"i&#039;ve had skyla for a month. several of my friends, with and without children, have mirena and almost everyone told me it was no big deal, a little cramping, etc. let me tell you, it was the most painful experience of my life. i am not a wimp. my doctor had to clamp(!) my cervix and it hurt so bad upon insertion that i got immediately nauseous and almost fainted. the nurse held my hand and basically let me squeeze her to death the whole time. it took 10 minutes to insert. afterwards i got the worst cramps of my life, and it took a full 24 hours for me to be able to recover. i&#039;ve been spotting ever since. cramps went away after a week. no crazy mood swings. no weight gain. no acne. i haven&#039;t had a period yet. just lots of spotting."