IUD advice

I just got an IUD put in... First, ow that hurts... That's something no one told me. Two, my doctor wants me to feel my strings to make sure they are there. Both me and my boyfriend have tried to reach in me to feel it and neither of us can reach. We both can feel it when I have sex so I know its still there. I've told my doctor I couldn't feel it and she just laughed at me and told me I'm not going in far enough. I don't want to hurt myself to just make sure it's there. Any advice?