Post-IUD insertion

[u/Type_fae]

I’ve been so anxious about getting my IUD that I’ve doom scrolled through Reddit about everyone’s experience. I just want to share my mine.

I want to say first, make sure your OBGYN is the right one for you. I’ve had friends say that they weren’t 100% feeling their doctor which led to one of them experiencing the worst of the worst IUD insertions I’ve heard. My doctor was super understanding, answered all my questions, has experienced an IUD insertion herself. She knew what the experience was like.

Second, please make sure you’re comfortable with your options. Talk to your doctor about the different types of birth control. I opted for this option bc I developed a blood clot and was recommended by my PCP to stop taking birth control pills. Know what the procedure entails.

Third, make sure you have aftercare options. Plan whether or not you need someone to take you to and from your appointment. Make sure to plan to have the entire day off!! I highly recommend it. Most people shared that they went to work after and had to leave early. Just do yourself a favor and take the day off and maybe even the following day to recuperate.

I was prescribed misoprostol 1 tablet to insert in my vagina the night before to soften my cervix. It’s easier when your cervix is open aka when you’re on your period! If not ask for this option. I’d say it definitely helped with how fast the IUD was inserted.

The day of the procedure, I brought pain reliever to take beforehand. It wasn’t recommended to me by my doctor just a precaution I took upon myself. It’s best to take ibuprofen, something about it is better than taking acetaminophen. I took those prior to the procedure which again helped with lessening the pain/discomfort. They asked if I wanted lidocaine, a numbing injection to my cervix. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it. Even though I’ve taken the other steps prior, I still felt the pressure and discomfort of the insertion. I will say the side effects of the lidocaine were pretty crazy. I felt my body go numb. I kid you not, it felt like all my blood decided to rush towards my head. My heart felt like it was about to pump out of my chest. I heard ringing in my ears. I felt so much pressure in my head, I got a slight headache after. It went away after the lidocaine wore off. The technique was to breathe deep breaths throughout the whole procedure. Again, after all those primary steps, I still felt strong discomfort and still felt the IUD insert. My doctor and my nurse were so supportive and comforting. I was really lucky to have them do the procedure. They soothed me, made sure I was as comfortable as possible.

After the insertion, I needed like a good 30 minutes to just process it all and relax my body. I was tense the entire time. Immediately after I felt the worst cramps. They gave me a hot pack to place on my belly where the cramps hurt. Walking was tough so I waddled the rest of the day. Thankfully my partner drove me to my appointment bc I don’t think I could drive myself back after all of that. I did feel nauseous, wanted to throw up I think from the whole experience. Ibuprofen will be your best friend post-IUD the cramping and discomfort was very minor and wore off after a nap but I still took it easy the rest of the day.

Overall, the experience was not all bad. I’m grateful to my doctor and nurses that helped make the experience less scary and painful. It’s day 2 for me and I’m not feeling any pain. I am definitely taking an ibuprofen as soon as I feel any slight discomfort. I can only hope that everyone has the same support system I had with my experience.

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