I actually just got it a few weeks ago. I have not had any kids/never been pregnant. The day it went in, it was quite uncomfortable. They suggest taking a couple motrin an hour before. By that night, I felt pretty much back to normal. A bit of heat and babying myself, and life was back to normal.

They trim the strings quite short (the nurse practitioner said 2cm). My husband and I have had a test run with it, and he said he couldn't feel it and like your man...he is blessed in that dept, so he would have if the strings were too long.

I haven't gained any weight with it, and in fact, I feel much better about it than I did with the pill.

I love this thread! I had my third baby in November and I went on a pill (Aviane) after, but that's been bad. I'm scheduled to get my Mirena next week.

Question-did any of you ever have bad mood issues with PMS before Mirena? It would get so bad, I would either weep over nothing or get extremely irritable (usually both). I also got terrible headaches for the first day or two of my period, and terrible fatigue. I sometimes took off work on the first day of my period, everyone involved was much safer that way.

With Aviane, I'm back to my normal PMS-self and my period IS lighter but it's also spread out over about 3 weeks so I suppose that's to be expected.

If you had any of the mood or headache issues, did they improve at all for you with Mirena? I like the idea of the period getting lighter or disappearing but my main issue hasn't been that as much as the moodiness.

I asked my doctor and she basically said my headaches might get better because I won't have estrogen withdrawal every month. She said the hormones will only act on my uterus, so that makes it sound like it won't really hurt my mood but also won't help it.

I just wanted to hear subjective experiences regarding mood if anyone has anything to say!

As far as the insertion, I don't suppose anyone here has had their membranes stripped during pregnancy? I am guessing the insertion will be similar to that level of discomfort but I was wondering if that was on target. It sounds like it might be, the reactions here are about as varied as they are for membrane stripping. If it is, I know I won't be looking forward to it but I have survived it twice, one more time can't be the end of the world!

I can't get the mirena now. Gonna have to stay on the pill I suppose. It's wayyyyyy too expensive even with my insurance. Really disappointed.

I am sorry, that sucks. I was going to get mine last year after I had my baby because we met our deductible for the year but they couldn't fit me in before January, so I chose the pill. Since that hasn't been good for me I just need to go for it. It's ridiculous how insurance companies decide our fates.

I chose the Paragard IUD (copper, no hormones, 10yrs) almost 6 yrs ago when my doctor refused tubal ligation due to my age (24) and I was only on my second child. I chose it over Mirena bc I always had reactions to hormones on the pill and would have to change types almost every yr or so.

I love it. Because there aren't hormones, I don't have to worry about the moodiness I used to get and weight gain was just from me. The only thing is, it doesn't regulate your period at all and I am more crampy then I was on the pill. But, since I don't have to worry about taking a pill everyday, it's so worth it.

I LOVE Mirena. Same opinion as the rest - extremely uncomfortable at insertion. I have already had 4 kids and many D&Cs and this was right up there with the discomfort, but I would do it again.

No weight gain.

But one weird thing...The first year I had it, my boyfriend's penis could feel it during deep penetration. Sorry if TMI. Good news, 4 years later, it can no longer be felt by that particular appendage. Seems like the Mirena strand has retracted up somewhere in my cervix.


OMG. Did I really just post that? Gotta love anonymous forums! haha