IUI - anyone tried it?

[eurochick]

We are about to go for IUI (hopefully) having just pushed back IVF by a couple of cycles because we didn't feel ready. Does anyone have any experiences to share? (Preferably positive success stories, of course!)

Hello, yes, we've had two cycles of IUI after trying to conceive for three years with no luck. The first time I got a faint positive when they did the pregnancy test but then had a period/early miscarriage the next day. Obviously I was gutted, but they said it was a good sign that it had actually worked even if it didn't last. The second time I had too many follicles after the hormone injections so they had to cancel the actual IUI because there was too much risk of a multiple pregnancy. Gave ourselves a month off because the hormones were turning me into a monster, but ready to start again next month.
Good luck!

Thanks mooncat. That sounds fairly encouraging. May I ask what is your ttc story?

Hello, I am 7 weeks pregnant after our first cycle of stimulated IUI. We saw a heartbeat last week but still taking each day cautiously due to 2 previous mcs. History is ttc for 2 years. Took 11 months to get first bfp, full mc at 7 weeks. Then fell pg 2 weeks after the mc but had a missed mc at 11 weeks. Then tried for 6 months with no luck, went on clomid for 3 months with no success then had IUI. We have had fertility tests and miscarriage tests and they have all come back clear. In fact on paper we appear v fertile (v v annoying). I found the injections (menopur) I took with IUI gave me no side effects at all (clomid is hellish and turned me into a crazy lady!). Good luck.

Thanks jemima and congrats on your BFP. It's really encouraging that it worked for you. I've just had a call from the hospital and they have suggested that we try unmedicated first. Which is fine by me. I have taken Letrozole (like Clomid) before and never had confirmation of more than one egg maturing on various doses, so I might just as well work with the egg I produce pretty reliably anyway!

Like you, we are fertile on paper! We've been trying properly for 17 cycles and took a pretty casual approach to contraception for a year or so before that. In that time I have had one (unconfirmed) chem preg and nothing else! It is very frustrating being "unexplained".

IUI success rate look pretty low so it is always encouraging to hear a success story.

I wish you all the best for your pregnancy.

Hi Euro
We had IUI when we'd been trying for a 2nd for 2 years after having no probs conceiving 1st. Was unmedicated and had 2 attempts. 1st failed but I am sure window had just been missed so wasn't surprised. 2nd worked though and now have 2 lovely children. Would recommend giving it a go - don't normally post but wanted to share positive experience! Good luck!

Thanks for sharing! These stories are very encouraging. I'm feeling like it is definitely a worth a go.

My boyfriend's cousin (and obviously his wife too!) have recently had a win with IUI. They'd been trying for 4 years and this was their last stop before IVF having already tried clomid.

I had 2 cycles of IUI after 2 years of TTC with repeated Colomid cycles (I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, so knew early on that I didn't ovulate). In that time, I also had Ovarian Drilling twice (sounds worse than it is - done under a GA!) to try to trigger natural ovulation.

We used Menopur injections, which I completely agree were far easier than the hell that is Clomid, and I responded well on the first cycle, although sadly no BFP. The 2nd cycle the following month resulted in DD, who is now 6 :) Good luck!

I conceived my son on the fourth cycle of IUI. I had three unsuccessful unmedicated cycles and then a win on clomid where I produced two eggs (one baby). The drs told me that IUI has about the same success rate as sex i.e. if you are going to conceive this way, 85% of pregnancies will occur within six cycles.

Before then I had conceived once after nine months TTC but had a second trimester termination for chromosomal abnormalities. After that it was a further nine months to the second conception, so 22 months in all. We had loads of tests - STI tests for both of us, semen analysis for my husband and AMH and FSH levels, a hycosy, two hysteroscopies (one polypectomy), full chromosome testing for me and everything came back normal.

It's very frustrating to be 'unexplained' and I do sympathise. All the best for your cycle.

Thanks for sharing ladies.

ghislaine I do find being unexplained extremely frustrating. I ahve an innate need to know WHY I am not getting pregnant.

Have you decided to go for it Eurochick?

I had been gearing myself up to start IVF but am now considering trying IUI instead. Would be able to afford 2-3 goes of it, and as we are 'unexplained' I prefer to try the less invasive option. Trouble is, if it doesn't work we wouldn't then be able to afford IVF...It's such a difficult decision! Sometimes I even consider doing nothing and either accepting my lot or hoping it happens naturally. Should get our initial consultation appointment soon so will discuss IUI then.

Good luck with your decision/treatment x

Yes, we decided to self fund a couple of rounds of IUI and put of IVF for a couple of months. We should be having the first lot this cycle, but I am due to ov at the weekend...when my clinic is shut! Why on earth do fertility clinics only run 5 days a week when so many things need to be done on certain cycle days? I'm now crossing my fingers that I surge next Friday and they can fit me in that same day.

Blimey - you'd think they'd have some appointments at weekends for necessary procedures wouldn't you?! Especially when you're paying.

Good luck, hope you manage to get in on Friday. Do you mind me asking some questions about the procedure - do they give you drugs to boost ovulation, or is it all natural? I think there's different versions aren't there? I'm definitely leaning towards IUI and away from IVF now, will probably try 2-3 goes of IUI and then just continue to try naturally if no joy.

Best of luck with it all x

I'm going unmedicated this cycle. In part because we cancelled the IVF and switched to IUI at the last minute so it was a bit late to organise drugs, in part because my clinic is moving in May and they want to make sure I get through my cycle before the move and the drugs can mess with your ov date (I ovulated a week later than usual the first time I tried Letrozole, for example). I ovulate regularly anyway, so it is not absolutely necessary to be medicated. It would just give a boost in my case rather than supply the necessary egg.

Good luck.

Hi Eurochick, have you started the treatment yet?
My ttc story is: tried for a couple of years and nothing so we got all the usual tests - the only thing they found was low sperm motility so they said IUI would be a good option. I also thought it was a bit strange that I usually get my period every three weeks rather than four but they keep telling me that's not a problem, and also had two contradictory interpretations of HSG test result (one doctor said I had something that would have to get removed and then another one said I didn't). We live in Madrid and we're getting the treatment through Spanish public healthcare, and I sometimes get quite paranoid that we're getting fobbed off because the doctors think we're stupid foreigners, but it seems that the way they do things here is by not bothering to investigate too much and just going straight to IUI with all the medications going so as to cover all eventualities. I was encouraged by the fact that it worked first time after we'd had no success whatsoever trying naturally for years, even though the pregnancy didn't last - guess whatever was wrong was covered by the cocktail of meds (Menopur, thing to make me ovulate at the right time, progesterone...Menopur totally turned me into a monster by the way). Starting again next month.
Hope yours is all going well.
xx

Hi mooncat. I'm on day 10 of my IUI cycle, so just waiting for my LH surge. I expect to get this towards the end of the week. Then we just need to hope that they can do the IUI when I get the surge (or I find another clinic that can do it at the weekend). Good luck for your next attempt.

Good luck to you too - I'd love to hear how you get on! I'm getting nervous about the next one and I'd like to hear some positive stories too...