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Taking out an IUD at home...really stupid or cost effective?

96K views 26 replies 26 participants last post by  scrimgeour 
#1 ·
What do you incredibly intelligent ladies think? I dont want to spend any more money on this IUD at it has already cost me $243 to have it put in. Come May 2011 i will be TTC officially and at that time, having been a year, would it be wise to take it out myself?
 
#2 ·
You could try. I have heard of people removing it themselves, or having their partner remove it. I couldnt get mine out myself, so I went to Planned Parenthood. They work on a sliding sale, and my income was low enough that I did not pay anything, even when they had to do an ultrasound to locate it.
 
#3 ·
I wanted to try to take mine out myself, but couldn't get two fingers in to grab the strings evenly. I was very afraid I would tug unevenly and cause it to puncture my poor ute. I gladly spent the $15 copay to some lame OB to pull it out. Took 5 min.

Everything I read online said don't do it yourself. I just couldn't shake the fear that I would hurt myself. Maybe if I had a speculum and tweezers and a good mirror I would try, but just blindly feeling around in there, I wouldn't chance it.
 
#4 ·
I didn't want to pay the $200 every local place was going to charge me (even though I am very low income). Even planned parenthood was going to charge me $175 and said they don't do sliding scale for removal of IUDs (every place may be differant). So, one place I called I talked to a nurse. She told me to do it myself and save my money. So, I had my husband do it for me. No pain and it came out easy. Now that I am pregnant, even my OB and my primary dr agree that it was fine to do as long as you have no current infections. So, I say go for it!
 
#5 ·
I went and got mine out at the health department. I had a pap scheduled there, and then i just asked them to take it out while they were down there. They did, and everything was for free
Gyno was gonna charge me $300!!!!
 
#7 ·
I pulled mine, nothing bad happened and it came out easily. I had been reacting to (I think) the nickel in it, and felt instantly a bit better once it was out and completely better about 12 hours later. About 3 days later I started a heavy period, but I hadn't had one for several months and it didn't set off any alarm bells for me.
 
#10 ·
Wow, this is an interesting thread. I was going to suggest Planned Parenthood as well. Seems many people have had success doing it themselves. I can't comment on that as I'm not an expert.
 
#11 ·
I pulled mine myself, b/c I'm kinda a do-it-herself kind of person. I cut off my own skin tags, too. Anyway, it was not a big deal, but I'd encourage you to only do it if you feel comfortable. Surprisingly simple. However, I haven't been able to get knocked up.

DoomaYula's got a thread from ages ago about it with instructions.
 
#12 ·
When mine was pulled it seemed sooo easy. All the midwife did was insert some long tweezer looking things and had me cough while she pulled. Out it came! I bet you could totally pull it yourself.
 
#15 ·
I know that this is an old posting, but for those like me who was searching for answers I thought that I would write am update! I want to say that I have wanted my Iud out for almost two years, the side effects were unbearable at times but we could not bring our selves to pay $200 to have it removed. Recently we decided that we wanted another child in which case it must come out, yesterday I started googling about removing it. After reading several postings I decided to try. The strings were short and kind of difficult to grab, I tired to have my husband help but in the end it wad easier for me to just do it. Once I was able to get s good grip on the strings it almost just fell out! Easier then removing a tampon, I didn't even feel it come out. It was super easy, BUT if it doesn't come out easily with a little pull then it may be worth paying to have it removed. Hope that this helps someone else!
 
#16 ·
Im reading this for research and I have had my IUD for 8 years and am currently divorced for 4 years now! Im in a serious relationship and now we want to start a family together! I want to pull it out myself since I dont have insurance anymore! I would go to the clinic since I practically dont pay anything now and just have them take it out when i get my well woman but not sure if they will do it! I tried to do it myself but i just cant get a good grip in the string to fully pull it out. I think I got it loose cuz I been having back pain since I starting trying to take it out. Even my best friend offered to assist to take it out.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocadena2011 View Post

Im reading this for research and I have had my IUD for 8 years and am currently divorced for 4 years now! Im in a serious relationship and now we want to start a family together! I want to pull it out myself since I dont have insurance anymore! I would go to the clinic since I practically dont pay anything now and just have them take it out when i get my well woman but not sure if they will do it! I tried to do it myself but i just cant get a good grip in the string to fully pull it out. I think I got it loose cuz I been having back pain since I starting trying to take it out. Even my best friend offered to assist to take it out.
Your back pain concerns me. It might be lined up badly and hurt you if you try to pull it out. In your case I'd probably go to Planned Parenthood or someone. Also because it's been in for 8 years, which means it's had time to become partially embedded in the tissue. I'm not saying that's the case, just that it's possible. If you do it yourself, it'll *probably* be fine, but since you're having pain I just wouldn't chance it.

In my case, I did pull mine out myself, but it had only been in 4 months, was clearly lined up perfectly, and I had no trouble reaching the strings. I disinfected my hands very thoroughly, squatted in the shower and gave the very gentlest tug, and it fell right out. Easy peasy! I was shocked it was so quick an easy. I had no pain during or afterwards--a couple day of bleeding that week, then back to normal!

I urge anyone doing it yourself to just tug *very gently.* If you feel any pain or any resistance, stop tugging! It'll be super straightforward and come right out if all is well. If you have any reason to think it might not be straightforward, like in ocadena's case, I think it's safer to go see someone.
 
#19 ·
My husband and I have been in talks about getting pregnant in the next six months or so. I am a 'do it yourself' kind of person in general, and after having a somewhat traumatizing experience with the IUD insertion procedure was unsure what kind of professional I wanted to remove it. A midwife I saw for an annual exam wasn't licensed to perform it, and the family care doctor I had made me feel uncomfortable. I decided to look into removing it myself. I CANNOT believe how easy it was. I actually wasn't even trying to take it out. I was more or less doing 'recon' to see what my strings were like and if it might hurt if I pulled. I made a wide sweep with my fingers around my cervix, located the strings and began to remove my fingers. Seconds later the IUD is in my hand. I was on my period, squatting, and in the shower so perhaps the state of my cervix and the warm water contributed, but I felt less discomfort than I have ever felt pulling out a tampon. Actually, I felt NOTHING. I had checked my stings before, but never 'swept' the the area...I was so scared after such a painful insertion that the removal would be so bad I can't believe it was so painless. Not just painless....nothing. Of course, I am not recommending my experience or saying that this will be the experience of any other woman, however, after reading many blog posts about it, I do feel compelled to agree that this process was one that is possible to perform in your own shower at home, with no cost to you, and quite possibly, a lesser chance of infection due entirely to the absence of the hospital setting. I feel that the greatest risk associated, which detractors are quick to mention, is implantation. If your UID has implanted itself in the lining of your uterus, you are likely to experience a lot of unusual and extreme pain during your period. If you experience this, I think you should probably have a doctor remove your IUD just because the tools are readily available to help you if you need it. However, I feel strongly that most women do not, and the presence of the hospital setting is more detrimental than helpful, if only due to the presence of foreign bacteria. Anyway, I took my IUD out last night, did nothing special about it but drink a little more water and now I just have to tell my husband...:) Good luck and godspeed!
 
#22 ·
Yes its true!!! I just pulled mine out=)) I struggled though tried laying down, standing up, but I think its best toilet position just relax get ahold of the strings and GENTLY pull it out. I thought I wasn't pulling mine out but I was!!! my strings were just super long lol I did get scared because u actually feel ur uterus cramping but it came right out with small amount of blood. I'm so happy I was tired of always feeling bloated and getting pregnant scares this mirena gave me weired hormones I even have breast milk leaks I was so scared to be pregnant but I wasn't obgy confiremed it they said it was due to the mirena how crazy!!! Thank God I read these comments I save me $100 and a trip to planned parenthood now back to condoms!!! Good luck ladies if ur tired of all the symptoms trust me you'll get it out like I did lol oh yea a helpful tip "just push as if giving birth once u get ahold of the strings!! Hope this helps!!!
 
#25 ·
It's really interesting to read all this. When I had my Paragard taken out by my family doctor it hurt like hell! It was sincerely awful. I can't even begin to imagine taking it out myself. I have a tilted uterus, so maybe that's why. I also think my doc is pretty inexperienced with IUDs (she referred me to an OB to get my new IUD put in). Kudos to you ladies who got your IUDs out yourselves. You're braver than I.
 
#26 ·
After reading these comments and after years of pain in my right ovary and cramps and wanting to go to the doctor to get my IUD removed but couldn't afford it I seen you could do it your self so I'd been having a sharp pain and looked up y and came across these posts and decided y not went to the restroom and boom it just came out and immediately the sharp pain stop how ? Y? Now I'm worried if its something more or if it was just the IUD the whole time
 
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