Just got my IUD...

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2006
Just got my IUD...
5
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 2:03pm
I just got my IUD yesterday, and I wanted to check this morning to see if I could feel the strings & I couldn't. Should I be worried. I have not had any children so the IUD is farther up than normal. And I did have cramping for a few days while it adjusted itself. Do I need to worry?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 3:35pm

Hi kimmi20078, welcome!

>>I just got my IUD yesterday, and I wanted to check this morning to see if I could feel the strings & I couldn't. Should I be worried.<<

It's not uncommon for new IUD users to have trouble finding their strings the first few times. Can you feel your cervix? The cervix is the conical projection from the back of the anterior wall of your vagina. It will feel like the tip of your nose with a dimple in it. The dimple is the Os, the entrance to your cervix, and the IUD strings should be projecting from it. The strings will feel like a short piece of plastic fishing line and in time will soften and, if long enough, will wrap around your cervix.

If you are having difficulty reaching your cervix you can squat and press down as though you were having a bowel movement. That will push your cervix lower where it is easier to feel. When you are feeling for your cervix it's usually easier if you use the first two fingers and sometimes it is easier if you use your non-dominant hand. Once you find your cervix make a 360 degree sweep of the tip to find the strings.

If you can feel your cervix and can't feel the strings (be sure they aren't lying flat against the side of your cervix) then you should call your doctor and explain what's going on.

Thanks for stopping by. Please ask if you have more questions. Let us know which IUD you have and how you're doing, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 3:40pm
Don't freak out. Just wait a bit and try again. I couldn't find mine at first. your dr might have tucked them around your cervix too. What worked for me was to bend both knees and squat straight down. I tried the foot up on the toilet but and some other positions but that was the best bet for me. If you are freaking out and really worried call your gyn. Good luck!
 Jenn 

Mommy to Megan 1/20/01 & Sean 11/11/03

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-22-2005
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 4:23pm

Hi there, I have an IUD too and sometimes it can be hard to find the strings. Depending on where I am in my cycle, (i have the paragard) so I cycle naturally. I got my first period with the IUD in about two weeks ago and right before my period came I couldn't find my strings I tried everything different postions different times of the day etc. etc., what happened was they tucked themselves into the opening of my cervix and as soon as I started to bleed they came out and I could feel them again. Also your cervix may still be swollen from the insertion so its possible that could be why you can't feel them, give it a day or two and try again, you could aslo call your dr. Good Luck with your Iud I LOVE MINE. Just keep in mind that if you have the paragard or the mirena and it doesn't stop you from ovulating then at the time of the month when you ovulate your cervix will be much higher up and hard to reach that is when I have the most trouble finding my strings but they are always there. Anymore questions just ask.

Brianne

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2005
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 7:39pm
When do you go back to your dr for an "iud check"? Sometimes during the monthly cycle my strings are harder to feel than at other times....But since you've just gotten it maybe you should call your dr and see what they say....could be nothing to worry about....better to be safe than sorry ((HUGS))
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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2006
Thu, 04-06-2006 - 9:06pm

Thanks everybody for the advice. I'll check in a few days after the swelling has gone down and see if I can find anything.

I got the Mirena, by the way, mostly to help regulate my flow. Hopefully it will work out for the best.