Gynecological Exams / Tests
First period with an IUD: how it goes, what to expect
First period · After-IUD guide
Your first period with the IUD has arrived. This period is the first real test of how well the IUD suits your uterus.
Managing expectations matters here: it may be somewhat heavier, but you need to know the line between "a lot" and "too much".
Short answer
Is the first period with an IUD more painful and heavier, and can I use a tampon?
The first period may be somewhat heavier and crampier than usual; according to SoftCare Clinic's doctor, the pattern settles in 2–3 months. Tampons and menstrual cups are allowed. If you soak one pad per hour and this continues, call the clinic. If you notice a hard tip or an object in your vagina during your period, the IUD may have slipped; let us know.
First period with the IUD
The first period may be heavier than usual; soaking one pad per hour, and this continuing, is the limit.
Cross-section of the uterus; the IUD stays in place while the inner lining is shed, with pads as a measure of bleeding.The IUD stays in place while the inner lining is shed. The limit: soaking one pad per hour, and this continuing.
The clinic's rules
- Protection
- Starts the moment it is inserted
- Sex
- No waiting
- Bath, pool, sea
- No restriction
- Sport and heavy lifting
- No restriction
- Tampon and menstrual cup
- Allowed
- Painkillers
- Usually not needed
- String check
- Done by the doctor
- Check-up
- Day 15, with ultrasound
- Bleeding pattern
- Settles in 2–3 months
- Removal
- No time rule
Period
First period
Check-up
Done
Protection
Ongoing
Bleeding pattern
Settling
Why is the first period different?
Due to the mild reaction caused by the copper, the uterine lining is shed somewhat thicker and with more blood. This is why the first periods may be heavier, somewhat longer and crampier. According to our clinic's doctor, this settles into an established pattern within 2–3 months.
Tampon and menstrual cup
According to our clinic's rule, both are allowed. When removing the menstrual cup, break the seal first; pulling the cup straight out can also pull the strings. Change tampons as often as usual.
Can the IUD come out during a period?
Rarely, mostly during the first periods. If you see the IUD on the pad or in the cup, or feel a hard object in your vagina, let the clinic know and use additional protection. Pain that does not respond to painkillers is also a reason to call.
Do
- Note how many days your period lasts and how many pads you use; you will compare after 2–3 months.
- With a menstrual cup, break the seal first.
Don't
- Don't decide "I'm bleeding a lot" without counting pads; measure.
- Don't decide right away to have the IUD removed because the first period was heavy; the pattern takes 2–3 months to settle.
Special note
How do you measure pad count?
Several soaked pads a day is a heavy but normal period. Our clinic's limit is soaking one pad every hour and this continuing; what matters is not a single heavy hour, but its continuing.
When should you call?
Call the clinic right away
- Heavy bleeding: Soaking one pad per hour, and this continuing.
- Fever and foul-smelling discharge: Fever, weakness with fever, or foul-smelling discharge.
Call the clinic
- If you are soaking one pad per hour and this continues.
- If you notice a hard object or the IUD in your vagina during your period.
- If you have severe pain that does not respond to painkillers.
- You feel a hard tip: If you feel a hard object or the tip of the IUD in your vagina.
- Object in the vagina: If you notice that the IUD has come out of place or there is an object inside your vagina.
- Pain that does not go away: Abdominal pain that lasts beyond the first days and keeps getting worse.
SoftCare Clinic patients can reach the clinic by phone and WhatsApp. Call whenever you are unsure; what your doctor tells you always comes first.
Frequently asked questions
Does an IUD make periods heavier?
A copper and gold IUD may make periods somewhat heavier and longer in the first months. According to SoftCare Clinic's doctor, the pattern settles in 2–3 months; soaking one pad per hour, and this continuing, is the limit.
Can I use tampons with an IUD?
According to SoftCare Clinic's rule, tampons and menstrual cups are allowed. Remember to break the seal when removing the menstrual cup.
Can the IUD fall out with a period?
It can happen rarely and is seen mostly during the first periods. If you see the IUD or feel a hard object in your vagina, let the clinic know; until then, use additional protection.
Sources
SoftCare Clinic for your questions
For any question about your IUD, you can reach us by phone and WhatsApp.
This page is for general information only; it does not replace an examination or your doctor's advice. Every woman's uterus and response to the IUD is different. What your doctor tells you takes precedence over this page.
Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus, Obstetrician & Gynecologist · Last medical review: