Have a hormonal IUD placed 7 days before you stop the pill; a copper IUD can be placed up to 5 days after, because it works immediately.
That timing comes from clinical switching guidance built to prevent the contraceptive gap, the interval between methods where pregnancies happen. The hormonal IUD's progestin takes about a week to become fully effective, so the pill runs underneath it as cover. The copper IUD protects from the moment it is placed and can even serve as emergency contraception within 5 days of unprotected sex. Logistics: book the IUD first, keep your pill schedule until the confirmed handoff, and use condoms if dates slip. After a hormonal IUD is placed, irregular spotting for a few months is the common, normal adjustment before periods lighten or stop. The one thing not to do is stop the pill early and plan to "get the IUD soon"; that unprotected interval is the classic failure story.
What to do
Common questions
How do I switch from the pill to an IUD?
The switch from pill to IUD is built around one rule: no gap in protection. The clinical guidance on switching contraceptives gives exact timing. For a hormonal (progestin) IUD, have it placed 7 days before you stop taking the pill, because the IUD's progestin needs about a week to reach full contraceptive effect, and your pill covers that window. For a copper IUD, the timing is more forgiving: it works immediately once placed, so it can go in anytime, including up to 5 days after you stop the pill, and it even doubles as emergency contraception in that window. Practical sequence: book the IUD appointment first, keep taking your pill on schedule until the handoff point your clinician confirms, and use condoms if anything shifts the timing. After a hormonal IUD goes in, expect a few months of irregular spotting before periods typically lighten or stop; that is the normal adjustment, not a failure. Do not stop the pill early and "wait a while" to get the IUD later; that gap is exactly when unplanned pregnancies happen. If you are mid-pack and want to switch sooner than the appointment allows, condoms bridge any mismatch safely.