birth control- IUD

My six week check up at the OBGYN after giving birth was fairly uneventful.  At the end of my appointment my doctor asked me if I had given any thought to the type of birth control I wanted to use going forward.  I told her that I had not really thought about it but just assumed that I would go back on the Pill.  She said that that was a fine option but that I should also consider an IUD (intrauterine device).  This, in her opinion, would be ideal choice for a busy mother of two.  I would not have to remember to take it everyday, like the Pill, and I could choose between a five year and ten year IUD. This means that I don’t have to think about it again for either five or ten years, depending on which one I decided to use.  My doctor said that if I decided to get pregnant again, all I had to do was make an appointment and have it removed. The best part was that there were really no side effects and that it was over 99% effective.  She said that the only side effects she’d seen were very mild bloating from 2 patients after the IUD was placed in the uterus. 

This sounded too good to be true so I asked her what the catch was.  I could not imagine why something this good, with no side effects, wouldn’t be the hottest new trend.  No one I knew was on it and the only thing I had heard about IUD’s was from my mother.  She said that she tried it after giving birth to my sister and it was really uncomfortable so she had it removed.  My doctor insisted that IUDs have come a long way since my mother had used one and that they were completely painless.  For those of you not familiar with what an IUD is, it is a t-shaped, plastic device inserted into the uterus by a health care professional. They prevent pregnancy by inhibiting fertilization of the egg. Although not entirely known, it is believed that the IUDs affect the way the sperm and egg move and/or affect the lining of the uterus to prevent implantation of the egg.  There are two kinds of IUDs: one that lasts for five years and one that lasts for ten.

The five year IUD is called Mirena.  It is coated with progesterone so it is supposed to make your period shorter and lighter.  The ten year IUD is called Paragard.  It is made with copper. It is marketed as the more convenient IUD because you do not have to replace it for 10 years and it is less expensive than the Mirena.  The downside is that you will be crampier and have longer periods.  My doctor said she would recommend the Mirena.  She said it is more popular because it makes everyone’s periods so short and light.

After reading the literature my doctor gave me about the IUDs I was really excited about getting one. It would be so easy and I would not have to think about birth control for five or ten years.  However, I still had a nagging reservation that it sounded too good to be true.  Nothing this good came without side effects.  I decided to then do some internet research of my own…

I found that common IUD side effects are:

·               Mood changes

·               Weight gain

·               Acne

·               Headaches

·               Breast tenderness

·               Pelvic pain

·               Cramping (copper IUD)

·               Increased bleeding during menstruation (copper IUD)

·               Nausea

Aside from the increased bleeding during menstruation, the IUD side effects sounded a lot like the parts of my pregnancy that I was more than happy to be done with!  I could not imagine voluntarily deciding to recreate these unpleasant side effects for five-ten years without a happy conclusion like a baby to make it all worth while.

Now the choice is obviously yours, but when the facts were put into prospective for me I decided that I was happy to be done with my pregnancy and I did not need to inflict those symptoms upon myself again, voluntarily.  The Pill is just fine for me!

Karen White (BebeBuzz) is a mother of two and the Founder/President of Bebebuzz.com.  She also runs an online baby boutique at http://boutique.bebebuzz.com, featuring unique and trendy baby gifts that any savvy new parent would be excited to receive. 

BebeBuzz.com is a site built in response to the tons of questions that the baby books just don't cover. Filled with tips tricks and advice for surviving pregnancy and motherhood.

“Please visit my site, and keep the Minti feedback coming.” ~Karen