Ob/Gyn Reviews IUD Horror Story | Molly Burke 

Hey! I appreciate you doing this video, I learned a lot! As I mentioned in my video, I'm not a professional and was simply sharing my experience, which is exactly what my channel is all about - honestly sharing my life experiences. It was not my intension to scare anyone away from getting an IUD or away from female doctors. I will personally never get another IUD and feel more comfortable with male Gyno's, but as I said in the video, that's because we all have different life experiences that change our perspective/perception. I in no way meant to put female doctors down, but in my case I had 2 female doctors working with me at the time who both showed no compassion or support to me and then a male doctor did - this shaped how I feel because it deeply affected me emotionally. I'm happy that since posting my video many have shared their positive experiences, which I know is statistically the majority of those who get IUD's, otherwise they wouldn't keep inserting them. Many have also privately reached out sharing stories similar to mine, some much worse, and have found support through me sharing my experience, which I'm so happy about. I didn't look up horror stories or negative side-affects going into getting my IUD because I didn't want to convince myself I would experience those issues - it wasn't until I was searching for answers to my issues that I found those forums and realized I wasn't crazy, this was real, and I wasn't alone. Some may be put off by things I said but I'm human and I shared my authentic story, which was extremely vulnerable and scary to share, so I appreciate people being respectful of that and not being negative towards me or that fact atet I may not have known all the right terms or things to say. Again, thanks for making this video and being so kind and open, I hope others in the comments can do the same.

It's amazing how far women would go for contraception and then some men are like "ohhh man, I don't like condoms".

If your doctor tells you "side effects don't exist" get a different doctor...

The last time I went in to get my IUD replaced the woman who was getting hers replaced right before me was in the next room over and she was screaming for them to stop. I could hear the doctor say to her “No, you don’t actually want us to stop, because it will just take longer when you already would be on your way home right now if you would have let us do it.” This woman went from sobbing to completely complacent and silent. SHE WAS SHAMED INTO A TRAUMA RESPONSE BY HER DOCTOR. Then he said, “Most women are in and out in 2 minutes” to which one of the nurses said “to be fair, she has not had any children.” He didn’t acknowledge this comment and instead said “Come on now. You can handle it. It is just 3 cramps.” (I 100% believe in my soul that should roles reverse and men be the ones forced to endure things like this, they would be given heating pads, ibuprofen, laughing gas, and local anesthesia, every time, regardless of how many or few kids they birthed). I heard that women whimpering as they forced her to do the procedure she told them she didn’t want them to perform anymore. By the time the nurse came into my side of the suite to grab me for MY TURN, I was in a complete PTSD meltdown. I was shaking and crying and couldn’t formulate words and couldn’t look at the doctor when he came in to introduce himself. I finally told them you could hear literally everything that happened to the woman before me and the doctor made a giant exaggerated SIGH and said “And, in a couple of minutes you are going to see that very same woman walk herself out of the office completely fine.” I looked at the nurse and said I needed help. I didn’t really know what I meant exactly but that was all I could articulate in the moment. She said something to the doctor and a couple of minutes later she and I were alone in the room sitting silently while she patiently waited for me to feel comfortable/safe enough to talk to her. I said I couldn’t have that doctor. She started to say he was the only doctor signed up for the procedure room for the day but she cut herself off mid explanation and excused herself from the room. A PTSD eternity later, and she came back in with a female doctor and explained that she had an idea she wanted to run by me. She said she was actually a doctor finishing up her residency or something like that and asked if I would be comfortable if she did the procedure? She added that the woman she brought in would be there to help her if she needed any assistance. That is when I noticed the other woman was holding a plastic tray with some items in them. The doctor explained to me the second part of her idea was to use a topical numbing spray they use in the dentistry clinic to numb the skin of my cervix. And when I was ready she would then use a little bit of local anesthesia with a needle and make sure my cervix was completely numbed up before they tried to take the IUD out. And that’s exactly what happened that day. I just hope to whatever deity is out there that when I need to get my next one replaced in 2022 that I will get a doctor who is willing to help me like that lady was that day! …I still have nightmares where I hear that poor woman begging and screaming… Side note: That is also how I learned that anesthesia can make your heart race temporarily and make you feel like you are having some anxiety

I tried to get an IUD placed when I was 18 and basically completely ignorant of my own organs, and had never had anything in my vagina before, let alone any cervix dilation. I was unable to relax my muscles at all so the doctor couldn't even get her fingers in properly, and I was crying from the pain. She stopped, because obviously an insertion was not happening that day, and asked me why I was trying to get an IUD at all, and talked me in to trying other birth control options (which have worked very well). She was super kind and understanding, I was crying from shame but she reassured me that IUD's aren't for everyone, and that's okay!! I hope all my future OBGYNs are so empathetic and kind.

Doctor: side effects are fake Me: well my pharmacology degree is USELESS

Moral of the story: If your physician isn‘t compassionate and professional, change to someone else. I did that with my dentist. My body, my choice.

I have four friends that have IUDs put in. Three of them, love theirs would never give them up, the fourth one had the same exact story as Molly the whole way through. The crappy doctors, the pelvic infection and having to get it removed at the emergency room. Also getting yelled at by her primary doctor afterwards.

I had my IUD put in last week. The doc thought I was going to pass out, and they only told me to take 2 Advil about an hour before the appointment. It was awful. I was literally screaming, I was shaking and sweating. I honestly feel somewhat traumatized from it. I want to cry just thinking of the pain.

It was really amazing how Dr Jones corrected Molly and disagreed in certain aspects but still made it clear that she respected her and didnt take anything away from Molly's experience

Doctors like Mollys who don't believe in side effects and scream at you for going to the ER should have their licence revoked!!

My primary doctor, OBGYN, and I are discussing specifically the Mirena IUD to help treat my heavy periods. He was honest and literally described the procedure feeling like a labor contraction. A mom of three, it gave me a point of reference. He also recommended scheduling the procedure towards the end of a menstrual cycle where I'm still bleeding a bit because the cervix is softer. This OBGYN is my primary care doctors doctor and has proven to be amazing.

I also had a really terrible experience with an attempted IUD insertion that was horrible largely because of the way that my physician was handled things. I felt so small and stupid and dramatic and not listened to at the time (I was 17), and it is really validating to hear you reinforce the idea that women deserve to be respected and listened to as patients. My OBGYN, I later learned, did not believe me when I told her that I was a virgin with absolutely zero sexual experience (I had also never had a pap smear or pelvic exam) during consultation (so she was a lot less gentle with me), didn't give me any information about what to expect after the insertion, got angry at me when I started screaming and crying during the procedure and asked her to stop, and then told me to hurry up and make a decision because she had another appointment in 10 minutes. I was also told by the person who came with me that I needed to "grow up and get over it" because "we are women and this is just what we have to deal with." My sister-in-law just got an IUD, and I was blown away by how gentle, patient, her physician was and how much information she was given ahead of time. The knowledge that my experience was not okay and not normal actually made me feel a lot better about trying again with a different physician. I am 22 now, and I am going to try again. I am still very very nervous, but I have a better sense of how to advocate for myself, and I'm really grateful for channels like this that help educate and empower female patients to find providers who are worthy of them.

My IUD sitting inside my uterus: Are you talking about me 👁👄👁

“50% of the world has had a period at some point in their life” me, a fully developed female: I feel sorry for those people me: oh, wait...

I agree with Mama Doctor Jones on this. The quality of an OB/GYN has nothing to do with their gender. I personally have had several, of all shapes, sizes and genders and they’ve all been wonderful

I’ve never had a female gyno and I can tell you there are equally bad male Gyno’s as females. I do have a female urogynecologist and she is amazing and wonderful. She has to stick a catheter in me every 6 weeks to treat my interstitial cystitis and she is super gentle and always goes slow with me, even though I’ve been getting these treatments for years. She is also very reassuring and constantly tells me, throughout, how good I’m doing and how impressed she is with my strength.

Emotional maturity should be a requirement for health care professionals.

When a Gynecologist says... “Period” a pun is always intended. 😂

From my own experience I wish my doctor had given me a warning to the possible amount of pain since she knew I was a sexual assault victim, I know that pain is normal but I wouldn’t go through the putting in or taking out for all the money in the world. It can be wonderful for many women but hearing Molly’s horror story made me feel way less alone

Almost all of these problems were the doctors not telling Molly things she needed to beforehand and could have been easily avoided. That's so terrible I hope she has a much better experience soon

sometimes i forget shes a mom to 4 young kids until she says things like banana pants

Video idea: OBGYN reacts to mean comments women have gotten from OBGYNs. You could probably make an entire series out of that alone 😂

I am also a Canadian women who had IUD complications. My experience was very similar to Mollys, including the lack of consultation and discussion of side effects. I feel like our system is so overburdened there’s just not time for docs to slow down and do things properly. Like Molly, my doctor also initially refused to remove my IUD, even though I was in agony and had been for weeks. Because it was inserted by my GP they had to accept my appointment and I MADE them take it out. It took me another 3 years to see a gynaecologist so I could talk about other birth control options (I was also discouraged from hormonal contraception). A lot of people have posted that Molly could have switched docs sooner if she wasn’t getting the care she deserved. That’s not always the case here, wait lists are long and if you “refuse” care from one specialist you go to the bottom of the triage wait list and the list is years long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to be able to go to hospital and not worry about the cost.……but we can and should do better.

I agree, periods and menstrual care should be openly discussed. I’m a cisgender male, so I cannot say anything about a menstrual experience. The closest experience I can relate to is that I had to deal with a perirectal abscess requiring surgery and treatment for sepsis. They did not sew me up, but told me to get Kotex pads to cover the wound for post-op drainage, and that I had to go to the surgeons office to have the packing changed. I felt uncomfortable in buying the pads, in having to change them, in having them “spill over” and stain my underwear. It definitely deepened my empathy for all people who have to deal with this monthly, more than it already was. I’ve since healed up, the infection went away, and I’m mostly back to normal. But it was at least 3-4 weeks of recovery, and having to deal with the internalized misogyny and shame surrounding menstruation when I wasn’t even menstruating was exhausting.

Molly: my doctor is a crackpot Dr. Jones: yeah she’s a crockpot 😂

I really appreciate how you explain what Molly says without "attacking" her or discrediting her story either. Your content is chock-full of facts and sympathy, and it is delightful to watch. Thank you for yet again another great video!

I also had bad experiences with female OB/GYN's (being unsympathetic this pain is no big deal etc.,) and positive experiences with the male ones. You did make me think about something...that because there are more females ob/gyn's you are more likely to run into a bad one that is female. I never thought of that but that makes sense actually. I guess I had my own unfair bias as I am just expecting a female ob/gyn to be more sympathetic and it just seems worse somehow when they aren't.

The worst part of getting my IUD placed - and I hope this helps someone - was the expectation of pain. The actual placement was what I would describe as a “pinchy” sort of discomfort. The procedure is fast, about 5 minutes. I’m really happy with mine 3 years later but it took me 2 years and an unexpected baby to gather my courage.

I remember when I got my IUD put in. It was so painful, I got tunnel vision, and nearly blacked out until the OB/GYN reminded me to breath. lol I was talking with a group of female friends who all also had IUDs. None of theirs were as painful. They started to make fun of girls who complain about it being so painful! Saying they are just weak, or have low pain tolerance. I had to butt in and tell them, that can't be the case, because my pain tolerance is very high. I accidentally got my finger cut off and made the person driving me to the hospital stop at Taco Bell on the way because I was hungry. I fell off a horse I was training once, and went jet skiing the next day. Come to find out I had fractured two vertebra when I fell off that horse... I went jet skiing WITH A BROKEN BACK. (It was a blast, but painful and dangerous, had I known I broke my back I wouldn't have gone) IUDs insertions are different case to case and body to body. Don't let anyone tell you, your pain is because you're weak!

When my husband and I first moved in together I asked him to get me some tampons. He looked at me like I asked him to kill our first born. Lmao. I looked him dead in the eye and said don’t worry no one thinks you’re on your period. He never gave me that look again and now gets them when ever I ask. After 25 years together we can laugh hard about it now!

I wish I had YOU as a doctor! You seem so invested in your patients' well-being...which is so awesome. 🥺🥰

My experience with a Mirena IUD; When I was getting my Mirena (I didn't want my period) we were initially going to use laughing gas, but as soon as I got the muscle relaxant I ended up having diarrhea and throwing up so we decided to call it off and use anesthesia. It went incredibly well and the staff were incredible. I continued to have my period for around 6 months then it disappeared for around 5 months and suddenly it came back, so I went back to my OB/GYN and we checked my IUD with a vaginal ultrasound . It was fine so I we ended up trying adding hormone pills to see if it was a hormonal issue...and it was! Since taking my pills I haven't had my period for around a year. All in all I'm pleased with my IUD. Everyone will have a different experience!

My boyfriend once said “when you were on your.. uh... time” I just laughed and said “baby you can say period it’s not a bad word” and pretty much ever since I showed him how calmly and easily we can talk about that stuff he watches your channel with me all the time he finds it all so interesting (He’s also voiced he wants to have a daughter one day “because he never got to have a sister” and “wants her to feel comfortable going to him” and I- 🥺)

Now I want to see Molly Burke reacting to Mama Doctor Jones reacting to Molly Burke.

I had my IUD placed under anesthetic due to my extreme anxiety. There was just no way anyone was getting close enough to me to do such a thing while I was awake. Too much anxiety combined with a severe dislike of people touching me would have sent me into a breakdown. And when I weighed the options and talked with the doctor, we decided the anesthetic was the best route. We also talked that IUD was the best route for birth control for me, as I struggle with remembering things so couldn't count on the effectiveness of the pill but needed something to help with how irregular, heavy, and painful my periods were. Like take me out of work for at least a day or two kind of bad periods. And honestly, the anesthetic was the best decision ever. Short procedure and they were also able to do all the testing they wanted to do at the same time. I have never regretted it since.

I just wanted to put my experience out there: I have the copper IUD. Insertion post having 2 kids for me was just a slight pinch. In comparison to the other birth controls I've tried, I'd say it's been phenomenal! I haven't had good experiences on hormonal birth controls. I've always reacted badly to them with terrible mood swings, weight gain and acne. Now, my birth control isn't something I even think about most of the time. My periods are normal, I don't have the side-effects of hormonal birth controls, and insertion was a very slight pinch. I guess I just felt like putting this out there since the comment section is mostly awful experiences! I'm also very grateful to have an OBGYN who is kind and understanding and saved my life when I had pre-eclampsia. I recognize with all of these horror story comments that I am very lucky!

Not an IUD horror story. But still an IUD story: I got my first IUD through Planned Parenthood because we didn't have insurance, couldn't pay for the pill, I'm allergic to latex (condoms out of the question), and I'm forgetful a lot so taking the pill was really not for me... Basically a lot of reasons that ended up with me deciding to do this. I had never been pregnant when I got it, either. The lady who inserted it was so awesome. She even called 2 CNAs in the room to hold my hands, it hurt so bad, she gave me a heating pad prior to the procedure which I felt was something that took a lot of the edge off. And after because I was going into shock, they put ice packs on my neck to keep me from passing out. Not only that, they supplied me with a water bottle, apple juice, string cheese, and peanut butter cheese crackers. The room I was in was right next to the nurses' station they had and I was (in a sitting chair in the room eating, not on the table during the procedure) in the periphery of the nurse there. I had that thing in for almost 6 years. No periods and aside from the initial insertion, no pain. It was glorious. I would so do it over again. Fast forward to 2015, my husband and I decide that we're ready to try for a baby. I had the IUD removed. We're moving from an apartment into a house. It's a new beginning for us, we're able to get pregnant but we're not yet really trying for one. March 2015, I've had 3 periods since the IUD removal, and I'm late. I wait a few extra days because mine had never really been calendar perfect. Many times in middle to high school it'd be a week early or a week late. So it wasn't new to me. Well the test was positive. (yay!) We waited to announce till after the ultrasound and we had pictures. So.... I didn't know that after having an IUD in and removed, it could potentially make your ovaries drop multiple eggs when you wouldn't (or something like that..).. basically, you're at a greater risk of having a multiples pregnancy after IUD. SURPRISE WE HAD TWINS. I wouldn't take it back.

Before getting my IUD I was aware of the pain to come (because of videos and other people's experiences) . I still knew I had to (I can't afford a child right now) and it went SO smoothly! It depends on the person and the gyno's experience too. Turns out that I only had cramps that day. BEST.DECISION. EVER. I love my IUD!! 💙💙💙💙

My brother and sister-in-law got pregnant with an IUD baby. Their fifth. The IUD had migrated into the uterus and it was decided that because of its placement next to the fetus it would most likely terminate the pregnancy if they attempted to remove it. They decided to see how it played out and my nephew was born with the IUD completely encapsulated in his placenta.

Dude, Video suggestion: collaborate with Dr Mike. That would be awesome.

Neglecting to INFORM the patient of side effects means that are not informed enough to give informed consent. How many times did I just say inform?!? 🤦🏻‍♀️ anyway that whole situation frustrates me,as a patient that has dealt with crummy physicians.

I really appreciate this video. I have only seen an OB-GYN once. It was for my first exam. I was still a virgin at the time, and the doctor treated me like a piece of meat. I left her office feeling completely traumatized and violated. It took me twelve years to have another exam. That one was done by a very compassionate physician’s assistant who treated me much the way Molly’s male doctor did. Unfortunately, I was left with a lingering fear of medical situations, even though I have a background in public health and social work.

I've moved to seattle now for 3 years and i'm still going to a new OB every single year for my annual exam because I havent found one that I felt comfortable with. They all were very dismissive of my concerns. I really hope every medical student are required to pass a pysc/commpassionate exam during the board certification.

My first IUD was a dream, and was placed by an amazing OBGYN. She'd also told me "So you know, it's going to take around 6 months to get your body used to this, so let's talk about what that might look like for you." Then switching it out to my second one was a nightmare. Sadly, my awesome OB had moved. The new doc told me (despite it being clearly marked on my Well Woman questionnaire and in my chart, and having had this discussion with her immediately prior that I wanted to prevent pregnancy and control my horribly heavy periods) that my body would reset itself if I would only have children! And that it's not too late to start having babies, because look at her! She was 40 and just had her second one! And it resets your hormones! That was what she strongly recommended. I looked at her blankly and said AGAIN that I'm 100% sure I don't want children, not now, not ever, and that hasn't changed in my entire life, and that I had an IUD already that was working quite well for my life, so could we just put the next one in, please? She wasn't happy, but she did it and... it felt different. From the first moment. To start, it didn't hurt very badly at ALL. In fact, it didn't feel any worse than the cervix scraping of a pap smear. Then it started really messing with me. I felt like crap. My periods and hormones were off the chart, I had cramps often, sex hurt, I just generally felt terrible. I had countless ovarian cysts and ultrasounds where they told me they saw the IUD. Then for a year, I started bleeding three weeks on, one week off. Backward period, basically. Over the next 4 years, I asked every single doctor and nurse I'd see if I went in for anything at ALL if there was a different dose of the Mirena, or if there was a recall on it or something, because this was very different. Unfortunately, they all brushed it off, saying "Well, you are getting older and our bodies change as we get older." Bite me. I know my body. Something is WRONG. I finally to see another doc (who knew my stance on childbearing and took me very seriously, but only worked once a month so I couldn't see her earlier) and asked for a referral to another OBGYN like my insurance required. She did me one better and sent me to an OBGYN specialist. My other half went with me and literally LESS THAN TEN SECONDS into the pelvic exam, the specialist says "Oh, well there's the problem right there!" He turned to my love and asked: "Do you feel the strings during sex?" Yes, he did. Always. Well, it turns out that it was placed incorrectly and the bottom of the T itself was sticking out of my cervix, and the strings were trimmed right up against it! The OB who placed it had done my WW exams during that time and not said anything, but based on how it was in my uterus, the specialist said it was clear it'd been there a long time. We discussed it and decided to replace it during that visit while we waited for my surgery date to arrive. He did, and it hurt like the dickens! Just like the first time. It made sense! But he was great and verified with ultrasound that it was *properly* placed. And it's been a dream - despite getting older. ;) Now it's time to have it removed, but my current OBGYN (a different one, because doctors don't stay in this town long) is also discompassionate and I'm trying to decide how to proceed. I live in a tiny, rural town that's over 2 hours from the next town with an OBGYN, so it's not easy to just go to another. Ugh. Being a girl sucks sometimes!!!

Would you consider making a video about Endometriosis?

I think a lesson everyone should keep in mind is that everyone experiences things differently, something easy to deal with to you could be detrimental for someone else! Always be kind, you never know what people are going through or have gone through. Good healthcare providers and anyone who works with people should be kind and compassionate.

I live in Australia and had both my IUDs put in with 'twilight sedation' (propofol/fentanyl/midazolam) in a procedure room and I would 100% recommend both times it went smoothly. Both times were in a women's health clinic that provided a variety of services from family planning to gynaecological day surgery procedures. It's a great clinic.

I had a doctor actually tell me I should just get used to bleeding in extremes because I have pcos and I wasn't pregnant. After 3 months of very heavy bleeding I went to the doctor (a different doc) and after a blood test she called me at home and told me to go immediately to the hospital. I had to have a blood transfusion and a D&C. I was bleeding to death basically. I had a bad reaction from my oral birth control. If I had just listened to the first doc I may have died. Sometimes women aren't listened to from doctors just because we're women. As a woman who is considered infertile I'm listened to even less.

A friend of mine passed out in the hospital lobby after getting an IUD (from pain), but she rated the experience overall "not that bad" because the doctors were very nice and talked her through it.

I’ve had a few reproductive health procedures after which I’ve thought, “why in the world are we not putting women under or giving them some assistance with pain?!?!” I’ve had a baby, and my iud insertion was more painful for me. I had to lie down after cause I felt like I’d pass out.

When I was 18 I went to my first OBGYN appointment. I said to myself... you are a responsible yung woman you just need to do that.. And I went and it was horrible.. that old lady shocked me.. when she took the papsmear it pinched me and she was off putting she was brutal.. After that (4 years later) I went to another doctor (a nice young lady)to do the routine stuff but because of my previous experience was so traumatizing I went only one time.. I aware that it's bad for me not to go but I couldn't...so I just took very good care of my privates ( I stopped wearing string undies and undies that aren't from pure cotton(and I didn't had any infection in more than 10 year's.. I didn't took antibiotics without probiotics or at least yougurt or kefir and I never washed my vagina..no dushing no hard chemicals and no toys.. I wash my hands before and after I go to the bathroom.) And didn't come back to any ObG doctor. Fast forward at the age of 32 my husband and I are trying to concive so naturally I hade to go to OBGYN ..we choose a family friend ( the head Obgyn department at a very good maternity, tones of experience age 54). At the first appointment I almost fainted I was scared out of my mind... He called in his assistant she was very lovely and they were very very patient with me he explained ahead what is about to do and all that ... Constantly remaidning me how good I'm doing.. ( even though his schedule was full) Everything looks good .. even though I didn't do my pap as I was supposed to do it..every year. Now I still have a little bit of hiperventilation going on but I try not to think about it...just asking him about his day or stuff... I trust him with my life. So ya.. can be really nice doctors or really horrible it doesn't matter if is a she or a he ... It could have been really horrible outcome for this... I could have had cervical cancer or stuff... Thank God I didn't hade any of that.

"I had lumps in my breasts, pelvic pain, dizzyness, nausea..." Had the same symptoms when I turned 31, no IUD. When I described them to my mother, former doctor, she said "Well go to the obgyn but sounds to me like you're just getting old, my dear" Thanks mom.

Taking about normalizing the conversation, I said uterus one day,in college, and a man told me that word grossed him out..... UTERUS.... I laughed at him and made a point to talk about reproduction around him.

I wanted an IUD a couple years ago, but my OBGYN guided me away from it for the fact the my vaginal canal is actually at a really weird angle. He was VERY up front with the fact that he did not believe he would be able to place it in a safe and pain free area. Thank god I listen to him!! Love him so much! #DrGreve

No matter what the subject, if you go looking for horror stories on the internet, you'll be sure to find them.

I've had a terrible female ob/gyn and now I have an awesome female ob/gyn. Completely agree with you that it doesn't have to do with gender.

My pain tolerance is very high. I’ve never had a child but was in the most pain of my life when I got mine inserted. My doctor was like, “You did great, you didn’t pass out. A lot of people do!” So when I hear both men and women brushing off the pain I get so angry. I was in terrible pain for about three days after and then it went away completely. It’s been over a year and I haven’t gotten a period since. I’m loving and happy I made that decision, but still consider not getting another because the pain was so bad.

Makes me so grateful for my doctor. He covered multiple options and possible concerns with each. He’s honestly awesome

I just think & feel, that you are genuine, knowledgeable, kind & compassionate. You are one of the best & no doubt a fantastic Dr.

I think the trait you're thinking of that medical schools should be on the lookout for for good doctors it's called compassion

I think this really illustrates not only the need for better scientific literacy but also a better system to assure informed consent. So many people consent to medicine without really understanding what they're consenting to. I feel like this increases anxiety and bad outcomes.

I live in Canada as well, and I had a great experience with my healthcare providers for both my iud insertions. I am 24 years old and i have experienced no negative side effects with my kyleena iud and have been super happy with it for over 5 years. I was properly educated about the process by doctors as well as i spoke with a social worker prior to the procedure taking place that explained everything to me in regards to side effects and answered any questions that I had. I just wanted to mention this because I feel like positive iud stories are just not heard of because nobody has real need to share them when nothing at all went awry. That is in no way to decrease the efficacy of the experience Molly had. It is a travesty that Molly experienced such crockpot doctors and was not properly educated about the potential side effects to look out for. And I feel sad that many women have experiences like this with iud's and I wish all of their experiences could be like mine. My iud has done wonders for me and has kept me sane by not having to guess if I might be pregnant because of how effective they are. I don't experience a menstrual cycle and that fits my lifestyle perfectly as I am a swim instructor. I will continue getting an iud every five years for most of my life as I do not want to have children and this is ensuring that I will almost certainly not have to worry about pregnancy or abortion. I am so grateful to my doctors and my iud.

Mama Doctor Jones I just wanna say that your eyebrows look great in this episode and it’s always so fun watching you talk because your facial movements are always super expressive! Thanks for another informative video ✌️

I'm a Counseling master's student and one of the things I would love to do is work with doctors to increase their empathy with patients and improving bedside manner. I think its soo important and can drastically change the way a patient responds to treatment and treatment options! Compassion matters, no matter what!

I'm an anesthetic nurse in Australia and a lot of IUD's are put in under light to moderate sedation. Its quick and doesn't involve the risks of a general but also saves women the pain and discomfort of the procedure.

Momma! Where have you been all my life!! Im an Oncology RN, and your good sense, humor, and tender heart are a balm to my little nurse soul. Im subscribed girl! Thank you!❤😂🎉

Thank you for all that you do, Mama Dr Jones. It's amazing how much of a difference a good doctor makes. I had my mirena put in around 4 months ago and my doctor was extremely empathetic and patient and explained my condition and how mirena would address my concerns. Yet forums are bursting at the seams with horror stories of brusque nightmare doctors, and it seems to me that the mental preparation that my doctor took the time to help me through just made all the difference. ❤

I have a tender cervix, so my GYN and I decided to place my IUD in the OR instead of forcing me to endure the procedure in his office. I started to hyperventilate from the pain and this wonderful man immediately paused and asked me if I wanted to do it under anesthesia. I said yes and that was it. Everyone should have that option!!!! (if it's safe for them, of course)

It’s kinda interesting seeing how many women want a period every month when they go on birth control considering I basically only went on birth control so I could have less of them lol. I’m glad some women find positive feelings in their bodily functions, I always found it to be an annoying nuisance but I can still appreciate the positivity.

Omg just watched this video. I’m so glad she shared her story. My was different but similar in many ways. I had a make obgyn and told me I was imagining my symptoms. I made him remove it but there was no understanding or sympathy. Thank you. I could say much more But I guess it doesn’t matter. But thank you both

(*disclaimer* IUDs are fantastic for some other people and should be discussed as an option for BC) When I was 17, I got an IUD because I had horrible periods and just needed them to stop. My Gyno did not prepare me for it at all and it was to date the worst pain I've ever experienced. A year later, I had to have it surgically removed. Even after signing surgical consents based off of the emergency department OBGYN's recommendation, my Gyno tried to get me to let her attempt to go in and take it out with zero pain meds or anesthesia. I laughed in her face, walked out and never went back to her office again. Had the surgery, and found a Gyno that is much more careful and considerate of patients. But I still carry a huge amount of trauma and anxiety going to any Gyno appointment even now because of that horrendous experience. The funny thing is, about 3 years later I came out as non-binary. Now I'm on testosterone and have no periods anymore with none of those IUD side effects 😂so that's a win!

Molly, if you see this, report your doctor to the CPSO college of physicians and surgeons of Ontario

"Medical's schools admissions need to prioritize whatever trait we can correlate to good bedside manner" i love that youve said that! Thank you:)

The male/female gyno thing is so interesting to me because in my country, it is very rare to see a female gyno and I have to travel quite a distance for mine. I specifically looked for a female one because that's just what I'm more comfortable with (had a bad experience with a really inappropriate male doctor when I was around 15) but most women around me avoid female doctors and think it's weird for a woman to be a gyno (for some reason that I can't comprehend).

Thanks for the informative video! I really wish we could talk more about our period without it being an awkward topic. Growing up i was so nonchalant about talking about it even around my younger brother. My mom wouldn't like it and say it was too blunt but he didn't care when he was younger and now that he's in his mid 20s he's told me several times how glad he is that I was so open about it because now he's not freaked out about it and doesn't make his partners feel uncomfortable mentioning it around him. Someday we'll help everyone be comfortable with periods!

When i went to go get birth control and my doctor (OLD MAN) told me no that i could not get the IUD because i never had a child and "what if your future husband doesnt agree with this?" 🙄

I had my first Mirena IUD placed at 19 (no prior pregnancies). My OB/GYN informed me about the entire process, told me about the side affects, the potential for a painful insertion, basically everything I needed to know that good doctor would do. He then sent me home with literature to make sure this was the route I wanted to go while the IUD was put on order (this was 10+ years ago in a pretty small town). I went into the insertion appointment knowing exactly what to expect, knowing the potential side effects, and being extremely firm in my decision to get it placed. The insertion hurt, more than almost anything I've experienced. I bled for about a week and a half, and then stopped having any periods (with the exception of some occasional spotting, sore breast, and moodiness). I'm on my 3rd IUD now and I wouldn't change it for the world. It's been the best choice I could have ever made (each time I've gotten it). I think the moral of Molly's story is that you need to advocate for yourself in medical situations. If your doctor isn't listening to you, or treating you with respect, do everything you can to find another. I don't think ob/gyns who are men are any better than women or vice versa. Some people are just bad at their jobs, it happens in every field. My orignal Ob/Gyn was a man, and I once had a doctor (woman) perform a pap smear, keep me in the stirrups, and bring in a gaggle of students so they could see my "perfect" cervix. All without my consent. But I also had a male doctor leave the room with the speculum inserted for 10 minutes, come back, quickly remove it, place it on the table and leave the room. I was in the hospital at the time and the speculum was left there for hours. But then my current doc, a woman, talked to me during my most recent pap smear, kept me distracted and laughing, but kept me informed and received consent at every step. Doctors are people. Some people are shitty. Some people are shitty at their jobs.

Great video and information! I'm so glad for the patients IUDs work well for, the success stories, and if I had been one, I would probably speak warmly of treatment! I was prescribed an IUD for terrible period pain and heavy bleeding, they warned me that insertion would be uncomfortable, but nobody told me that to some people, the insertion is hell. I cried my way through the procedure, had no more than an over-the-counter painkiller beforehand, and was sent off with smiles. I spent the rest of that day curled up in bed, crying from pain and cramps. A whole month of bleeding, cramps and severe mood swings followed, to the point where I booked a time to have it removed. Removal was almost equally painful, but faster, and I felt absolutely wrecked after. I wish, most of all, that I had been warned or sat down for a thorough conversation about the procedure and the possible risks/side effects before the insertion. Mine is a horror story, but good information beforehand is always, always the right thing to do for a patient. Thank you for the video, and to everyone else with similar experiences- I hope you are well today and that you've found an option that works for you!

Was WIDE awake. "It won't hurt, just pinch." RN leaned down, and whispered,"Hold my hand. It is going to hurt." It did.

I really wish more gynecologists were as compassionate and caring as you are.

My uterus ate mine....it literally was fusing around my iud. I had to have it surgically removed.....terrifying.

I absolutely LOVE IUDs! I've had 5 of them in the last 18 years. I've taken a few out early, but just got another put in last week after my previous one was *due for a change". I've been on ALL kinds of birth control. I battle major PCOS and the IUD has been a life saver for me!! 💕🙏

I watched Molly's video years ago when it came out and was kind of scared. I am getting my IUD now in a few days and am stressing so I thought I would do some research. This video helped so much and taught me so much. Thank you so much 💓

1. I live in South Korea and I got my IUD here and they do use general anesthesia and it was a lovely experience. 2. I'm sad she's had these experiences with female doctors because all of my gynos have been female and they're all amazingly wonderful women and physicians.

I have serious, serious period issues that are untreated because I've had doctors refuse to treat me seriously because it's "just a period" and I've had female doctors say that exact thing of "I have a period too / you're not special / it's not that bad / you can't be in that much pain / every girl deals with periods sweetie / suck it up". And I've also had male doctors be dismissive in a similar manner. But I found it hurt more coming from female practitioners because I guess I expected empathy from them. There are some really heartless doctors out there, but there's also many who are amazing and I wanted to thank you for being one of them. You are so kind and compassionate in all your videos, I imagine it would be a blessing to be one of your patients.

Thank you for this video. I am not a fan of "horror stories" being spread to the point where people believe that that is the norm, however, I had a very horrible insertion process and zero pre-/post-counselling, so as a result suffered some trauma, and anxiety over what to expect. You address all of the concerns that those of us who have had a bad experience worry about, and I'm happy that you are out there addressing it all. However, it needs to be said that there are practitioners out there who give the rest of you brilliant Ob/gyns a bad name. Keep up the good work because it gives us ladies confidence that there are professionals out there who are invested and care about the patient experience, not just the specialty.

Personal (Mirena) IUD experience: I had a painful insertion with an incredibly amazing gyno and team. I actually fainted from severe pain, but they were so caring and sympathetic and not saying I have low pain tolerance or anything condescending. I had one regular period and a lot of cramping in the first month, but now I haven’t had periods for over a year, which I LOVE. I was incredibly excited to get this side effect, but everybody should pick for themselves. I have hormone imbalance from PCOS, so I enjoy taking fewer medicines and having a constant low dose of progestin that is the proper amount for me determined by an endocrinologist. Mine worked out well for me likely because I was a great candidate for this form, and the team at the gynecologists office was incredible. They even showed me an IUD and let me see how soft and bendy it was to lower my anxiety. 😂 For everyone in general, make sure your doctor listens to your concerns, gives you facts, and respects your decision and autonomy 💖

Just to clear up any confusion: Crackpot- someone addicted to crack or slang for someone who is crazy/talking s*** Crockpot- a cooking dish

She's so great for doing this. Not only is she taking the time to correct misconceptions, she's doing with so much respect!

This video is old but just a month ago I got a mirena and this was sooo informative. My dr is an angel and I love her and she was always super clear about everything but this video answered questions I didn’t know I had. The insertion was in fact a pretty awful experience, but as someone who had super heavy bleeding every period, for now to be almost gone is a blessing. I’m super happy with it, hopefully I won’t get any other side effect. Thank you for this video!!

1. Love your videos. 2. going to your statement about bedside manner- my first start to the medical profession was CNA. It was a course I took in highschool and we did 'empathy' training. by the time class was done everyone was crying even the males who thought they were too tough to cry in the beginning. we start with writing down our favorite things, our home, our vehicles stuff like that. Then one by one the instructor took them away put us in a "nursing home" shed make us sit on bed pans (with clothes on of course) and commodes and just leave and ignore us for extended times. Put sticky notes of what nick names she would call us "stinky" etc.. then we had to watch an abuse video of residents in nursing homes and what happens to dementia patients when they get abused. It was an eye opener to see that especially as a high schooler lets just say about 10+ years ago. We had to do lots of things like that be given a disability and not allowed to tell people it was for the class. That was hard because we got bullied or yelled at for 'mocking' disabled people. The empathy training has shaped how I was as a caregiver and still to this day in the clinic.

Molly had such a bad experience. From a patient’s POV - it’s so hard to advocate for yourself when you feel crappy, are scared, had bad experiences previously, don’t know what to expect, or are just trying to deal with things on your own. I’m so glad Molly found a doctor who listened to her.

I also had a doctor tell me side effects don't exist when I asked about them. Then she called me paranoid and accused me of being a smoker. She also wrote me a prescription for birth control pills that I NEVER asked for. I never went back to her.

I can't really understand how someone can say that they don't know that the benefits of anesthesia for IUD placement could outweigh the risks. Pain is also a risk that has to be weighed on that cost/benefit scale, it isn't irrelevant. First IUD insertion they had to try twice because they cut my cervix, while I didn't pass out entirely my vision blacked out more than once from the pain. The removal I almost passed out again (and they couldn't get it out). Then I went to a different doctor and told her I was terrified because of what happened and wanted to switch birth control despite loving my IUD after placement. She said I could be put under like it was a no brainer, like of course she could. Zero pain through the whole process, very minimal cramping after. Is it worth it? As someone who has a very high pain tolerance and nearly passed out/threw up from the pain of insertion, yes. 110% yes for me.

It was so nice to see both Doctor Jones and so many comments that said they had positive IUD experiences. I also had HORRIFIC experiences with the Mirena IUD. I had birthed 4 children, and had tubal ligation. To keep it (kind of ) short, I’ll just say I bled like a slaughterhouse scene for over two years every single day. My doctors kept saying it will go away. The pain I had with both insertion and day to day increased to debilitating! I got bacterial vaginosis month after month after month. Finally got IUD removed and then went to hysterectomy. Mostly happy.

I have had female doctors with the attitude that "You're a big girl, deal with it". Male doctors have been very gentle and helpful to me. So I've had pretty much the same results as Molly.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For saying that you cannot give out personal medical advice to someone unless you are their personal doctor. It drives me nuts when people will ask someone who doesn't know them or their medical history to tell them what's wrong with them. Happens to my sister all the time and it drives her nuts!

I’m so sorry to all the women who’ve had terrible experiences with their doctors AND the IUD insertion! I’m on the other side of the spectrum - had a 3 yr IUD, had it removed, and inserted a 10 year. My pain tolerance is high so I wasn’t expecting much else besides being uncomfortable and a little cramping. The pain was quick, slight cramping throughout the day and the day after. Beyond that, the only side effects I’ve experienced in slight cramping and MAYBE a bit of spotting when it’s “time”. Overall, I’ve been SO happy with my IUD and hope to leave it for 8-10 years (2-3 years in now). My friend had different side effects - complete mood swings, lack of energy, the whole 9 yards - she removed it and immediately felt like herself again! At the end of the day, it’s hard to know how it’ll affect you till you find out :/

I too had a TERRIBLE IUD experience. Tons of pain and was told "oh get over it you just delivered a baby with no pain meds". I couldnt stand up straight after and long story short the IUD either migrated out of a fallopian tube or perforated my uterus and had to have laparoscopic surgery to remove it from being hung up on my transverse colon!