bubbly1973's IUI online diary

[bubbly1973]

i am doing this online diary in the hope that it will help anyone who is going through it or are about to go through it. Oneday it will be hidden away in the archives and will be found by someone who is desperatly seeking information or another womans experience and find this diary helpful..if i can help one person then i will be happy

please feel free to post on this thread, if you have any comments or you just want to give me support id be most grateful

so here we go firstly something about me and dh

we had iui done a few years ago, conceived but sadly ended in a miscarriage,
went for our 2nd go straight away and conceived and now we have a beautiful little boy who is going to be 3 in june.

My periods are very irregular, anything from 35 to 45 days. I have cysts on my ovaries so am not ovulating, i thought after having a baby this would correct itself, but unfortunately it hasnt

I am 31, i am a smoker, non vegetarian, weigh nearly 8stone
dh is 32, non smoker, non vegetarian, his sperms are not extremly high in numbers but sufficient enough

iui explained

right so will post this and begin my diary....

I didn't think to ask 1st two times (yes I know duh!) but when I asked this time all they said was yes it was good and motility was good. Will ask exact % if/when I have the follow up. My dh although apparently has high number of abnormal (between 86 and 92%) his overal count is above average.

I have read that if the reason for doing iui is annovulation then the chances of iui working is a little higher. Producing more than one egg on the treatment also increases chances of it working. So madigan if you've got 2 eggs then the normal 6% chance of it working is doubled (thats apparently on top of the normal 20% chance of conception when trying naturally. Bubbly, didn't you have 3 eggs this time? again chances are increased. can I ask how many eggs you had 1st two times?

I only had 1 1st two times and this time had a 19mm one (just right for ov) and a 15mm one. I was told that it was possible for this to grow big enough for ov but unlikely so looks like only 1 for me this time as well.

Main thing that goes against me is my age as success rates slightly lower than for someone younger. It worries me that maybe my eggs are not of good quality (hence the previous m/c).

thanks dizzy and bubbly - don't know what I would do without you two!!!
dizzy - do you mind me asking how old you are? I am 34.

dizzy, on the first treatment, i over stimulated and had to have a reduction, so they left me with 2 eggs (i think) i wasnt happy with the treatment, there were a lot of unanswered questions.

on 2nd go there were 3 big ones and some reaching the 19mm size, so they released the eggs...i feel on this treatment they released the eggs too early, i can see why they did it, it was to stop me over stimulating again, but i am sure my 3 large ones werent quite ready!

on third go, i had 2 which had reached the size, and one that was a few mm away from it, so definitly had 2, and possibly 3 by the time i took my hcg

I will be 38 in a couple of months, started 1st iui treatment last july. Waited 4 months for 3rd treatment as was a bit demotivated after 1st two attempts failed. I felt ready again this month but wish I'd persevered and gone for 3rd straight after...but if your not ready then your not ready, have to be in the right frame of mind to do it.

been ttc since I was 34, got pg with my ds within a few months and thought it would be same this time, but no such luck. 2nd pg took 15 months to conceive but m.c at 5 months. friend of mine suffered same experience few months after me and then conceived again literally months later...I was really happy for her but gutted that not happening for me.

Its very frustrating when you do your best to take care of yourself so can make a healthy baby when lots of people around you can just pop them out even though they live on takeouts and smoke 40 a day.

Forgot to mention but my hospitals 'rules' are that if there are 3 eggs they will not proceed. on my 2nd scan this time saw 3 follicles and thats when they told me about this rule. I was in bits for 3 days waiting for next scan only to be told that they'd mistook a blood vessel for a follicle so there were in fact only two.

so if I wished for 2 follicles I might get 3 which puts and end to the treatment so can't win.

ps bubbly. my understanding is that when follicles get to 19mm and the blood tests show correct hormone levels then you do the hcg midnight of same day. In that 36 hours do the follicles stop growing do you think and wait to release the egg. I'm assuming any 19mm wouldn't grow anymore because its big enough and it knows this?! I'm terrible, whenever I have a question its always after the fact so never get to ask the nurses. do you have any thoughts on this?

dizzy, i always thought that the hcg injection would mature the eggs into there final stage so that it can be released...i always wondered if when they say 'mature' do they mean they grow that much more before getting released.

that seemed to be the case on the 1st iui as many eggs once i had the hcg were very very big, some were 24mm or so, which is why i had a follicle reduction cos on the scan it was showing too many follicles/too risky not to take some away

i did ask them at the time which ones they would take away and they said they would take all the small ones away and keep the biggest ones as the bigger the better. they said it depended on doctor whether 2 were left or 3...i never got a clear answer at the end and went away not knowing how many they left in there...i still feel angry about this as i should ahve been told!

i think what im trying to say in answer to your question is that they must grow more after the hcg as otherwise why do the scan on day of insemination to check?...

i should add, i only had scan done for that time, and never had a scan on insemination day on the other 2 goes.

I didnt have a scan on insem day either.

VV sorry to hear about your m/c Dizzy.
Really really hope it works for you this time. What day will you test?

thanks madigan. I'll do my test on Sat if my usual day before spotting doesn''t occur. Basically, if I spot on Friday I'll know its not worked. Really hope it works for you too.

i didn't have a scan on any of my insem days. What you say about size of follicles makes sense bubbly, when nurses said the 15mm could grow enough but unlikely, at the time I thought 4mm wasn't a lot to grow over 2 days, obviously what they meant was it had to grow a lot more than that before ov.

Did either of you feel anything before the insemination. I could feel some 'rumblings' on my left side (which is were the egg was) that I thought might be the follicle releasing the egg. I was really panicky because it was about 8am and my insem was at 11.30

Dizzy,
No - I didn't feel anything. But surely, if you did feel ovulation at 8am, the insemination happened at exactly the right time, when the egg was travelling down the fallopian tube? So I would take some comfort from that!!

i dont recall feeling anything before or after on my 3rd go to be honest...all i felt is what i said earlier, i felt dizzy for a few seconds as soon as insemination took place.

I didnt feel that when i conceived with my ds though.

infact the only time i felt a twinge was the day af was due! i remember thinking 'ah, here she comes'

when ever this little implanted, i didnt feel that either but i did feel something when i was pg with ds.

morning ladies, hope are you both well?

my back still giving me problems although more of an ache now than actual pain. At least its taken my mind of treatment and impending result. I have been feeling strange this week and I'm not sure if its down to the back ache and being tired or something else!? can't seem to face any food, and all I want to drinK is coke (the full fat stuff as well) which I never do. I get occasional feelings of light headiness but that could just be because not had too much sleep.

Before you say it I am quite relaxed about the wait till saturday, in fact more relaxed than previous times (probably because feeling sorry for myself and my back).

I'm sure its too early to get any symptoms. Never felt anything when previously pregnant so think its must be down to being a bit poorly. There, I've talked my self round...thanks girls

you seem to be much happier today!!

yes - glad you're feeling more positive today dizzy.

am much happier now that back problem has all but gone.....I am hardly ever ill and I'm the worst patient when I am.

last week was thinking about the results quite a lot but now that only few days away not so much. I will be disappointed if it hasn't worked but have been there before and will just get on with things. I think I'm prepared whatever the result.

Thanks for listening to my rantings!

all fingers crossed for you dizzy .... i know what you are going through!!!! I am finding 2ww a total nightmare, and can't stop thinking about it. Hopefully I will gain some perspective soon.

thanks madigan my fingers crossed for you to.

This is the first time I've actually spoken to anyone while going through treatment and its really helped...just to 'say' things out loud is just a weight off...thank you to you both

I've not told anyone (friends or relatives) that we have been ttc or that been having treatment. Unfortunately, our respective families are not very close so any caring or sharing is out of the question.

dizzy -
it's a pleasure to be your support thro all this. I feel the same way re you and bubbly.

I have in fact told lots of people/family about the treatment, but it's not the same as talking to you two as you have been/are going through exactly the same thing!

madigan, dizzy, its been lovely to talk to you both and share stories, i think as caring as some real life people are, they wouldnt truly know the extent of all the worries and woes that fertility treatment can bring, they can only offer a sympathetic ear which is nice but if you wanted advice mumsnet is fantastic, it brings to us lots of different people with lots of different experiences, i found it very touching that i had support earlier on in this diary by people ive never met, and found it very useful to have help and advice of girls who been through it.

Good morning ladies, how are we today? Dizzy - how are you feeling?

morning madigan, im well thanks, off out, although not sure why, i hate the rain,
how are you? still sane or slowly going mad in the 2ww?

dizzy, i hope you are not too busy bouncing off the walls with all the coke your drinking...not long now hun, only a few more days...by this stage your probably just glad its nearly over one way or another huh ...dont forget, we are here if you need a whinge/rant/moan/laugh (please delete as appropriate)

im off out, check on you girls later
xx
bubbly

am feeling ok today, but 2ww is no fun - that's for sure. Day 5 today.

Dizzy, how are you doing?

Hi. doing fine thanks. had friends round today with their kids so been busy with that and then busy again tidying up afterwards!

I am feeling quite positive, a little part of me is starting to think I just might be this time, but I'm keeping it little as been there before as well.

Each time I've had the treatment I've had different things happening. This time now only got a bit of soreness in boobs, am off my food and (sorry if tmi) getting excess cm (slippery and wet). Usually get a little cm couple of days b4 af but this time had a day of excess cm last week and again today...what does it all mean!?

oh and 1st day of next cycle is Sunday not saturday so its sunday that I may be testing (if I'm lucky)

still pretty relaxed about the whole thing and keeping busy.

Hope you are both ok

looks like spoke to soon. started spotting not long after my last message. I had a 26 day cycle last month but was sure had a 14 day luteal phase so was sure if ov day 14 then would have a 28 day cycle. Surprised to have a 12 day lp this month...not sure if that good or bad.

I Don't feel too disappointed about it strangely enough, maybe because been preoccupied with other things and not hit me yet. Got my follow up in a couple of weeks and if they say its ok will give it another go next month.

My fingers crossed for you madigan, I will check in next week to see how you get on.

Thanks again for all the support over last couple of weeks

dizzy36, im so so sorry to hear that you have started spotting

could possibly be implantation bleed?

i think you deal with the outcome very similiar to me, i remember being exactly like you, once you know, you know and you look forward to other things, in my case it would be 'ah well, sod it, it aint worked, now cant wait to get plastered and smoke without feeling guilty!'...followed by a good cry and a pick me up speech which id say in my head!...then id go for that bottle of rose thats been sitting in the fridge waiting for this day

still here if you need a chat, and until she finally arrives full flow i dont think you will be trully upset as you will always have that little bit of hope. (speaking from my own experience really, perhaps your different)

Dizzy,
hope you are ok - you seem really positive which is absolutely great, and I only hope that I can be like that this time next week ....
any chance it is implantation, as Bubbly says?
XX