it depends on which type of iud you have. with a copper iud, your natural hormone cycle isn't affected at all, so you can seed cycle exactly as you would without any device, syncing the seeds to your own follicular and luteal phases. with a hormonal iud, ovulation is suppressed for some people but not for others, which makes it a bit less straightforward.
copper iud
because the copper iud contains no hormones, it doesn't interfere with your ovarian cycle. you'll still ovulate and experience your usual rise and fall of oestrogen and progesterone, so seed cycling can be approached in the traditional way, tracking your cycle and switching seeds around ovulation and again at your period.
hormonal iud
a hormonal iud releases a low, localised dose of progestin. for some people this suppresses ovulation, for others it doesn't, and periods can become lighter, irregular, or stop altogether. if you're not having a clear, predictable cycle, it's harder to time seed rotations around ovulation. many people in this situation switch to a simple fixed rotation instead, for example two weeks on one pair of seeds and two weeks on the other, rather than trying to track a natural phase shift that may not be happening.
a few practical points
- seed cycling won't affect how well your iud works, hormonal or copper
- if your periods have changed significantly since fitting, that's common and usually not a sign anything is wrong, but it's still worth mentioning at a check-up
- the seeds themselves offer the same fibre, healthy fat and micronutrient benefits regardless of iud type
because an iud is a medical device that changes your hormonal picture, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor or gp before starting seed cycling, particularly if you're unsure whether you're still ovulating or if your cycle has become unpredictable since insertion.