Is an IUD a good idea?

Question

I'm in college thinking about getting an IUD because I need something reliable and I wasn't a fan of the pill, but I'm wondering what it's like getting one? How long does the insertion it take, is it painful, and what are the symptoms, if any, after getting one?

Only looking for information from ladies who have gotten one, thank you!

Answer

I had the paragard, copper IUD, inserted on Friday afternoon so I can only give my advice on the past weekend. personally it was pretty painful, i would say about 6, but i took 800mg of ibuprofen before hand and i've had pretty strong cramps on and off since Friday. i was also on the depo shot for a year before getting the iud so i think my pain might be exaggerated because i'm not used to having any kind of period since being on the shot! i decided to switch to the iud because i didn't want hormonal BC but that's just for me personally! hope this helps and you find some BC that works for you! :)

Answer

I'm on my third month with Mirena, and it's been great. Insertion was pretty painful, but I think that's because I'm fairly petite. I've talked to other girls who said it just felt like a pinch. I had cramping for about 30 minutes after and some bleeding, followed by spotting the next day. I pretty much forgot about it after a week and only had occasional discomfort as my body adjusted to it. My periods are much lighter and I don't have as much cramping as I had before the IUD.

Answer

I had the mirena in place for 2.5 years. I had it placed due to heavy prolonged periods, and it worked great. I never had a period while it was in, some occasional spotting. It was reliable. Just make sure you read up on the risks involved with this type of birth control. Towards the end of having the mirena in, I had a lot of problems due to the synthetic hormone it released. There is also the possibility of significant weight gain.  Without changing my diet or exercise, I gained a total of 60lbs on the course of the 2.5 years (and I'm a vegetarian with fairly healthy eating habits!) 
That being said, every woman is different and it depends if you get an iud with or without hormones in it.

Answer

I had my IUD inserted Dec 2015. Insertion was quick and easy.
The actual insertion of the device is no more than 10 seconds. The whole procedure once you get on the table to when you put your pants back on is about 10-20 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, my insertion was about a 2 or 3. It wasn't really painful, but it wasn't comfortable either.
I had no painkillers before or during, and I didn't have a cervix softener.

Is an IUD a good idea?

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