Is anyone due to start IUI??

[victoria401]

There are plenty of IVF threads but it seems there is little talk of IUI. I'm starting a medicated cycle when my next af arrives mid January-ish. Well hopefully as it depends on dh's sperm! He was poorly and on meds for a month and the doc needs to check it hasn't affected his little fellas.

A bit about me... I'm 34 and dh is 36. We started ttc Dec 2012 when I had my implant out. We began having tests when nothing had happened after 15months. We have been deemed 'normal' so unexplained infertility. Referred to fertility clinic in Sept 2014 and offered 3 rounds of IUI on the NHS.

Hope to make some cycle buddies :-)

[bessie84]

meeeeeeeeee, got northisterone to bring on af 12th jan xx

[victoria401]

Hi Bessie glad you're getting straight back on it :-)

I thought I'd start a new thread as the other one was pages and pages long and most of the ladies had gone! I do like a fresh new thread for a fresh new start

[bessie84]

OOOH FAB idea :) hopefully the ladies will follow. x

[Readyforthefuture]

Perfect timing, I'm also starting my first IUI around the 15th of jan, also unexplained. Really pleased to be actually doing something about it now.

Good luck x

[victoria401]

ready! Welcome to the thread :-) Are you doing a medicated cycle too? You know until a few months ago I always thought they just inseminated you on a natural cycle after monitoring ov. Not sure I would have agreed to it originally if I knew it was so many needles!

Did you try naturally this cycle before treatment? I'm due to ov any day and I don't know whether to jump on dh or just leave it for this month. Saves on the stress of symptom spotting leading up to af again. But I do have the uncertainty of dh's sperm not being up to the job and not starting treatment at all! That's stressing me out big time. Already told my boss we are having treatment as will need to pop off to hospital appointments at not much notice for the scans etc.

[Readyforthefuture]

Hi Victoria, yes doing a stimulated cycle too, though I was pushing the clinic to do unstimulated (after all I apparently ovulate fine). Still I'm trying to let go of my controlling tendencies and let the experts do what they need to.

I must be on pretty much the same timings as you, I should ovulate at the end of this week. I'm giving myself a month off for Xmas, wish for me just means we pretend we're not trying but I'm very aware of my cycle. Have to admit it's been fun not stressing. I can't help but hope for a last min bfp but I'm ready if I need to do the iui.

I think the only way to think about your hubby's situation is to prepare as if there are no problems. If the worst happens it's just a little bit of a delay, it's not that iui will not work for you, you'll just be even more prepared.

When I had my last appointment with the consultant he was again reviewing our results and casually threw in 'of course you know you have a polyp that's appeared in the last few months'... Actually no I didn't! But he suggests carrying on anyway.

[victoria401]

I too am far too aware of my cycle not to know when I am ovulating without looking at what cd I am on, on my app! It's hard to ignore!

I guess the clinic only want the best possible chance for us by garenteeing (sp?!) we will be producing an egg when they inseminate. It all seems so complicated right now though. Have you had a practice needle session? The nurse whizzed through my needles so fast and left me all confused! I hope they give me a bit more info before I really have to stick things in myself. A couple of leaflets to follow is not what I need. I'm crap at following written instructions, I learn better by being shown and copying!

[Readyforthefuture]

Have my appointment for needle practice etc on the 12th (which seems a bit last minute). There are some great videos on YouTube about giving yourself the injections.

My biggest issue is the logistics around the scan, I've decided not to tell my work and because the scans are at least 40 mins away from where I work I'm just going to have to take holiday. Trying not to let it stress me out too much though (if I say it enough I hope I'll feel it)

2015 has to be our year!

[bessie84]

injections are really easy girls, pre-filled pens, very easy. i was so panic stricken about them and now i wonder why!

cycle 2 of iui for me starting Jan 12th. (CYCLE 1 was a total mess, inseminated at wrong time as my body made me ovulate before the hcg shot, BUT im using clearblue monitor this time) (thats the only time my body decided to vulate, PPPPFFFFFTTT!)

2015 is going to be our year. x

[Readyforthefuture]

Thanks Bessie, sounds like you're on the same timeline this month too.

Positive thinking for the new year :-)

[victoria401]

Oh were yours all pens? The gonal f is in a pen but the 2nd morning drug, whose name escapes me, you have a powder to mix with water and a proper needle getting rid of bubbles etc! Eeek! I'll look up the name when I get home from work...

[Nonconformist34]

Hi everyone, found you Vic!

Quick round up for those who don't know me I'm 34, DH 38, ttc #1, cycle 19, unexplained sub-fertility. HSG in September 2014, 1 round IUI October 2014 unsuccessful.

Good luck to those starting iui this month. I start my second round on 1st Feb (if my cycle behaves) , should've started first week in Jan but clinic was still closed for Xmas. We had an unsuccessful round in October 2014 despite good sperm count, good follies and bang on time with insemination. I was secretly hoping we'd conceived in between cycles but never mind :(

Feel free to ask me any questions for the first timers.

[victoria401]

Hi non! My clinic was closed forever over Xmas too. The earliest they will accept dh's sample is next week! Thing is they'll be checking his sample on Jan 13th and I'm due af Jan 18th. I'm dreading not get results in time to start next cycle if its all ok. I know they obviously look at the sample that day its the paperwork that takes the time. I'll be phoning them everyday til I get an answer lol!

Only dtd once this cycle at the right time so I'm not expecting to 'catch' this month. Dh has sprained a muscle and is making a massive deal about it saying the pain is making him too ill to do this that and the other. Bloody men. Oh well he won't have to shag me next month with any luck! I won't miss our strained unspontaneous efforts.

[Readyforthefuture]

Hi all,

Nightmare of a day, got home from a ridiculous long day to find out DH has been booked on a course with work for a week during the week I think I'd be triggered. Trying to remain calm and rational, he's looking guilty over it (not that it's actually his fault but...) and will see if it's possible to rearrange. Just as I was getting excited about my nurse appointment a week today at the clinic.

Hi non - nice to have someone else on the timeline (if I'm even there now). FYI I'm also trying for #1, ttc for 32 months, unexplained, laparoscopy dec 13. Also become highly experienced over the last year in comp therapies - acupuncture, reflexology, Chinese herbs, reiki, hypnotherapy - older but not necessarily wiser :-)

[Nonconformist34]

Hi ready I'm starting my acupuncture again before next treatment, had a break over Xmas. It does make me feel better but my periods are heavier and more painful on it (good for the flow apparently??). Hope your DH can rearrange his course, every extra month longer seems forever away.

Vic-Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but when I started IUI the fertility nurse was very specific of when to dtd too during that cycle. From what I remember, at least 3-4 times in the week before and 24 hrs after insemination. My husband was allowed no wanks (sorry to be blunt but at the stage we're at I've become immune to sex talk!) to make sure his sperm was tip top. I have to say, I didn't realise the dtd request until IUI started and dreaded the extra pressure on DH but he stepped up to the challenge well.

[victoria401]

WHAT!?!? I thought we'd be told not to dtd at all. Well I was expecting dh to wank a few times to refresh his fellas. So what's the thing with sex instead of wanks then? In case the egg releases early? But then that's not the point of iui. How many days leading up to insemination does he abstain?

I hope your cycle isn't delayed 'ready'. Was this course compulsary or did he just not think?

[Nonconformist34]

I think it's a back up to the inseminated sperm, the more the merrier I suppose plus if the egg releases earlier. They'll tell you in the run up to insemination when you're being scanned regularly for your follies when and not to dtd. I suppose he could just wank instead of dtd to keep it fresh which will take the pressure off?

[Readyforthefuture]

Hi Victoria, the course was booked months ago and forgotten in the background, he didn't think it was a problem until he found out this week it's several hours away - so he needs to be up there all week.

It sucks! Just feels like the universe is conspiring against me, there's no one to blame for anything, there's no problem to fix, there's no definitive solution. Unexplained just sucks! The universe sucks!

Rant over - I'll be sending you all positive thoughts even if I can't join you

[victoria401]

Sorry you feel so down about it ready but I totally understand why!! Can you start the following cycle instead? Have you spoken to your clinic?

Yawn.... cd21... 6dpo. Bugger all chance of natural conception as dtd once... Wait for dh's sa.... Counting down the days... But that means wishing the weekend away which I dont want to do either of course! Roll on the weekend. No plans really though. Booked in for an early Zumba session tomorrow. The rest of the time is weather dependant. Still need to take my Xmas tree down, whooops!

Have a nice weekend girlies x

[sharond101]

I was told I would never have children at the age of 16. Have a beautiful toddler who is 2 and a half now and am 22 weeks gone with number 2, both iui successes which I was told would be a miracle if they worked. I got two miracles! Never give up hopex

[victoria401]

Thanks for that post sharond101 :-) may I ask what your fertility issues were? Congrats on your little ones x

[victoria401]

So tomorrow is dh's sa! Cacking myself that a) we won't get results back for af starting this weekend and b) that they are too crap for iui :-(

Was googling low morph yesterday and there are varied opinions and studies on what's good enough and bad. WHO said over 15% but the 'normal' values on our tests are over a mere 4%! Dh's was 2% last April and 5% in August. Do you know what % your dp's had girls? And were all other parameters 'normal'?

[bessie84]

hi victoria my DHs very first sample was 4% normal forms, next sample was 5% (after only a few months) a year later, it went up to 8% and they said its fine for iui. (got scan, starting gonal f this weds) everything else was normal (i think)

we've had 2 chemicals and 1 miscarriage in past 2 years. good luck to your dh, i hope all goes ok, i do have to say though, not sure if it was just our clinic but it took about a week for us to get results. in theory, it should be quicker as they have a speciafied time limit to test sperms anyway, so maybe you can ring n get the results so you get em faster?

[victoria401]

Of course I'll tell dh to tell them we need the results by the end of the week. Whether he will remember is another thing! Will they tell him the result or me though that is the question. I want it to be me! Bit worried as we have not been eating that great over Xmas, he's been ill and on meds plus he's not been taking his vits regularly! Found out the other day that he was running out so started taking them every other day! Ffs! All he had to do was buy some more! He keeps saying "it won't make a difference", but it does!

Not had a hint of a bfp in 2 years. Mind you I never test early so I wouldn't know about chemicals.

[Readyforthefuture]

Good luck for tomorrow Victoria, I have everything crossed for you.

Had my pre treatment nurses appointment at the clinic, needle lessons etc, shame I won't be starting this weekend but I'm getting my head on the right place ready for mid February.

Like you I never seen a bfp, over the last 3 years, but fingers crossed all our hard work pays off soon.

On DH's results, I know my dh managed to get his results 2 days later before Xmas when we had our clinic appointment booked in, apparently name dropping the consultant can work wonders for the turnaround time.