vampireapologist:

For people asking about the IUD cramps:

I understand why doctors avoid using language that may scare patients out of getting a procedure they want and that is beneficial to them. It wouldn’t have been responsible for my doctor to say “hey this is going to be an extremely painful procedure that leaves you aching horribly all day.”

But what she COULD have said is “the procedure will feel like period cramps that are sharp and intensified. It will be uncomfortable, and you should schedule the insertion after class and work or on a day you have open, because you probably won’t feel up to anything else for the rest of the day.”

I really like my OBGYN, but as a person known among family and friends for having a wildly high pain thresh hold, even I was shocked by the procedure. I think it would have been better if my expectations of the pain were more realistic!

Don’t be afraid to get an IUD, but in case your doctor undersells just how unpleasant the insertion is, know that it is fairly painful and that you’re just gonna wanna sleep afterward, so try to clear the day, and have lots of pain killers and a heat pad ready!!!