Finally, a positive story about IUD and pregnancy. If you found this, you might have searched for IUD and pregnancy, maybe you were tired of reading all the horrific stories and you need a story of hope. I searched just as you may be searching now. I promised to write a positive story if all went well, post it somewhere on the internet so it reaches someone who needs a little positive instead of all the negative scary comments and stories about this situation.
I was an emotional roller coaster before I got the IUD. I was trying to figure out why I was so depressed all the time. It made me hate myself so I went to counseling, took medications, talked to my doctors etc. etc. I wondered if the birth control pills were making me feel this way, so I decided that I would look into other birth control methods. My doctor told me about the Mirena IUD, I honestly didn’t know much about IUD’s before this. I was so determined to get myself off the birth control pills, that I was desperate for any other non-hormonal solution. I finally made my appointment to get the Mirena IUD, which does have hormones but a low dose of them. Getting the IUD was not a pleasant experience. It wasn’t the IUD’s fault or my doctor’s fault for any pain, I mean, you are inserting a foreign object into your uterus willingly.
That first week I felt pretty crampy, bled every day, in fact I had been bleeding almost every day for a month or so. I figured this was because I was screwing around with my birth control pills and my body was getting adjusted. About 5 days after getting the IUD, I felt horrible cramping, like contraction type cramping. I called the doctor, talked to the nurse, they said that can be common and if it continues to come in on the following Monday. Well, the pain stopped, the bleeding was much lighter and I went on my merry way.
A month later, I went in to the OBGYN for the 4 week after IUD insertion check. My doc couldn’t find the IUD string that hangs out of the cervix. So, we did a sonogram. The ultrasound tech was asking what we were looking for since this was an impromptu sonogram. She said with a little shock herself, “Uh, You’re pregnant and you’re about 8 weeks.” So, I was pregnant when the IUD was inserted. I think I went into shock, freaked out a little bit…normal things that you may experience from an unexpected pregnancy. How did I not know I was pregnant? The doc came in there shortly after that and I asked, “What now?” And my doctor said, “Nothing, we continue with the pregnancy or of course if you want to terminate the pregnancy that was your other option, but we don’t do that here.” By the way, they did the pregnancy pee test the day I got the IUD; they did follow protocol for IUD insertion. Apparently you do not have to have blood work or sonograms done, that’s up to the doctor.
My head was spinning; I had to call into work because I was freaking out. I called my husband and he left work. I mean, all I could think about was that there was this IUD inside my uterus at the same time a baby was. My doctor did not seem concerned; she said that she does not feel comfortable removing the IUD due to a chance of causing an abortion.
You know, I never REALLY knew how I felt about abortion until that option was waved in front of my face. I do feel that women should not be told what to do with their bodies, so I usually leaned more of the prochoice direction. I’m not going to lie, I looked into it, and I read about it, found doctors that did this, got prices. The whole time I was balling, just crying and crying. I decided that abortion was not an option for me. I mean, I have a great husband, supportive family and friends….why would I even consider this? It’s a complicated answer. I'm not interested in arguing about it with anyone either. I can’t speak for other women and their situations.
Then I consulted, “Dr. Google”, as one of my coworkers calls it. I found all kinds of horrific information and stories about IUD pregnancies. Talk about increasing the stress level and making me feel like I may cause a 2nd trimester miscarriage by keeping the IUD in, or the hormones alone could cause a deformed baby. Man…you can really go crazy reading this stuff. So naturally I did, I was a wreck. Finally I became so numb from the what if’s and no one being able to provide any positive stories or outcomes, that I kind of just forgot about being pregnant. I mean really…it was sad. I didn’t ask for or want a baby shower. I didn’t talk about being pregnant or enjoy all the things I did with my first pregnancy. I look back and it really wasn’t worth all that stress and anxiety.
Thankfully my pregnancy was pretty uneventful, very normal, better than my first pregnancy. I could feel my baby kick very early on everyday, he was constantly moving. I delivered a healthy baby boy at 39 weeks gestation. I did not have to have a c section, my doctor found the IUD just hanging out in the uterus after I delivered the baby. There was a huge amount of relief and emotion after this beautiful baby boy was born. I will regret not enjoying every moment of my pregnancy with him, but I understand that I should now enjoy every moment that I will have with him. The nurses said that this baby has a purpose, he hung on tight at the beginning and never let go. He’s my superman and I can’t wait for what he has in store for us.
