Did you fall pregnant when you had a coil?

[MissRabbitNeedsAHoliday]

Doctor has recommended I have a minera coil. I'm suffering from really bad migraines and all other contraceptives I've tried since are making them worse (other than condoms obviously)
Was fine to try it and see how it goes but suddenly anyone ive mentioned it to knows someone who fell pregnant when they had a coil! Please tell me this isn't true? Surely if they weren't reliable they wouldn't reccomend them?
I've read that you need to check it's in the correct place, and if it's not then your not protected, but is it really that common? I'm not ready for another baby so long term suits me, but what worries me more than falling pregnant is that I've read that it can be dangerous for the baby if you fall pregnant with one? Should I be rethinking this or am I just worrying about nothing?
Meant to be having it put in next week. Thanks! (Sorry that was longer than I intended )

• Mirena

My mum got pregnant with my youngest brother with a coil in. I don't know which one it was in particular though.

Mirena coil was amazing for me. No periods! I had one for 5 years then exchanged for a new one 2 years. Had it removed for TTc In the summer.

So yes it was very reliable for me! It’s the hassle free option. And I will 100% be having one put In after this baby has arrived!

I know many many women who have a coil and none who have become pregnant on it although a few have pulled them out with mooncups. I understand you are at an increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy if you do conceive though.

I'm having my 4th copper coil next month, it's been great for me. I did accidentally pull out my first using my moon cup! But had the strings shorter the next one and it's been fine

They are extremely reliable but pregnancy will happen to a very small percentage.

I have had copper coils in continuously for the last twenty years and touch wood, so far so good! Just had a new one put in yesterday which should see me through the next seven years. 🤞

Im sure they work well for most people but I don’t believe coils are anywhere near as reliable as they say they are. I had a nightmare with the copper coil (it supposedly fell out without me noticing and I know 2 people who have fallen pregnant with the mirena. When I phoned the midwife after my mishap she said ‘you’d be surprised, we see quite a lot of women who are pregnant with the coil in utero’. Doctor didn’t seem at all surprised either.

The Mirena is very very reliable, more so than female sterilisation and as reliable as a vasectomy (0.2% failure rate). Every form of contraception has a failure rate, but there is no lower failure rate and no user error to worry about. In the very unlikely attempt that you become pregnant on it, you would have to make a decision on whether to attempt to have it removed, which does carry a risk of miscarriage, but reduces the chance of the pregnancy being complicated.

If it would really be an utter catastrophe to get pregnant, you could also consider condoms/NFP or a vasectomy for your partner.

I had one through my twenties and thirties , I’m highly fertile and ovulate from both sides and have been pregnant with twine - also very ahem active and nothing happened to me . All anecdotal obvs. Just had another one put in and very relieved

I got pregnant with the copper coil which had gone AWOL. I have no idea when it fell out. I've also had 2 mirenas which were perfect.

I think it's to do with the skill of the inserter. With the copper one it was painful and i had dramatic, painful periods. With the mirena i barely felt it going in and it was fab.

I would recommend the coil overall.

Thanks everyone. Mostly good responses so feeling a bit better about it now!

If it would really be an utter catastrophe to get pregnant, you could also consider condoms/NFP or a vasectomy for your partner. It wouldn't be a total catastrophe just not really in the plans at the moment as were due to get married and looking to buy a bigger house before another baby if we decide to have one. We are at the stage at the moment dd is almost 2 and we don't know if we want another. Dp has said he will get a vasectomy when/if we have another as I'm struggling a bit with contraception choices. I was on the combined pill for years and never had any issues but since having dd I cant seem to tolerate that, the combined pill or the implant so the coil is like last chance saloon really!

I did, I had the copper coil, and pregnancy with a coil fitted has a high chance of causing that pregnancy to be workpiece.

The people I know in real life who fell pregnant on it were on the copper coil. I wonder if it's because due to the lack of hormones copper coil causes few side effects - which means if it's fallen out you are less likely to notice.

Agree that seems to be related to the skill of the inserter, which unfortunately as the patient we have limited control over. I always choose a busy sexual health clinic over a GP for insertion of any contraceptive devices for this reason.

I had an ectopic pregnancy with a mirena coil. It stopped my periods. Despite two healthy pregnancies I had no symptoms. I collapsed due to internal bleeding and after six hours of emergency surgery I lost a Fallopian tube and ovary. I was told that the incidents of ectopic pregnancies with the coil are higher. That said I don't know the percentages. Needless to say after such a scare I sent my husband for the snip.

@anonengland sorry you had that experience, it must have been awful. That's what I'm most scared of about it I think.

I was meant to have a mirena fitted on Tuesday. I rescheduled the appointment as am waiting for smear/colposcopy results.

I’m also slightly nervous about pregnancy on the mirena as I had Dd 12 weeks ago and was on the pill when I got pregnant.

My friend fell pregnant on the mirena.

Most are pregnant before it's fitted or don't check their threads monthly to make sure it's in the right place. Working in a sexual health clinic you would be surprised at the amount of women who lie about the last sex they have had etc. Just to get it fitted and think they are immune to being pregnant because they don't want to be. Also quite surprising is we have a few doctors in the area who are incompetent at fitting coils but do anyway and we fix those who come in with coils half hanging out or not put in properly, we have reported those doctors but nothing is happening so far. So if it's fitted properly and you have not had sex since your last period and have confirmed with a pregnancy test before fitting it's the best form of contraception you can have. Only ever seen one person pregnant with a coil and she was pregnant before it was fitted and that's with us fitting 100 a week.

I was told that the incidents of ectopic pregnancies with the coil are higher.

You're actually much less likely to have an ectopic pregnancy with an IUD in than if you aren't using contraception. But because IUDs are so good at preventing intrauterine pregnancies, if you do manage to get pregnant with an IUD, it is relatively much more likely to be ectopic.

TL;DR you are actually less likely than the general population to have an ectopic pregnancy when using an IUD (because you are least likely to get pregnant at all). But if you are one of the tiny minority who does become pregnant on one, a larger proportion of those rare pregnancies are ectopic than those in people using another form of contraception or no contraception.

I'll admit mine went AWOL and i had not been checking the threads, i didn't and still don't understand what to look for. I have a very high cervix and don't think I'd be able to feel them anyway