IUI/IVF using Donor Sperm?

[penguin2020x]

Hello all- Happy New Year!

So I've recently decided to start the journey to TTC (trying to conceive) as a single woman. My local clinic is a London Women's Clinic so I'm about 90% sure I'm going to go with them.

Background on me- I'm currently 27 and I have PCOS so periods and cycle are alllllll over the shop (whys life never simple eh?! haha). I have a check up with the GP later in the month, I'm going to get some up to date blood tests done on various hormone levels and a scan to see whats going on with the ovaries as I figured copies of these would be handy to take to a consultation at the LWC when I get that booked in.

First thing on my list really is to lose weight, I'm overweight which I know will impact things so I think I'm going to use 2020 to lose weight (hopefully about 5 stoneish) and save some money before booking a consultation at clinic towards the end of next year by which point I'll be 28.

I've researched this a huge amount this past year or so but I'm still torn between IUI and IVF. I like how less invasive IUI is and I was looking at the 3 medicated cycle package offered by LWC and I also researched the IVF refund packages offered through Access Fertility at the same clinic too. Honestly i'm completely torn about whether to give IUI a go first which I could save for this year and start when i'm 28/29 as its a looooot cheaper then move to IVF if this is unsuccessful or whether to just save for a few years more and go for IVF straight away when i'm maybe 30/31.

Obviously I know my test results will influence this decision but if anyone has any experience of IUI/IVF with donor sperm and are happy to share id love to hear your stories and how many cycles it took to get your BFP

Thank you! :)
x

[Persipan]

My advice would be to save up like mad, and wait and see what the situation is medically, once you've a) lost the weight you're planning on losing and b) then had a consultation and relevant tests. It may be that at that point, one or other option is clearly preferable, and you won't really know that until you get there.

For me, I remember thinking about this exact question (although I was a decade older than you at that point, which obviously makes a big difference) and in the end, it's taken five cycles of IVF, three of them with donor eggs, to get me to the point where I'm pregnant. But on the flipside, you may turn out to be a great candidate for IUI!

Best of luck!

[PIN20]

I also went with the London Women’s Clinic, went through the same thought process of IUI/IVF with donor sperm, and opted for IVF at the end to select the best embryo for transfer. Lucky enough to get pregnant with the first cycle. I opted for IVF as I’m older and wanted to minimise risk of miscarriage - and this was with the advice of the consultant I saw. As you’re younger, it may be worth giving IUI a shot first but LWC does do free open evenings so may be worth going to one of those as they specifically talk through this. Getting your BMI into the healthy range before treatment sounds like a good idea. And worth seeing a consultant who can advise what’s best on the basis of your blood test results (AMH), scan of uterus/ovaries, and any other health matters.

[BlossomGem]

I also had to lose weight and got down to a bmi of 31 by the time of insemination. I decided to try 3 rounds of iui first as all my tests came back ok, and it’s much less invasive, and have been lucky enough to get pregnant on the first one.

[Moo8879]

Hi @penguin2020 firstly wishing you lots of luck on this journey. We are 2.5years in to ours and hopfully can offer some advice. We have tried frozen sperm with at home insemination and as well as fresh donor sperm neither worked but it turns out it's likely to be issues with me. I finally saw the gp after 18months and had the relevant tests which showed it was unlikely I was ovulating, and if I was it was very weak. By the time I was refered to the consultant it was 2 years in and this week I have finally had surgery to remove a large polyp which was found after many scans. I am too overweight and have a bmi of 32 which is slowly coming down and I suspect, although it's not confirmed that I have PCOS. I would advise you seek to get all the tests from your GP as soon as you can, if I could turn back time I would have gotten them so much earlier and hopfully wouldn't have wasted so much time, that way any problems can potential be sorted and hopfully on the nhs. Through a clinic is a good way to go but think about what you will do if it doesn't work, multiple tries get expensive and it's hard to say no, and know when to stop. Have you looked into a known donor? We are now at the stage where we can start to try again and are trying to arrange with our donor. Wishing you lots of luck, if you want to chat I'm here x

[KittyKatSmile]

@penguin2020 great news! I went for IUI with LWC and miscarried a few times before switching to Zita West for IVF where I was successful first time and now 33 weeks. Good luck!

[Firecat84]

I did unmediated IUI with LWC. Chemical pregnancy first go and then BFP second go, am now 27 weeks . Was amazed that it was so easy tbh as I'm 35. I'd recommend getting yourself really healthy and then going with what they recommend re IUI or IVF - once you factor in the cost of donor sperm IUI isn't that much cheaper I don't think. I was also lucky in that my cycles are really regular which made it easier I think. Good luck though, it can work!

[AnnaLCox]

@penguin2020x
Hi. As you are still very young I would not rush into IVF - clinics will encourage this as it's more money for them. You have to realise that IVF is not without risks. The clinics tend to downplay these (or not mention them at all) so you really do need to look after yourself. IVF is very invasive, whereas IUI is much less so, so that's an important point to consider.

[OneMoreWish]

Hi I had unmedicated iui with lwc , first try was chemical pregnancy second bfp. I was 35 years old.

I thought about ivf to increase chance but iui seemed so less invasive so I tried that first.

I had my second child by unmedicated iui and it took three attempts.

I remember looking at odds when looking at package and thinking something along the lines of if I became pregnant first cycle I would lose x £ss ( as you lose those extra iui you or for in package. If I get pregnant second try I break even and same as if I had bought month by month. Only if I need third do I save money. So thinking that ( and being the optimist) and thinking of the extra sperm I would need to buy I bought one treatment at a time but it depends how you view it.

As another poster says save hard and go with advice from clinic.

Good luck xxx

[KaitK]

Penguin, I'm in a similar boat to you and am considering this route to becoming a mum (though just started seeing a very nice man and I'm not sure either if it'll go anywhere nor what his thoughts on having children are). I too want to lose some weight, about 4 stone, to get me to a healthy BMI. I want to start trying either the end of this year or the start of next year.

I also have really irregular cycles but have no diagnosis (maybe due to the fact I've never been to the GP about it).

I'm mid 30s and am unsure if I'll need IUI or IVF. I'm thinking about going abroad for treatment as it seems cheaper, Denmark is my favourite at the moment. Just not sure aboit the logistics of going overseas for treatment!

[dreamingdream]

@penguin2020x I'm in the same situation as you, I'm TTC solo. What is the update with your TTC journey? Have you done any pre-conception tests?