When to book your fitting

A coil can be inserted at any time in your cycle as long as there is no risk of pregnancy, however the ideal time is between Day 1 and 5 of a natural period. This is because we can be sure you are not pregnant at this time, and the fitting itself is more comfortable for you, as the neck of the womb is a little more “open”. It doesn’t matter if you are still bleeding (unless it is very heavy).

After Day 5, you can still have a coil fitted if you have not had any unprotected sex since the start of your period. If you have had unprotected sex after day 5, you may be at risk of pregnancy so you will need to speak to a doctor.  Please email us at admin@2meclinic.com or call us on 020 81466626.

If you have been using a hormonal method (the Combined Contraceptive Pill, Progesterone-Only-Pill, Debot injection method or Implant), consistently and correctly (with no missed pills and your Depot injection or Implant is not overdue), the coil can be fitted at any convenient time, and you do not need to abstain from sex before your fitting.

If you are having a coil replaced, this can be done on any day except a day of heavy bleeding. You should not have penetrative sex for the SEVEN days before the fitting. This is to ensure that there is no sperm in your body that could result in a pregnancy.

Remember, a copper coil (IUD) can be fitted as an emergency contraceptive method if you have had unprotected sex within the previous 5 days or if you are within 19 days from the first day of your last period (for a 28-day cycle).

Before your coil fitting .....

Do not skip a meal.  It is best to have eaten prior to the fitting.

Please write down and bring the first date of your last period (if applicable) to the fitting.

Some women experience pain during the fitting procedure and cramps afterwards, so it’s sensible to take pain relief at least half an hour before the fitting. You can take 1g of Paracetamol in combination with 400-600mg of Ibuprofen, both of which you can buy over-the-counter.

DO NOT TAKE PARACETAMOL OR IBUPROFEN IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES TO ANY OF THESE MEDICATIONS.

Did you know that you can also book an acupuncture session with our acupuncturist Sophie!  Please book a 10 minute chat with her if you want to discuss this option further.

Please allow at least an hour for the appointment. Although the procedure does not take this long, some might need some time to recover. It is recommended that you have someone you can contact by phone, who would be able to collect you, in case you feel unwell.

Please ensure that you have no major commitments afterwards, as you may need to take it easy and relax for the rest of the day.

Some sanitary protection may be required afterwards. You may wish to bring your own sanitary towel or panty liner with you. Tampons should not be used for the first 24 hours and we also recommend avoiding any penetrative vaginal sex for 24 hours after the fitting.

Potential complications after a coil insertion procedure (your doctor will discuss this with you prior to the coil insertion):

1. Expulsion 1:20 (expulsion appears to be most common in the first year of use, particularly within 3 months after insertion)
2. Infection 1:100 (typically within 3 weeks of insertion)
3. Perforation 1-2: 1000 (it is extremely rare and it usually happens during the procedure)
4. Ectopic pregnancy 0.1-1:1000 (suspected cases require urgent medial attention)
5. Mal-position of the coil: Rotated, displaced downwards or embedded within the muscle layer of the uterus

Before your coil removal .....

If you don’t want to get pregnant, you need to use additional contraception such as condoms for seven days prior to the procedure, or abstain from sex for seven days prior to the procedure.

Pain relief is usually not required for a coil removal, however, some may experience some mild cramps immediately after the procedure.  Paracetamol or Ibuprofen can be used (if not allergic to these).

There may be some mild spotting for a few days so you may wish to bring your own sanitary towel or panty liner with you.