WARNING!! This post may be TMI; Most people that know me
know that I’m a pretty open book. When it comes to struggles I find it better
to talk about things then to bottle them up and keep them secret. A Lot of
times I find that other people I know can relate from going through similar
situations. With that being said…I’m going to talk about my not so great
experience with getting an IUD.
I have never liked the idea of an IUD. I thought it was
weird, unnatural, the fact that some make you have no periods just seemed
unhealthy to me, and of course the stories of IUDs going through the uterus and
having to be surgically removed were the icing on top of the cake. After my second complicated pregnancy, my
husband and I decided that we might not have more children but didn’t want to
make a permanent decision. Since I’m breastfeeding along with added health
risks from my pregnancies there wasn’t many options for birth control for me.
So I asked my friends their opinions of IUDs and most said the side effect they
hated was heavier bleeding and cramping but I never heard of anyone I
personally knew having to get it surgically removed. I asked my doctor how
often they have to be surgically removed and he said that he’s only had to do
one since becoming a doctor and that he wasn’t the one to initially place it.
To me it seemed like it was pretty uncommon so I decided to give the
non-hormonal IUD a try thinking that if it causes heavier bleeding and cramping
I can just get it taken out…no big deal. WRONG!
My IUD was placed in January when I was almost 5 months
postpartum. A month later I went back for a routine “string check” and it was
nowhere to be found. I had a sonogram that day to check the placement and it
was still considered in correct placement. I also did get the heavier periods
and cramping that seemed to get worse instead of better over time. Now that it’s
June I decided to get it removed. Not only because of my period changes but
mainly because it just freaks me out that my doctor can’t see it like he
normally would and I don’t want to risk it moving more and going through my
uterus or anything else. I had an appointment last week to get it removed and
my doctor tried many different things to remove it and wasn’t able to. I am now
one of the women having to get my IUD surgically removed next week.
I share all of this with the world so that hopefully my
story may help someone make the decision to get an IUD or not. I feel like if
it helps one friend then it was worth it. I really regret my decision and wish
I would have just followed my gut instinct but I’m very thankful that the
situation isn’t any worse than it is and that I’m getting it removed very soon!
I would also like to ask for prayers
that my surgery goes well and that recovery isn’t too bad because I’m super
nervous.
