(no subject)

[avendya.livejournal.com]

How painful is IUD insertion? Is it doable even for people who've had bad experiences with pelvic exams?

My (first) partner and I are considering becoming sexually active, and neither of us are willing to take any risks re. pregnancy. I don't know how great of a choice HBC would be for me, because a) I'm on a giant cocktail of medications, some of which interact with birth control in odd ways, and b) I had an extremely bad reaction when I was on the pill a few years ago. Thus, considering the copper IUD + condoms.

However, I'm scared of the insertion. My last pelvic exam was... not good. Which is to say: it was so painful I blacked out and the doctor had to bring me back around with smelling salts. That was for a pap smear, but when she did that, she specifically said that she was glad she was not inserting an IUD. I don't think that's normal, and I am reasonably sure she was using a much larger speculum than she should have been, but.

Help?

Comments

[ulisesgirl.livejournal.com]

Well, for one - check out the IUD Divas page! (I can't link to it at the moment, gahhh, sorry) :) There are plenty of folks there who can help you out with issues like you're having in regards to the procedure.

Also, I would recommend going in and talking to your doctor about it first - if you don't have a General Practitioner you can visit, Planned Parenthood (provided you're in the US)has always been wonderful to me about sitting down, answering questions and allaying any fears I may have had about anything related to my "bits".

They may be offer solutions to you regarding anti-anxiety medication beforehand, cervical dilators, lidocaine for your cervix, etc. Open communication with your doc/NP/PA/etc is extremely important when anything painful might be on the horizon.

I was honestly scared half to poopsville when I went in to get my IUD (I have a Mirena) because I had heard it was painful. While it was not exactly a walk in the park, I was pleasantly surprised about how relatively easy and quick the insertion was.

So go! Schedule a chat and discuss your options. :) Hope that helps!

[cheeseydreams.livejournal.com]

Personally, the insertion was like a very painful cramp but it was over in seconds. I didn't have any cervical softener nor did I remember to take some pain relievers earlier enough prior to the insertion. I was pretty apprehensive about the insertion process, but I found it totally worth it.

Like ulisesgirl said, open communication with your dr is very important so definitely have a chat with her and find out what your options are for the insertion process. I've heard of people having the IUD inserted under general anesthesia, but that is something you should talk with your doctor about.

[patchworkorange]

This. The insertion was MUCH less scary/painful then my anxiety made it out to be :)

It's a couple seconds...I was able to breathe through it and I found the worst part to be the sounding, where they measure the inside of your uterus. But again, that was a couple seconds and kind of like a hard cramp.

Placing the IUD was nothing because you are already open at that point and it's inserted through a sort of "straw" that has kept your cervix open the whole 5 minutes you'll have your legs spread.

Go to your doc, discuss...ask anything and everything. But seriously, it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

[mennamachine.livejournal.com]

I found the Paragard insertion more uncomfortable than painful, but I have a high pain tolerance. It is somewhat of a red flag that a pap caused you so much trouble, because an IUD insertion involves some similar manipulations of your cervix. I agree with the above commenters that perhaps a combination of prophylactic pain killers, an anti-anxiety medication, and/or cervical softener might be helpful, but I'd definitely discuss your history and options with your practitioner. Perhaps a cervical cap or diaphragm would be another option for you to explore, as well.

[kimie-catclaw.livejournal.com]

Seconding all of the above. My Mirena insertion wasn't bad at all- three or four moderate cramps, and then period-like cramping for a couple days afterward. Aleve ahead of time might have been nice, but the pain was totally manageable.

http://iud-divas.livejournal.com/ has lots of resources :)

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[gawlfor.livejournal.com]

You can also talk to your doctor about using laminaria to open up your cervix before inserting the IUD. They're small sticks that the doctor can place in the cervix that slowly absorb water and expand, dilating the cervix making it much easier to insert the IUD. Also, take ibuprofen beforehand, that helps too.