Thinking about using an IUD

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2003
Thinking about using an IUD
2
Sun, 10-03-2004 - 5:24pm

I am 2 weeks into my post partum recovery and am thinking about using an IUD. My OB says that it can be used during breastfeeding, but am not sure if I want to use it. Is it true, it won't affect my milk production in any way or effect anything to do with breastfeeding my ds?


I've also heard there can be side effects like heavy periods at first, but my OB told me if they got really heavy she could give me something to help that. I am hoping that like with my dd my period doesn't come back until 6 months when I wasn't exclusivly breast feeding her anymore.


I am also wondering if having a string "down there" can be felt during sex, especially for my husband?


TIA
Sherry


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 10-03-2004 - 8:39pm
I wasn't able to breast feed so I'm not sure how it'll affect that for you....talk to your dr....I've had the MIRENA for a little over a year now.No,my dh can't feel the string.I've asked several times.Different amounts of it can be felt at different times of the month (depending on the position of your cervix)-sometimes I can feel just the tip and the other times I can feel actual string....The first 3 months or so I had heavier periods lasting 16+ days and coming every 2 weeks.After the first few months this stopped and they went back to just once a month-they were still slightly heavy.They got lighter each month after that to where at about 9 months or so I basicly spotted for a few days.I've had it for over a year now and if I have a period I basicly spot for a day or so...Recently I went 10 weeks w/o a period and spotted for 16 days to make up for it-in my case,the longer I go w/o a period the more days I spot....That's somewhat normal.It's also normal for some women to "stop" having periods after a year or so of use.Some women have them every now and then and for others they stop all together.All in all I love it! I went from using a double pack of kotex overnights each month to now just using a few pantiliners.It was slightly painful being put in--LOTS of pressure--even though my dr used a deadening shot "down there" it still hurt.I had cramps that came and went-some were pretty bad but they went away.Ibuprofen helped.Now basicly I get little twinges around "that time of them month" to let me know it's about that time....Each woman's different so there's no way to know how you'll react to it....GOOD LUCK

www.mirena.com/

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2004
Sun, 10-03-2004 - 9:36pm
Sherry,

I have had the Copper T (Paraguard) IUD since early May... the first AF after it was inserted... or I should say during the insertion was pretty heavy for me, and I felt a little bit crampy, which I never usually feel. I have the most uneventful periods. Anyway, after that first time, everything returned to normal. No cramps, no heavy bleeding.

My SO can feel the string during IC. But he really enjoys this, he says it makes IC more exciting and more pleasurable. He says he really gets off on feeling it there, because he feels like he's trying to beat it, get one past the goalie, so to speak... We no longer use condoms, so there's always the chance he could get one past. But I feel empowered because I know I'm doing what I can to prevent pg. I'm pretty confident that nothing will get past. IUD's have a pretty good success rate.

As for interfering with breastfeeding, the Paraguard IUD contains no hormones at all so it shouldn't interfere with breastfeeding at all.

My opinion is Go For It.

Sorry for the length,

Jenn

"Many Persons have a wrong idea what constitutes true happiness.  It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."  Helen Keller