Having your IUD removed is usually fast, simple and painless. The removal procedure needs to be performed by your doctor to protect you from infections and serious injury. The procedure is the same for any type of IUD. No drugs or anesthesia are needed. Once it is removed, you can return immediately to your regular activities. Your menstrual cycle will return to normal soon after removal. How soon your period after IUD removal returns depends on the type of device you have.
What Should I Expect from IUD Removal?
During the removal procedure, your doctor will use a speculum to hold your vagina open and locate the IUD’s strings. Using forceps, your doctor will grasp the IUD strings and gently pull the IUD through your cervix, into your vagina and out of your body. Some patients experience cramping as it moves through the cervix, but the cramping usually resolves quickly.
The most common side effects of IUD removal include:
Pain and Cramping
The removal process causes some patients minor pain and cramping. It should last for only a day or two and resolve on its own. If you experience pain that does not go away or a fever, you should contact your doctor.
Light Spotting
Many women experience light spotting and even bleeding after removal. This is not a cause for concern and will resolve in a few days. However, if you experience excessive bleeding, contact your doctor.
Irregular Periods
After the removal of a hormonal IUD, your periods may be irregular for a few months. Then, your cycle should return to the way it was before the IUD was inserted. Your periods should return to normal almost immediately after removing a non-hormonal copper IUD.
Timeline of How IUD Removal Affects Your Period
Removing the IUD can affect the timing of when your period returns and how long it takes to return to your own normal menstrual cycle.
Your period occurs when your endometrium sheds away and exits your body through your vagina. With a hormonal IUD, the progestin hormone (levonorgestrel) in the IUD thins your endometrium.
As a result, your body has less endometrial material to shed and your periods are lighter and shorter. IUDs that last the longest contain the highest amounts of hormone. With higher levels of hormone, you are more likely to experience lighter periods or no periods at all.
A copper IUD has a different effect than a hormonal IUD on your menstrual cycle. You may experience heavier bleeding and longer periods with a copper IUD for a few months after receiving the copper IUD.
Many women experience a change in their periods after IUD removal. What you can expect depends on what kind of device you have and how it affected your menstrual cycle over time.
The Average Time After Removal
For some women, it can take three months after the IUD removal for your normal menstrual cycle to return. For most women, it returns almost immediately.
IUD Removal & Pregnancy
Once your IUD is removed, you are no longer protected against pregnancy.
To protect yourself against unwanted pregnancy, you can have your doctor insert another IUD immediately after removing your old device, or you can use another form of contraception altogether. You should discuss the various contraception options available to you with your doctor.
Talk To The Experts For More Infor On Period After IUD Removal
Removing your IUD is a medical procedure that needs to be performed by your doctor. All types of IUDs should be removed when their effectiveness expires. Upon removal, you no longer have protection against pregnancy, and your period will return to normal within three months. For more information about IUDs and how they work, talk to the professionals at Raleigh Gynecology and Wellness. They can answer your questions about safe and effective forms of contraception and schedule an appointment.