Were you adamant about taking your pill everyday at the same time? Or did you miss sometimes?

My friend has an IUD and she likes it, however she gained 40 pounds in a matter of 2 months while being on it. And she CANNOT lose it... Other than that I don't know much about it. Good luck girlie!

Yes, I was meticulous about taking them everyday, at exactly the same time. Ah! I don't want to gain any more weight, I'm still trying to kick that last 15 pounds from being pregnant!! Haha. I know that's kind of shallow, but seriously...I want to wear my pants again!

It's not shallow. I'm trying to get rid of the last 15 pounds as well; I think it's healthy, right?

I know this is a month old, but still thought I would add my 2cents. I went to the OB when I started to wean my 8month daughter from breastfeeding to discuss birth control, only to discover was pregnant . . . with TWINS! (children 3&4 for me). So after the twins were born I wanted a very reliable birth control (and for some reason my hubby was not fond of abstinence).



I decided for the Merina IUD and I love it. It was implanted in the OB office 4 years ago when the twins were 12 weeks old and I continued to breastfeed my twins until they were almost 1 year old. I no longer have the terrible cramps and I usually only have a few days of spotting for a period. I lost all of my baby weight with very little effort, so I don’t think this brand has the weight side effects of others. I had gained 15lb on the pill 10 years ago and that is gone now too


I will have it removed next year since my hubby had the “Big-V.” However, I am really going to miss the pleasant side effects. As for the cost, I paid my insurance Dr. copay ($20) and $500 for the device, but considering the cost of other birth control over 5 years it was a deal.

Thanks for the info!! I went to my 6 week postpartum appointment a couple of weeks ago and spoke with my OB about it. She said that the IUD is as effective as tubal litigation, which is why I decided to go with it. She also said that VERY few women gain weight from it, as it's not high in hormones at all. She said she's seen far less people gain weight with an IUD as they do with the pill.

I went and had it implanted last week and have been having a lot of spotting since then, just feel like I'm having my period. But you know, I could deal with that forever if it meant we were safe and not going to get pregnant again anytime soon!! And I like the fact that we can have it removed any time if we do decide to have another baby (which won't happen for quite awhile, I think. )

I really like my IUD, I also have Mirena. I've never had kids however so the initial placement was extremly painful (which is why they don't recommend it). After 3 months I stopped having periods completely. I haven't gained any weight. The only thing I miss from the pill is the acne relief, mirena doesn't seem to help at all with that!

I love my IUD. It did hurt for me to have it put in also (no kids). No period = awesome! I get some wicked cramps about 2-3 times a year, but it's worth it. I have one year left on mine. My OB told me that in europe Mirena is approved for 7 years use time (in the US it's 5)...Same exact product....

So far it's been great for me, too!! No weight issues at all. The only thing is that I had a lot of spotting the first month or so and now I'm not having anything at all...which freaks me out a little bit!! Haha. It's much easier when you know you're going to have a period and can base things around that.

That's so bizarre that it's approved for seven years in Europe!! Of course, considering how expensive it is (my OB said that without insurance it's about a$900.00) it seems like it's probably another way for the system to make more money- and the shorter life span it has, the more often you'd have to get it, and the more money they would make. Kind of ridiculous, IMO, but sadly, the way it is.