Pregnant. On an IUD.
By Guest Blogger Katie Allen, author of Allen in the Family
Yep. You read that right. This baby is the result of an IUD pregnancy.
In February of 2020 my husband and I decided to call off trying for a baby. We suffered a traumatic miscarriage the previous November and we were struggling with our emotions. We wanted to focus on ourselves and our daughter. It sounds a bit on the whim to make that decision so soon after a pregnancy loss, but my anxiety was getting out of hand and I didn’t know how much more I could take.
My hormone-free IUD was inserted in March and life went on and was perfect! I did my 30-day check-up like I was supposed to, it was still in place, and I was told I was good to go for the next 10 years! 10 years of not worrying about pregnancy or birth control, can I get a hallelujah?
Something Seemed Off
In June I realized that I was on day 37 with zero signs of Aunt Flo showing her ugly face. I quickly googled getting pregnant on Paragard and found little information. So, in the middle of the day I decided to take the one and only test I had left….
BAM. Pregnant.
…. That sucker was blazing positive before I had even put the cap back on. None of my tests had ever been this positive! No way this is happening.
Not only was this IUD pregnancy happening … but it was happening the week our miscarried baby was due. Whew boy. That hit HARD.
I called my best friend sobbing, as thoughts raced through my head. We had recently given ALL of our baby stuff away. What are the chances of me even having an IUD pregnancy?!
As soon as I am off the phone with her, I’m calling my doctor because what is actually happening? I am immediately scheduled for an emergency ultrasound for the following day. And now it’s time to call my unsuspecting husband.
“Hey … ummm … I’m pregnant”
*silence*…*more silence*…then comes the spew of questions, “how did this happen?” “what are the chances” “what do we do next?” All valid, all unanswerable at the time. That night is a night of tears, worry, and disbelief.
“Yep, you’re definitely pregnant!”
Cool. Thanks doc. At the ultrasound it was determined that the IUD was already on its way out of my body. Is this what caused the pregnancy? We still have zero idea on that. However, with reassurance from my wonderful physician, he was able to remove the IUD with no issue or harm to the baby. The appointment was a whirlwind of emotions. My first question to the doctor was, “where can my husband get a vasectomy?” Through my tears we all got a good laugh at that. Now when I see that same doctor, he is always making comments on how much better I look and am taking this newfound journey.
What are the chances of an IUD Pregnancy?
From the mouth of my doctor and health websites all around, the Paragard IUD is 99% effective in preventing pregnancies. 99%. Wow!
Where are we now?
As of publishing this post, I am one month away from him arriving! The removal of my IUD caused no issues. Even though this was a complete surprise to us, we are completely ecstatic to be welcoming our little boy into our family. Of course, we feel blessed and lucky that this happened and turned out as positive as it did under the craziest circumstances.
Those first few weeks were a wide array of emotions. We had pretty much accepted that it would just be the three of us forever, and we were content with that. Never in my life did I think I would have a surprise pregnancy, especially with an IUD. I chose the IUD because it has the best chance of not getting pregnant and I didn’t want to rely on myself to remember to take a pill every day.
Why I am sharing my story …
I wanted to share my experience because I struggled, and still do, to find women that have been in the same situation as I have. Coming off the loneliness of a miscarriage to enter the loneliness of an IUD pregnancy has been an interesting experience. I have struck fear in all my friends with my story. Now when I go to my OBGYN for visits the nurses always will ask me quietly if it’s true that I got pregnant on an IUD. Those first weeks I wanted to have someone to talk with and share our experiences.
So, this is for women who, like me, are feeling lonely and scared right now. I know what you’re going through, and I am here to listen and to share my experiences with you.
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Thank you. I just had to remind my son that anything is possible. And you and others have provided proof. He’s back on the straight and narrow and hopefully I won’t be a grandmother before he graduates college.
I’m so scared. I have had an IUD since my son was born, and I still feel the strings…but I had a glaringly positive test today. Waiting to hear from my doc.
I am crying as I read your article and the comments. I just had twins on April and inserted the IUD on August last year and December had a missed period. Just did the pregnancy test and it came positive. I am in shock. I did not think this would ever happen to me.
I had a paraguard IUD inserted 4 years ago and found out yesterday that I am pregnant with our 3rd child. Thank you for this article it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m going through a myriad of emotions but I’m quietly excited. I’m 20 plus weeks pregnant per the urgent care I visited yesterday today 7/11/21 I get my first sonogram to confirm gestational age and possibly sex of my baby.
Thank you for sharing your story. It just happened to me as well; I found out I am 9 weeks pregnant on an IUD. I have had my copper iud for 2 years since the birth of my daughter. I was terrified that it was an ectopic pregnancy, but so far things are healthy. It is such a mental shift to go from being concentrated on our family of 3 and our careers, and surviving the pandemic, to accepting the shock of a very unplanned pregnancy. I was very angry and empty and shocked to see that positive pregnancy test, and I felt betrayed by my IUD. We have hardly even been that intimate,
so all the more surprising . It had slipped down. One of the mysteries of life, the ultrasound doctor says. My mother-in-law experienced the same thing with her third child, so anecdotally, I knew this could happen. What a whirlwind of emotions, I guess these IUD babies really want to be here.
Thank you for sharing your story! We are having our third child next month and have been having the conversation about IUD vs. Vasectomy. What great timing this article was for me. I was considering the hormone-free IUD Paraguard, just like you, and my husband was considering a vasectomy, and we haven’t reached a decision yet. This article gives us a bit more insight!
Of course! I hope you can find a birth control you are both happy with! Congratulations on your third baby!!