I am now the proud owner of a Mirena IUD

[Ellen Forradalom]

Owchie on the insertion. Everybody please bring me cups of chamomile tea, rub my belly, and fuss over me.

[Heddi]

1. Oh, I want one of those!

I'm 30 and have no plans for children---neither does hubby (thankfully!). I had been on Depo for about 7 years and needed/wanted a change. So I read about Mirena and went to Planned P'hood to talk to them about it---turns out my uterus is too small :( so I got the NeuvaRing instead.

Hope it works out for you! I've heard good things about it from people who have one. One thing I read, though, was that sometimes they don't cut the strings short enough at first, so your partner may feel a little tickle-poke down there. They (the MD's) like to give it time I guess to settle in, and that's why they don't cut the strings as short (not all do this). So if he feels it, go back to your MD and see if they can snip it a bit :)

[REP]

2. I Went for a Tubal Ligation by Fulguration

I may have mentioned my stand on children (NO!) and instead of going with something that would cause even more cramping and have to be taken out, I had my tubes burnt out (tubal ligation by fulguration). I was able to take my laundry to the laundromat the morning after it was done, and I don't have to worry about strings and infections ... or sperm poisoning!

Since you've reached the "age of reason" (your thirties) you may have an easier time finding a surgeon who won't think you'll "change your mind" if you insist on controlling your fertility. It can be hard to find a doctor who isn't a whackjob when it comes to sterilization, but it does seem to be getting easier!

[Ellen Forradalom]

9. Nothing like Being Done with It

This is as close to that as I can get.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

5. Don't cut have the strings cut short!

Trust me on this one. Several years ago, I had the Paraguard IUD and the strings were cut short as short as possible. It always poked my ex. Not good. When I went in for the Mirena last month, that was my biggest concern. My midwife explained to me that it's better to keep them slightly longer and they'll wrap a little around your cervix and your partner will then not feel a thing. She was right!

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. The gyn cut them to about a centimeter

Hopefully that'll work.

[RebelOne]

3. Many years ago, I had an IUD.

It worked fine for a couple of years, then my body started to reject it and I was hemorrhaging. Finally, I had to have it removed.

[ThomCat]

4. Ow. The things woman have to deal with...

I'm very sorry. It would be nice if there was a birth control pill or some-such for men.

Of course, would you trust us to take it?

[Iniquitous Bunny]

6. I got one too last month.

Yeah, the insertion sucked. I had a Paraguard a few years back (gave me awful periods, so it had to come out), but I had just had a baby a few weeks before so maybe pain was still fresh enough in my head, the insertion hurt less. It wasn't so bad though. My only problem was that my first period after lasted two weeks! (Supposedly, that only happens to 20% of women.) Still though, it was light and zero cramps! Libido is way better than it is on the pill and I also tend to gain weight with the pill's estrogen, so hopefully the 10-15 pounds I put on the last year and a half on the stupid pill will come off.

Overall, I can't complain. I just can't wait for when my body completely adjust though, so no more spotting.

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. Libido better?

Hey, I'm down with that.

Now if they could come up with an equally convenient way to deliver my other regular medications.