It has been six weeks since I went into my OBGYN's office and had my first IUD inserted. I plan to talk about the why, the experience and of course, the after, but first... Occasionally I do lifestyle posts outside of beauty and style because my overall focus is encouraging women and talking about real situations. This is a post that I plan to keep it all the way real on and I hope you are open to us talking about birth control. In fact, I did not realize that this would be something I would actually be sharing.
The day I got my IUD inserted, I shared that I handled it like a boss on Twitter and over the following days, I shared a few tweets on how I was feeling. I got a few responses, which made me realize that maybe this was something I should share on my actual blog. Deciding to get an IUD was something I had never thought of until a few months ago and even after the idea was presented to me, I took some time to think about it. I ultimately decided it was the best option for me so that leads us to the why...
The Real Reasons I Got an IUD
Birth control is one of those topics that some women still seem to whisper about and I don't understand why. Even as a Christian, I am grateful that I am able to have somewhat of a decision on when and if I have a child. I only say somewhat because things do happen unexpectedly at times. I'd been on the birth control pill, Junel, for almost five years. I loved this pill because it worked great and I had no adverse reactions; however, over the last couple of years, my blood pressure began to rise (...along with my weight).
It got to a point where I'd been prescribed water pills and I was having to make some decisions on how I was going to really improve my health. In the midst of that, I also decided it was finally time to find an OBGYN in Greensboro. During my first visit with my new doctor, the doctor clearly laid out for me that she could not re-prescribe Junel because it increases blood pressure and since mine was already high, that was a no go. She laid out a few options for me and to be honest, the IUD, Kyleena, seemed to be the best option.
Plus, my husband and I are not quite ready for children yet. We are taking our time.
My IUD Insertion Experience
I waited about a month after my doctor's visit to have Kyleena inserted. I wanted to ensure I was making the right choice. On the day of my insertion, I was incredibly nervous, but the procedure was very straight forward. I had to have blood drawn because my doctor wants to ensure you are not pregnant before having the IUD inserted. Obviously, I was not pregnant so I then waited a bit before being taken to the ultrasound room. Since I'm plus size, my IUD had to be inserted with ultrasound assistance.
They had no problem locating my uterus with the ultrasound and my doctor inserted Kyleena in less than five minutes. The actual insertion felt like a very strong menstrual cramp. I had watched videos of women describing what their insertion was like and many described the pain as unbearable. Many also suggested taking two ibuprofen before the visit, which I did do. I didn't feel the pain was that bad, but mind you, I have always had pretty strong cramps. The strong cramp subsided a few minutes after she put it in.
Where I'm At Now
The first few days after the IUD insertion were interesting, but bearable. I took ibuprofen once a day to help with the cramps and often used a heat pad at night. Overall, I simply felt crampy and bloated throughout the first two weeks. That feeling subsided, but the one thing that has been happening ever since the insertion is spotting. It has been officially six weeks since having the IUD inserted and I'm still spotting. I knew to expect it throughout the six weeks, but it doesn't make it less annoying. In fact, every other day, I will get an intense cramp, bleed and then it will stop maybe an hour later.
Overall, I am extremely grateful that my blood pressure has gone down since coming off birth control pills and I am glad I don't have to worry about taking a birth control pill daily. Once the spotting let's up, I think this will be a good thing.
If you are reading this and concerned about having an IUD inserted, I can assure you these three tips below made my day a lot easier.
1. Have someone drive you to and from your appointment.
2. Take ibuproben an hour before your appointment.
3. Make sure you've eaten before your appointment.
Would you get an IUD? What as your experience been like?
God bless & stay fab,
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