Clomid Isn't the Devil Afterall...

I'm starting to realize that most of my assumptions during this whole fertility/infertility process have been completely wrong. I was deathly afraid of Clomid - having (stupidly) trawled the internet for whatever I could find, I was sure I'd be bathing in a tub of ice to get rid of the hot flashes, be sick to my stomach all day, be unable to go to work because the bloating would prevent me from fitting into anything but pajama bottoms. Instead, I felt a little sick the day after I started taking the Clomid (100 mg dose, for those of you who know about this stuff) and had a headache off and on all week. But other than that, nothing. I definitely felt what I assume was ovulation (on day 16, which is about 3 days late for me) - pain in an area that just has to house my right ovary - so hopefully the Clomid worked.

Unfortunately, the IUI surprised me in the opposite way. I expected it to hurt when the nurse inserted the tube thingy (I really have no idea what it's called - it's certainly not a needle but not a tube either, really) but that didn't hurt at all - in fact, I didn't even feel it. Then she said, "okay, now you should notice that the cramping will subside." Instead, I had severe cramps that were so bad that I threw up! Apparently I had a reaction to the prostaglandins - the stuff that they couldn't spin out when they separated the sperm (for those of you who are new to this, IUI means intrauterine insemination, and basically, they take your partner's sperm sample, "spin" it so only the sperms are left, and then they insert those directly into your uterus). When I looked up prostaglandins I saw why - they are used to induce labor! Basically they force contractions - lovely.

I have yet to talk to anyone who has had an IUI and has had this happen to them - most women don't even feel it. Lucky me! I felt like such a baby - crying on the table and unable to walk (until I had to get to the bathroom for an ahem emergency).

All I can say is, I really, really hope this works - because if it doesn't, I'm really going to dread the next IUI.

If you're about to have an IUI, don't worry - apparently very, very few women have the problem that I had...but I'd take a few Tylenol just in case!