I was contemplating getting an IUD for a few years now. I've been on birth control since I was 13 for medical purposes but at 20 I felt it was time for a change in my routine.
Additionally, in light of recent events, I decided to go ahead and do it... I went to Planned Parenthood and I now have the Liletta!
If you are like I was a few weeks ago: on the fenc—there are a few things I wish I knew before getting my IUD.
1. Online reviews will give you the worst reviews ever.
Before I set up my appointment, I was reading a lot about people's experiences and a lot of them were horror stories. Please take these things with a grain of salt.
It's honestly better to talk with the healthcare provider that will be administering your IUD then listening to Samantha on Yelp.
Typical failure rate is 0.8% but this can include your body just plainly expelling it out your body and less than 1% of women actually get pregnant with the IUD. What they don't tell you is that a lot of the 1% is because their IUD was very close to their expiration or past it. As long as you are on top of it, you are more than protected.
2. Online reviews will also make you paranoid.
Like I said before, a lot of the things I read online were pure horror stories, and every woman has their own experience. And then this may sound crazy, but you don't even know who is actually posting. It could be someone against contraception making it sound worse than it actually is.
When I sat down with my doctor she said that in worst case scenario, the IUD will proliferate the uterine wall... however, the only way for that to happen is if the person who put it in basically pushed it in there with pure force and no care in the world and you will have VERY clear signs of such.
Another worst case is the body saying "no" and pushing it out on its own. And even when that happens, it doesn't hurt and some women don't even realize it until they do their weekly check.
3. When they say "strong" cramp, they mean, A STRONG ASS CRAMP.
I honestly thought it was not going to hurt until I spoke with a few friends who did get their IUD before me. Then I had to realize of course there is going to be some pain so please brace yourself for discomfort. They are opening up your cervix and implanting something in your uterus. If you are a type of girl who gets strong cramps normally be prepared to yelp.
However, every woman IS DIFFERENT. Some women don't feel a thing. Some need 3 hours post procedure to let the pain subside. It's normal and IT WILL PASS. Afterwards, the pain is like a normal period cramping. I was able to go to work and work 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. the next day.
4. If you are going to do it through Planned Parenthood, they will help you through it.
Post-procedure it took me 45 minutes to ride the cramps out. They gave me crackers, ginger ale, and a heating pad and they checked up on me every 15 minutes or so. I felt bad taking that long, but they don't mind it and they were not letting me leave without making sure I was okay.
5. Don't over think it.
I was so nervous because I didn't know what I was expecting to the point I started to freak myself out and I gave myself psychosomatic cramping before my period was supposed to even come. Don't try to imagine the pain or the worse case scenario and just embrace it your new choices in life.
6. It's actually the BEST form of contraception.
Because there are two forms of human error for this contraception. One, is when the medical personnel is putting it in and if you don't check for the string that hangs out of our cervix every week or so. There are no pills you have to worry about, keeping up with a patch or a ring. You could say its semi-permanent for a long time. And you are fertile when you decide to have kids one day in the future.
Only 1 of 100 women get pregnant on the IUD and, like I said before, of that one percent majority of it is because they had it in still past their expiration date.
7. Your period will be nonexistent.
The IUD makes the lining of your uterus VERY thin so no shedding is needed every month. Also, it changes the mucus around the cervix that makes it severely thick for the sperm to even swim through... I was just excited about the no period part, but the other things are cool too.
8. Take someone with you.
Even though I have high pain tolerance as it is, it did hurt. I took my boyfriend with me and he was an amazing support for me and held my hand throughout it and helped me for the hours after with buying me pads and hot chocolate packets for the night.
Whether it's your boyfriend, parent, or someone close to you that you trust, the support is amazing. You are in a very vulnerable position here and it's okay that you are, and that's what you're there for.
9. There is a needle...
I was flat on my back but my boyfriend looked up and saw this very long and thin needle the Medical Personnel tapped. She stuck it in me and asked me to cough. It pinched... It was a weird pinch... but do not be alarmed! There are not a lot of nerve endings at the cervix as it is. Do not expect it to hurt like a needle in your arm, hand, top of the foot, etc. because it does not feel that way.
I'm just letting you know, there may be a needle. I also have heard that some doctors use a numbing spray to dilate the cervix a little. Every office is different. Make sure you ask if you're really curious.
10. The consultation is longer than the actual procedure.
It took about 45 minutes. The actual procedure took 5-7 minutes. They told me basically what an IUD is, and made sure that I am aware of what I am doing the benefits, risks, etc. ask any question you have here.
11. I feel relieved.
I don't have to worry about a pill anymore, I don't have to constantly worry about the time anymore. I feel more relaxed now and by far I'm feeling great. I'm Still spotting a bit and will for at least for a few months, but it's not noticeable and it's not something a pantyliner or a thin tampon can't fix. I don't regret it.
Like I said before it was not as bad as I psyched myself to be. I did shed some tears, and I did it without the pain medication that I should have taken before going in.
In all, there are many different types of Birth control methods that can help you just as much. Keep reading and talk with your doctor. In the end, do what you feel best for you.
