After you insert an IUD

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HealthWiki > A Book for Midwives > Chapter 21: How to insert an IUD > After you insert the IUD

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Explain that she may have bleeding or cramps for 1 or 2 days. Her monthly bleeding might also be heavier than usual for a few months. This is not a sign of a medical problem, though it may be unpleasant or difficult to manage.

A woman with an IUD should get regular health checkups. Tell her how to check her IUD to make sure it is still inside her womb, and what warning signs to watch for. If the IUD comes out, it is most likely to happen during a monthly bleeding, so she should check the IUD after her monthly bleeding each month.

To check the IUD

She should wash her hands, then put a finger into her vagina and feel her cervix. When she finds her cervix, she should feel strings coming from the opening. If she cannot feel the strings, the IUD may have pulled up into her womb, the strings may have coiled up, or else it has come all the way out of her so is not working.

Warning signs that something might be wrong

If she cannot feel the strings, she needs medical help. A health worker must look for the IUD using forceps to reach inside the womb or using a sonogram to see inside the womb. Because the IUD may have fallen out, the woman must use another method of family planning if she does not want to become pregnant.

If a woman's monthly bleeding stops or she has other signs of pregnancy, she should see a health worker right away to have the IUD removed. Leaving it in during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, infection, or the baby to be born too early. Removing the IUD immediately is less likely to cause miscarriage than leaving it in.

(Remember that a hormonal IUD may cause a woman's periods to stop, so that alone is not a sign of pregnancy for women using hormonal IUDs.)

This page was updated:28 Aug 2024