Mirena and Periods...can someone advise please?

[pie]

I've had my mirena in for about 5 weeks now. On the day I had it put in I had some bleeding, then nothing (I'm b/f) but for the past week I've had on and off bleeding, not spotting, bleeding, enough for me to use tampons. As I had nothing for 5 weeks is this likely to be a period? It stops and starts a fair bit, I've got tummy cramps and have been as grumpy as hell. If this is a period can the Mirena make it start and stop? If the Mirena is causing the bleeding and its not a period why would it only have started now?

Anyone? Please? I feeling very paranoid I'm ovulating again and with my track record I might take extra precautions.

When I had mine put in I was told it can take up to 6 months for your periods to settle down.

You shouldn't need to take extra precautions though, as the coil itself acts as double protection (presuming it has the hormone in it too).

If you are worried at all, go see your doctor or family planning clinic (whoever inserted it) although I presume you will be going in the next week or so anyway for your 6 week check?

Mine haven't settled down completely yet, but are a lot better than they were before I had the coil put in.

I understand your fears about extra precautions, as DS2 was conceived while I had a coil in! But it wasn't Mirena, so I am a bit more hopeful that it will work lol

Sorry if this doesn't help you much, but I would say talk your fears over when you go for your 6 week check

I had one fitted about 3 months ago and for the same very reason was considering having it taken out. They do mention that you can have on off bleeding (break through bleeding) for up to 6 months and then after that your periods may even stop completely or certainly be lighter. I had period pain most days and very heavy bleeding one day, spotting the next etc etc but it has now settled down. You can still have periods with this a coil but what it does is stops the egg from implanting in the womb, so theoretically it can still be fertilised but doesn't progress from that. The hormones that this coil releases is considered to be (by manufacturers) 100% full proof and the hormones have the added benefit of possibly stopping periods altogether. After 3 months i haven't bled now for about 6 weeks and even then it was only for 2 days, obviously everyone's different. Don't worry about it it's just your body adjusting.

Only about of 1/3 of women with mirena get no periods at all. I didn't get any period for the first 10 months, but I was also bfing. I started getting periods when I stopped bfing. They were really really heavy and crampy for the first 3 or 4 times. I've had virtually no period for the last 4 years as I've been either pregnant or bfing, but before that I had really light nonpainful periods. I've had the mirena 15 mo. now and am still waiting for things to settle down. I think it's all complicated by the recovering from pregnancy and bfing too.

Thanks everyone. I was just confused as I hadn't had any bleeding since the Lochia stopped 3 weeks post partum (had the baby 15 weeks ago today) and I'm b/f every 2 hours or so, so really haven't had a period. The Gynaecologist who put it in said I shouldn't get any bleeding at all with the b/f but I will get it checked out next week when I go back.

HiddenSpirit, my 15 week old DD2 was also conceived with a coil in place, removed when I was 8 weeks pregnant.

I was 7 weeks pregnant when mine got removed, and was warned that if the baby was near it I would have lost him Thankfully he wasn't and he was just fine, although he couldn't wait the extra 3 weeks at the end to arrive!!

Glad your DD2 was ok too

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