Unexplained Infertility...are the odds any good for sucess with IUI or IVF?

[ChoChoSan]

Hello everyone!

Well I have been TTC for 28 months now, and I am on my last cycle of Clomid, but still no pregnancy.

The consultant has recommended that we go for IUI next followed by IVF, but I am beginning to feel a bit hopeless.

As it is unexplained infertility, I suppose they don't really have any idea if treatments will work, whereas with a known disorder one can treat it with things known to be effective?

Does anyone have any positive stories for me, as I am giving up hope, and although I was pretty stoic for the first 2 years, I am getting really upset now.

Sorry to be a moany drag - I will probably feel much better later!!

I've had 2 complete IUI cycles and one failed (too many eggs) all were unsuccessful. So I'm not a fan of this treatment, like an earlier poster I found it terribly invasive and time consuming with the scans and clinic appointments, My judgment my be clouded by the fact that it was unsuccessful, but DH has said he will never do any more IUI as he disliked it also. We have also had one full IVF cycle and a frozen transfer, both also unsuccessful, but personally I found the IVF easier. There was so much less guess work, each stage felt like a mini success. successful stimming, egg collection, fertilisation, thawing, dividing etc, despite the overall out come I know DH and I can make an embryo (albeit in a perti dish) Our next step is find out why we are unsuccessful at implantation stage and then we might just crack it. (I'm 31 btw and have been ttc for 5 years)

Speak to you consultant, IUI may be your bingo treatment and you can still be on the ivf waitlist doing something proactive iykwim. I wish you all the best. I?m glad there are some good IUI stories here and please don?t be put off by mine. As I see it you have everything to gain and little to loose.

hello I have a ds of 7 me and dh have been ttc for 4 years, we had lots of investigation then were labled unexplained secondary infertility. Our area doesn't offer iui or ivf on nhs so we went private.

Our consultant said to try iui first because a) it is about a third of the cost of ivf and b) while we go through iui it may show up where our problem is.

We were sceptical as success rates are v.low but we tried iui in july and we are now 9 weeks pregnant and on cloud 9.

ps our iui cost just under £700 was easy and painless sending you best wishes and baby dust

Haven't read whole thread, but I would go straight for IVF. I spend years doing IUI and AIs and then got pg on first IVF. I did nearly get hyperstimulation though which was not good. I think IVF is worth a try - if nothing else it speeds it all up as 3 tries seems to be the point at which you're likely to get pg. Unexplained infertility is awful but IVF does, quite often, seem to get around whatever is causing the problem. Lots of luck.

Congrats to Gmakes3 Upwind what clinic in Sweden were you considering. I am thinking of going to Scandinavia and am considering my options. I am going straight for IVF, but really my decision is based on reading more success stories about this method. I am 36 and after a lap and dye in July I have to wait till December to even get a follow up appointment let alone get put on any lists . So, I am going to seek treatment privately.

Congrats to Gmakes3 Upwind what clinic in Sweden were you considering? I am thinking of going to Scandinavia and am considering my options. I am going straight for IVF, but really my decision is based on reading more success stories about this method. I am 36 and after a lap and dye in July I have to wait till December to even get a follow up appointment let alone get put on any lists . So, I am going to seek treatment privately.

IUI worked for me and I had a similar diagnosis.

You should be able to get it on the NHS.

It's a bit like animal husbandry and not especially romantic but it gives the sperm more chance to get to where they need to go.

Good luck.

im almost 24 and have been TTC for nearly 2 years - have been told it's unexplained, husbands sperm is fine, my tubes are clear. had clomid for 2 cycles and nada, now trying it again for 4 cycles and doc is telling me to go for IUI and then ivf, i just feel like im rushing to the unnatural methods too fast but at the same time im losing hope so i want to try everything. do u think it's too early for me to consider IVF? xx

Hi Lovings,

2 Years seems quite a while for someone of your age to be ttc, and you do have the advantage of being young, therefore you have quite a lot of time on your side to try things out.

If you read this thread, lots of people say IUI worked for them, and given that time is not an issue for you in terms of diminishing fertility levels, I would probably go for that rather than getting into IVF unless it's absolutely necessary. IVF is pretty hardcore, by all accounts!

Hi Lovings,

2 Years seems quite a while for someone of your age to be ttc, and you do have the advantage of being young, therefore you have quite a lot of time on your side to try things out.

If you read this thread, lots of people say IUI worked for them, and given that time is not an issue for you in terms of diminishing fertility levels, I would probably go for that rather than getting into IVF unless it's absolutely necessary. IVF is pretty hardcore, by all accounts!