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I had mine put in about 6mths ago, I had cramps like a bad period pain that afternoon (managed with panadol) a couple of days of spotting then 3mths period free. I the last two months I have had one very long period (3 weeks) and a longish one (about 10 days). Overall I'm happy with it.
im happy with it though just fed up with the bleeding - i have no pain with it tho am very tired & a bit snappy
I love mine. I had it put in last December. I bled for about 4 days then spotted for about 3 weeks. Then i had lighter but longer AF (about 7-9 days instead of 5, but def less blood loss overall) and mid cycle spotting (3-6 days, around O time) for about 6 months, but each month both got shorter and lighter. The last 3 months i've had no mid-cycle spotting and just a light, painless AF for about 4 days. I'm SO glad i stuck it out since i now know after those few months of slight hassle i have 4 worry-free, hassle-free, baby-free years in front of me without having to do anything. :)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
Bx
I had one inserted when my youngest was 3 months old, it was quite a painful insertion as my cycle had not yet returned and they needed to dilate me to get it in. At the 6 week check up the string could not be found, an x-ray found the iud near my left hip. They think it must have perforated the uterus on insertion. Needless to say I needed laparoscopy to remove it. I now use condoms as contraception :lol:
Michelle
Wow michelle, what a hassle for you!
Perforation is usually an insertion issue - you can ask the gyn who's putting it in what their perforation rate is as it's usually down to technique. Of course, there's a first time for everything, so that doesn't guarantee it won't happen.
Bec
Wow I am glad I found this thread, I have an appointment to have one on the 30th October. So do they always do a 6 week check up to make sure it is where it should be, and obviously you can bleed quite erratically for the first few month?
Have any of you found that you have less headaches and moodiness with that instead of the pill?
I still get the pmt i always had, i think because it changes fertility whereas the oestrogen stops it. Most women still ovulate on Mirena and the period IS a period, not a whithdrawal bleed like on the Pill. It acts on mucus making it inadequate to support sperm and hostile and thick so they cn't get through and thins the uterine lining so there's nowhere for eggs to implant - that's why periods are lighter/disappear. So i feel relatively normal, neither more or less moody/PMTish. I know one girl who can't take the pill etc because of migraines and she is fine on Mirena - i think it's oestrogen that causes them in her case though.
Bec
I had my put in on the 21'st of September at my 6 week checkup. I was still spotting lochia a bit when it was inserted. Then i started bleeding on the 23'rd of September. I am still bleeding now!! It stopped for a few days a couple of days ago but it has started up again now. I have also had a bit of cramping too. Just period type pain but thats it.
I really hope this does'nt continue for the 3 months that the booklet says it can. I am sure the Dr who put it in said that if i bled for longer than a month to go and get it checked. But ofcourse when i rand the hospital and Family Planning everyone just palmed me off.
Sara - I had mine inserted 4 weeks ago, and had no bleeding for the first week, but have been bleeding ever since.
Make sure you keep your iron intake up!
Kaz - Yeah that is my main worry. I lost 1.5L of blood due to a retained placenta and snapped cord after i had Colby. So my iron levels are already bad. I am taking 2 iron tablets a days as it is. I think i might have to head back to the Dr soon to have my heamaglobin(sp??) levels checked.
Oh Sara, I do hope you don't need to get iron injections - I had the course of them (1 per week for 5 weeks) and still have the iron stain on my buttocks.
Of course, the cheap & nasty way to get iron levels checked is to nip into Red Cross - they will tell you what your levels are before taking blood!
I had mine inserted in June this year and had a few weeks of spotting afterwards. For the first 2 months, my period was slightly heavier than normal, and lasted longer (5-7 days instead of about 3-4) but now I don't really have a period at all. I didn't have a check up after having it out in though, but my Ob said just to call him if I had an problems. So far, I am loving it as I could never remember to take the pill, and I find this is better for me as I don't seem to get as bad PMT. I have had no cramps either.
Just wondering how much this costs, if a normal GP can put it in, and if it is covered by Medicare? Ta!
Oscar - It cost me $32. Apparently it used to cost around $300 so i think it must be covered by Medicare now. Not sure if a normaly GP can put them in. Maybe a GP Obstetrician. Family Planning puts them in.
I am going to my OB/Gyn as he said that not all GP have the insurance to cover them for the insertion of the IUD. I guess like any doctors appointment it would be covered by medicare though.
I am getting mine in this Tuesday.
My ob/gyn did mine too. She has done tonnes and tonnes of them and I would want someone who knows what they are doing inserting it. I think it takes some experience to get the strings right etc.
The Mirena itself is PBS, so the same cost as a script, eg the same as 3 months worth of BCP. Then you also pay the out of pocket expense for your ob/gyn, but you can probably get it done through family planning for medicare only (not sure).
I had mine put in on the 26th of Oct and so far I really like it, I only spotted very slightly for about 4 days and nothing since I have had only a small amount of cramping and I did get a lower back ache that lasted for about half a day and thats about it so far,
I love that I will not have to worry about contraception for 5 years its great as I fel pg with my DS on this pill cause I always took it here and there LOL.
I had it fitted by my Ob/gyn and he did a perfect job I only felt a slight discomfort when he put the tube thingie in other than that I was suprised when he said thats it all done hehe, it cost me $30.70 for the mirena itself as its covered on PBS and for my appointment it was $107.00 but I got back $102.50 of that as we are over the safety net but if your not you still get about $80 back out of that amount, I have to go back in a couple of weeks for a 4 week check up to see how it is going and make sure all is well and the strings can easily be located etc and that there is no perferation,
My Obgyn said he had 2 perferations in 10 years and he has put in alot of these so the odds were pretty good. I am not so sure I would trust a regular GP eaither I think when you compare the cost of the pill to the total cost of the marina including your appointments its much less considering it guves you 5 years.
No headaches and I think I cold almost say it has made them better as I was getting headaches alot but we will see what happens when AF is due an a week and a half.
Relle how did you go???
I've had my mirena for about 2 years now and I'm really happy with it.
I'm wondering what anyone has experienced on removal of it? I'm planning to start TTC#1 early next year after I get married so will have it taken out shortly before the wedding but now I'm worried I'll have heavy bleeding or something. I haven't had AF for at least the last year, just a day or two spotting.
i got my IUD put in last tuesday (20/11) and i had horrible cramps after it was put in for about 6 hours, some bleeding (TMI looked like lochia after about 4 weeks...) and that went for about 3 days... now nothing! im due for ovulation this weekend, and i'll see how my period goes... my mums involves her going for a wee, wiping, and thats it... i hope mines the same!!
I love mine!!
Well I had mine in 4 weeks ago now and had some cramping for the first few hours, no bleeding for a few days, but have been spotting bright red blood everyday since. I have a 6 week check up on the 11th December, so I am hoping that the bleeding has stopped by then.
I actually forgot to ask what is involved in taking it out, can anyone fill me in?
Relle, apparently it's very easy - they just pull it out by the string. My ob assured me it's very quick and easy.
my dr didnt say anhing about a 6w check up... are you meant to have one??
I did Katerina. She just did an internal exam and u/s to check the position. She showed me that I had ovulated too - made me clucky LOL.
I still have mixed feelings about mine, I think that my AF is longer, not sure if it is related but it usually takes about 10-12 days now, it was about 7days before TMI. It works as an effective contraception, because of the amount of down time, because of the bleeding :(
Actually RH, I have found the same thing. But it is also a lot lighter so it kind of balances out. But I do hope the length of AF shortens, as you say there is no point using a contraceptive device if you can't DTD anyway!
From what I've read, getting it removed is fine. It's the after effects that some women have experienced that now worry me slightly. I never really asked about this when it was put in, my gyn said it comes out and you can conceive pretty much straight away.
mine has gone longer too so a very effective contraceptive!! ive had it since sept so will keep a few more months to see if it gets better
My Ob said that your periods can become longer for upto 6 months then they should begin to slow down and become shorter and then 1 in 4 women does not have a period again untill it is removed,
he said removal is very fast and can be done at a regular appointment and takes less than 2 minutes,
my spotting and periods are all over the place atm but my ob said it was something to be expected so will give it time, I have also noticed taht I am no where near as cranky or angry at that time of the month anymore and deffinately less painfull so all in all I am very happy with it so far and have had it since oct ( I think LOL )
yeah you ae supposed to have it checked after 6 weeks to be sure it is still in place and protecting you, and make sure nothing has gone wrong.
Hi everyone!
I've also noticed that my periods are a lot longer now too. Lighter as some others have said but longer. I had my first proper period after having the Mirena in the other day and it lasted around 9-10 days i think.
I also re-read the booklet you get with it and realised i was meant to go and have it re-checked after having it fitted but i did'nt! Whoops! I am pretty sure i'm not pregnant though!!
Well I am still spotting from having it in over 7 weeks ago, but somedays it is barely there and others a little heavier.
I had mine checked at 6 weeks and all was fine with it, however my OB does think I may be a little low on oestrogen, so has prescribed me pessaries, so hoping that will help stop the bleeding all together till I am due for a period, however I have NO idea when it would be due now.
I don't seem to be as moody as if I was on a pill though, so I am overall really happy with it, once we get this spotting/bleeding sorted.
I had my mirena inserted last week. Had bad cramping on and off for about 5 days and some light bleeding.
(?TMI)My problem is that i was getting this bad pain every now and then near my vagina, like there was a cut or something down there, but couldn't really feel anything, but didn't really 'explore' due to bleeding. Anyway today i got the small mirror out and had a look and its the wires from the mirena and they are hanging to the start of my vagina and obviously rubbing...i thought they were meant to be higher up??? I feel that where they are at the moment they would cause issues when we can have intercourse again.
My questions are: Should i be able to see and feel the wires without really 'exploring' and do you think my husband will be able to feel it when we are having fun? Can the wires be trimmed?
Have 4 weeks til my next appt...
I can only just feel the wires if I go looking for them. I've never done a visual inspection.
Yeah thats how i thought it would be...but they are right there...
Yes, my wires only reach 2cm out of my cervix and they curl up from the os so i have to reach high and swirl my finger ournd the outside of my cervix to feel them.
Cooper if i were you i'd reach higher and see if the wires are going up into your cervix. If they are go back ASAP and ask for a pelvic exam with a view to have them shortened. It's possible that the whole thing has slipped lower, into the cervical canal, in which case it will not be providing contraceptive cover.
Really, getting it checked out is the best option.
Bx
Just read the whole thread....
Has anyone found this to have any effect on libido? loss of/reduction etc.
Ourlux, I haven't noticed any effect. I have heard of it happening but my ob didn't think it was that common.
Thanks, it happened to my friend, but i've heard it is rare. Since there was so many ladies here with it i thought i'd see if any had that as apart from that it sounds like a good option, and pretty much the only option for me after the birth.
Ourlux, IKWYM, it was pretty much my only option too. It does take a couple of months at least to settle, but I've just come up to the 6 month mark and I'm happy with it. Which is good because our only other option is the snip for DH and I'm not quite ready to make things that permanent.
Thanks thats good to know. I was considering the tubal ligation but i'm just not comfortable with that idea nor the snip either. The iud is sounding okay from the reports here so i'll keep an eye on this thread.
Ourlux I haven't noticed a reduction in libido either.