My IUD and Me

For as long as I could remember, everyone has told me that the IUD was horrible and will ruin your body. They said it was dangerous, it wasn't right to have a foreign object inside your uterus like that for so long. And for a while, I believed them. Especially with all the late-night commercials you see about them causing serious issues for women. So I decided to go on the pill once I started having sex. Honestly, there were so many times where I forgot to take it, I freaked out when my period was late and thought, “Yep, I'm going to get pregnant for sure this time.” They turned out to be false alarms every time.

About two years later, I switched OBGYN doctors. I was thinking heavily about getting the IUD because I got so sick of taking the pill everyday and at a certain time. I also didn't like how it changed my moods and made me gain weight so quickly. So I decided to ask my new doctor about the IUD. I asked her every question I could think of.

“Does it hurt?”

“How will it affect my periods?”

“There was a picture recently of a newborn baby holding the mother's IUD when it came out, could that really happen??”

“Is there a chance this will negatively affect my body?”

She told me everything I wanted to know and more. The final question I asked was, "Is this something you would put in your body?” And she said yes. If my doctor trusts it, then I should too, right?

I made my decision right then and there that I wanted the copper IUD known as Paragard. I was so excited, no longer would I have to take a pill everyday. No longer would I have to freak out because I forgot to take the pill. And no longer will I have to walk through a blizzard/thunderstorm/heat wave just to pick them up. I was really excited about the fact that I could leave it in for ten years and not have to worry about it. My mom on the other hand… she wasn't too happy. She thought I was making a bad decision and that I would regret putting something like that in my body. But I assured her I knew what I was getting myself into. I felt like this was the right decision for me.

On the day of the ‘operation’, I signed some forms to be put to sleep (because I'll be damned if I have to stay awake for that) and I spoke to my doctor one last time. He wanted to make sure it's something I really wanted, that I wasn’t going to come back a month or two later because I regretted it. I told him I was ready and I just wanted the procedure to be over quickly. And it was, in fact, over quickly. They put me under so it felt like all I did was a slow blink and I was done. But man oh man, the pain I felt afterwards was unbearable. The only way I could describe it was as if there were robot hands squeezing my insides. It was so bad, I couldn't leave my bed until the next morning. I had to rely on my mom and boyfriend to bring me food. The doctor said that there might be bleeding, and there was, but it wasn't anything major.

The pain went away and it was time for the next test: my time of the month. All I can say is, “OH MY GOD." To be completely honest, the only thing that stuck in my mind when I spoke with my doctor was the periods being heavier. I didn't take into account the amount of pain I'd be in from cramps. These cramps were worse than when I was on the pill. Since getting my IUD, I've dreaded getting my period because I knew I would have to deal with some really bad pains for 2-3 days straight. I used to take regular ibuprofen pills, usually one would do. Now I have to take about three. It's that bad.

It's been a little over a year now since I got the IUD, and I can say for sure that it was probably one of them best decisions I've made. I feel like a different person. I don't have any mood swings, I've lost the weight I've gained from being on the pill, and I haven’t had any negative side effects. I would encourage anyone who's curious about it to speak with your doctor first to see which IUD is best for you.