I have a hivemind Mirena question. I'm going in tomorrow morning and want to know what to expect. Like pain during insertion and/or if there is lingering discomfort after. I think I'm just overthinking things, but thought I'd ask.

Suzi, I have a low pain threshold. I'm pretty much of a wimp. It hurt when it was actually put into place (like, not when it was going up the vagina, but when it was being pushed past the cervix). It was a really sharp pain, but quick. I'm trying to think of what to compare it to -- sort of like the speculum for a pap smear, but much sharper (also, again, fairly quick).

For some kind of Teppy-is-a-wimp scale, I would say the speculum is maybe a 4 on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is no big deal and 10 is I WILL KILL YOU NOW WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME. And comparatively, the insertion of the Mirena was, for me, about a 7 1/2.

I was crampy and sore afterwards, intermittently, for a couple of days. But ibuprofen took care of it. I would recommend taking 4 ibuprofen about an hour before you go.

All that said, I know women for whom it was seriously no big deal. It was, like, a pinch-y feeling, and done. So it can depend.

Can I ask, are you on your period, or just done? Because that makes a difference in terms of pain.

Jilli, this was nearly 20 years ago, but when I was at the V&A, I found out about the Prints & Drawings Room, where you can sit at a desk and have the librarian bring you a big box of drawings to look through.

Including the original Winnie the Pooh sketches.

I spent a quality few hours with those, all cozy-like.

We actually didn't do a ton of museums when we were in London last September. The weather was so nice we ended up walking around a ton. Bob did the British Museum when I was sick for a day and we did do the Tower which was awesome. We were there for hours and didn't do the Crown Jewels. Plenty to see there!

We had this walking tours of London book that my folks got us that was a major source of inspiration. It looked fairly generic but the walks had a ton of macabre & offbeat features.

Here's our pics!

[link]

I'm totally with Vortex not wanting to go with her friend and a stranger, though. I feel like for a trip like that you want to make sure your traveling companion and your interests intersect pretty well.

Just done, Teppy. My pain thresholds are odd. For some things, I'm not bothered at all. Other things go from 1 to 10 with nothing in between. My annual appointments are more annoying than painful. I love my doc. But it will be a different doc doing it tomorrow. I've heard good things about her - she did K-Bug's colposcopy.

I'm letting my anxiety get to me. I think I'll go for my lorazapam tonight and maybe half of one in the morning with the ibuprofen.

Suzi, I don't have one myself, but fwiw, I have heard it is less painful if you have had children.

I'm letting my anxiety get to me. I think I'll go for my lorazapam tonight and maybe half of one in the morning with the ibuprofen.

That sounds like a good plan. Mirena~ma!

Jilli, when in July are you in the UK?

Mid July. I think we get there on the 12th? (I don't have my phone near me, so I can't check.)

where you can sit at a desk and have the librarian bring you a big box of drawings to look through.

Including the original Winnie the Pooh sketches.

!!!

Right, two days at the V&A.

where you can sit at a desk and have the librarian bring you a big box of drawings to look through.

I did not know about this!

Just done, Teppy.

It's supposed to be less painful then, because your cervix is still soft, and therefore easier to get the Mirena through.

Also, like sj said, it's supposed to be less painful if you've had kids, again, because of something to do with your cervix.