I had a lap nearly 5 weeks ago where my endo was cut out, burnt, cysts drained, bowel removed from womb where the endo had fused it together, then finally I was fitted with a Mirena coil, 1) because it would make my heavy periods lighter and 2) because I was told it would help minimise the endo returning. I was told that the coil was a very effective contraceptive, even more so than sterilisation and that it would last for 5 years.
I've been reading some of the posts on this forum where women have said that the coil lasted 3 years and they got pregnant or miscarried!! So how do you know when the coil is no longer effective?? I certainly don't want to find out by having a miscarriage or falling pregnant.
Lisa xx
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Blondedia
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It would be extemely difficult to get pregnant on mirena for a number of reasons.
Firstly in many women it stops them ovulating. No egg = no pregnancy.
Next is how the mirena works, it sits in the uterus and while it settles in to get to work which takes 4-6months it is building up a plug of cervical mucus which holds it in place and stops it shifting or falling out, thiscervical mucus plug also stops sperm even entering the uterus.
So it would act like a diaphragm or cap contraceptive in addition to the hormones thining the lining of the uterus so thin it stops your period and without a menstrual lining there is nothing for any fertilised egg to nest in to.
The risk of pregnancy is 0.002% per year, or two per 1000 sexually active women per year. That's very low indeed, but in case you are definitely not wanting to become pegnant - there's nothing to stop you using barrier contraception too, or if the family is complete then either your partner has the snip, or you consider getting your tibes tied or clipped. You can still leave the mirena inside for surgery and it will still keep your period bleeds very light or not happening at all.
If the coil is running out then you would expect your periods to return, in that there is not enough hormone to tell the ovaries to stop producing an ova, and the lining of the womb can develop and thicken up and your menstrual cycle will return.
This can happen mid way through the years of having mirena as a temporary blip (as happened to me - I had 2 periods mid way but the mirena kicked in again after that. )
No idea why it did that and gave me two periods a month apart, but all has been well since then and not even had spotting since that episode.
The website for Mirena which should answer most of the questions you will have is
Hi Impatient, thanks for answering my post, I appreciate that. I have always read your replies to other posts you have answered and you always have expert advice.
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