Fertility treatment- IUI

[csds]

Hi, has anyone had IUI fertility treatment? We've been TTC for 3 years now. Had all the tests. We have a consultation tomorrow at the hospital about moving forward with treatment and we've been given an indication that IUI may be the best option to try first before IVF.

I'm just wondering if there's anyone out there who has been through this or is going through this.

Thanks

Hi all,

It’s on to cycle 3 for me. Taken the news better this time. Still bummed though. My best friend has just found out she’s pregnant.

There is part of me that wonders if it will ever happen 😕.

Onwards and upwards. Maybe third time lucky x

Aw csds sorry to her it wasn’t good news. It was 3rd time lucky for me so hopefully for you too! X

Are you doing the next cycle straight away or having a break?

Hope you have chance to do something nice for yourself and to rest.

Thanks Toomany, I’m going straight onto the next cycle.

For me, I want to keep going then if it fails at cycle 6 I will have a few month to rest before IVF x

I'm sorry to hear that CSDS . Have yourself a wee cry (or even big one) get some TLC and maybe some retail therapy and then start think positively about round 3. It will happen for you, I'm sure of it

Sorry to hear that csds but it's great how positive you are and fantastic that you have the energy to go straight into the third cycle.

Thanks snowy, the first failed cycle hit hard. I guess deep down part of us thought that we were having professional help and it was going to happen.

Thanks cobblestones. It’s hard to try and stay positive but I tell myself if I don’t stay positive it will only break me.

I’ve had a cry with hubby, not as bad as last time, so we’ve let out some emotion. I know I’m not the only one, but you just think ‘why us’.

Anyway.... enough of the self pity. Lasagne and a glass of wine tonight. Then roll on AF!! Let’s do this

Keep me posted on how you guys are getting on 🤞

Cobblestones - I was going to say the same as you about csds.

Csds - you’re being so strong saying positive. You have been amazing!

I understand the feeling of ‘why us?’. I remember an incident when I went to the hospital to have my HSG test. When I came out of the hospital there was a lady stood outside in her dressing gown, heavily pregnant, cigarette in one hand and a can of Redbull in the other. I just thought how could she do that. Why can a person like that have a baby and we couldn’t, it’s just not fair.

Awh, bless you all. Well thank you for the support and vote of confidence. It’s appreciated, you’re the best virtual friends ever! 😂

I’ve had so many thoughts go through my mind this evening. Been googling (probably not the best thing but...)

There’s 8% chance per month of getting pregnant with clomiphene and IUI for up to 3 cycles (much lower after 3 tries) ... 55% chance for having a baby after one cycle (month) of IVF treatment at our center - pregnancy success rates vary greatly between IVF clinics.

Then I’ve read plus I’m sure my dr said that when changing from iui to ivf you need to rest a cycle before starting. I’m toying with the idea of ivf sooner rather than later. Weighing up success rates, money and emotional torture.

Do we do a third cycle? Should we now jump on the ivf wagon? X

CSDS are you doing your IUI and IVF privately or through NHS? I don't know how it works where you are, but where I am (Northern Ireland) we get 6 IUI on NHS and only 1 cycle of IVF. When we get the appointment letter for IVF we have 12 months to do it, so in my case I plan to continue with my IUI even if the IVF letter comes through. My thinking is I may as well use all the opportunities that they give me. Also I find the IUI process difficult enough so I want to avoid IVF as long as possible. Although I am on my 5th IUI cycle now (had 3 privately last year) by the end of this I will have had 9 cycles, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm in the position of having to have IVF after this, I might just give up. If it doesn't work by then then it probably never will.

It's a matter of preference though and what you think you can emotionally and physically cope with.

Your right on the break cycle though, my nurse told me that last week, it's to let you hormones calm down before the increased dosages of IVF

We are having to pay private. I take my hat off to you, I don’t think I’ve got it in me to go 6 rounds let alone 9.

My hubby said he recalls the dr saying to do 3, so I think I’ll try and make contact with him and get his advice on the situation. X

I've had conflicting advise on how many to do. When I did the 3 rounds last year I went for that many as the clinic had an offer if you paid for 3 upfront. When I finished I had a meeting with the consultant and he said he didn't think there was any point in doing more, that I should go straight to IVF, so we decided to take a wee break while waiting on NHS appointments. When I met the NHS consultant (who BTW also worked at the private clinic but who wasn't the one who told me to go straight to IVF) he said they recommend 6 cycles of IUI to have the best chance. So while we arent paying for them we may as well do them all. I also read somewhere else that 4 was the best number of cycles to have. It's all a bit confusing to be honest.

Our consultant also advised us to go for 3 cycles. After my first one which was a breeze I was all up for it and for doing it consecutive. 8-15% seemed worth it for 1/5th of the pay and little discomfort. The second cycle has made me see it differently. I'm seeing my consultant in three weeks to decide if I go straight for IVF or another round or two of IUI.

Btw I've come off the cyclogest now which is why AF still hadnt arrived. Silly me I conveniently forgot about the little annoying pessary playing that role.

Snowy - wow you have been through a lot! Hope IUI works this time for you, I also felt like you about not wanting to proceed to IVF until we had given IUI a good try. It’s tougher, there’s the egg retrieval and I assume they pump loads of hormones into you to get a good number of eggs. It must be very tiring.

Csds - nobody can decide except you how many cycles to do, I conceived on the 3rd and I think a PP said they conceived the 6th time. So if it was me i think I’d maybe consider up to 6 cycles.

Do you mind if I ask how old you are? That’s maybe something to take into account too. I was 35 when I had IUI so was considered old. When we had treatment it was only offered up to the age of 40, and I know some clinics it was 38. But that was NHS treatment, don’t know if that applies if you are a private patient.

But then if you’re paying for it, it’s even more complicated. IUI is so much cheaper you can have more tries, but then your chances are lower, so should you save your money for IVF instead.

At the end of the day, do what feels right to you and your other half,

Cobblestones, for this round I had initially planned to do three, take a break and then do the next 3. I planned it that way for 2 reasons, one being I found 3 in a row last year quite emotionally draining and the second is I am an accountant and December and January are manic for me so I thought it best to avoid treatment then. I am having doubts about that now, I don't want to hold this process up anymore. I am 35 next week and feel time is getting away from me. Also I am expecting my IVF appointment letter early next year and I would prefer to have all the IUI chances done before proceeding to IVF.

I know it needs to be my choice, I was just after thoughts. Been babbling on with my mother about it all, yesterday I was 80% convinced about going to IVF, after a sleepless night I’ve woke up thinking let’s do one final 3rd round. I’m definitely not doing more than 3 that I know for sure.

AF then shows so now I need to call the hospital. Going to have a good talk with hubby tonight about it all. I’ve read through the IVF timeline for the hospital, nasal sprays, injections, Egg Collection and after treatment. It’s full on.

I’m 35, 36 in March so no spring chicken, hubby is 37.

Cobblestones I’m thinking similar to you with 8% for IUI and 42% for IVF. Second cycle has made me look at things differently to. X

CSDS if I was in your boat I would do the 3rd cycle and then decide on whether to go to IVF, everywhere seems to recommend 3 cycles at least. If you were to go straight into 3rd cycle now, it would be over before Christmas and hopefully be in position of having some great news to celebrate. If (and fingers crossed this isn't the case) you aren't, then you can take a break from it all over Christmas and Jan (jan is depressing enough without infertility treatments), clear you body of hormones for a cycle and be ready to start IVF in Feb

Thanks snowy,

Great minds think alike lol. We are lucky enough to finish early in a Friday so hubby and I went to get some lunch and talk.

We called the hospital and said we want this to be our last IUI cycle and if it fails we will proceed with IVF end of January (which is when my cycle will start).

We came to the same conclusion as you. We will either be celebrating fantastic news or we know we can go all out and enjoy Xmas a drink and the parties. We go away 3rd of Jan, again if it hasn’t worked we can go all out on the holiday, come back refreshed and ready for IVF.

I really hope it’s third time lucky but I’m not at least we have a bit of an action plan now.

I honestly don’t know how you’ve done it for so long. I applaud you. How’s your tww going?

Cobblestones, how you doing hun? Any developments on the counselling side of things? X

That sounds like a good plan csds. Fingers crossed you have great news in time for xmas.

I'm doing alright. Awaiting AF. Counselling went well.. I can get in touch with them whenever I want to arrange a session. Thanks for checking in :)

CSDS, as is always the case the first half of TWW is grand, the second half which I am just now in is usually a nightmare so am waiting for it to all kick off now

I think that's a good decision and fingers crossed third time will be the charm

Csds - that sounds like a great plan. I think that’s why I would be doing in your position. Hopefully, whether it’s successful or not, you can then have a happy Christmas.

Snowy how long have you got left? Will you know by Friday? Exciting times.

Cobblestones, how are you doing hun?

Bkackcat are you still with us? How’s your 6th cycle gone?

Supermoon and Toomany hope you guys are ok to, ❤️

CSDS test day is Thursday, but am not doing it to Friday, don't have to be at work as early on Friday (I normally leave the house at 6:40) so i thought it would be a better day, means I have time to have a good cry if it's bad news or get over the shock if it's good news. Pretty sure it's going to be bad news though.

I have my fingers crossed for you snowy 🤞

Thanks CSDS. How you doing after last week?