IUD summary

I've been sitting on this post for a while as I wasn't sure exactly if I wanted to do it and if I did, how in depth I wanted to get with it, seeing as how I have family that reads this bloggy thing. Since, however, I was very disappointed to find that there is very little out there on the subject, I have decided to write it based on what I was looking for when I made the decision. I'm talking about when I went for the IUD. You find plenty of informational pages on both types of IUD but very little actual testimonials from real people.

It feels like this thing has been inside my body for six months, yet, it has only been since the first week of May. I bled through all of May, all of June and on and off in July. At one point I was earnestly regretting my decision. I felt as if this was going to continue indefinitely. I had been warned by my OB that the first few months are the worst and after you get past that hurdle, the rest is smooth and easy. When you bleed for that long though, it seems like an eternity. With the amount of tampons I was forced to buy, I could've dammed the Mississippi. The actual placement was actually not that painful, probably due to the fact that I took a vicodin beforehand. (which I strongly advise... trust me, you can find some if you want them bad enough) I did feel pretty uncomfortable and ill the rest of that evening and then cramped for several days after but nothing much worse than normal period cramps. I can feel it. I didn't expect that. If Evan is sitting on my stomach and bounces suddenly, I can feel the edges of the IUD hit my uterus. That's very not cool, man. One time I had to pass the kid to my husband as he must have hit it just right and I felt like I was going to be sick. If I'm having trouble going to the bathroom, I can feel it then too. Other than that, I no longer notice it or have cramps at all. I haven't had PMS the entire time and the waterfall seems to have stopped now. I don't know if I'll do it again. I'm leaning towards yes. I think the placement would go smoother the second time as I now know what to expect and what is going to happen. You can tell me till your blue in the face how a procedure is going to go but I don't truly know till I've went through it. I assume you are sugar coating it or I will have it worse than you did, etc. (for anyone who had been searching for IUD information and came across this blog - I almost passed out twice during my placement... it's not unusual for me to pass out however, particularly when I'm really freaked out about something) If you decide to go with an IUD (I have the mirena but had been planning on the paragard) I strongly recommend not turning back once the speculum is in. They use a numbing spray after putting the speculum in (unless your doctor is a complete sadist) and it causes the vagina to get extremely sticky. If (as was my case) you freak out and ask them to remove everything, reinsertion is something straight out of the depths of hell. Honestly, the speculum could've been armed with scalding hot spikes and it wouldn't have made a difference in the pain. They do not use any lubricant as they have to sterilize the area before inserting the IUD and lubrication would make that difficult to accurately do. All in all, I say if you don't want periods, you've never had a uterine infection, and are in a monogamous relationship, go for it. If anyone reads this and is thinking about an IUD and has further questions on my experience, absolutely feel free to email me.