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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

for it not to take at least 3 weeks before I can get someone to take my coil out??

65 replies

vbacqueen1 · 06/05/2008 10:43

Having agonised over this decision for months I have finally decided that I definitely want my hideous Mirena coil taken out. It has caused me no end of side effects so one would imagine that it would be an easy thing to arrange for it to be removed, right? Bloody WRONG! I rang my GP's surgery this morning to check if it would have to be the Practice Nurse who would do it and was told to call back in 10 minutes so they could go and check. Duly called back to be told that I would initially have to make an appointment for a consultation. Guess when? 20th of May! And Christ alone knows how long I'd then have to wait for a second appointment to take the effing thing out
I'm 41 years old. I know my own mind. This is not a whim. Why is this so difficult?

OP posts:
cheesesarnie · 06/05/2008 11:25

vbacqueen1 wow!well done you!

PinkPussyCat · 06/05/2008 11:29

When I initially had problems with my mirena my GP was quite willing to remove it there and then (I'd had it for 4 months at that stage.) So I can't understand the reluctance of others.

vbacqueen1, it's only fourteen days till the 20th! Please don't go rummaging for it yourself!

Original poster
vbacqueen1 · 06/05/2008 11:31

BeauLocks, I will be having a quiet word when I take my toddler in next week.

Cheesesarnie, statistically, a VBA3C is generally safer than a 4th CS, especially if you're full of adhesions and scar tissue.

OP posts:
pigleto · 06/05/2008 11:38

I just pulled on the string gently, I was going to stop if it hurt but it just fell out without any resistance. twice. Does it get stuck sometimes or what?

cheesesarnie · 06/05/2008 11:39

vbacqueen1 really?

i cannot imagine trying to pull out my coil!it makes me quezy!

Original poster
vbacqueen1 · 06/05/2008 11:46

cheesesarnie, yes, really.

The risks for someone who's had 3 sections as opposed to just one are so minimal it's barely worth mentioning. As long as the cuts to your uterus were horizontal lower segment (rather than vertical) and as long as you've not got some kind of pelvic deformity (rickets, bad break etc) there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to have a natural 4th birth either. Of course, you may prefer not to, but the option is always there should you choose it.

OP posts:
cheesesarnie · 06/05/2008 11:49

first was due to 'odd shaped pelvis' dd got stuck and i had failed vontouse and failed forceps so had emcs then ds1 and ds2 were elcs as i didnt want to risk that again.had to be put to sleep and didnt see her till 20 minutes after birth,id love to have vaginal births if my pelis wasnt odd.sorry im hijacking your thread!

iwouldgoouttonight · 06/05/2008 11:53

The only reason I can think that you'd need a consultation are to check you've not had sex for 7 days beforehand (if you have they sometimes won't take it out in case sperm still alive and you might get pregnant). But my GP just asked me that over the phone and I went in the next day - not surprised you're annoyed having to wait that long!

VictorianSqualor · 06/05/2008 11:55

vbacqueen, i know the risks for a VBA2C, how much higher is it for a VBA3C?
(It's Lorayn btw, I didn't get my VBA2C, ended up with a CS at 41wks)

Original poster
vbacqueen1 · 06/05/2008 11:57

have a look at this page
It may be that you really don't have a choice, but it's just as likely that your first baby was in an odd position. It's possible to get a copy of your hospital notes which should detail exactly what went wrong.
Or you could just tell me to mind my own business

OP posts:
cheesesarnie · 06/05/2008 12:00

i dont mind!its good to know options!with ds2(3rd) they said i could try vbac because he was trying to come early.but he stayed put till 37 weeks.i'll take a look at link.

Original poster
vbacqueen1 · 06/05/2008 12:01

iwouldgoouttonight - can't remember the last time I had sex (2 x bikini waxes ago at least!) so no problems there.

VictorianSqualor - how come you ended up with the CS at 41 weeks? Did you go into labour and it went wrong or just agree to the elective? Additional risk factor for VBA3C over VBA2C is negligible IMO.

OP posts:
nobodyputsBBinthecorner · 06/05/2008 16:22

i had mine out at a sexual health clinic for exactly this reason, gp was on hol!! is there a place like this near you?

VictorianSqualor · 06/05/2008 16:24

I agreed to the elective in the end, I pushed from not having the elective at 38weeks (because of poor placental flow on a doppler scan), booked it for 40weeks, cancelled and eventually went in at 41wks, however, even if I have 'poor placental blood flow' on dopplers next time I shall listen to my scans instead as DS2 was a whopping 10lb 3oz....think the placenta was working just fine!

Original poster
vbacqueen1 · 06/05/2008 16:33

I'm going to the local FPC tomorrow night

That's a tough one VictorianSqualor - ultimately you want a healthy baby and if you're being told that all is not well with placental blood flow, I defy most women not to agree to an elective. I'll do some cyber hand-holding for the next one for you though

OP posts:
bergentulip · 06/05/2008 16:50

Ok, scared now. Had Mirena put in in Jan. All seems fine, maybe I'm a bit spottier, but other than that, all seems fine.... why is it so bad? What is going to happen to me??

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 06/05/2008 19:18

I'm on my second Mirena I'm fine. No more mood swings, more importantly no more periods ..... bliss.

SilentTerror · 06/05/2008 19:34

Am having ultrasound tomorrow to find mine!
Has been in 2 yrs,but I have had odd bleeding over the last few months and apparently the GP cannot feel the threads,so it may have moved.
Am having it out though afterwards,if it is in the right place to come out!

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 06/05/2008 19:52

Oh dear Silentterror, GL for tomorrow. Yes, I think I would have mine removed after an experience like that.

Mine · 06/05/2008 20:13

has anyone had any experience of the copper coil....??
I'm having mine put in on thursday, but no matter how much research i do i'm still in two minds....
help me decide!

joyfulspike · 06/05/2008 20:20

When I had mine put in the nurse told me that if I wanted to take it out, just to pull the threads. No-one said anything about going back to the surgery to have it removed!

I love mine, no periods - yipee and instead of becoming evil incarnate every few weeks, I have a day when I eat chocolate like its going out of fashion and that's it! For me the onbly reason I'd get rid of it would be to have another child

detoxdiva · 06/05/2008 20:33

Mine - I had the copper coil fitted after dd was born and am planning to get it removed shortly as we'd like another one soon. The coil has been brilliant - completely forget I've got it, no side effects. I went for the copper one as didn't want the hormonal one, as it took 2 years for my periods to come back after I came off the pill, so figured extra hormones were not for me!

Mine · 06/05/2008 22:26

thanks detoxdiva.
i was sold on the non-hormonal thing too but more so on the fact that you won't gain weight on the copper one. The pill is really messing with my system inc weight gain.

I heard Mirena has that side effect so steering clear of that one!

Elasticwoman · 06/05/2008 22:40

I've got a copper coil; no side effects, but the threads got lost so I now have to have annual scans to see that it's in place.

cheesesarnie · 06/05/2008 22:40

thats why i wanted pill -togain weight!