A mum-of-two claims she was forced to play ‘hide and seek’ with her birth control coil for 12 years after doctors ‘lost’ it.
Daniella Hampton had an intrauterine device (IUD), also known as the copper coil, inserted into her womb in 2009 but she claims she was told six weeks later it had fallen out.
The 29-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, US explained doctors told her they couldn’t feel the strings attached to it and an ultrasound showed nothing.
But the health insurance worker said she ‘never stopped believing’ the coil remained in her body and felt ‘dismissed’ by doctors who never took her claims of pains in her rectum seriously.
For nine years she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t conceive and it wasn’t until she had an X-ray following a car accident in April 2021, that the IUD was spotted inside her colon, having migrated there after perforating her uterus.
Daniella Hampton, 29, had an intrauterine device (IUD), also known as the copper coil, inserted into her womb in 2009 but she claims she was told six weeks later it had fallen out
In April 2024, she finally gave birth to her second son, Champion Hampton (pictured)
For nine years she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t conceive and it wasn’t until she had an X-ray following a car accident in April 2021, that the IUD was spotted inside her colon, having perforated her uterus
Surgery to remove the coil in September 2021 brought ‘relief’ to Ms Hampton and three years later in April 2024, she finally gave birth to her second son, Champion Hampton.
‘It was crazy. It was more shocking than the actual injury,’ she said.
‘The doctors told me they noticed a misplaced coil. Then I viewed the X-rays myself and thought “wow, there’s no way that’s still inside of me”.
‘I finally felt like I wasn’t crazy. The surgery was optional but at that point I just wanted this foreign object out of my body.
‘The strings and everything were still intact, the doctor pulled it out.
‘There was a sense of relief that I knew for a fact that it was gone. It was scary though.
‘I was definitely more comfortable having it out of me and knowing it wasn’t in there. I was anxious to see if I would feel any different.’
The health insurance worker said she ‘never stopped believing’ the coil remained in her body and felt ‘dismissed’ by doctors who never took her claims of pains in her rectum seriously
She had an X-ray following a car accident in April 2021 and the results were ‘more shocking’ than the injury
Ms Hampton explained the coil was still intact including the strings, which doctors failed to locate years earlier
She took to social media to share photos of her X-rays. In the Facebook post she said: ‘Trust your body ladies. I always knew it was inside of me but couldn’t prove it’.
In the post Ms Hampton said: ‘It was like playing hide and seek with the IUD for 12 years. It was pretty traumatic. For two years I had an implant in my arm at the same time.
‘I felt my hormones were going crazy. I was having mood swings. Now I know I had two forms of birth control that definitely went hand in hand [until I had the implant removing after two years].
‘I never stopped believing that it was still in there. I had mentioned it to other providers but once I told them I had the ultrasound they thought nothing of it.
‘In the years following, I had sharp pains in my rectum area. I always felt like it was there but I was told it wasn’t.
‘I definitely felt dismissed and not heard. It was discouraging. I just went along with it.
‘I was going crazy because I was like “what’s going on with my body”. I couldn’t understand. It was really crazy.’
Ms Hampton, pictured with her 15-year-old son Tyrik Jones, was originally told the coil had just fallen out
Three years after surgery to get it removed in April 2024, she finally gave birth to her second son, Champion Hampton who is not three months old
Ms hampton admits the experience has put her ‘off birth control’ and she regrets not trying to prove to doctors the coil was still inside her, urging other women to trust their bodies
Ms Hampton admitted she believes the coil prevented her from getting pregnant for nine years as it is no ‘coincidence’ she was able to conceive after its removal.
‘I was told that wasn’t the reason but to this day I believe it was,’ she said.
She added: ‘For nine years I was trying to conceive and couldn’t. And here I am now.. I don’t think it was a coincidence.
‘It was unknown if I would be able to fall pregnant again. I was thinking “am I crazy, what am I doing wrong”. I was in my child bearing years. It’s a happy ending’
But she admits the experience has put her ‘off birth control’ and she regrets not trying to prove to doctors the coil was still inside her, urging other women to trust their bodies.
Ms Hampton said: ‘I think it’s courageous when people insist and go a step further to get it checked out. I definitely should have. I was young and naïve and trusted my doctor. I believed what she said.
‘I really feel like everybody’s body is different but this is definitely not the first time I’ve seen this happen. I feel like it’s my duty to share what happened to me.
‘It has put me off birth control. The only form of birth control that I use and that I’m comfortable with is the pill because I know I can stop taking it at any time.’
