Mirena side effects compared to BCP?

DS is almost 12 weeks old and I'm looking into birth control options that are BF-compatible. After DD was born I used the mini pill and I'm using it again now, but want something more long term. I'm trying to decide between Mirena and Paragard and am having a tough time weighing the pros and cons of each. I don't like the idea of heavier periods with Paragard, but some of the hormonal side effects from Mirena sound unpleasant as well.

I understand that Mirena can have side effects like weight gain, mood swings, acne, etc, which are similar to what a lot of women also experience with the pill. I've been lucky in not having any significant issues with these kind of symptoms, either with the mini pill or on other BCP before TTC the first time. I'm curious for those who have had these IUDs if they have found a correlation between side effects (and lack thereof) with the IUD and what they experienced on BCP.

Basically, if I didn't have side effects with the pill, am I likely to avoid them with Mirena as well?

Thanks in advance!

mirena & the mini pill are both progesterone, so if you're ok on the mini-pill, mirena should be ok, too.

i used regular pills for many years & have had a mirena for 3+ and love it.

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Originally Posted by karstmama

mirena & the mini pill are both progesterone, so if you're ok on the mini-pill, mirena should be ok, too.

i used regular pills for many years & have had a mirena for 3+ and love it.

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I agree. My OB said that the SE from Mirena are even less than the minipill b/c suppposedly so little of the progesterone gets into the bloodstream. I actually wanted some of the more estrogenic SE from the pill (acne reduction for some versions), so I opted for Ocella (Yasmin), but I also considered Mirena.

I used the regular BCP previously as well as the mini-pill while nursing and had no side effects. I have had my mirena for 1.5 years now and have not noticed any side effects either. I am loving my mirena!