Placing an IUD
WITH OR WITHOUT HORMONES?
There are two types of coils:
- The copper coil
- The hormone coil
Which coil is most suitable for you will depend on your personal wishes and your medical history. The midwife can give you extensive information about both types of coils so you can make a choice which one suits you best or read more about both types here.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?
Do you want your IUD to be inserted by the midwife? Then contact us for information by telephone and to make an appointment. You can call 023 564 2848.
WHEN?
Have you just given birth? The IUD can be inserted about 10 weeks after giving birth. Are you breastfeeding? Then it is better to wait until at least 12 weeks after the delivery. Has your delivery been longer? Or have you not yet had children? Then the IUD can best be inserted during the first days of a menstruation.
INSERTING THE IUD
First the position of your uterus is determined with an internal ultrasound. Then the midwife will insert your coil. For this she uses a speculum which she inserts into the vagina. Finally, the internal ultrasound scan is used to check whether the coil is in the right place. The entire appointment takes about 20-25 minutes. But the insertion of the coil is in itself quite short and finished within a few minutes.
STD TEST
Some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, can be carried without you experiencing any symptoms. By inserting an IUD, an undetected STD can travel to your uterus and fallopian tubes. This can have very negative effects on your fertility. Is it possible that you are carrying a sexually transmitted disease? Then do an STD test before you get pregnant! You can do this through your doctor or order a test online at www.soacare.nl.
PREGNANCY TEST
An IUD may not be inserted during pregnancy. Is there a chance that you are pregnant? Then do a pregnancy test first.
DOES IT HURT?
To insert the coil, your uterus is stretched a little with a pair of pliers. This can give an unpleasant, sometimes painful feeling. It is therefore recommended that you take 1000mg of paracetamol or 400mg of ibuprofen 1 hour before the placement. It is normal that after an IUD is placed you will experience some abdominal cramps or a nagging feeling in your lower abdomen. A paracetamol or ibuprofen can reduce your complaints.
AFTER PLACEMENT
After the placement you may experience some blood loss or abdominal pain for a few days. In the first three months after placement of an IUD you may experience intermittent blood loss. This is normal. Have you chosen a hormone IUD? Then your cycle may become irregular and your periods lighter. Sometimes the menstruation even disappears completely. Have you chosen a copper coil? Then your periods will often be heavier at first. Usually this is back to normal after a few months.
WHEN SAFE?
With a copper coil you are immediately protected against pregnancy after the insertion. With a hormone IUD you are only protected after one week. Use an additional method of contraception until that time.
FOLLOW-UP CHECK
Many women like to know whether the coil is still in the right place. PUUR therefore offers a free follow-up check as an extra service. You will then be given another internal ultrasound. You can make an appointment for this after your next period, or six weeks after the coil was inserted. If your family doctor or gynaecologist places the coil, you will usually not receive an ultrasound check-up.
SELF-CONTROL
After the follow-up check you can occasionally check yourself if your coil is still in place. You can feel the threads with your finger in the vagina. Sometimes the wires are curled around the cervix, and it is harder to feel them. If you feel a hard part near your cervix, it means that the IUD is no longer in place. Contact your doctor or midwife.
REMOVING
Removing the IUD is a simple procedure. By pulling on the wires with a pair of pliers, a doctor or midwife can remove the coil almost painlessly. You will immediately be fertile again.
COSTS
The placement of an IUD is covered by most health insurers. Sometimes it will be deducted from your excess. Check your policy conditions for this. You usually must pay the costs of purchasing the IUD yourself.
- Placement or removal of a spiral: € 67.01 (rate 2021)
- Mirena hormone coil: € 147.47
- Kyleena hormone coil: € 153.91
- T-Safe Copper Coil: € 70.95
