Hormonal coil (IUS) vs Fertility awareness methods (FAM)

I had the IUS Mirena fitted just over a week ago and it is the worst decision. I am now deeply regretting it. After being put on a waitlist for it due to painful periods, an appointment became available. I did some initial research through the NHS website and in the appointment, the Dr ran through a few things. The insertion was honestly awful. It took ages and hurt a lot. I came home in agony and felt the worst cramps of my life for the rest of the day. Since then I've had my period and it's again been the worst. Cramping, lower back pain, feeling like I need to urinate a lot, heavy pressure on my tummy and bladder. My period was also more painful than ever and I'm still bleeding. Fed up and now willing to wait months and months like so many women for it to possibly settle (but judging by most reviews and conversations with women who have it, it rarely works as the doctors say it will). They also put me on a 3-day course of antibiotics when I called to say what was happening. They think I have an infection but no one has cared to see me in person. Once the course is over, I am booking the first appointment to have it removed.

I had this fitted this morning to help with endometriosis and wow I didn’t expect how much the insertion would hurt. They tried to fit the Mirena but my body just wouldn’t let me as it was too big so inserted this instead. Whoever wrote the protocols for this insertion was definitely a man.. keeping everything crossed this works.

Having the more a coil inserted is still to this day the most painful experience I have ever endured. I nearly passed out and I'm horrified I wasn't told local anaesthetic was an option until afterwards because the doctor felt sorry for me. I got some cramping after that but ainknew that was normal, but it never fully went away. Then I noticed I got cramping pain during sex that prevented me from climax. It was awful. I even had a vaginal ultrasound to check it was in the right position and apparently there was nothing out of place. After 9 months of putting up with random stabbing pelvic pain and it killing my sex drive, I got it removed. The doctor said it seemed like my cervix was really clamping down on it when she removed it. I am never letting anyone put anything through my cervix ever again. Horrific experience start to finish.

Literally no side effects, no fake hormones affecting my body or mental health. Use symptothermal - 11 months in and find temping and checking cervical mucus easy and not at all laborious. We use condoms during fertile window (for me that’s usually about 9 days) and unprotected the rest of the time. No scares and I feel confident and secure with this method. I’ll never go back to hormonal birth control!

Natural cycles seemed promising when I first came across it in 2017 and read the reviews. I got the NC app along with the most expensive (hence hopefully most accurate) thermometer I could find to enter my readings. My partner and I decided to try it in place of condoms. I entered my thermometer and period readings religiously and only ever had unprotected sex on the ‘green: not fertile’ days when it says it’s safe to have sex. The next month I was pregnant. We were devastated. To add insult to injury, Natural cycles deleted my reviews about their product, offered ZERO help or acknowledgment of my situation and rather suspiciously my iTunes review of their app (tried from 2 separate accounts) was never published, despite my trying several times. Which is odd as I hadn’t said anything untoward, I’d simply stated my experience of using it and getting pregnant.

After feeling like I’d tried every hormonal contraception and not getting on with anything, Natural Cycles was such a breath of fresh air. I was nervous at first as it feels like there is more risk of pregnancy, but after taking the time to research I felt confident in this method. You have to be strict with yourself and use protection/ abstain on red days but it’s worth it. I feel so much more like myself without using hormones and I have also learnt a lot about my body. Highly recommend if you’re willing to spend some time getting used to the app, learning to take your temp correctly and being responsible throughout your cycle.

Came off contraception methods due to all the side effects. I’ve been on 5 different pills and had the implant) so far this is the best for me. Been doing NC for over a year and it has worked for me and my partner. You will have to stick to no sex or protected sex on red days. Took me a little while to understand my body but after 6 months I feel I know my body a lot better in terms of when I ovulate and when my period is coming.

Coming off hormonal contraception is probably the best thing I have ever done. I was on the combined pill for 5 years and the Mirena coil for nearly 2. The coil gave me horrific acne (never had acne in my life). I had it taken out in January this year, it’s now July, and WOW. My skin has completely cleared, I feel more mental clarity, I’m more in tune with my cycle, it’s regular, my PMS isn’t as bad, and overall I just feel really in control of myself. I’m in a long term relationship so using condoms for 1 week each month is fine for us. I’ve never had a pregnancy scare despite having unprotected sex most of the time! Who knew being natural could be so incredible! I would recommend to anyone in relationships and no underlying gynological issues to definitely try going hormone free!

Been using for 2.5 months but with no success so far. I have not relied on it as primary contraception as sadly my readings are too unreliable and it's too risky. The app is excellent and it's very easy to use if you can get into the habit, sadly it's just a risk with data collection that your experience might not align with the patterns expected. The device has not been able to find my ovulation day after 3 cycles and my temperature readings are all over the place despite accurate measurement. I can see and judge myself where I am in my cycle through tracking bleeding, discharge and sex drive, but I have had no 'green' days pop up yet and have been using condoms in meantime. I am getting an IUD fitted soon and will continue to use the app to track my cycle and use alongside my coil to not overwhelm my IUD on fertile days and to decrease pregnancy further. I would recommend a FAM simply as it's always a good idea to know more about your cycle regardless, but I'd say not to use it as primary contraception unless you were comfortable with an accidental pregnancy- there's too much room for error to trust this method fully.

I had been on the pill for 6 years, came off it due to all the side effects and started using Natural Cycles. I got pregnant a few months ago because we risked it on the first red day. That was our bad. I trusted the app still and continued using it because the freedom I had on it was amazing. I used the Aura ring, so it tracked my temperature through the night and I didn't need to use the thermometer in the morning. Last month however, my body decided to ovulate a whole week earlier than it ever has since using the app, so I am now pregnant again. We followed all the rules and I still got pregnant on a green day so I can't risk having any more terminations so I have stopped using it.

I developed a rare side effect on hormonal birth control (hormone mediated vestibulodynia) which I am finally feeling is mostly treated after almost 11 months off HBC. My libido is back and I feel so in touch with my body. Never going back!

Don't always use the thermometer but track period and still use pull out method to be safe but so far not pregnant and been using this method for nearly 3 years. The temperature measures are a bit invasive and can't be used if you have been drinking the night before or got up at a different time to ususal so only good if you have a routine.

Loved it for 8 months but got pregnant because I ovulated late one month, I am normally regular in my cycle