
the
whole scenario?


I'm getting a Mirena as soon as I'm remotely "interested" in being sexually
active after this birth. Since it's progesterone only and a very low, local
dose at that, I'm not worried about it interfering with breastfeeding. I
*could* rely on the fact that I had LA for 17 months after dd, but I was
also not partcularly "active" after I moved out of the apartment, and I'm
hoping I won't have that "help" this time.

And I *really* don't want to deal with pregnancy again.

I would not consider any other IUD because I have heavy periods and we think
I have endo. The only periods that have been tolerable for me in the past
5-6 years have been those where I've had either oral or local progesterone
for at least part of the cycle. Mirena was pretty darned good, all things
considered.

Jenrose

JennP writes:

: "Larry McMahan" wrote in message
: ...

: Monika uses the copper T whidh is non hormonal, and it seems to work fine.
:
: Larry

: Ok, here's an IUD question for a man then. Do the strings interfere at all,
: KWIM?

: JennP.

I could feel it faintly. But we lost it a long time ago. Checked the
IUD by u/s and it is still there.

Larry

"Larry McMahan" wrote in message
...

I could feel it faintly.

So I'm guessing it didn't bother you then?

But we lost it a long time ago. Checked the
IUD by u/s and it is still there.

??? You lost the string? I guess it really doesn't mean anything other than
she can't do the monthly self-check to make sure it's still there, right?

JennP.

JennP wrote:
Ok, so you were breastfeeding while you had it in so I'm assuming
you weren't getting periods at the time and for some time after
insertion. How did that effect you, or did it? Once your periods
came back, how were they? Thanks.

My periods came back at around 11 months postpartum, IIRC. I'd had the IUD
for 9 months by then, I guess. I didn't notice any difference at all in
them, frankly. My first few postpartum cycles are always really weird and
short, and then things normalize. I've noticed that my cycles, once
"regularized" (a term I use loosely since I've always had a pretty drastic
variation in the length of my cycles) seem a bit shorter than they used to
be and that they may be a bit heavier in the earlier going (but last fewer
days overall), but I suspect that's more a perimenopause thing than an IUD
thing.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to the Politician [7yo], the Diva [5yo], and the Daredevil [2yo]

Tolerance, equality, and personal liberty *are* moral values!

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman