When I was in high school, I went on the pill to help alleviate the excruciating cramps I would get with my period. I was never the best at taking the pill consistently or every day, so I knew I needed a better form of birth control when I got to college. I decided to get a five-year hormonal IUD, so I wouldn’t need to worry about being consistent with taking something throughout my time in college.
The process of getting my IUD was not as painful as I imagined it would be. However, I was not prepared for how my body would react after the insertion process was done. Immediately after getting my IUD, I felt great. After a few seconds, things took a turn, and I got incredibly nauseous, freezing, but also hot and started sweating profusely. Thankfully, I had my mom with me, and she was able to drive me home. Once I was home, I napped for two hours then felt normal again.
Since getting my IUD, I haven’t bled much other than occasional spotting, so I thought I was part of the group that lost their period with the IUD. I thought I was free of “all things period” until the fall of my sophomore year, when I was getting the worst pains of my life. Pains so bad that I sometimes wouldn’t be able to move, get out of bed, or even pass out. I eventually saw a gynecologist, and she looked at my IUD and said that everything seemed perfectly fine. Immediately I was confused. What was causing these pains, if not my IUD?!?!?! The gynecologist then told me that my IUD doesn’t work the same way that pill does with hormones and that my IUD won’t prevent the cramps I get from my period as the pill did for years. When I thought something was seriously wrong with me because of my IUD, it was just me getting period cramps for the first time in 4 years. So although I am not getting a physical period every month, my body is still going through the same cycle and getting all the other symptoms of my period.
I realize that all of what I just said is my personal experience with an IUD. In an attempt to gather more things that you can’t learn from reading a pamphlet, I went to Instagram. I posted a story and asked my female followers with IUDS to reply to the question: “What is something you wish you knew before getting an IUD?”. I received a bunch of responses, and here are the general answers.
- How bad it hurts getting an IUD inserted is (X6)
- How getting an IUD didn’t hurt as bad as they thought it would (X3)
- How important having someone to drive you is!! (Due to immediate pain/discomfort, nausea, etc.)
- How it’s difficult to know if it’s working correctly on your own, so it comes with a little bit of uncertainty
- IUDs don’t help with things the same thing the pill does (period cramps, acne)
- The risks that can come with having an IUD!! Risks mentioned: Cervix tearing, Ovarian cysts, effects on mental health, increased chance of yeast infections.
- How you can completely lose your period
- How you can bleed for the next few weeks or months after getting an IUD
- How you may need to get your cervix dilated before getting your IUD inserted
- How painful getting the IUD removed is
I say all this in hopes that you and your doctor can make the most informed and best decision for your body.