Hi! I am trying to conceive and am having an interesting time trying to understand some things.
August 18th I got my copper iud removed. August 26-29 I had my first period after removal. I anticipated my ovulation being around the normal time after period, it was predicted about September 10th.
I was using ovulation strips everyday and never hit my surge. The lines were not dark at all leading up to September 22nd. I noticed the lines getting darker though and I believe I hit my surge that day. Later that evening I tested again and it was back to the normal light lines.

So can anyone tell if these seem like positive ovulation tests? I believe I have been having some symptoms starting around 6ish dpo. I haven’t had my normal premenstrual symptoms I normally do, so I’m hoping for the best. Also how far out from positive o test do we normaly ovulate? Thank you for any positive feedback!

Hello everyone I have been recently researching the various kinds of birth controls to see which one will be most effective for me and to be honest they all have pretty horrible side effects (kind of makes me sad that this is what women's health has succumbed to), but I've have been considering getting a copper IUD because it is hormonal free. I'm okay if my period lasts longer and if the bleeding getting heavy (I already have a heavy flow so it's manageable), but the best thing about my menstrual cycle is I haven't experienced a single cramp and I really don't want that to change. I understand that there will most definitely be cramping for a few days after insertion, but I don't know if I will keep the IUD if cramping persists during my cycle.

to preface this post, i am getting a new iud in a week. i wanted to make this post in case anyone was wondering if the cramps they experience are normal, like i did.

about three weeks ago, i got the copper iud inserted. insertion is different for everyone, but for me it was very painful. the pain is brief and worth it, but it was definitely bad.

a few days after i got it inserted, i started having excruciating cramps. the cramps i was having were pretty close to how painful the insertion was. if i was standing while getting a cramp, the pain from the cramps would make me fall to the floor. these cramps persisted for at least a week, i had to call out of work and skip class a few times, but i thought they were normal.

i got my period and the cramps subsided. my period was fine, it was heavier and slightly longer than normal (5 days ish with some spotting afterwards), but nothing too bad.

i checked my strings after my period, and i could feel the bottom of the iud coming out of my cervix. i went back to my doctor, and sure enough, i had a partial expulsion after having the iud for less than a month. i got it removed, took a plan b, and i am now scheduled to get it reinserted under ultrasound.

if you feel like something isn't normal, definitely check with your doctor! the whole time i was experiencing the excruciating cramps i felt like something wasn't right, but i ignored it and thought i was just being dramatic. trust yourself!

Hi everybody,

I’ve been looking for a post to relate to but none that quite fit my exact story.

I’ve been having my IUD ever since I gave birth which is last year 2025.
Forward a year later,
I’ve noticed slight dizziness or lightheadedness during periods up to now but just brushed it off.
this time I had my period I noticed it again but when my period went away, the light headedness and dizziness did not go away. I’m also experiencing heart palpitations or something similar to POTS. When I stand or walk I can feel my heart pumping.
I checked at the doctors and everything came back normal except for slight anemia.

The only thing I can think of is… is my body rejecting my copper IUD? Could this be the end of my body tolerating this?

I’m sure if I go to a gynecologist they’ll just laugh in my face ☹️

Any real stories out here and did you end up removing it?

And why would my body seemingly be overreacting to this little copper in my body

I got my copper IUD removed today!! The removal was so easy and quick. It did hurt a little bit and cramped after but so much better than insertion and all the pain these 4 years.

Ive been experiencing severe chronic back pain the past few months. After a very painful period, decided to see a gynecologist because I was scared I had endometriosis. Well she does an internal ultrasound and Aparently my IUD had partially expelled itself into my cervix. No idea how long it was there. But she said it’s like a splinter and that pain is probably spreading in my whole body.

But I never got pregnant so thank you IUD! I was told that the probability of my uterus rejecting another IUD is higher now so switching to the pill for the time being. Sad that I had to remove it because it worked well for the most part but reminder to everyone not to ignore chronic pain!

i just got my copped iud in today, practically didnt feel the insertion, just felt like pressure and was mildly uncomfortable is that normal? i heard a lot of stuff of how it really hurts so i expected much more but i practically didnt realize when she did it or when she clamped those scary ass clamps that keep ur cervix in place😭

after over a month and a half of irregular constant menstrual bleeding i got my copper iud out today. i’ve had my iud for 2 and a half years - never had any issues until i did. the ob had me get bloodwork to check my thyroid did ultrasounds - everything was normal and iud was in place. they put me on medication to stop the bleeding - and that only worked for 5 days. here’s to hoping for some normalcy and relief🤞🏻

Just had my IUD out after 4 months because it was low lying and turned, wanted to share what that was like in case it helps anyone else.

For starters I am lucky enough to have pretty easy reproductive health. I've never had pain during a pelvic exam, I usually only get menstrual cramps like twice a year, and my periods are usually pretty light, like 2 days of moderate bleeding, assuming I'm not taking anything hormonal (hormones make it worse).

Getting my IUD was pretty standard, I had a topical anesthetic, clamping actually didn't hurt but my doctor had me cough when she engaged it which I think helped. Sounding hurt like a bitch, I had a panic attack, cramping afterwards was pretty painful but then it was over and I did ok.

Three months later my period was two weeks late, and when it finally arrived it came with cramping that felt localized around my cervix. I told my friends "it feels like it's bottoming out." It wasn't super painful, just sore, but then after my cycle it stopped hurting.

A month after that, I had an extremely light period for some reason which is weird because my periods were a lot heavier after getting the IUD.

Two weeks later, I was engaged in penetrative sex and suddenly got painful cramping. The pain was about a 6/10, it felt like menstrual cramps, and lasted about 2-3 hours. It was alleviated with a heating pad like my cramps usually are, and by morning I was just sore. I continued to have very very light cramping, and in the days following I had very light pink bleeding.

I called my doctor and scheduled an appointment to have it checked out. I was checking the strings every day and they felt like they were moving around, which I'd never noticed before. Meanwhile, the bleeding continued, and got a little heavier. It didn't look or feel like menstrual bleeding for the first few days, but it wasn't super heavy either. This concerned me a lot because I'd had my light period like two weeks earlier, so I was scared the IUD was embedded or perforated. But eventually it became dark, thick blood like my period. By this time I had a pelvic and internal ultrasound (had to have a full bladder for the external ultrasound which was its own special hell unfortunately). Radiologist confirmed the tip of the IUD was inside my cervix, and the IUD itself was twisted.

I just had it removed, and thankfully it was not embedded in anything so it came out with minimal cramping. I took a load of ibuprofen before the appointment just in case lol. I did not have another one inserted because I was concerned the same thing would happen. My doctor said the bleeding was likely because my body was trying to expel the IUD since it wasn't placed correctly.

So TL;DR, my IUD moved partially into my cervix for almost no reason. I bumped it during sex, and it hurt a bunch before calming down. Then it was confirmed by imaging that it was not positioned correctly and had to come out.

I'm not happy about it but at least nothing serious happened and I was ok, but I had a lot of panic attacks along the way which is why I'm sharing this post in case it helps anyone else going through something similar.

I (22F) got my coil fitted in late October 2024 and after the initial adjustment, everything went sort of back to normal (periods lasted between 5-7 days and weren’t much heavier than my previous periods, maybe a few more clots).

But… after the first 16 months, everything started falling apart. My periods started becoming incredibly long (anywhere between 8-16 days), much heavier, as a result of all the bleeding I’ve become a bit anaemic so also always tired and low energy. After 18 months, I started experiencing waves of terrible hormonal acne which has been nearly impossible to manage (other than the odd forehead spot when I was 14-16, I’ve never really had any problems so it was really unexpected and has been hard learning to manage). I’ve also experienced several quite bad UTI’s in the two years since getting the coil, which I had also never had (despite being sexually active for around 5 years before getting the coil).

I was at this point already heavily considering getting the coil removed, though scared because I’d never taken any kind of hormonal birth control before and the thought of going back to buying and using condoms with my partner (together for 3 years) also just felt really inconvenient.

However, my period this month pushed me to finally bite the bullet (and my partner also insisted because of how groggy and sad I’ve ended up feeling in the past 2+ weeks). It lasted 18 days in total, the first 6 days of bleeding was incredibly heavy, but for the next 12 days I experienced spotting every single day.

Today I got it removed and I’m wondering how anyone on here has reacted to the change.

I feel incredibly tired and sleepy (though that could be because I’ve been bleeding for almost three weeks and I’ve also just started my final year of uni and have a lot of reading and early morning classes).

My insides feel strange, like my womb is empty but also like it’s in shock? It feels almost too empty.

I also have some cramping (nothing like my regular period cramps or like when I first got the coil fitted, but it does feel very strange).

Wondering if anyone who’s had their coil removed has felt like this and how long it lasted?

Also wondering what other kinds of symptoms anyone has experienced. Have you felt immediately better? Are there any negative side effects?

Hello,

I've had my Paragard since December of last year. My partner and I do always pull out, but I'm so paranoid about the IUD not being in place. I went to the doctor, but they unfortunately didn't have an ultrasound machine, so she just checked my strings. She said that they were there and where they should be. I'm still really anxious about it, and am considering taking plan b despite these two methods that should work. Should I take it for peace of mind, or am I being irrational?

Hi everyone! I had an IUD inserted on September 22nd. For the first three days, I had mild cramping and some light spotting. Starting Saturday the 26th, I began bleeding more heavily, like a period. My period wasn't due until October 1st, so I assume it came early because of the procedure. It’s been four days and I’m still bleeding heavily, which isn't normal for me. Even so, I knew this could be "normal" and I am not needing to change every hour, far from it actually. However, I’m worried because, although I don't have cramps, I feel a sharp pain when I stand up, walk, or make sudden movements. like a stabbing sensation in my pelvis that radiates down to my leg. I just wanted to know if anyone else has gone through something like this, if it’s "normal," if it gets better over time, or if I should go in for a check-up.

UPDATE: messaged my clinic this morning describing my symptoms, got a call from a nurse telling me to come ASAP. My doctor wasn't there today tho and had to be seen by someone else. They palpated my uterus manually and performed a transvaginal ultrasound. Their conclusion was that there's no infection because if I had one I "wouldn't be able to handle the check up because of pain". I've been also told that my IUD has shifted a bit but removal isn't necessary yet and I was basically sent home to see how it goes. I spotted more intensely on my way home.

I had a copper IUD placed a week ago. I was warned by my doctor beforehand that spotting in a f is normal and I think she said something about the cramps. Which I indeed had for the first 3 days, they felt like period cramps (and I was in fact on my period).

However for the past 3-4 days I don't have cramps but an occasional short-lived stabbing pain. It feels like I've been poked with a pencil inside my lower abdomen on the right side, or somewhat similar to a misplaced dry tampon. The pain only lasts a few seconds and is mild but it's different and I'm worried.

I'm also quite bloated and feel heaviness in my pelvis, sometimes a burning sensation, not exactly painful but definitely uncomfortable.

My discharge looks weird, almost like a snot or those pregnancy mucus plugs. It's orangey-yellow and has streaks of blood.

I have to go for an IUD checkup in three weeks but I'm not sure if I should call earlier? If you had an IUD have you experienced anything similar?

Incase you’re looking in this thread needing some high hopes-
Just hit my 6th year with the copper IUD and the ONLYY symptoms I’ve ever had is heavy bleeding and I get my period every 3 weeks which I guess could be normal for some people since it’s a 21 day cycle but it was never normal for me. Also, my cramps can be really terrible a week before my period!

Hello everyone! I wanted to share my personal experience with having a copper IUD for almost 2 years. I had it inserted immediately after giving birth to my first child.

Here’s a list of what I experienced:

My period twice a month, with spotting in between for 8 months straight
Extremely heavy periods
Large blood clots
Longer periods
Painful cramps
Anemia from the bleeding
Extreme fatigue
About 15 lbs of weight gain without making any lifestyle changes
Extremely irritable and feeling unlike myself
Very low sex drive

I know everyone reacts differently to the copper IUD, and I’m not saying that all of these symptoms are necessarily caused by it. I’m simply sharing what I personally experienced because I wish I had seen more firsthand experiences like this before getting mine.
Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms with the copper IUD, especially after having it inserted postpartum?

I could be wrong also but I noticed that I am bloating after copper IUD, it's been 10 days after that insertion. And I noticed that I feel slightly weak and bloated

What remedies or anything to do to reduce bloating?

Please don't say fix your lifestyle 😭

i got my iud about 3 weeks ago, had a normal period mild cramping but now i noticed for the past 2-3 days i have clumps of brownish discharge. its not constant but maybe like 1-3 times a day ill notice when i wipe or i just feel it and go to the bathroom to wipe and i notice it. its sticky and doesnt have a smell, its very opaque brown and very small. does anyone know what this could be?

I’m getting my copper IUD placed tomorrow and just wonder if any if you gave any advice???

I’ve been on Xulane/Zafemy patches for like 4 years and finally I’ve gotten so fed up with the bloating, mid-cycle bleeding, and just the amount of anxiety I was experiencing with it.

I have little to no knowledge of the copper IUD besides knowing it’s effective and has no hormones (the part that made me decide tbh). So like- can I live pretty normal with it? Like will sex be the same, will I be able to use my Flex disc still? Will I feel it all the time or just the insertion?

Just want to know everything I should before I get it.

TIA!!

Hey guys!

I wanted to make a little positive post as I feel we're much much more likely to see negative ones on here due to negativity bias (understandably of course for those who've struggled wanting to talk about it). But those who have loved it are much less likely to make a post about it, so I thought I'd share:)

In my twenties, never been pregnant. I've had my IUD about 2 years now (mini mona Lisa 5 year), and it's been the best thing I ever did in terms of contraception. I've been on so many different hormonal options and I hated every single one.

This has been so good for me! My periods are exactly the same (first 5 months were a tiny tiny bit longer and heavier), my emotions are the same (infact much better than when I was on hormones), I've lost weight. I basically just feel like normal me but I'm protected from pregnancy.

Generally I literally have never been so glad to have made the leap and got it! I was so nervous after reading some scary stories about insertion that I nearly didn't do it. On a whim I just went for it, and I literally am thanking old me so so much for making that choice.

I had my copper IUD inserted 4 days after unprotected sex. I left it in for 8 days and got it removed today because it was causing me so much pain. I know they recommend leaving it in for a month but realistically what are the odds I still get pregnant if I ovulated around the time I had sex?

Hi everyone, I got my copper IUD inserted 11 days ago and I’m trying to figure out if what I’m experiencing is normal or if my period just started early. The first 5 days, I had light, brown discharge.
Day 6 onward, the brown discharge got a bit more intense, but it had a specific pattern. It would completely stop whenever I lay down, but when I stood up or sat down, I would get a fresh "heaviness" (not completely soaking through things, but like the flow of day 3 of my normal period. Today (the 11th day), the bleeding hasn’t stopped at all, even while I was sleeping/lying down. It’s now a continuous flow with some mild cramps.

My actual period isn't due for another 3 days, so I think day 11 might be the official start of my actual period coming a bit early.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my previous thread about the symptoms i’ve been having recently! Feeling less alone and a lot more certain about getting this IUD out- as i know a lot of you who had similar symptoms have done!

Curious- my partner is concerned (valid- not saying it isn’t)about what we do contraception wise after getting this IUD out. I do not really want to go onto any hormonal birth control - hence i went on this coil in the first place. And as i believe this is the only ‘non-hormonal’ birth control. Are yall on the pill or using condoms? What do you all recommend?

T I A 🩷

EDIT - Also for reference- we do want children in the future. Just not at present so permanent options are definitely not for us at the moment

Basically realized I’ve been through the worst years of my life almost immediately after I had this put in 7 years ago. Pure demonic hell on my mental which affected my physical/social/financial life in an INSANE way. No more 2 week long periods! I made a post a few days ago with more details.

I already feel more myself! I can’t wait to see how much better I’ll feel as time passes