I had the mirena for 3 years and got it taken out in 2010. It has been 4 years since it has been removed and my husband and I have been trying to conceive with no luck, I had a miscarriage in July but had never had a miscarriage before the mirena. I am scared I will not be able to have kids anymore. Is this normal?

Hi BritneyMagee,

Have you and your husband been actively trying, as in determining when you might be ovulating with perhaps ovulation predictor tests, temping and charting, etc. Since you did become pregnant last July, it's likely that you can again. It can take some couples a year or so even when all is well. Often any sort of testing for possible problems is not done until after a year (6 months if you are 35 or older) of trying and should include both partners, as many times it will be a male factor that needs to be addressed.

You may want to consider a preconception visit to your doctor to share your concerns. That may ease your mind and also hopefully provide you with additional information.

Misscarriages happen for many different reasons. Many not directly under control of the mother or preventable by any medical intervention. If you look at what happens during gestation you can appreciate how a miscarriage could happen. First off you've got the genetic material of two people combining. There is a possibility of genetic problems or faults on both sides. Extra chromosomes, or copy errors, or recombination problems, or many other reasons. The embryo might be able survive and grow for a few months but could get to a point to where the genetic issues are just too much and the body purges the fetus. From the body's perspective, it is saving resources because the pregnancy couldn't produce a viable offspring.

The other thing to consider is that the embryo is going from a single cell to insanely complex organise. This involves cells splitting, possible copy errors, and the stem cells differentiating and growing. Organs and bones have to develop at a certain specific time or things will won't turn out right. The neural tube needs to close and develop into a the spine and brain. There is a multitude of different times and places where that could all go wrong and turn a perfectly viable pregnancy to a miscarriage.

The thrust of this is that the chances of your miscarriage being a result of your IUD is slim to nill. Chances are that you're barren because of it is slim to nill as well.