IUD question (serious matter)- cross post

[Marlet]

So my sister called me up this afternoon asking me to come post and to google some things for her.

She has a friend, B, who went in a month ago to get an IUD. She just went to the district health department to get it done. Once there the "nurse" who was performing the procedure said she would need to measure her to make sure she wasn't too large or too small for it (this is odd to me since when I was getting one there was no measuring involved...same with my sister). After she measured her (apparently she's too large for one...the "nurse" measured her cervix and uterus) she told B to get dressed, they needed to talk.

Apparently during the measuring the "nurse" punctured B's uterus and refused to put the IUD in (for that and for being too large). She handed her some antibiotics and said if you get an infection here you go. It's been a month and B did get an infection. The antibiotics are gone and the infection is not.

First, what the hell are they measuring and why? And secondly what are the reprucussions of this? B tried to google it and coudln't find anything.

Thanks! My sister and I are sort of curious as to the measuring bit since we've both been on that end of who ha care and never got measured.

[BetsyS]

When you are putting in an IUD, you do measure the uterus, with a uterine sound. However, there really isn't a matter of someone being too small or too big for the IUD--you're just measuring, so that you know where to put the IUD.

You could puncture the uterus with a sound (it's a long metal piece, looks like a thin stick), but I would think that if the practitioner did puncture the uterus, they would want the patient to take antibiotics, not wait for an infection.

Regardless, I don't think I'd be comfortable with this practitioner putting an IUD in me.

[dewi]

She needs continued follow up care by a MD.
If she is a clinic patient tell her to go to the Emergency room.

I would not mess around with infections, there are too many hospital based staph infections that are resistant and not killed in one round of antibiotics.
She needs follow up care ASAP.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

When you are putting in an IUD, you do measure the uterus, with a uterine sound. However, there really isn't a matter of someone being too small or too big for the IUD--you're just measuring, so that you know where to put the IUD.

You could puncture the uterus with a sound (it's a long metal piece, looks like a thin stick), but I would think that if the practitioner did puncture the uterus, they would want the patient to take antibiotics, not wait for an infection.

Regardless, I don't think I'd be comfortable with this practitioner putting an IUD in me.

Actually, the expulsion rates are higher for uteri sounding <6cm. But that's pretty damn small, esp for a multip.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by OtherMother'n'Madre

So my sister called me up this afternoon asking me to come post and to google some things for her.

She has a friend, B, who went in a month ago to get an IUD. She just went to the district health department to get it done. Once there the "nurse" who was performing the procedure said she would need to measure her to make sure she wasn't too large or too small for it (this is odd to me since when I was getting one there was no measuring involved...same with my sister). After she measured her (apparently she's too large for one...the "nurse" measured her cervix and uterus) she told B to get dressed, they needed to talk.

Apparently during the measuring the "nurse" punctured B's uterus and refused to put the IUD in (for that and for being too large). She handed her some antibiotics and said if you get an infection here you go. It's been a month and B did get an infection. The antibiotics are gone and the infection is not.

First, what the hell are they measuring and why? And secondly what are the reprucussions of this? B tried to google it and coudln't find anything.

Thanks! My sister and I are sort of curious as to the measuring bit since we've both been on that end of who ha care and never got measured.

You were probably sounded, but because it goes so fast, you wouldn't have noticed if the provider didn't say anything.