Donor IUI?

[MinnieMooMoo]

Hello! Just looking for a group/quiche to join but not really sure where I fit it.

I'm intending to go it alone and have Donor Insemination by IUI starting in January providing my investigations all come back clear.

Any one else in the same boat, or has done it alone in the past?

Don't know yet, I've got the appointment 14th March and then sometime after that-it's private so doubt there is a wait but we book our clinics 6weeks in advance so might be a bit tricky- I'm going on holiday in June so would prefer to have it done a while before I go. Need to renew my passport tho kept bloomin forgetting

Ooh do you have to choose another donor or are there better ones for Ivf than iui?

Hope ur work trip goes ok, think we could all do with a duvet day but alas life (work) goes on

Evening ladies,

Big hugs to all. Sounds like it's much needed all round. xx

Pickle - How's work? Still sh*tty? I know how you feel, sounds just like my job at the moment. I definitely did not spend most of the day yesterday hiding in my headphones at my desk pretending I was in meetings online... I agree with Kwik, please do vent to us. It's good to get it out. And helps the rest of us feel normal .

Kwik - You are definitely not alone sweetpea. We are all here for you. The journey may be long and complex but you will get there in the end. Chin up. Think about the increase in success rate you're jumping to with your decision to switch to IVF. You did that. You made that success rate increase happen. How awesome are you? I love that you fell off the wagon with a shish. I dont think there's anything wrong with that. I would have totally done the same. How's the cough/cold? I actually work in the pharmaceutical industry and would recommend paracetamol and making a hot drink with hot water, honey and lemon. It's actually been scientifically proven that it's as beneficial as Lemsip etc. I shouldn't say that as my company makes all the Beecham's cough cold drugs! The other stuff in cold medication is caffeine to perk you up, sugars/syrups to sooth your throat by coating it and give you an energy boost, guafineisin (an expectorant - makes you cough the flem up) and phenylephrine (nasal decongestant - pop your head over a bowl of steaming water to get similar effect). Try and avoid the decongestants while trying to get up duffed. Hope that's helpful. I feel your pain re leaving it late. My consultant told me it looks like my follicular activity is low/reserves are diminishing. F*ck. Why didn't we get into this sooner?! Hey ho, nothing we can do about that now. Just work with what we've got, hey? I'm always here if you want to talk. Re the boobage lump, it does sound likely that the hormones could be messing with it. Definitely worth an ask at the GP. They'll know more. What's the link with Thyroid and IVF?

Take care ladies,

TD xx

Caution - Thanks for the support re speaking to my Mum. I think I will say something. Just not sure when. Not likely to see them till 1st week March as they're away for a few weeks and then early March is Dad's birthday so will probably go see them then. Will see how it goes. That should also be after my next round of IUI too so you never know... I might even have some other news for them... Well, I can live in hope! Oh, and it would be 4th grandchild for them. My sister has 3 boys, which is nice as it takes some pressure off me but then I'd quite like any kids I have to be similar age to my sister's so they can do cousin stuff... so swings and roundabouts... Bugg*r re sex health clinic. Good luck with GP I am sure it will be fine. And I dont think they can say you're too young. We all know success rates fall with age so you're just being sensible. So, progesterone gel... I used Crinone. It comes in individual tubes that you insert and squeeze the gel into your lady parts once a day. That's not too bad (it's a thin tube) but... um... what goes in must come out. Which is a bit gross as it comes out all clumpy... Anyway, it's just good prep for the more gross to follow when bubs comes along hey?!

Oops that's what happens when I try to type on phone / ipad instead of laptop.. It all comes out in the wrong order. Sorry! TD x

taydex thank you. You made me cry... Whilst on bus... During coughing and sneezing fit... Not a good look!

I may change donor - I asked my consultant about her thoughts on this on monday and said I had asked a very good question and that maybe I should do so. So I picked two more donors last night that fit my extremely demanding criteria and have asked embryologist to give opinion. I thought only difference was quantity required but the site is not clear/I did not search enough.

I did crinone twice a day with only occasional clumping.

Still no sign of af...i may have done 3 test strips this morning all bfn as two I messed up

Hi ladies - sorry I haven't replied for a while!!

taydex, definitely speak to your Mum when you can. She'll be so supportive, I'll bet. It's nice to have your Mum on board - not only that, it's someone else to share excitement with besides your wife! Has she told her parents yet?? Fingers crossed on you having good news to tell your Mum/parents when you next see them - when is your next IUI?
Yeah it'll be lovely for your sisters boys to have cousins. Which they will, one day!! It's nice to have cousins of a similar age. I've grown up super close to my three cousins - one girl the same age, one girl two years younger and a boy three years younger - and we all used to go out on days out and outings and things together. Cousins are your first best friends, after all!!

I rang the bloody GP to get greeted with an answer phone message saying it's their receptionists training day so surgery is closed. So annoyed. :( GP doesn't work tomorrow either so I'll go Friday. I'm beginning to think that maybe this is fate trying to tell me not to go... First the sex clinic cancel, now I couldn't go today and I can't go tomorrow because GP doesn't work Thursday's. I'm getting really impatient and annoyed . Friday isn't too long to wait I guess, just a bit peeved that I wasted time with the sex clinic earlier this week..!!
Yeah you're right about success rates etc - and I am of childbearing age being 24, so I guess they can't really say much. Especially as I'm self funding..!!
Ooh the progesterone gel sounds delightful haha! Definitely good prep for future babies - bring it all on, I say!

kwick I hope you're feeling better today. How's your cough??

Changing donor is probably for the best. It's weird how things work but sometimes some sperm don't work great/isn't as compatible with us as other sperm. It's odd! Changing donors may work wonders. Have you heard anymore about when you're starting? :)
Hm I wonder why af still hadn't shown. When was it due? I know you said the gel can delay af, but did you have a rough idea as to when it was meant to be coming??

I have a question ladies... If I do one round of IUI in the next few months, and wait another few months until the next, would that be ok? Or is it better to do it back to back? Like are success rates better if you do it in a row, kinda thing? It's just because I have the money saved up to do IUI pretty soon, but would need another few months to save up for the next round. X

Just a quick one as I'm on my phone and it's always a faff... Caution I'm not aware of any benefit from doing back to back. My clinic actually recommends only 2 or 3 I'm a row followed by a month break. Normally I just let them tell me what they think is best, which basically seems to be depending on what happened in the last IUI (for example they might suggest you give your body a month off from the drugs to have a natural cycle if they think drugs have caused over stimulation in some way). My first 2 rounds were back to back. Then a month off, then 2 more back to back, then a break... I don't think there's any disadvantage to having more time off between cycles. My main reason for doing close ish together is that time is not on my side at 36.

Right, I must walk/feed the dogs, TD x

Ah that's cool. I didn't know if there was any an advantage to doing it back to back - I'll ask when I go to the open evening what they recommend. I've been booked on to it (yay) so only got a week and a half to wait til I finally get the ball rolling. I decided to go to the open evening before having consultations etc, just so I could see what the clinic is like before deciding to have my treatment there. X

Sounds like you are really being messed around caution-hopefully you'll be able to see gp soon, least you have your seminar thing booked! I loved going to mine found it soooo exciting and fascinating

Thanks taydex,yeh work still poop, I feel like poop just want to hibernate under my duvet for a few months. I get s.a.d too so these dark bleugh days I just want to go hide
somewhere and cry

Kwick,hope donor mr 2 is "the one"

Hi sorry I haven't posted in a while I have been doing lots of research and also reading this feed from the beginning. I am although rather confused on working out the success rates for the clinics near by so difficult to decide :(.

Sorry to hear the bad news Kwick I hope Ivf works out for you.

Your posts have help me gain a lot of knowledge so I would like to thank you all and wish you the best 😁

Bon soir ladies! Guess where I am?

caution I am not sure if success rates differ if back to back or not - I have done all the IUIs back to back... Just because I want to get upduffed asap! I did think about taking a break, and there was one cycle when I missed my baseline scan due to work travel but I went around lh surge and they agreed to proceed.
My clinic never advised me to stop/take a break but I only used medication in the last cycle so there was no risk of over stimulation.

AF is here, loud and clear! Must take another pain killer.... Right in time - 2 days after stopping crinone gel as always. I always seem to be in the same hotel with af!

Okay ladies major news: none of the donors I chose yesterday are any good (for a variety of reasons). The good news (I think) is that since 1 January my clinic is allowing sperm from any bank... So now I need to shake a leg and research other banks... I have some very strict criteria/preferences, so does the clinic as to motility so I need to get on this fast. Any ideas? I guess I will start with the London Sperm Bank....

caution today is day 1 - until day 25 I will be taking a mixture of different drugs and then will have a bleed, then on second cycle, shed loads more drugs and scans and bloods, then egg retrieval, and egg transfer. I spent over £2.5k earlier on the drugs which are being delivered on Saturday... Good job I have a large fridge and only buy for my next meal as I travel so much!

Okay TMI alert! You may have read before that last cycle I suddenly got a lump on my right boobage near my arm pit and when squeezed it was like a massive blackhead and gungy stuff came out which I may have secretly found VERY satisfying
You may have also read that I had a lump on my left boobage which was looked at by a specialist a while back and was deemed a lypoma and not to worry. Well this has started to flare up in the last few days. This evening I noticed that it had a non-red pimple so I squeezed....WOWZERS!!!! Loads of gungy stuff has come out!!!! It is quite sore still but I definitely think it is going down in size... I will go in again later... I have no real idea what a lypoma is....and Lord knows how it can convert into a puss oozing volcano???

Sweet dreams!

You'll give me nightmares with that! Mind you, I would have had to have gone in for a squeeze too....

Night ladies xx

Good afternoon, ladies!

pickle, I have been messed around.. Loads! My GP doesn't work Thursday's so I've had to miss today but I'm going to ring up tomorrow morning at 8am on the dot and get that damned appointment!!

kwick, ah so it's pretty much personal choice? I think I'll do one and see how I go. It'll only be a couple of months until I can proceed to the second one (if the first one don't work!). I can't wait to go to the open evening and have a nosey around. In regards to your IVF, that's so interesting. How come you've got to have a cycle taking the meds first? I bet it'll be a right pain in the ass having to wait until your next cycle - if you're anything like me, you'd just wanna do it all at once and very quickly! £2.5k?! :| that's so much more than I expected it to be! I can understand now why you and so many other ladies have tried IUI first.. IVF sounds very stressful and very expensive!

Ah I'm sorry to hear that none of the donors you had chosen were very good. I may be wrong, but I think Birmingham have a sperm bank also? Google "sperm banks uk" and it'll come up with a fair few - I had a gander a few weeks back!

Ooh lovely news about your pus filled lump on your boob!!! My auntie gets loads of cyst type things on hers, and she's always found it satisfying popping them! I love gunky gory stuff like that - it's such a nice relief when it's done!

I think this cycle I'm going to properly start monitoring my ovulation, just so I've got an idea before I go for the IUI. I'm on day 7 of my 29 day cycle, I'm on for 5 days - so I'll start testing in a couple days I think, around day 9, because I think I ovulate early. Any advice on which ovulation kits are better? ClearBlue are meant to be good - but it's knowing which one as they do about 100 different ones!!

Hope you're having a good day ladies x

Oh, & kwick, random guess but are you in France?

I really liked London sperm bank-I've already chosen mine ha except he'll prob be gone by the time I get round to it :)
Good luck tomorrow caution with gp appt

Mais oui, je suis dans Paris! What a frickty-fucking day... Excuse my French!

OPKs: here is my recommendation - and what I would have done with hindsight. Buy 1 pack of clearblue non digital - the pack that has 7 opk and 1 pregnancy test. Buy a shed load of one step ovulation test strips online. First cycle use both - to check one step works for you and then carry on with one step. The clearblue have detailed instructions about when to start testing depending on your cycle length. Ideally you will test twice a day - hence the need for cheapie one step ones.

Boobage bump is killing me - I got more gunk out during the night (had major insomnia) and again this morning.... There is loads more in there!

Thanks for sperm bank info. Just found out my clinic have in house too! I may go to us site though ( xytex ) as I feel there would be less risk of half siblings in my neighbourhood. Also ideally I want a hispanic donor.

caution it is not that I have to wait for a month - this month I am having 3d scan and then I start taking drugs to stimulate follicles but stop me from ovulating, then next month shed more drugs, scans, bloods, egg collection and then hopefully egg transfer.
Very intense, very scary, and my only shot for a while.

Morning!

So I've just rang my GP surgery... I have an appointment for 3pm! Yay! I'm so nervous though, I don't want him to turn round and say no... We shall see. I'll keep you updated!

kwick, thank you for your recommendations re ovulation kits/tests. I'll get both, hopefully the cheapie ones work fine... Spending loads on ClearBlue would be a nightmare, but if I have to buy the dearer ones, I'll do it.

Good news on your clinic having an in house sperm bank - you may find one in theirs! Sorry to hear your bump on your boob is hurting... Hopefully it doesn't get in the way of your bra - I can't even imagine how uncomfortable that'd be!

Ohh I see! I'm not surprised your a big scared. It seems very daunting, in a way, because of all the drugs and how precise you have to be! Hopefully next month will be your month - I'll have everything crossed for you!!! X

Thank you for your good luck wishes pickle. Fingers crossed it goes the way I hope!!

How'd your appt go caution?

Hi pickle, my appt went really well - I've got all the forms to have my blood tests done :) yay! We're an old fashioned surgery and they still send you down the hospital to have your bloods done lol, but at least I've got the forms and stuff to be able to go and get them done on Monday morning :)

Thank you for asking! X

caution I am so glad you had a good appointment with GP. I am getting quite anxious about my one next week - they never go well

I am finally home again...what a week! I am not so much tired as ungrounded... so much has happened this week... I am not sure I am over the disappointment of the bfn, I am still in shock from how much money I have spent and how much I have to spend, the hacking cough (and I do not have a strong pelvic floor so I am sure you can guess what that means...) and this frigging lump on my boobage... it is SO painful!!!

My bra and bag straps hit it every time. I am sitting here watching the Bachelorette (love crap TV) and have put a Biore blackhead patch on it - not sure if this will do any good but I need to give it a whirl! Also massive spot has developed on my chin - not sure what is up as I very rarely get eruptions on my face.

TGIF!!!!

Hola ladies,

Apologies for lack of activity, it's been a crazy busy week here. As above, TGIF!

Kwik - Apologies for making you cry on the bus. Sounds like it was a good look How is your donor hunt going? We're considering switching but reserved 5 vials up front and used 4 so might just go for the last one before we switch. Our clinic does in house so we just used theirs. Think it might be slightly limited though. How's that puss goop volcano coming along? Did the strip work? Sounds painful. I might follow your OPK strip advice. I've not been convinced by the strips the clinic provide. Worth a try. Hope you have a nice relaxing weekend to get over your crazy busy and emotional/stressful week or so.

Caution - No, neither of us has told parents. We have both told a close friend and maybe a couple more know we're thinking about it but not that we've gone for it. Next IUI will be next cycle so not long to wait. Trying non medicated on advice of the clinic this time. We will see... Great news re GP appt and blood test stuff. Sounds the same as how my GP did it. Did they also recommend a hysterosalpingogram (excuse my possibly bad spelling) and ultrasound too? Think I might have had those at a later date.

Pickle - Are you still hibernating?! Hope you're feeling a bit better.

Germ - You need a hand deciphering success rates? I could take a look if you like? I know it's quite tricky to work out what's best.

Right, I'd best get back to the wine, while I am still allowing myself to drink it. AF is on her way and I had decided that's when the next drought will start. But today was one of those "I need caffeine, chocolate and wine or someone's going to get a punch" he he.

Take care ladies, have a lovely weekend.

TD xx

Thanks kwick! Don't panic too much about your appt next week.. Just be firm if you have to be!
Bless your heart, it sounds like you've had the week from hell :( in regards to the money etc, just remember what you could get at the end of it - it'll all seem worth it in the end!
I don't blame you for trying one of the blackhead patches - something has to make them go away!! Maybe you'll need to see your GP about them - as I said before, my auntie gets them and she needs like a special cream to help them go down..

taydex, I can't say I blame you for not wanting to tell people just yet. When I told some people in my family, I didn't half get some funny looks! If you do decide on telling people, however, just remember that they'll all be behind you.
It's brilliant news regarding my GP appointment, considering after I told him he laughed nervously as if to say "you're joking, right?"... In the end he wished me well and said it was obvious I'd done my research and was serious. No, haven't mentioned scans - I think I'm just going to have them done at the clinic - they charge £165 for like a detailed scan of everywhere down there plus an antral(?) follicle count, whatever that is, so I think I'm just going to have it done there. Don't want to push my luck with my GP!

Hope you're all having a lovely Saturday x

Thank you all for well wishes.

I still have puss/gunge erupting volcano... and at the risk of making you guys sick the stuff that comes out STINKS!!!! It is most distressing. The patch did not hurt not did it work. I had a bath earlier (after 2 weeks of abstinence each bath is like a very special treat) and put a warm/hot flannel on offending areas (seems have major eruption on my chin). I then had another good go at boobage eruption/lump - gunge came out as did quite a lot of blood, I now have a Clearsil pad on area... that worked wonders on the other side a few weeks ago...

Meds arrived this morning - now taking up best part of fridge.

I have landed on about 3 potential donors - it costs roughly the same to use a bank in the US as one in London - which is CRAZY!!! I rather like the idea of using a USA bank - I would have thought there were less chances of a half sibling in my neighbourhood. Anyway I am going to think a bit more and probably order on Monday - as still trying to find out how many vials I need!!!

I am having another sleepover with my nephew tonight - which is always good fun - we both behave like children whilst my mum takes care of us.

You probably need to see a doctor about your lumps kwick - they don't sound like they're going to clear up on their own, especially if you're getting blood out of them too! And they're sore - the doctor may be able to do something to get rid of them there and then... I have a huge spot on my chin too - biggest one I've had in a long while!

That's crazy how the sperm bank in the USA is the same price as the one here. Why must everything in England be so expensive?! 😂
I totally agree with you and half siblings in your neighbourhood.. Going for the one in the USA gives you extra peace of mind!

Ah brilliant - how old is your nephew? Have fun! We've got no young children as such in our family anymore.. My youngest cousin is 18, and my brother is younger than me, so I don't have any chance of nieces/nephews at the moment - next baby in the family will hopefully be mine .

My Mum goes in for a major op on Wednesday (they're cutting part of her bowel away). I'm really nervous - more nervous than her I think! She gets serious stomach pains due to her small bowel, and they've decided to cut away offending part. So will be spending a lot of my time next week down the hospital with her. Every time I think about what could go wrong I feel sick .

Have fun tonight with your nephew kwick - I know you will!!