People's experience with the copper coil?

Posted , 2 users are following.

Today I had the copper coil fitted as an emergency following unprotected sex during ovulation (I'm an idiot).

I recently had a really awful miscarriage which dragged on for months and during which I really thought I would die. I have been told I have PTSD now and I'm extra sensitive about gynaecological issues. But I had to get the coil because the risk of getting pregnant again was too great.

The insertion itself wasn't too painful. I think it hurt most when the little prongs unfurled inside me. She fitted the smallest coil and she is the clinical lead for the whole region so should know what she's doing!

Afterwards I had some bleeding for a few hours - some globs of purplish blood and some lighter bleeding - but that seems to be tailing off now. I had some cramping too but that seems better at the moment. So really it all went ok, I think.

My fear is that it will become embedded. I can just imagine the prongs pressing on my uterine wall and beginning to stick into it. I'm scared they have already stuck into the wall, hence the bleeding. I know some women don't bleed at all.

I'm obsessively checking the string in case it gets sucked into my womb. She left it quite long at my request since I don't plan to have it in long. At least as long as the string is there it's unlikely there's a perforation but I wouldn't know about embedding until they tried to remove it (in a couple of weeks, hopefully...).

What are my risks? If I only have it in a couple of weeks or so? Are the globs of blood a bad sign? Could it have embedded in the uterine wall?

Thanks.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    The blood is not a bad sign. I had blood, cramps and stomach pain for almost a week after having mine put in. It's a normal reaction to your body trying to get use to something new inside of you.

    Can I ask why you'll only be keeping it for a few weeks? It's a really good form of birth control.

    • Posted

      I'm just so squeamish about it. I really, really hate it. I can't stop imagining it in my womb. It's because I'm hypersensitive to gynaecological issues, so I don't think the coil is for me.

      I always just used to use fertility tracking which worked really well. The only two times I had unsafe sex during my fertile period in became pregnant though miscarried both times. So I'm certain the egg will have been fertilised this time too.

      If it can't embed in the womb, what if it embeds elsewhere and I have an ectopic?

      I'm really struggling with this. Thanks for your response. Have you had yours removed yet?

    • Posted

      I was really scared to get mine put in also and I made the mistake of reading WAY to much stuff online and it was very scary to read but I also wanted to be aware. I still made the decision to get it. I haven't had it removed at all, I've only had it for 1 year and its' good for 5 years. I've had all of the same thoughts that you have. I'm just choosing to still go with it and if something happens, then it happens. I know that whenever I have a pap test, etc they will tell me if the strings are in place if I am not checking myself. I was just thinking if you could get pass the scary thinking then you could keep it and not have to deal with going to the Gyno again for another procedure for a few years. I forget I even have it most days. I understand though if you can't get those thoughts out of your head then it's going to be hard for to keep going with it.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.