Period is 2 days late and I have a Copper IUD

[duckie12]

My period is about two days late, my lower back usually hurts a little bit before I get my period and it does hurt but I'm unsure if it's because my period is coming or because i've been working out at the gym and I started my diet on the same day i was supposed to get my period, which was technically yesterday. The first period I got with the IUD was soon after it was inserted maybe 2- 2 1/2 weeks after i got the IUD and it begin with spotting and then resulted in a full on period and lasted an extra 2 days. Now I'm two days late, and unsure if my lower back pain is an indication of my period coming or my being super sore from the gym. Someone help me

[Ashleah]

Hi Duckie,

A period is not considered late until five days after the latest day that it is expected, so there is still some time before you are considered late. In general, it is more common than not for periods to show some variation in how/when they occur which can be the results of a number of things, but is also just the way our bodies work.

If you are interested in more info on late periods, you can check that out here: http://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodie ... _my_period

We can't know for sure what is causing the back pain, but you might want to give yourself a rest day or two with no strenuous exercise. If it is causing mild discomfort you can use a warm towel or heating pad for compressions and take some over the counter pain medication.

[duckie12]

But I'm always on the right date which is why i'm worried I'm normally never even 2 days off, is it possible the IUD didn't work correctly? I was given a 99% accuracy with it but I do understand there may be a slight 1% chance of it other wise, I have not even been spotting since 3 weeks after the IUD insertion. I regulated pretty quickly

[Redskies]

So far in your life, your period has always come the exact same number of days apart? You can know that that's really unusual! What is usual is to have a difference of a few days in either direction sometimes, or even most of the time. Bodies are quirky, and even the absolute most regular of people will occasionally have a period that's earlier or later than usual, or even skipped altogether.

How long have you had your IUD, and have you yet had a check-up appointment after insertion? Your provider can confirm in that check-up that everything's in order and as it should be with your IUD.

[duckie12]

I had my check up on March 11, she said that everything was good. I've had my IUD for about 2 months now, I have been a few days off in my period before but lately I haven't been. I have an app I use to track my period and lately for the last 5-6 months it's always come on the day the application says it will.

[Redskies]

Okay! As you've had that check-up and your provider said all was well, you can be very confident that your IUD is fine and doing its job.

It's uncommon for any IUD not to work properly after it's been inserted. On the rare occasions when an IUD isn't effective, it's nearly always because the IUD was rejected by the body soon after insertion. When you've had a successful check-up, you can know that yours is in place and fine. Any IUD failure after that point (and within its recommended lifespan) is extremely rare indeed.

A slightly-later-than-expected period says absolutely nothing at all about your IUD. It's just your body having one of its usual variations, just like you've had before There's absolutely nothing wrong if your period doesn't come on the day your app says it will. That day isn't a certainty, it's the day in the middle of the time your period is most likely to come. Your app doesn't know exactly what your body is doing, it's simply making predictions based on your recent patterns, so it's not infallible! Even if you've been super-regular for a few cycles, it's completely natural to have a little variation in when your period comes. Too, having a copper IUD inserted can sometimes cause some differences in the menstrual cycle for some people, as your uterus adjusts to having a new thing in it.

Do you feel like your provider gave you enough information about your IUD, how it works, and how effective it is?