Okay y'all. Super long post ahead, but hopefully helpful for those looking for answers and commonalities.
I had previously been on the birth control pills (the combination estrogen + progestin; called Sprintec) for around 4 years, but recently started noticing high blood pressure. Not super high, we are talking 130ish/90ish. Because of this, my OB/GYN said that it would be best to change my birth control to one that does not have estrogen in it, since estrogen usually can increase blood pressure. So my non-estrogen options were as follows: the Depo-shot, the implant, the IUD, and the progestin-only pills (commonly called mini-pills).
When I set up my consultation appointment to talk with her about my options, I went in knowing the Depo-shot and implant were out for me (I have a phobia of needles and have heard too many negative things about the implant). I was 50/50 on the pills and IUD. The mini-pills are super strict: you have to take them at the exact same time every day. If you even miss the pill by 3 hours, you have to go ahead and take the next pill because you are already running the risk of potential pregnancy. For a grad student like me who has 8000 things on her plate, this was not my best option. So I opted for the IUD.
Now, I know me. And I know I get in my head, over-analyze, and over-think everything. So when I decided at the consultation that I wanted to do the IUD, I asked if they could go ahead and insert it that day so I wouldn't have to go home and think about my decision and then panic-search what IUD insertions are like. (Ignorance is bliss sometimes, right?) Well, that didn't happen. I had to wait an entire 7 days before the insertion date.
Fast forward to today. It is insertion day. Yes, I spent 7 days thinking about it. Yes, I asked friends who had IUDs to tell me their experience. Yes, I checked reddit and multiple other websites, reading review after review of what the experience is like. And as expected, yes, I was in panic going into this insertion procedure (yay anxiety).
I was on my period the day of the consultation, but NOT on my period today for the insertion. I had voiced this concern to my OB/GYN at the consultation and she said that it can be inserted any time, and she has done many insertions to patients not on a period.
I was very nervous throughout the entire appointment. I had taken 800mg of ibuprofen an hour before the appointment time, as per the doctor's recommendation to help with cramping. No other medication, numbing, or cervix-opening things given. My OB/GYN was super sweet and tried her best to talk calmly and tell me each step, which I greatly appreciated. So here is how the procedure itself went:
She inserted the speculum and it went just fine, like any other PAP speculum insertion. No problems here, these don't bother me at all. Then she put what she called "cleansing soap" on my cervix - which was this brown liquid to help clean before they get to the insertion of the IUD through my cervix and into my uterus. This also did not hurt at all - I barely even felt it. It's just a long q-tip with the liquid on it, so it didn't hurt. Now the next step is where the pain began. She then had a tool that was to hold my cervix open and that I would feel a "pinch." YES YOU FEEL THE PINCH. It was not a comfortable pinch either. Now, she explicitly told me that my cervix was "extremely tight," so that is probably why it hurt me more than some others. I have never given birth or ever had a pregnancy, so we are talking newbie to cervix openings (besides monthly periods). This pain made me gasp and then go "ow ow ow" softly under my breath.
She then inserted a new tool to measure the depth of my uterus. This was uncomfortable because this was a tool actually going through my open cervix and into my uterus, instead of the pain from the tool holding my cervix open. This resulted in more loud "ow ow ow's" at a talking level. This is where I was beginning the really uncomfortable stage where I was ready for the process to be done, but still was "tolerating" it. She finished measuring and then pulled the measuring tool back out, and this hurt too (because it's coming out of my uterus/cervix now). At this point, my OB/GYN could tell I was uncomfortable and not enjoying this, and asked me if I wanted a break. I could not verbally tell her yes or no because I was too focused on saying "ow ow ow" to say anything else. She told me to just take deep breaths and wiggle my toes. And let me tell you, take deep breaths and wiggle your toes!!! It definitely helped me. It didn't take the pain away necessarily, but it did help keep me more calm and less panicky (which I was already panicky the second I walked into the appointment).
The IUD insertion did not feel much different than the feeling of the tool used to measure the depth of my uterus. It was painful in the sense that it's different than what people say is a "really intense period cramp" - it's more of a pain that feels deep inside your uterus that's a mix between a sharp pain and a "cramp." (Take the word "cramp" lightly because it did not feel like a period cramp at all to me. It feels like it's in a different spot in your body, so it's a different sensation). At this point, I was beyond ready for it to be over. I am going "OW OW OW OW" in a wimpy voice with lots of deep mouth breathing (which itself was not fun because #covid and wearing a mask while trying to deep breathe). But the second she pulled the tool out that had the IUD on it (because the IUD is now in place in my uterus), the pain almost immediately subsided. I didn't feel the sharp intense cramp feeling anymore. I was glad it was done. She then clipped the strings that stick out of your cervix and into your vagina, which I could not feel at all. Then it was completely over.
She let me lay on the table for as long as I wanted to calm down and make sure that I felt okay. I laid there for 5 minutes just because she told me to and I felt totally normal. Then I sat up for 1 minute to make sure change in motion didn't affect me, which it did not. I did have some bleeding during the insertion because I was not on my period at the time, and I have continued to have some light bleeding/spotting since the procedure (it has currently been 6 hours since that happened - still going strong). I also have had a continual light/soft cramp since I left the appointment, like a traditional normal period cramp that is 100% tolerable and can ignore it if I don't think about it.
I walked out of the appointment, drove 40 minutes home by myself, and just finished sitting through a 3-hour graduate school class on Zoom (again, #covid). I never felt lightheaded or felt like I was going to pass out.
So here's to hoping all you others out there with anxiety and constant researching IUDs come across this post (and manage to read it all - sorry that I'm a lengthy talker), in hopes it gives you some honest insight. The pain was definitely uncomfortable, but tolerable (not that you really have a choice once they get going). The procedure took maybe 3 minutes from start to finish, even though it feels much longer in the moment. But you can do this. Once it's in, you've got 5 years! So stop your searching, go lay down, and keep your appointment scheduled. You WILL survive.
Sincerely,
an anxious IUD newbie
I had previously been on the birth control pills (the combination estrogen + progestin; called Sprintec) for around 4 years, but recently started noticing high blood pressure. Not super high, we are talking 130ish/90ish. Because of this, my OB/GYN said that it would be best to change my birth control to one that does not have estrogen in it, since estrogen usually can increase blood pressure. So my non-estrogen options were as follows: the Depo-shot, the implant, the IUD, and the progestin-only pills (commonly called mini-pills).
When I set up my consultation appointment to talk with her about my options, I went in knowing the Depo-shot and implant were out for me (I have a phobia of needles and have heard too many negative things about the implant). I was 50/50 on the pills and IUD. The mini-pills are super strict: you have to take them at the exact same time every day. If you even miss the pill by 3 hours, you have to go ahead and take the next pill because you are already running the risk of potential pregnancy. For a grad student like me who has 8000 things on her plate, this was not my best option. So I opted for the IUD.
Now, I know me. And I know I get in my head, over-analyze, and over-think everything. So when I decided at the consultation that I wanted to do the IUD, I asked if they could go ahead and insert it that day so I wouldn't have to go home and think about my decision and then panic-search what IUD insertions are like. (Ignorance is bliss sometimes, right?) Well, that didn't happen. I had to wait an entire 7 days before the insertion date.
Fast forward to today. It is insertion day. Yes, I spent 7 days thinking about it. Yes, I asked friends who had IUDs to tell me their experience. Yes, I checked reddit and multiple other websites, reading review after review of what the experience is like. And as expected, yes, I was in panic going into this insertion procedure (yay anxiety).
I was on my period the day of the consultation, but NOT on my period today for the insertion. I had voiced this concern to my OB/GYN at the consultation and she said that it can be inserted any time, and she has done many insertions to patients not on a period.
I was very nervous throughout the entire appointment. I had taken 800mg of ibuprofen an hour before the appointment time, as per the doctor's recommendation to help with cramping. No other medication, numbing, or cervix-opening things given. My OB/GYN was super sweet and tried her best to talk calmly and tell me each step, which I greatly appreciated. So here is how the procedure itself went:
She inserted the speculum and it went just fine, like any other PAP speculum insertion. No problems here, these don't bother me at all. Then she put what she called "cleansing soap" on my cervix - which was this brown liquid to help clean before they get to the insertion of the IUD through my cervix and into my uterus. This also did not hurt at all - I barely even felt it. It's just a long q-tip with the liquid on it, so it didn't hurt. Now the next step is where the pain began. She then had a tool that was to hold my cervix open and that I would feel a "pinch." YES YOU FEEL THE PINCH. It was not a comfortable pinch either. Now, she explicitly told me that my cervix was "extremely tight," so that is probably why it hurt me more than some others. I have never given birth or ever had a pregnancy, so we are talking newbie to cervix openings (besides monthly periods). This pain made me gasp and then go "ow ow ow" softly under my breath.
She then inserted a new tool to measure the depth of my uterus. This was uncomfortable because this was a tool actually going through my open cervix and into my uterus, instead of the pain from the tool holding my cervix open. This resulted in more loud "ow ow ow's" at a talking level. This is where I was beginning the really uncomfortable stage where I was ready for the process to be done, but still was "tolerating" it. She finished measuring and then pulled the measuring tool back out, and this hurt too (because it's coming out of my uterus/cervix now). At this point, my OB/GYN could tell I was uncomfortable and not enjoying this, and asked me if I wanted a break. I could not verbally tell her yes or no because I was too focused on saying "ow ow ow" to say anything else. She told me to just take deep breaths and wiggle my toes. And let me tell you, take deep breaths and wiggle your toes!!! It definitely helped me. It didn't take the pain away necessarily, but it did help keep me more calm and less panicky (which I was already panicky the second I walked into the appointment).
The IUD insertion did not feel much different than the feeling of the tool used to measure the depth of my uterus. It was painful in the sense that it's different than what people say is a "really intense period cramp" - it's more of a pain that feels deep inside your uterus that's a mix between a sharp pain and a "cramp." (Take the word "cramp" lightly because it did not feel like a period cramp at all to me. It feels like it's in a different spot in your body, so it's a different sensation). At this point, I was beyond ready for it to be over. I am going "OW OW OW OW" in a wimpy voice with lots of deep mouth breathing (which itself was not fun because #covid and wearing a mask while trying to deep breathe). But the second she pulled the tool out that had the IUD on it (because the IUD is now in place in my uterus), the pain almost immediately subsided. I didn't feel the sharp intense cramp feeling anymore. I was glad it was done. She then clipped the strings that stick out of your cervix and into your vagina, which I could not feel at all. Then it was completely over.
She let me lay on the table for as long as I wanted to calm down and make sure that I felt okay. I laid there for 5 minutes just because she told me to and I felt totally normal. Then I sat up for 1 minute to make sure change in motion didn't affect me, which it did not. I did have some bleeding during the insertion because I was not on my period at the time, and I have continued to have some light bleeding/spotting since the procedure (it has currently been 6 hours since that happened - still going strong). I also have had a continual light/soft cramp since I left the appointment, like a traditional normal period cramp that is 100% tolerable and can ignore it if I don't think about it.
I walked out of the appointment, drove 40 minutes home by myself, and just finished sitting through a 3-hour graduate school class on Zoom (again, #covid). I never felt lightheaded or felt like I was going to pass out.
So here's to hoping all you others out there with anxiety and constant researching IUDs come across this post (and manage to read it all - sorry that I'm a lengthy talker), in hopes it gives you some honest insight. The pain was definitely uncomfortable, but tolerable (not that you really have a choice once they get going). The procedure took maybe 3 minutes from start to finish, even though it feels much longer in the moment. But you can do this. Once it's in, you've got 5 years! So stop your searching, go lay down, and keep your appointment scheduled. You WILL survive.
Sincerely,
an anxious IUD newbie
there was a male nurse that was handing her the stuff. He stayed at the same level of my head. And afterwards, you could just tell he felt really bad for me. He said “do...do you want some water?
” LOL