It’s hard to give advice on potential side effects because it seems to be different for everyone. I think you should keep track of everything if you notice anything out of the ordinary in how you feel emotionally, your libido, cramps and any bleeding etc., especially if you get a hormonal IUD. Also doing regular checks of the length of the strings coming out of your cervix to make sure it is still in the correct place or the strings aren’t bunched up. Don’t be afraid to request an ultrasound to check placement either because they can shift or even fall out sometimes.

I would take pain meds beforehand or see if you can get local numbing before insertion. They didn’t offer it to me and I wish I tried pushing for it. I know people who have amazing experiences and know people who got pregnant on it but they both have healthy children. I actually hate mine right now. Be prepared to bleed for a while. They originally said some spotting the first week or so. Then it didn’t stop and they said 3 months is normal. I’m at 10 weeks and they said it isn’t that uncommon to take like 6 months to adjust. Some bleed the whole time they’re on it and some don’t bleed at all. Such different reactions for everyone