Copper IUD
Background
This is a bit of a personal post, but others showed interest in the Copper IUD from Paragard, so I thought I would share. I have been on birth control since I was about 16 years old (I's 39 now). I stopped taking it when we wanted to conceive our first child, and then second and third. I honestly cannot remember what my period was like before having babies. After I had my first son I breast fed him for a little over a year. During this time I took a very low dose Progesterone BC and never once did I get my period. Once I was finished breast feeding, I would then start taking a higher dose prescribed by my doctor. I followed this same routine with each of my boys.
Side Effects
Since becoming a mom and going on and off birth control, I have never had a routine/normal period. I rarely ever get one. I definitely notice mood swings and bloating, but rarely a flow. Whenever I'm not taking birth control I notice my mood is better and my skin is also clearer. After doing some research and getting fed up with my constant battle for clear skin, and desire to stop taking hormones, I decided to start looking into other options. I really want to stop taking any kind of BC with hormones, but I also don't want to risk getting pregnant. Three boys is enough for me, and I'll be 40 this year.
Copper IUD
I talked this all through with my doctor and she mentioned the Copper IUD called Paragard, which is the only hormone free IUD on the market. She honestly didn't give me the best reaction when I told her I wanted to try it. She said that some women complain of heavier periods and stronger cramps after having it implanted. There's also a small risk with it becoming embedded in the wall of the uterus, and can also go through the wall of the uterus. The risk of these things happening is very small, and there are many risks associated with taking the pill as well. The IUD is good for 10 years, which is amazing! Once it is implanted, you just have to come in a month later to ensure that its in the right place. I have decided to go ahead and try it out and see how my body reacts. My doctor said its best to implant at the end of a cycle, so I panned accordingly and had it implanted on February 25th. The actual process of having it put in wasn't too bad, with minimal cramping. When I got home I was definitely feeling some pain, which just felt like cramps. I took Tylenol for 2 days, and had very light spotting as well. Honestly the first few days I felt a bit weird about having something inside of me all the time, but now I don't even think about it. Its been two weeks now and I feel great. I'll definitely report back after I've had a period.. I'm really hoping that its not too painful or heavy, as I really want to stick with the Paragard.
Emily XX