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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for your Mirena/hormonal iud experiences because I'm scared

27 replies

Jenala · 17/08/2018 08:07

Sorry to post in AIBU. Hoping for traffic. Having a Mirena fitted in a couple of hours and now the appointment is here I'm a bit worried. I had a copper coil a few years ago, before having children, and it was really painful afterwards. I took strong painkillers and went to bed (the copper coil was also terrible for me in general but that's another story).

Today after my appointment I've got to come home after and look after my DSs aged 3 and 1... I've heard it's not as bad after you've had children and paracetamol will be enough. But they tried to say paracetamol was enough after my c-section so I'm not especially trusting (I'm not joking. I had to ask to have ibuprofen along with paracetamol on the ward and later something stronger).

I can ask DH to come home if it's awful but obviously don't want to be a wimp. Tell me it's fine and almost painless!!!

OP posts:

RandomMess · 17/08/2018 08:09

Have it inserted was fine but I was 3 weeks post partum! I screamed like a baby having a hysteroscopy so I'm no brave warrior...

nonevernotever · 17/08/2018 08:11

I've never given birth and it was fine - nippy while they fitted it but just like minor period pain after. And I'm another wuss.

teawamutu · 17/08/2018 08:12

I love mine, been using them for 15 years at least (in-between DCs).

Bit uncomfortable when put in, but actually uncomfortable, not doctor-speak for agonising

And once it's settled down, the bliss of no periods...

Hadjab · 17/08/2018 08:12

I’m on my second, best decision I ever made. Obviously we all have different pain threshold, but I didn’t find the procedure particularly uncomfortable, no more so than having a smear test - a couple of ibuprofen for two days, and I was fine.

DomesticAnarchist · 17/08/2018 08:13

I had mine in 8 months after DC2. It was a bit stingy (cervix was stuck closed or something) but nothing awful. Ibuprofen and some deep breathing got me through it.

I had some unpredictable bleeding for most of the first year but it settled and now it's amazing. I'm one of the few who do still have periods but they're super light. (Had super heavy with the copper coil)

I love it. It's totally worth the stinginess when it was put in. And was worth persisting through the "settling in" time.

If you're worried, can you take an audiobook or listen to music or something while it's being inserted. Chances are that it'll be a much better experience post DCs.

CharltonLido73 · 17/08/2018 08:15

I won't be much help, as I had mine fitted at the same time as a hysteroscopy and under general anaesthetic (tilted womb so gynae advised the gen anaesthetic).

However, it was the best thing ever for me as I had been having ridiculously heavy periods. The coil caused the periods to stop for good. It was a godsend!

Good luck for later on! I hope it works out for you.

Doodlekitty · 17/08/2018 08:15

I, like you, had a copper before kids and thought I was going to die. I've had 2 copper since having kids with no pain at all. 6 weeks ago I had a mirena. It was uncomfortable getting it in, but not painful as such. But after I was totally fine. I looked after my 3 year old no problems
I wasn't ready for the 10 day period a week later however, but apparently that's quite common.

PurpleWithRed · 17/08/2018 08:15

I'm on my 5th I think, maybe my 6th, now part of my HRT. I had copper coils pre-kids and similar problems to yours (including fainting at work). Mirena post-kids have been a doddle - a tiny pinch on the way in or out, a bit of spotting for a few weeks with the first but not with the subsequent ones, and that's it.

IAmNotAWitch · 17/08/2018 08:17

My insertion(s) and removal have been fine. Bit of a tweak and all done. My doctor is ace though.

Luuurve my mirena, I have PCOS and previously period were an agonising bloodbath. Now I get some spotting once a month.

It also cut my migraines down a bit as well.

Fabulous thing. Remember you usually only hear the bad stuff.

Iused2BanOptimist · 17/08/2018 08:17

They're brilliant. I used to have such crap periods, and then they fizzled out to none! Bliss. Don't remember any particular discomfort having them put in and if there was it was a tiny price to pay.

DeanaWinchester · 17/08/2018 08:17

I had it done a few months ago... I wont lie yes was uncomfortable when went in at a couple of points, but bearable if you breathe through it.

Its like a scratch inside you so stings for a few seconds at 2 points, measuring and insertion. (I am hugest wimp in the world and not had kids and Dr said i had smallest cervix she'd done this on!) It made me do a sharp breath at both those points but they normally have a nurse in with you to chat to you and distract you.

Take Ibuprofen 20 mins before the appt, and then alternate every 2 hrs with that and paracetamol. You'll get waves of pain like really bad cramps but just try and do as little as you can get away with today, I managed to go shopping though then spend rest of the day on the sofa with hot water bottle...might be a TV day for the kids!

Good luck! best thing I ever did and wish had done it years ago :)

OwlinaTree · 17/08/2018 08:17

I felt really awful after I had my first one fitted. Second one was much easier, whether it just went in easier or I was more mentally prepared I don't know, but or was much more manageable.

hidinginthenightgarden · 17/08/2018 08:18

Felt a little nip and that was it.
Best contraception I have ever been on.

DanSullivan · 17/08/2018 08:19

Having it put in was uncomfortable, I wouldn’t describe it as painful, but it wasn’t fun. The discomfort was similar to a smear test, but it took longer. I think the actual insertion took around 5 minutes? Maybe a little longer. Afterwards I had some cramps like period pain. I took paracetamol and ibuprofen and felt fine by the next morning. I didn’t have any bleeding immediately afterwords but I did have irregular spotting for almost a year afterwards. I had my mirena fitted to address my irregular, heavy and all round annoying periods.

MrsW85 · 17/08/2018 08:20

I've had both. The copper coil didn't agree with me at all. I had horrible, heavy, painful periods every month. I changed to the mirena and I've had no periods or cramps since. It took about 4 months to settle and I had light spottonf but that was it.

SaoirseTheSeahorse · 17/08/2018 08:21

No problem at all having mine fitted after I had dc1. I didn’t get on with it, but fitting and removing was absolutely fine.

Timeforabiscuit · 17/08/2018 08:22

I absolutely love mine, but it was a mare putting it in!

It wasnt painful as a procedure per say, but i did go wobbly afterwards and fainted as i just wanted to get away quickly afterwards and rushed.

And agree, that flipping doctor speak for uncomfortable isnt helpful - but the nurses i had were honest and clear about what was going to happen which helped immensely, the ouch part i found was more of a strong nip sensation.

If you can get childcare for the afternoon I would, or at least plan for a sofa day - i felt a bit crampy and rubbish but that may have been down to the fainting too.

Eve · 17/08/2018 08:24

I’m on my 3rd, no worse than a smear teat. You will be fine.

FaithEverPresent · 17/08/2018 08:25

Insertion was uncomfortable, like an awkward smear. I felt a bit swollen internally for a week or so afterwards.
Unfortunately I didn’t get on with it. I reckon I’m very sensitive to synthetic hormones, it gave me severe mood swings. I know other people who love theirs though.

CheerfulMuddler · 17/08/2018 08:27

Definitely easier after kids, honestly! I went screwing up my courage cos I remembered it being really awful pre-kids and was all, what? It's done?
Not painLESS, but as pp said, kind of like a smear test.

JellyBaby666 · 17/08/2018 08:30

I had a mirena without having had babies and it didn't hurt too much going in, was quite sore afterwards but some ibuprofen codeine (get them from the pharmacist SO GOOD) and regular paracetamol & hot water bottles and I was fine after a couple of hours.

Definitely take some ibuprofen about an hourish before your appointment, advice I was given by a friend who had had one before me and was thankful she had done this! Good luck.

(I loved my coil initially, no periods, no weight gain/change, no effect on libido etc, and then at about 18 months the bleeding started and the pain was unbearable - VERY odd! Mates have loved theirs all 5 years, I am sad I couldn't tolerate mine!)

BarbieBrightSide · 17/08/2018 08:35

Agree with the above - insertion was a bit uncomfortable, but no worse than that. The FPC where I had mine fitted would only fit them during a period (because the cervix is a little bit open at that point of your cycle).

I am very happy with mine. It took about 6 months for the spotting to settle down to nothing at all, but as someone who had suffered with anaemia from heavy periods for years this was great. The no periods at all is even better!

One other thing to note - I had mine fitted towards the end of a week and had raging PMT temper for the first weekend, but that soon went. If I've not gone through the menopause when this one is due to be removed I'll definitely have another fitted.

Cindas · 17/08/2018 08:44

I didn't enjoy the experience of having my womb scratched by a sharp pointy thing. The GP did spray some local anaesthetic up there first, but it didn't seem to hit the spot. It was bed and paracetamol for me after that. Any child in the house would have been left to fend for itself.

I'm not sure why a plastic pointy thing would be less painful than a copper pointy thing, unless they used to tip the copper coil with diamonds.

Get DH to come home, for sure. If you don't need an afternoon in bed after having someone jabbing at your insides, then you're made of steel.

(I'm happy to go through it all again though; just relieved that it's only every few years.)

Original poster

Jenala · 17/08/2018 10:00

Thanks for the reassuring responses. Now in the waiting room so hopefully it's all over quickly and just uncomfortable!!

I think DH wouldn't mind the afternoon off if I want it. I just keep thinking I pushed one baby out and had the other taken out - surely I can take a bit of pain for a day or two! We'll see.

OP posts:

MsHomeSlice · 17/08/2018 10:12

IMO it's the not knowing that's worst...last one i had done the Dr explained as she went along, I had one out, and the new one in, plus a smear, a polyp snipped (she was more coy about that mind!) and a womb lining check/biopsy

I found she was so quick and speedy that by the time she'd said (for example) "i am just going to do a xyz, count down from five as you breath out....." it was done, and I didn't feel I was just a project with my legs in the air waiting for some extremely personal poking

so maybe ask for that rather than the surprise approach! :o

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