IUD's

I’ve had 3 kids in 4 ½ years, yes planned, but now I think I want to take a break. Which means that I am looking into some effective form of birth control. In this search I have come across the IUD’s. An IUD is a small T-shaped device inserted into a women’s uterus by her doctor. At first glance, I thought it was perfect. Little or no hormones, (I mean as women, we could all use a little less hormones) no daily routine involved and pretty effective. I talked to my doctor and thought it was perfect for me. Then I decided to check out the IUD websites to see how it really worked and make sure it was what I really wanted. I am shocked at what I found. Did you know that no one really knows how they work? Call me crazy but I really don’t want to put something in my body that no one is exactly sure how it works. Mirena and Paragard are the two brands of IUD’s available. Mirena releases a small amount of hormones and is made of plastic, Paragard on the other hand is hormone free and made of copper.

This is copied directly from Mirena’s website:

How Mirena® Works

Mirena (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) slowly releases very small amounts of the hormone levonorgestrel directly into your uterus.
There is no single explanation for how Mirena works.

Mirena may:

Thicken cervical mucus to prevent sperm from entering your uterus
Inhibit sperm from reaching or fertilizing your egg
Make the lining of your uterus thin

Mirena may stop the release of your egg from your ovary, but this is not the way it works in most cases. Most likely the above actions work together to prevent pregnancy. Like other forms of birth control, Mirena is not 100% effective.
Mirena keeps hormone levels steadier and lower than the Pill.

Read more at: http://www.mirena-us.com/


This is copied directly from Paraguard’s website:

How does ParaGard® work?

Ideas about how ParaGard® works include preventing sperm from reaching the egg and preventing the egg from attaching (implanting) in the uterus. ParaGard® does not alter your body's natural menstrual cycle.

Read more at: http://www.paragard.com/


I love the phrase : “Ideas about how Paragard work”. As if it’s still up for debate or research. In other words, we have no idea how it works but this is our best guess. I know many women have safely used IUD’s for years with no long-term side effects. I guess I need more reassurance than the manufacturers best guess. My search for birth control continues…..