How To Know If Your IUD Is Falling Out
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By Zahra Barnes - SELF
September 2, 2016
“The main sign your IUD is expelling itself is an obvious one: You actually see it somewhere outside of your body. You might experience a little cramping beforehand as the uterus works to expel it, says Minkin, but otherwise, your IUD showing up in your underwear like, "surprise!!!" is the only real way to know for sure without the help of a doctor. And sometimes that doesn't even happen because the IUD expels itself partway into the vagina, but doesn't fully come out.”
“Unlike an expulsion, perforation usually causes major signs something is off. Since the uterus is mainly made of muscle, it reacts readily to things going wrong. "[The uterus] will involuntarily contract, so you might notice a lot of cramp-y pain and pain with intercourse," says Abdur-Rahman. Keep in mind that cramping is normal during and after insertion, so he means severe cramping that lasts for weeks. You might also experience spotting. And if the IUD perforates the uterus enough, it might also affect the bladder or rectum (which both abut the uterus, so in an extreme situation, could be pierced by a runaway IUD). In that exceedingly rare case, you may notice pain or blood when using the bathroom, Abdur-Rahman explains.”
