It’s kind of crazy that I’ve had my Paragard IUD for over a month now. We’ve been through so much together! My post-procedure string check was today and given my recent period, I was prepared to overwhelm my gyno with a lot of questions.

Will this hurt?

My strings sometimes move around a lot - is that normal?

Can my Diva Cup suck my IUD out?

Will it catch and yank my strings out of place?

How will I know if it’s out-out?

Okay, but what will it feel like?

Are sex toys out of the question now?

*I should note that I have had sex since my initial placement and experienced not one problem - no pain or even a little bit of discomfort. I waited until everything felt healed which was about 3 weeks after my procedure.









That’s exactly what it looks like: a vagina flashlight.



My string check was quicker than a pap smear. I was relieved to hear that my IUD strings were resting precisely as and where they should be.

Menstrual Cups & IUD Strings

According to my doctor, any suction caused by removing a menstrual cup from the vagina wouldn’t be strong enough to expel an IUD from the uterus. Now, of course, she couldn’t say it’s entirely impossible but felt confident enough to say that it’s highly unlikely to happen.

She continued to tell me that my strings moving around is normal and expected. Sometimes they’ll rest tucked around the cervix, and sometimes they’ll rest out and along the vaginal walls. She also didn’t seem concerned that I could pull the IUD out when removing my cup and, say, a string got stuck in between the cup and the vaginal wall. “Removal requires a firm grip around both strings,” were her words exactly.

I’m going to get in the habit of checking where they are one or twice a week.

When To Be Concerned

According to my doctor, the only time I should be concerned is if my strings feel longer than usual or if I can’t locate them at all. Unexpected pain, cramping and bleeding can also be a sign that the IUD has moved into the wrong place or has been expelled.

She’s also never heard of anyone having any problems with sex toys.

So, is this the end? Can it be? It kind of feels like it. I’m so grateful this birth control method and my body are getting along nicely, and I hope they continue to because I’ve seriously fallen in love. Not worrying about taking a pill everyday has been worth the few uncomfortable days I experienced in the beginning.

I welcome any questions, comments or feedback and thank you for following me and my IUD journey!

Source: Advocate Medical Group (4600 N. Ravenswood), Emily Jiang, M.D.