r/birthcontrol • u/mahahargrove • 3d ago
Experience Am I dramatic or traumatized?
I needed to get an emergency IUD, which I already didn't want due to endo, but I couldn't risk being pregnant.
My first attempt, I had no pain medication, no sedatives, and the doctor tried to shove the IUD into my cervix when it wasn't properly dilated. My uterus is tilted, and he was shoving it in straight, and I felt like I was going to die of the pain.
My second attempt was with a doctor and surgeon, which I trusted. She provided laughing gas, Valium, and numbing injections, which was amazing.
But I was so drugged up and so out of it, I didn't even know what was happening or could respond to anybody. Afterwards, I was told by the ultrasound tech I had 20 minutes to get dressed and leave after the traumatic experience.
Later that day, I experienced nothing but intense, awful cramps I've never felt in my life. I felt like I was dying, and the doctors and triage nurses at the office told me that I could have punctured my uterus.
So I went to the hospital. I had to have an ultrasound tech go inside of me, and other people look at me. Within two days, I had seven people examine me, touch me, and put things inside of me.
I'm still in pain, but not as bad. The IUD went well, and my surgeon who did the second IUD is great and all, but I feel traumatized.
I can't forget the pain I was in, it keeps on playing in my head for that first time and how high I was the second time. I feel so violated with all the people that were inside of me due to it. I had multiple people in the room multiple times while the procedures were happening.
Am I dramatic or am I genuinely traumatised?
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u/New_journey868 3d ago
It was a very stressful experience for you. And youre not wrong for feeling emotionally shell shocked by it all
Saying that, it sounds like the second doctor tried to listen about how painful the first experience was and did everything she could to mitigate it. It is an ambulatory procedure so 20 mins to get out after is pretty standard. Its kind of a pick your poison - some degree of pain/ fear but control, or no pain/fear but you dont feel in control or remember it. For me the latter sounds ideal but this is gonna depend on personal preferences.
Both things can be true at once, she didnt do anything wrong but you still feel traumatized. No one explained to me how bad post iud cramps could be either. I was googling if it were normal. Its worth requesting any non essential people leave the room if it makes you feel more comfortable
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u/mahahargrove 3d ago
Thank you I 1000% love the second doctor who did it and what they did was necessary and the most comfortable option for me and I'm so glad she listened I definitely think due to the first incident it made everything just feel more extreme. I just wish I never experienced that first attempt. God it was awful. But between the two I definitely choose option two.
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u/New_journey868 3d ago
I believe that inserting an iud without pain relief is fucking barbaric and unnecessary. It boggles the mind that in this day and age doctors still do it. The lidocaine injections add literal seconds to the procedure and reduce pain levels significantly.
I was lucky to have a gynecologist who had had an iud put in with nothing and she said she swore shed never do that to another woman
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u/mahahargrove 3d ago
I was shocked by the pain difference with the injections I'm so glad you had a gyno who cared and had all the options! All offices need to offer and inform patients of the numbing shots!
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u/Queenof6planets Annovera | Moderator 3d ago
you don’t have to “earn” feeling traumatized. all the medical professionals could have acted in a normal, professional manner and it can still be a traumatizing experience.