I had Paragard placed at 6 weeks postpartum after the last baby.

I do not remember anything unpleasant at all in connection with the insertion or immediately after. I remember that it was done at Planned Parenthood and that a nurse practitioner did it - not a dr and not a midwife. But I have no recollection of the insertion itself and what followed it. Probably because I had so much stress in my life at that time that such little things did not even register in my mind.

Eventually, I went off Paragard due to heavy periods and some cramping. I have been on Mirena since 2004-ish and prefer Mirena to Paragard. However, this is not to say that Paragard was bad; it was good enough. Mirena is simply better.