A mum has gone viral after sharing a shocking photo of her newborn holding the contraceptive coil meant to stop pregnancy.
The picture, posted on Facebook by Alabama mum Lucy Hellein, has already been shared more than 72,000 times.
Her third child, Dexter Tyler, arrived by C-section, where doctors removed the coil during the procedure.
Coil Meant To Prevent Pregnancy
The coil, also called an intrauterine device (IUD), is designed to prevent pregnancy with over 99 percent effectiveness.
According to NHS figures, fewer than one in 100 women using an IUD get pregnant within a year.
Effectiveness depends on correct placement and the amount of copper within the device.
Lucy captioned her viral photo with: “Mirena fail!” referencing the brand of her contraceptive coil.
She explained she had never had issues with her previous two Mirena devices.
“This was actually my third Mirena, my first two worked great. I had this one inserted back in August,” she told Metro.
Pregnancy Came As A Shock
Lucy discovered she was pregnant in December.
“I found out I was pregnant in December and I’ll admit I was scared because of the Mirena,” she admitted.
“I assumed I was only a few weeks along, but the ultrasound confirmed that I was already 18 weeks along.”
She continued: “My Mirena was nowhere to be found on ultrasound so my OB [obstetrician] assumed that it had fallen out, but I wasn’t convinced.”
Despite the unexpected news, Lucy said her baby boy was meant to be.
“Dexter was definitely meant to be. His original due date was May 4th and even the doctor said ‘the force was strong with this one’. Although he wasn’t planned, my family and I feel incredibly blessed.”
Coil Found After Birth
Lucy gave birth to Dexter through a scheduled C-section, following complications with one of her previous children.
During the procedure, doctors finally located the missing Mirena coil.
It was discovered lodged behind Lucy’s placenta.
Following the birth, Lucy also had her fallopian tube removed for medical reasons.
On its website, Mirena claims the device is “a hormone-releasing IUD that is over 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy.”
The Independent has reportedly contacted Mirena for a comment, though no response has yet been provided.
The photo of newborn Dexter clutching the coil instantly went viral, sparking debate and surprise online.
Some users praised Lucy’s sense of humor and resilience through such a shocking discovery.
Others expressed disbelief at the rare event, pointing to the IUD’s reputation as one of the most reliable contraceptives available.
Featured image credit:
For Lucy, the moment has become a symbol of unexpected blessings.
Despite everything, she says she feels grateful and proud to welcome her “Mirena fail” baby.
Featured image credit: curlykittycrochet
