A second ride on the magic catheter.

Well the 2nd IUI is done now. A bit more crampy than the first one, more uncomfortable. Don't know if that's because my cervix had already been poked at the day before and was therefore irritable. Or perhaps I didn't notice as much yesterday because I was expecting hideous pain a la the HSG test.

I made Rob go with me even though he'll have to make up the time at work. Not strictly necessary and somewhat bitchy of my I suppose. But I wanted him there. Call me old fashioned, but I'd like him to at least be in the room when we conceive a child. He was kind enough to provide me with 10,000,000 good post-wash swimmers. As you can see from yesterday's post, that's a good solid number - yea Rob!

Yesterday and today I've been a bit crampy. Strange small pains seem to be making their way throughout the trunk of my body. Nothing too severe, and it is fairly random, but also fairly constant. Also a fair bit of constipation type cramping (and I'm not usually that kind of girl!)
I've read that any pain or cramping after an IUI is supposed to be "ovulation pain" rather than a result of the IUI. I don't think I believe that. After all, I ovulated for 7 months on Clomid and never felt a thing, and certainly didn't feel anything this constant. Besides, I felt like this after the first IUI, and that happened *before* I ovulated. It not horrible pain so I guess I'm a little befuddled at why anyone would want to claim that it's not a result of the IUI.
Oh, we've also come up with some theories on why the IUI doesn't hurt as much as the HSG test did.

1) The time of the month. HSG test is done in the first week or so of the cycle when the cervix is naturally closed. The IUI is done when the cervix is naturally opened up a bit to allow swimmers to pass through.

2) My gyno sucks at HSG. I can't verify this one as I've only had one. I do like my gyno, but she's a fairly new doctor and doesn't do many of these. I personally think that she should have pushed me to go to an RE much earlier. Maybe in more experienced hands it wouldn't have hurt so much.

3) The ballon catheter used in HSG is narrower than the one used for an IUI. Again, I don't know this, it's just a theory. But if one's bigger, it'd make sense that shoving something larger through a small hole would hurt more.

4) The HSG test opened up the cervix and "loosened things up". The gyno had suggested that this might happen and said that it could make it easier for us to get PG. Of course, that didn't happen, but it doesn't mean that the cervix doesn't move a bit easier now. No way to prove this theory.

5) All of the above worked together to make IUI a much more pleasant experience than HSG.

Feel free to vote on your favorite theory (or offer any actual knowledge on the subject!)