So, I arrived at the sexual health centre, 20mins prior to my appointment - 40 minutes prior to my appointment I took 2xparacetamol and 2xIbuprophen, and made sure I had breakfast. Once inside the clinic room, I was only in there for 15-20 minutes with the actual procedure of inserting the IUCD over and done with in 5minutes! The rest of the time was purely checking medical history, info from my initial consultation, and getting dressed/undressed. So, the actual procedure (personally) was not as half as bad as I thought it was going to be. To begin with the doctor checked how all my "internal bits" lay, by inserting two fingers and palpating my lower abdomen. She then put in a speculum (fully lubed) reminded to breath, and opened my cervix, applied some local anesthetiser, and then a couple of minutes later, swabbed out my cervix with what can only be described as a deconstructed tampon. None of these steps were painful, instead it was just a series of obscure feelings, ones which personally I'd never felt before. She then, opened up the packaging for the IUCD, which actually petrified me, as this long thin tube about the length of my forearm flashed in the corner of my eyes, she then apparently inserted it (I didn't feel this) and then began packing up - the procedure was done - it was inserted and she'd even trimmed the bits which hang down. I was ordered to remain laying down, and brought water immediately, and then within five minutes of the procedure I was back in a taxi heading home. Now, 7 hours after the insertion and continuing to take medication at regular intervals, personally I feel pretty well, apart from experiencing some sharp but not dehabilitating, period-like cramps. Personally, for 5 years worth of protection, I feel this is very minor procedure is little to go through rather than having an unplanned pregnancy (something which I have had the trauma of dealing with before) 

Obviously! These are purely my experiences, and as I know full well it's in very early days of having it fitted! But I hope this has helped 'educate' (is that the right word??) people, and helped to balance out the ratio of nightmare insertion stories to good insertion stories 💘