copper coil

[danmae]

i am booked to have the copper coil fitted in a few weeks.

would love to know your experiances with it. i think i am getting cold feet. have two friends with coil [marina i think] both said it too a long time to settle and one was very crampy sore to the point of not being fit to look after dc's for a few days.

i am 32 and feel my family is complete but dont want to be sterilsed just in case i have a change of heart but dont think i will.

might be just nerves but every time i thing about it my tummy turns.

anyone with good experiances?

[BitOfFun]

It's fine. Read up on what to expect, but it's no biggie.

[gingerbaby]

Agree with BOF. It's nothing compared to labour! I had cramps for about two hours, just like period pain and now nothing, no pain, less bleeding during my period, easy peasy. Give it 6 months though, some people need settling in time.

[going]

Mine was fine when it was fitted, just a little crampy for a short time after. I love the fact that it is such a convenient contraception but I have had issues with it it.

[DrivenToDistraction]

I have a copper coil, I'm very happy indeed with my it and although I would like to be sterilised when DS (DC 2) is older the 1 in 200 failure rate scares me stiff so I may well just stick with the coil...

It was fitted when DS was 8 weeks old and the procedure was absolutely fine. A bit uncomfortable, a bit like a long smear test but without the horrid scraping. I had no pain during or after the fitting, no cramps and no bleeding. They advise taking a couple of painkillers before you go, but I forgot.

I've just had my first period with it (8 months after it was fitted, due to BF) and it was no heavier and less painful than my pre-pregnancy periods. I'd expected my period to be longer, heavier and more painful with the coil but apparently not!

Maybe I've had an easier time than most because it was fitted so soon after birth and had all those non-fertile months to settle in.

[ShowOfHands]

I have one. Took a few months to settle down. My periods are longer and heavier but manageable now. The first 3 post fitting were v heavy indeed, shockingly so. It has settled down immeasurably.

It's such a relief to not have to worry about contraception for 10 years.

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

I have the Mirena coil. Chosen over the copper coil because I had bad, painful periods before and in-between DC.

It has worked a dream on that front. No periods at all! I'm on my second one and it is infinitely prefarable to the alternatives.

But. It did take months to settle down. During that time I had spotting on and off and mild cramps which wore me down. I got to the point of nearly having it removed after about 6 months.

This does not happen to everyone and I am very glad I persevered. It may just be that I had the first one inserted when my cervix and womb were very grumbly - 3 months post DS2.

I have had no problems with the second one (they last 5 years). As an aside, GP friend tells me that Mirena is helpful in menopause. Something about the fact that if you then have HRT, you don't need progesterone as it's already in the coil.

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

Oh, and also, you have no womb lining (same with copper coil, I think), so less chance of tumours in the womb.

Check this out, though

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

preferable

[DONTtouchMUMSspecialJUICE]

i had one for about 6 months.

i have very very light periods without it.

so came as a shock to be getting VERY heavy period last 10-12 days every 6 weeks.

and... i kept getting migraines 10 days after my period had left. de-abilitating(sp?) ones. couldn't face light so couldn't go outdoors. not that i could anyway as ws using supers tampons and still needed pads too or within the hour i was leaked through.

the heaviness of my periods and the lingering thought some people class it as an abortifacient rather than a method of contraceptive left me a little concerned it was not a healthy option for me.

[watercress]

I have had a Mirena coil fitted in the past and am going to have another one fitted soon.

Last time I had a bit of cramping after the fitting, but it didn't even warrant painkillers (I walked to and from the surgery - 20 minutes away). I bled pretty much conitnuously, albeit very lightly, for six weeks, then nothing. No periods, no pain. It was brilliant.

And the removal was fine too.

[GypsyMoth]

Abortifacient??

What do you mean?

[getthewineinthefridge]

don't get mirena, side effects are - i am going to get mine taken out and will be asking about copper coil instead.

problems nothing to do with it being put in etc, so although a bit uncomfortable etc, it's no big deal on that front.

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

It stops a fertilised egg implanting in the womb, rather than stopping fertilisation in the first place.

However, the Mirena also works by, in some cases, stopping ovulation, and also thickening the cervical mucus so the sperm can't get through

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

Don'ttouch - was that the copper coil you were talking about ?

[CrankyTwanky]

TBB, it terminates any pregnancy that occurs rather than preventing pregnancy.

[GypsyMoth]

Oh I see!
Well I have had copper coil 2 years with no probs whatsoever.

[DONTtouchMUMSspecialJUICE]

yes i had copper.... the one without the hormones.. so doesn't have any effect on egg production.

you still get the egg... just the coil stops it from implanting.

technically... the egg can be fertilised, then coil just stops it implanting .. effectively aborting egg.

it also causes there to be extra mucus to make it harder for sperm to reach the egg.

but like all contraceptive. not 100%.. and there is a slightly raised chance of eptopic pregnancy.

there has been a lot of debate on the subject of it being contraceptive or abortifacient

i'm still a bit on the subject... but none of the medical staff at surgery or family planning actually took time to explain to me fully how it worked.

i probably wouldn't have got it in first place if i had known.

when i questionned it i was told it was highly unlikely an egg could be fertilised.but it is possible(otherwise how could people still get pregnant and have eptopic pg while on coil as this does happens) figures were 98 %.... to me... thats 2 eggs in every 100.... over 10 yr period that made me a bit uneasy

if you can take hormones(i cant)... go for the one with the hormones so your stopping eggs and implantation.

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

Not 2 eggs in every 100. 2 people.

[lilmissmummy]

I cant take hormones so the copper coil was perfect for me. I had it for 4 years with no problems - my periods were 1 day longer but no heavier.

Really pleased with it and will have it put back in once this baby is born. Would highly recommend it as most of the people I know now have it with no issues.

I didnt find it painful to have put in, didnt feel it at all when it was in and it was taken out with no issue at all.

[DONTtouchMUMSspecialJUICE]

jamie - we will agree to disagree about the way we interpret that 98%

oh - i didn't find it any worse than smear to have put in. and no cramping. also very easily removed. periods returned to my normal heavyness straight away.

dp did notice it when in though for firt few months till the threads softened. had to go back and get them trimmed as he was complaining of feeling "tangled up" ... seriously i did the face at him

[2tontess]

I've had a copper coil for the last 12 months and I'm about to get it removed. Have started the pill today to make sure I'm covered for when it's taken out next week.

Fitting it was no problem physically, a little crampy but nothing significant. You do have to time it to coincide with the heavier part of your period as this is when your cervix is most low and open and therefore it's easier to fit. Timing your heaviest day along with an available GP and nurse to accompany her can be somewhat difficult.

I am having mine removed as my periods have become significantly heavier (have recently discovered Lillet's Super Elite, one up from super plus ). I also take Tranexamic Acid which is a tablet you can take for heavy periods that I can't recommend enough.

I also suffer from bloating and horrendous PMT, I'm not sure how much of that is related to the coil or just my 'natural' hormones. My mum also suffered the same problems when she had the coil fitted.

Have to admit I am disappointed as it seemed the perfect solution and most people I know get along with it ok.

[Rayrayray]

2tontess - I am having my copper coil removed next week - 7 days from now. If I start the pill now (I still have some left over from before I had coil fit), will I be covered with contraception? I have searched the internet over and over and I cannot find this information anywhere!

[BananaPudding]

I've had a copper coil for eight years. Having it fitted was uncomfortable but not unbearable and only took a minute. My periods have been slightly heavier, but cramps are generally the same as ever. Tbh I am very glad I have it. I can't take hormonal ccontraceptives, am allergic to latex and had a very dangerous pregnancy with dd so we are reluctant to risk it again.

I have a 12-year one; in four years I am going to try to convince dh to get the snip, since he is the one who doesn't want more children.

[2tontess]

Ray, yes, you do need to take the pill 7 days before the coil is removed. Sperm can survive up to 7 days post sex therefore it's best to make sure your covered

[AstronomyDomine]

I'm on my second copper coil - 1st one 3 years, changed to 2nd newer version ... been in 3 years, 2 years to go before it'll need changing.
A little crampy when it was put in but no bleeding, no need for pain killers, totally forget it's there.
The only things that's a bit odd (although I'm used to it now) was that my periods changed. They used to be crampy before coming on, then bleed quite heavily for a day or two then dwindle off to nothing by day 4 and then stop.
Now I get no cramps before hand (but my boobs are rock hard, massive and quite painful about 3 days before coming on) and it's very light when it starts. Then the cramps hit and it's heavy after 3 days, heavy for a day or two, then practically nothing (don't need tampons just evidence when wiping!) - the whole thing lasts a week.

Having said that I wouldn't use anything else - the pill doesn't agree with me at all and a friend of mine now has a 4 year old little girl after having the mirena coil fitted