I got my Mirena IUD out a little over a month ago. I was really happy with the Mirena for the three-plus years I had it. The side effects from the hormones were not as extreme as those I had experienced in the past with birth control pills, plus I didn’t have to think about taking a pill every day or getting refills from my OBGYN. Could it get any easier? Not to mention my periods pretty much stopped altogether while on the Mirena. Score.
The plan is to start TTC in October, but as I’m gearing up for that, I’m trying to track my period and figure out as best I can when I’m ovulating. Unfortunately, I’m not on any kind of regular schedule yet. After getting the IUD out, I almost immediately got my period, or at least what I think was a period. It was super super light, and it lasted only two days. It’s hard to remember back to what my periods were like pre-Mirena, and I do remember them being short and light, but not this light.
Now, we are going on thirty-six days since the beginning of my last cycle (if you can call it that), and no sign of Aunt Flo. Yes, I have tested (using First Response pink dye test, natch), and the test pretty clearly indicated not pregnant. I mentioned my late period to Mr. Cotton Candy, and he said something along the lines of, “Oh yeah, I was listening to NPR and there was some story about how they don’t know what the long term effects of IUDs are.”
Cue me panicking. The next day, I started Googling “period after Mirena” and getting scared about all of the people who hadn’t got their period back even months after having their Mirena removed (and they were also NOT getting pregnant). Thoughts started to flash through my head. Will it take months to get my period back? Does the fact that I didn’t have a period with Mirena mean that it’s going to take me longer to conceive? Will I be able to conceive? Did I screw up my fertility?
I pretty much immediately realized I was having an over-the-top reaction. There’s no real reason to believe that anything is wrong with my fertility, as I was able to get pregnant with Little Cotton Candy four years ago, and I’m still under thirty-five, which is where doctor say it starts to become more difficult to conceive. And I also realize that there are many women with fertility struggles that I can’t even begin to comprehend, and I need to take a few deep breaths and appreciate that I have been privileged when it comes to fertility. After checking in with some mom friends, who reassured me it was not time to panic, I calmed myself down.
Now, I’m taking things one day at a time. I’m expecting a period any day now, and I will also begin using the ovulation test strips that a generous friend passed on to me a few days ago to see if I get any clues to what is going on with my body. Period or not, we will begin our official TTC #2 journey on October 1st. Mr. Cotton Candy and I have discussed that ultimately we are OK if are not able to get pregnant with a second baby. Sure, we will be sad, but if we don’t have luck this time around, we will be happy with our little family the way it is. I’m trying to let go and let whatever happens happen. Is that my favorite thing to do as a person who likes to be in control all the time? Definitely not. But I’m working on it.
Who else has experienced TTC after Mirena? Did you go through a similar waiting game? Also, when the heck do I start testing for ovulation if I don’t know when my cycle is?
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
I got mine out a couple days before Christmas last year. I got me period two weeks later like I predicted. I went right back to regular cycles. We started TTC in April and I got pregnant the first try. Good Luck!
pomegranate / 3355 posts
I got mine out in Jan 2013, got my period about 2-3 weeks later in Feb. Conceived DD in March 2013. Good luck!!
guest
I got my Mirena out in early Dec 2013 and had a positive pregnancy test March 4 2014! Give it a few months – it’ll get right back to normal before you know it
blogger / apricot / 482 posts
Good luck! I have no advice except to say that both times we were TTC, it felt like it took forever to get my period back. The first time, I went off birth control pills it took almost two months to get my first real period. The second time, it took five months after I had stopped breastfeeding to get a period. But, once I did get my period, I got pregnant within one or two cycles. I’m currently thinking of getting an IUD but am nervous because we might want a third and the waiting to get the period after stopping trying to prevent drives me crazy (mostly because I’m impatient)!
persimmon / 1095 posts
I am one of the weird ones. I had a regular period on the Mirena. We waited a month to try for timing purposes and I got pregnant immediately.
pineapple / 12793 posts
I got pregnant as soon as we wanted after Mirena.
My first period after was very light, but the second was biblical. Prepare yourself the flood is coming.
guest
I got pregnant very shortly after Mirena. I had the initial light bleeding that you mentioned, then I never got another period because it turns out I was pregnant and I just assumed I wasn’t ovulating! Now that I am not on Mirena, pregnant, or breastfeeding my periods are completely back to normal.
blogger / cherry / 142 posts
@oliviaoblivia: LOL. Oh no!
nectarine / 2047 posts
I had my mirena removed about 3 months before TTC and my period took 45 days to return. I got pregnant the first month we tried
grapefruit / 4278 posts
Your first period was likely very light because Mirena works by thinning the lining of the uterus, so there wasn’t much there to shed. I got my Mirena out in May 2015, had a light period two days later and then my first cycle was super short, like 22 days. We got pregnant the next cycle.
cherry / 141 posts
I had a regular cycle before I took my mirena out. I had the mirena for 3 years and took it out during my period. I fell pregnant on my first ovulation. I knew exactly when I would ovulate since I had been tracking and very regular. Now I have a almost 9 month old. goodluck!
The doctor didn’t really do a good job of taking it out and feigned that I shouldn’t have been on my period. I told her that is what the mirena website said to do.
nectarine / 2317 posts
I had a light bleed about two days after getting it out. Then it took 34 days for my next period with crazy hormonal symptoms. I just had my next cycle (26 days, with 11 day LP). We’ve been TTC the whole time and I started vitex after my first super long cycle to see if it would help. I’m temping and using OPK’s so I am ovulating but I know my hormones are off still. I did google while waiting during that super long cycle and it scared the crap out of me!
persimmon / 1095 posts
I had a similiar experience when TTC after going off of the pill. I was on the one where you only get your period every 3 months. I went off it sometime in June thinking it would give my body enough time to normalize by the time we wanted to start trying in October. My periods were all over the place and I didn’t actually ovulate until the beginning of February so it took a sold 6 months. Luckily, I got pregnant on that try! When we plan to TTC again, I now know to go off it 6-7 months before we want to start trying which is such a pain in the butt!
cherry / 160 posts
I got pregnant within 10 days of getting mine out! I didn’t realize I was pregnant until 8 weeks because I thought the early pregnancy signs were PMS. So I’m not sure how long t would have taken me to get my regular cycles back but it certainly didn’t negatively impact my fertility.
blogger / apricot / 389 posts
Letting go during TTC was *really* hard for me, but I looked at each cycle (gah, wish I could say month – long cycle person here) as an opportunity to learn something about myself. I’m actually quite shocked by how much more patient I became in the process… and for that I’m certainly grateful.
I think your body needs a bit of time coming off of any hormonal birth control. Hopefully you’ll start to see your cycle regulate soon!
olive / 59 posts
@oliviaoblivia: oh yes, that second period! Oh man, was I NOT prepared for that…
Got it taken out late April, light period a few days after, something I would have characterized as spotting. Then beginning of June had the worst period of my life! Conceived later that month.
Had another Mirena put in 10 weeks PP and unfortunately the IUD gods are not with me this time and I’ve been having regular periods this time around, albeit short/light ones
guest
Not on Minera but took a progesterone only birth control pill between my babies. Ultimately it when I came off it I was experiencing low progesterone and had two early miscarriages. After the second I went for an opinion to a gynaecologist who quickly got me on clomid and progesterone – I was pregnant that cycle! All of which to say, I’m a big fan of checking in with a dr when things feel a little off. Good luck with TTC.
persimmon / 1436 posts
Had my Mirena out in November 2014. Used condoms until January and got pregnant right away. Miscarried but pregnant again the next cycle and baby was born healthy in November 2015.