Ladies who have IUDs: Did it hurt, how much time did you take off to recover, and is it worth it. I’m so weirdly scared about getting one but my periods are so painful! I don’t know what else to do.

I have had Kyleena for 2,5 years. Insertion was quite unpleasant but really quick. The pain during insertion was comparable to being pinched but it lasted a few seconds and it was tolerable. Take whatever painkiller you can get before the procedure, and relax as much as you can, breathing in and out very deeply. This is really important to minimize the pain, being tense just makes it worse.
The hours that followed felt like a mild to bad period pain. I did not take time off/don’t think I would have needed it but it would be good to take a day or 2 if it makes you feel less stressed.
I still ovulate every month. My period pain is the same as it was before the IUD. I bleed a lot less though.
I don’t need to remember taking a pill and I had underestimated how liberating this would be. Overall totally, totally worth it in my opinion. The IUD works superbly well for some ladies and not at all for others. I would say try it out and if it’s not for you take it off, it’s definitely worth a try.

I had an IUD after my son was born and I felt really angry and anxious often. I thought it was postpartum depression until I read an article that said IUDs can cause these feelings. I didn’t want to risk it and had it removed. I pretty quickly went back to the old me.

If your periods are really painful then talk to your OBGYN. I would nearly pass out from the pain as a teenager. My (male) family doctor said it was normal and said “take extra ibuprofen.” Years later my OBGYN discovered I had endometriosis when she performed surgery to remove a cyst on my ovary.

I eventually ended up in the ER many years later because the endometriosis pain came back with a vengeance. I was immediately scheduled for a hysterectomy. Thankfully, I had already had my son. I feel 10x better now. Plus, no periods. But, menopause is it’s own ball of fun. Worth it, though.

Yes it hurts. Didn’t take any time off but when I go for a new one this year I’ll probably “work from home” for 2 days. It is 100% worth it. I had spotting for maybe 3-4 months and then haven’t had a period in almost 4.5 years. For what it’s worth, also have not gotten pregnant lol.

I’ve had two, and have never had kids. Both hurt like a bitch for a moment followed by cramping. Worse cramping for the first one. In both cases I was ok to work the next day, with some ongoing cramping from the first one especially but manageable.

Mirena wasn’t worth it for me—I am acne prone and developed horrific cystic acne that I couldn’t resolve even with prescription meds, it tanked my libido, and I kept getting yeast infections.

Paragard made my periods heavier initially but has been life changing. It’s such a relief to have nonhormonal BC that I don’t have to think about. I’d prefer Mirena for the period benefits if it worked for me but since it doesn’t, Paragard is great.

I have the copper IUD, take some Advil beforehand and you will be fine. It’s a sharp pain but it won’t last very long. I was cramping for maybe 24 hours. The copper IUD can cause your period to be heavier (which mine was already). and the first 3-4 months your periods are more painful but overall totally worth it. This one is hormone free and lasts for 10 years. My body rejects hormones so this is god send

Have the mirena and I was told to take some ibuprofen the day/morning of. I was also told that it was less painful/better to do it during my period. Unfortunately, the doctor who was going to do it got called into the ER and I was told I could do it with another doctor. The other doc was male and being a mid-twenties youth at the time, I didn’t want a male doing it, especially one I didn’t know. So I rescheduled for the following week. It def hurt and I almost, passed out. Started seeing spots and had to have my husband (then fiancé) at the time come pick me up bc I did not feel steady to drive home. That day, I remember just curling up in ball and not wanting to move. I think I felt like that for a few days. Felt like really ínstense cramps. I thought I had a pretty good pain tolerance, but I was wrong. I did also experience spotting and discomfort for about a year. We moved a lot that year so i went to doctors in 3 diff states to make sure it was done right and every one of them said it looked normal. But I also have friends who have done it and said, like many others, got one put in and then went about their day. Seems to just really depend on the person.

It felt like one really bad BIG cramp on insertion. So I think it depends on your pain tolerance. I get terrible cramps on my period so it just felt like that to me, but it came on a lot faster. I had no problems at all with it. I have friends who cried when they got theirs. So it kind of depends on the person. Definitely take Advil about an hour before. And they should give you some meds to soften your cervix to take the day before and day of. If they don’t offer meds for that, ask for them. I think it made a difference in how much it hurt/didn’t hurt. Totally worth it though. I’ve had mine for a year and still get occasional spotting but it’s basically the best thing to ever happen to me. And I didn’t take time off, but some people may need to. It all depends on how you react to it. If you could work from home, I would try to do that.

Mine didn't hurt at all. I took a Tylenol, Advil, and Mortin all an hour before the procedure (at my doctor's advice). Don't tense up when they use the insertion tool or when you feel anything. Becoming tense will only make the pain worse! I'm an avid rock climber and I went climbing 30 minutes after it was done. I spotted for about 3 months after that and my vulva also got a bad reaction to all the panty liners I had to wear so if you're sensitive down there, maybe something to think about? But after all of that, it's literally the best thing ever. I paid for it in full since I didn't have coverage at the time and I don't regret it one bit.

It very much depends on your pain tolerance. I’ve had 2 and went straight to work both times - worse cramping for the second one but I was WFH then so was able to be under a warm blanket (and laptop) which helped. I have friends who have passed out from the pain. If you can handle pain well, you’ll be fine to work. If not, do it on a Friday afternoon and take the rest of the afternoon/evening/weekend off.

it’s soooo worth it tho. No period, no pain, no babies.

I assume you’re considering the Mirena if you have heavy periods (same reason I got an IUD). The amount of pain you experience can be dramatically different from person to person, so be prepared. My doctor played it down, but a friend warned me to take ibuprofen beforehand and to bring a heating pad. The insertion was excruciating. I asked to stay on the table for 30 minutes before I tried to get up and leave. I was standing to checkout and started to feel like I was going to faint. The receptionist could see I didn’t look good and told me to sit down on the ground and brought me apple juice. I had to go back to the exam room and lay there for another hour, and my boyfriend had to Uber to the office so he could drive me home in my car. My doctor prescribed a muscle relaxer for the days that followed, which was definitely helpful. But I experienced very painful cramping in the 1-2 weeks after, and spontaneous cramping for the next few months. That all said, I love my IUD now—period has disappeared, my horrible (pre-IUD) cramps have disappeared, I haven’t gotten pregnant. It’s great. BUT I want to be realistic with you about the potential for pain because I was grossly underprepared and it took me by surprise. IUDs are intended for women who have had children and therefore have a cervix that has stretched. So if, like me, you have not had children, expect some (and possibly a lot) of pain.

Do not get your strings cut. I just had a guided extraction and it was traumatizing.

I have had now 3 IUDs. Very painful during the process and lots of cramping for 6 or so hours after. I took the afternoon off each time I’ve had to get a new one and was fine by the next day. Haven’t had my period in about 8 years so I highly recommend!

My IUD was the worst mistake of my life. It hurt me so bad to get it in I’m scared of child birth now. I stopped going to the OBGYN for three years and when I finally went back I cried. I would say it left lasting psychological harm. Additionally it gave me adult acne and acne scares so that’s fun.

I'd Google Essure and Paragard lawsuits. Sorry mass tort lawyer in me.

It hurt for like a second going in, then was more just uncomfortable at first and here and there for a month or two. But seriously, my periods are SO much more tolerable now! Do it!

I got one. It didn’t really hurt that much, more some discomfort. Unfortunately my body refuses to skip periods, so I still get my period. But it’s much easier than remembering to take a pill or putting the nuvaring in every month.

I have a hormonal iud and it took like five minutes total for the insertion. It hurts but just like very bad period cramps - nothing I haven’t felt before really. I didn’t need much to recover - got one in the morning first thing and went to work right afterwards - was fine. Totally worth it! No periods for seven years, heck yes!

No pain here! Discomfort during insertion, similar to a Pap smear level. No period the entire time it was in! Actually during lockdown I didn’t realize mine was over 1 year past the FDA approved contraceptive period, and it still prevented pregnancy. 3 months after I got it removed I got pregnant (on purpose)

I got Mirena, and my doctor offered to prescribe pain medication, so I took them an hour before insertion. Apparently, I respond strongly to pain meds because I felt nothing, hopped off the stirrups after insertion, and was high as a kite for hours. So I definitely took the rest of the day off, but I just chilled on my couch watching TV. I absolutely loved having it, had no issues, and got it out only because I wanted to start trying to conceive.

Mine didn’t hurt at all Getting put in. For about 2-3 hours afterwards I had the worst cramps but the IUD is so worth it I love mine so much.

My OB/GYN recommend regular birth control pills (Mili) for me. He said that an IUD would not help me with my cramps and could even possibly make it worst. I had also spoken to some other people about and IUD and all of them regretted it because it made their periods so much more painful that they ended up getting it removed and going either on pills or the patch.

I’ve had three (one for 5 years, had it replaced, then removed to have a kid, then another one post partum). Each hurt going on for 5 seconds. Slight cramping the rest of the day. Worked from home for the afternoon, but no time off.

I love my IUD. Wouldn’t do it any other way.