IUD vs. the Pill

I am on my third Mirena IUD. Had the first one in for 5 years and then had a new one put in. Got it out and had another baby. Had another one put in after. I absolutely love it. No acne problems and no weight gain with any of them. Best birth control ever in my opinion. I recommend them to everyone and will never use anything else. As the above poster said you are far more likely too hear horror stories than hey I have it and its great. Talk to your doctor and do your research for yourself. ANYTHING has some sort of bad story associated with it. Most people are far more willing to share that then the good. U

Yeah, I wouldn't do the hormonal one, but I am anti-hormones because of my migraine history. The copper one, though, is a great alternative (which some people aren't even aware of as they don't advertise as much as Mirena) for those who want a natural choice.

The installation, for me, wasn't too bad. I had 2 of my 3 babies naturally w/o pain meds (my #2 and #3 were waterbirths) and have a high pain tolerance. I remember the IUD feeling like a pinch and not really much different than a speculum going up there for a typical PAP. It was soooooooo worth it.

I'm on my second Mirena IUD, I LOVE IT !!!!! No periods, no cramps, no hormonal fluctuations, no sugar cravings at 'that time of the month'. I have had a gf who tried one, and it didn't agree with her, so it's a personal choice, but i personally would give it a go if you have the opportunity

I got my mirena placed at planned parenthood. Wanted it because at the time i had to pay at least 15 dollar copay for birth control pills but my deductible was used up so an IUD would be free! Never been pregnant so I asked the NP about slippage rates and she said that it may hurt a little more but that the slippage rates were still extremely low and that I wouldnt have to worry about it. The day I had it placed i took about 4 motrin at once and it hurt like the ****ens but later that evening I was moving around and putting together ikea furniture with minimal pain.

I still had my period, but it was really light. The NP said about 40% of her patients stop getting theirs altogether. My acne was actually better on the IUD than on Loestrin FE which I was taking before. Did not have a problem with unwanted weight gain either (but I wasn't trying to lose weight).

About a year and a half in I had a month long period. There was a week off then I had another 3 week long period which was when I decided to get the IUD taken out. All my pms symptoms that had been controlled or non-existent on the pill and IUD came back with a furry. Switched back to Loestrin and went back to my normal controlled self. Took about three months to regularize my periods again and now my cycles are strangely better than they were before I went on Mirena.

Even though it didnt work out for me for the full 5 years, I dont regret mirena. I think it somehow helped stabilize my hormone levels, it saved me money, and I didnt have to worry about making sure I took my pill each morning.

For those of you of have used ParaGard, you would recommend it? I'm really big on natural health so the hormones in the pill freaks me out.

I've had mine for 3.5 years. Haven't had any issues. I forget it's there most of the time, I don't get my period (and I used to have debilitating cramps), and sorry if this is TMI but sex is so easy and whimsical. I'm not planning to have kids so I expect to get a Mirena every 5 years until menopause instead of having my tubes tied. Highly recommend giving it a try. If it doesn't agree with your body you'll know in the first few months and it'll only cost you$10.

The Mirena is a much lower dose of hormones than the pill, because it's localized. For me, the side effects of the pill were severe nausea the first week, vomiting the first two days of the cycle, and acne. I also had trouble taking it at the same time every day. With the Mirena I have no periods, no cramps, no acne, and no nausea. Definitely sticking with it, especially since I do not want more children.

I hear a lot of complaints about the Mirena. People don't go to message boards to report a neutral or positive experience, you know? I also think sometimes symptoms are attributed to the Mirena when it is not the actual cause of certain problems. It is one of the most effective forms of birth control available.

For those of you of have used ParaGard, you would recommend it? I'm really big on natural health so the hormones in the pill freaks me out.

I would. To be hones, it has made my periods a bit heavier and my PMS cramps slightly worse. But, the former isn't enough to really bother me and the latter is easily taken care of with ibuprofen. BC hormones really do bad things to me so it was this or the big V for my husband - and he was too scared to do it, lol!

I have the Paraguard, the copper, non-hormonal IUD. I love it. I don't do well with hormones and I don't need the crap that comes along with it like weight gain and such.

I haven't had any issues with it at all. No heavier periods. No worse cramping than I already had. In fact, I actually haven't had my period in a couple months. But that is usual for me. Before I had my son, I would only have between 3-5 a year. I have had my IUD in since March 2012.

Of course, it is always different for different people. Some have no issues at all like me, others end up with the horrible cramping, etc. But it was the best option for me since I don't want anymore children. (One and done.)

2) pull out method is only effective 30% of the time

That's actually not true. It is 73-96% effective, depending on if it's done correctly. (For reference, condoms are 82-98% effective and the pill is 91-99% effective.)

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/withdrawal-pull-out-method-4218.htm

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-effectiveness-chart-22710.htm