Birth Control - Abilene,TX

Look at Paraguard...it is also an IUD but it is non-hormonal and it lasts for 10 yrs. It is made out of copper

I went with an IUD. I couldn't handle the side effects from the pill, and was told if my body couldn't handle the pill, other chemical forms would be worse. I have had no bad side effects from it. It cost $450 and is good for 10 years. I had one for 5 years, then when I wanted to be pregnant, had it removed. Upon the birth of my 3rd child, I didn't want more children, but sterilization was too permanent for me, so I had another IUD put in. I have had it for 8 1/2 years with no side effects.

You could get the Paraguard, no hormones, much better then Mirena. It also lasts for up to 10 years.

i have the mirena, i did not gain any weight and i did have periods the first 1 1/2 years but i dont have one any more, and im going on my 3rd year this august. they are extremely light and last a day or so if i do. overall i would recommend it. u feel nothing and no babies!!

I had the Mirena for about a year. I thought that it would be the best option for me, as I thought that we were done having children (but didn't want to totally close that do forever)....we had 6 at the time. So after our 6th was born, I had it placed. At first it was nice, as I couldn't feel it, I didn't have to worry about having condoms handy or having to remember to take a pill. But for me it didn't seem to work the way that they proclaim on the commericals. I never did have a shorter period than before, although they did get much lighter than they previously were. I went from having a 7 day period that was really heavy to a 14 day really light. I thought that if I waited it out that it would be better, but after a year, it wasn't. Then came the kicker. Right before I decided it wasn't worth having in, I started bleeding REALLY heavy and passed several large clots of blood, like I was having a miscarriage. I went in to the doctor and she couldn't understand what was happening. She tried to find the IUD and couldn't find the string. Did an ultrasound and thought that she saw it and tried to remove it, but couldn't. I ended up having a D&C to have the IUD removed because she thought that it had implanted into my uterus. After the D&C, we were told that it wasn't even in my body anymore....they didn't find it. We aren't sure where it went or what happened, but it was pretty scary. Now the commericals that I have seen tell you that this might happen, but they didn't when I had it placed 2 yrs ago. If I had known that this could have happened, I think I woudl have thought twice about getting one. Then after having the IUD removed it took us 9 months to concieve our next child (due in July 2010), no idea if the IUD had anything to do with the length of time, but usually it would only take us a month or 2 to get pregnant. I know that this is a little lengthy, and each women has their own experiences with any type of birth control, but consider your options very carefully and good luck with the decision.

you should Google "Natural Family Planning". It's a very precise method of birth control without any hormones. There are several days of abstinence through the month; however my husband and I have used this method for 8 years and have never had an unplanned pregnancy.

I had the Mirena for 5 years and LOVED it... just got it out and am now PG again.. got PG one month after removal. I had slight cramping with insertion.. but never cramping again.. never felt it..and didn't have a period for 4 1/2 years. I didn't have any weight gain either.

Good luck!

I have had the Mirena for two years and have LOVED it! The only time I felt cramping was when they put it in. I have not noticed any significant weight gain either. I was scared at first too, my Dr answered all my questions and eased my mind. The only "issue" I would say I've had is that my hubby could feel the strings during sex and I had to have them cut down twice. Since then he can no longer tell it's there. My periods are reduced down to light spotting now as well. Anyway hope this helps. Good luck!

Hey J.,

I also have two children and haven't decided whether we are done or not. I also HATED being on the pill. I gained a significant amount of weight and had other issues that made my time on it miserable. After my second child's birth I talked to my doctor and decided to go with mirena. I love it! My periods are much lighter (if I have one) and while I still do have cramping, it's nothing like they were before. I have been able to lose 30lbs over the last 6 months and feel great. I know everyone reacts to things differently, but my experience on mirena has been very positive. I also know several women who decided to try it too, and all of them have liked it better than pills or shots.
Good luck with whatever route you chose.

I got my mirena after my 3rd child in November. I LOVE it now, but have not forgotten the 3 months of constant spotting. It was annoying, not miserable or heavy. I felt crampy for about 3 weeks, but only took an advil the first 2 days. Now, I have super light periods, really not much more than spotting. My husband has never felt a thing. So even though it took a while for my body to adjust, I'm really glad I got it. No weight gain. Since I'm sure we're done having kids, 3 months of spotting was well worth 15 years of piece of cake birth control (since you don't have the spotting/cramping when they change it out at 5 years for a new one).

Good luck,

How about the iud.when u do go with a more permanent solution, who says u r the one that needs to make the sacrafice.after all it takes two, the male has a responsability also...

I would rethink the Mirena. I am on my second (6 1/2 years) w/ no periods! I have had no side effects. The cramping comes after it is inserted for about an hour or two - that's it. Having kids are a lot more painful. Weight gain comes from eating, not an IUD. My weight gain came from getting older, my kids are older so I am not chasing them around anymore and eating more. It did not coincide with the insertion of the IUD. Plus, there are no monthly mood swings, bloating or cramping - yeah! One very important thing to consider though, go to a doctor that is very familiar with the Mirena. It is not like regular IUDs so the doc needs to understand the differences and how it is to be inserted. Getting the Mirena is one of the best things I have ever done for myself...

I use a natural method known as the Creighton Model. It is very effective without any of the side effects that come from the pill, iud's, etc. There is a period of abstinence each month for those who are wanting to avoid getting pregnant, but it is well worth it for my own health and peace of mind. Check out their website: http://www.creightonmodel.com/

Hi J., I got mirena about a year ago and seem to be doing great. No periods and little to no side effects. Before mirena I got "the shot" and that seemed to cause more weight gain. With mirena there was some cramping at the beginning but not anymore. I don't know if you know but mirena lasts up to five years.

hope this helps
nessa

I could feel my mirena IUD a lot of the time and especially during intercourse, not enough for me to rush in to take it out but annoying, I never had issues with cramping or anything. And if you ever get into a car accident with it in get it check or you might be in for a little surprise!

If I had it to do over I would never have gotten the mirena put in. I did have shorter periods; in fact, I did not HAVE a period for most of the year and a half I had it in. (I LOVED this fact, don't get me wrong). I did feel it there, however, and it kind of hurt at times...almost hurt if I changed position suddenly. That is hard to describe.

I also gained weight terribly.
After my first child I was put on the mini-pill and ended up discontinuing use because I never could remember to take it at the same time each day. I exclusively nursed her and after she started on solids I continued nursing until she was 14 months old (that's when I found out I was pregnant with number two). During her first six months I not only lost the 25lbs I'd gained while pregnant, but also another 40lbs I attribute to nursing...I mean, I didn't do ANYTHING else differently.
After my second I had a mirena IUD placed. She nursed the same amount of time. I would actually say she nursed MORE and, on top of that, I was more active AND chasing two around at that point. I didn't lose a pound. I gained 15 pounds over and above the 30 I'd gained while in my second pregnancy.

We chose to have the IUD removed and to try for number three. It took another year and a half to conceive again. Our first two were little blessings we didn't have to try at all for. I got pregnant 11 months into our marriage and I was pregnant again 14 months after I'd given birth (we were actually preventing, or so we thought). It was frustrating that for exactly 17 months I kept seeing that negative. I'd actually given up and decided that I had secondary infertility at the age of 26, after two pregnancies. Apparently I was wrong, but those things shoot so many hormones that if you leave them in any length of time you're much less likely to conceive right away as they tell you that you can.

I'm on my third Mirena and LOVE it! I have gained some weight (15 lbs.) after the birth of my 2nd child almost 8 years ago, but I don't know if it's related to the Mirena or just unhealthy eating and a lack of exercise. I still have a regular cycle but I hardly bleed at all. I know several people lose their period altogether. I HIGHLY recommend the Mirena!

I have the paragaard IUD. It is non hormonal and is good for 10 years. The copper on it is what prevents pregnancy. I had some cramping (sit down cramping) for the first 6 months before each period. But now the cramping is at a minimal.

an option that no one else has mentioned is the Nuvaring..it does work off hormones but since it stays in place and releases a more constant dosage, it requires less hormones than the pill. you only have to remember it twice a month, once to put it in and once to take it out. Its not hard to put it in (no harder than a tampon), My dr. said that most men can't feel it during sex, and most of the ones that do say it doesn't bother them, and my husband agrees thats what I used before we started ttc and I loved it, found it much more convenient than the pill, and the patch

Love the mirena - I had one just after my first child was born, kept it for about 3 yrs and had it removed so we could begin trying for the second. The first implant was great, I had no periods at all, not even spotting. I did not gain weight or notice any side effects. I got the mirena after my second child also and I still love it, though this time around I do have spotting but it is only every couple of months. Almost everything will have the possibility of some type of reaction or side effect but the mirena was perfect for us. It is easy to implant and remove and can be done in a short office visit. I only had to pay one copay (rather than a monthly copay) and I don't have to remember to do anything (like take a pill). It really is a worry free option. Do what you think is best for you. Good Luck!