IUD anxiety

[dollparties]

hey, i’m getting an IUD next week and i am… nervous. to say the least. i have a couple of friends who have IUDs and they walked me through the process of getting it done (granted i was. ahem. not entirely sober, so i didn’t retain all of the information) and it lessened the anxiety a bit, but i’m most scared about the pain, especially considering the area it’s in. i’ve had multiple traumatic sexual experiences, and i’m scared that the pain being targeted in that area is going to trigger me- not to mention my low pain tolerance. my boyfriend is coming with me to make sure i get home safely (we’re going to watch a movie together after!) and that helps for sure, i appreciate his gesture.
overall it’s the pain and potential triggering that i’m worried about, any advice? as of right now, my plan is to bring a stuffed animal to squeeze and have my boyfriend in the room if that’s a possibility. i was also told i can take advil / tylenol for pain, so i will for sure do that.
(also, should i shave for the appointment?? ahah.)

[Sam W]

Hi dollparties,


It sounds like you already have a really solid plan in place, which is awesome! You may also want to have a hot water bottle or heating pad on hand for when you get home, as some people find those really help with the cramping or pain that happens post-insertion. If there are things you know from past experiences that help you when you're triggered, having those in hand, in the car, or waiting for you at home could also be a good precaution.

If you haven't already done so, you can also speak to your healthcare provider about the fact that a more painful insertion runs the risk of activating trauma. If they've been doing this for any length of time, you're probably not the first patient of theirs to disclose that, and they may have advice or ways of adjusting their approach slightly to help you out. As far as shaving, that's totally up to you and your comfort; someone doing an IUD insertion has seen every kind of pubic hair under the sun.

[dollparties]

oh, heating pad is a good idea, thank you! i do have one at home for my regular period cramps because they are so severe, i’ll definitely utilize it! i’m not sure what would help in the moment, but i’ll definitely bring it up to the person doing the insertion. i’m texting my boyfriend about it as well so he is on the same page and can keep it in mind through the appointment.

on this note: we are going to take the bus there, but it’s about an hour’s trip either way and he’s worried about me being in too much pain to make it back home safely and is suggesting an uber. is this reasonable? i feel badly for not just sucking it up and taking the bus.

(on the note of shaving, that’s reassuring, thank you. it’s specifically a ‘women’s’ clinic i’m going to for this, which is a bit reassuring as well. all of the staff are women so i feel less apprehensive.)

[Sam W]

You're welcome! And in terms of what the person doing the insertion could do, you could talk with them about things like telling you what they're about to do before each step (some people find this helpful because they know what's happening and don't feel like the other person is just doing stuff to their body without them knowing what's coming) or being really diligent about checking in with you during the appointment.

If Uber or another rideshare is a feasible option for you, I'd definitely consider it. Even if you end up with pretty mild pain after the appointment, you'll probably have a nice time overall if you can get home sooner rather than later and rest up.

[dollparties]

i survived! it was… an experience, though. thank you for your help.

[Sam W]

You're welcome! And I'm glad you got through it (if the experience is ever something you need to talk about, we can certainly do that here, too).