Pregnant With IUD

An IUD, or Intra Uterine Device, is meant to function as a birth control measure. There are nominal chances of an unwanted pregnancy when a copper IUD is used. However, sometimes a woman can get pregnant with IUD, especially if that is the only birth control option being used.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Should a woman become pregnant with IUD, there is a heightened risk of ectopic pregnancy. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus develops out of the womb within one of the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies are the largest causes of death within the first trimester in pregnant women. One of the warning signs of having an ectopic pregnancy is unusual pain within the lower abdomen. It is essential to consult a physician if pain persists.

IUD Removal

A woman pregnant with IUD needs to get the IUD removed at the earliest once she finds out she is positively pregnant. Irrespective of whether the woman wants to proceed with pregnancy or not, the IUD needs to be removed. However, if pregnancy is preferred, removal of the IUD heightens the risk of a miscarriage and at times even immediate abortion. If the woman is pregnant past 12 weeks, IUD removal is dangerous. Once the IUD is removed, there are chances of spotting and mild cramps but these are normal.

Body Rejection

One of the reasons why women get pregnant with IUD is because occasionally their bodies do not adapt well to the new device. In such instances, the body might even reject the IUD, especially if the woman is not already pregnant. Therefore, should the woman conceive later on, the IUD would have little or no effect because the body has already rejected it, and treats it as a foreign object. If the body has rejected the IUD, the obstetrician would find it almost impossible to retrieve the device without aborting the fetus.

Unnoticed Symptoms

Most women will intuitively know if they are pregnant, especially if they have already had a child earlier. Therefore, even if the IUD has been inserted, it is still possible for the woman to feel telltale signs like morning sickness, fatigue, joint swelling and pain among other pregnancy symptoms. At other times, there may be no symptoms manifested at all in, which case the woman would have no way of knowing if she is actually pregnant. The best option in such cases would be to use a home pregnancy kit to find out if the results are positive or negative.

Weight Loss and IUD Movement

Sometimes, if a woman has lost more than 20 pounds of body weight in a few months, it can cause the IUD to shift from its original position. In such instances, it is highly possible to become pregnant with IUD because the IUD no longer blocks the sperm from making contact with the egg.

Should a woman get pregnant with IUD, the best method of delivery is through a C-section. With regular monitoring and keeping a tab on symptoms, it is easy to have a smooth and relatively painless pregnancy.