IUI Treatment

[HelloTTC2023]

Hi Everyone,

Just curious if anyone is doing IUI? I am currently in the waiting period after having my first IUI on the 19th. Have been TTC for 21 months and started fertility treatment 10 months ago. Both myself and my husbands tests went well. The only odd thing was about 9 months in TTC my cycles became irregular for the first time in my life! Typical! I tried 5 OII cycles with no success. Really hoping for this IUI to work. I am tired!!

I just finished iui. Three IUIs didn't work, followed by two IVFs that I completely flunked (body didn't respond at all to the meds), doctor advised adoption or donor eggs. I asked to try a load more IUIs just in case there was a good egg amidst the duds, so did natural iui four more times. The last one is eight weeks along with a heartbeat.

I am 40 (started at 37) and had low AMH from the get go, plus other complications like polyp, ovulating randomly mid IVF, so hope your journey will not be as fiddly.

Like you, I was tired by the end, but it helped to treat it as a side project and not let it be the sole focus of every day. I made sure to book holidays and make the most of my freedom.

It also helped to listen and learn from my own body cos everyone's different. I learned my body basically hates meds and every month one follicle goes for it and that was the one I was meant to focus on, the one my body wanted to select, so that's why I wanted to try natural iui at the end.

Basically, good luck! It's tough and draining but you'll never regret trying x

I'm 32 and on my last medicated IUI cycle now for unexplained infertility, before switching to IVF.

First time, I had 4 nice looking follicles, but nothing stuck. Second time, I only had one, and it unsurprisingly failed.

Final IUI is next week. This time, they upped my Gonal-F to 75, up from 62.5. I wouldn't bother doing it at all, but I need to have it to qualify for funded IVF.

I'm not super optimistic, as even with all things going perfectly for you, the success rate isn't much higher than 15% a cycle.

From what I've been told, success is mainly down to your diagnosis, age and number of mature follicles on your scan.

Hi @HelloTTC2023 just scouring through IUI posts and came across this one! I’m in a similar situation, 4 cycles of OII with TI down with no luck so far. Now wondering whether to try IUI or just move straight to IVF. If you don’t mind me asking - did the IUI work for you? I’m interested in whether it increases the success rates over regular OII with TI. Thanks so much!

Final IUI failed. On to IVF. In hindsight, even as a ‘good’ candidate for IUI, the process wasn’t worth the wasted time and effort for such low chances. Only plus was I got comfortable with injections.

Now taking a break until January and I reach the top of the IVF waitlist.

@Siarabang I've just come across this chat and saw your message, I hope you don't mind me asking... I'm 37, low amh, poor quality partner semen. TTC 2 years. Still on ivf icsi waiting list but have been told very low chance of success. Wondering why I'm being guided towards donor egg rather than donor sperm. Did nhs do the natural IUI? They've said they won't do it for us, that we should do icsi or donor egg. But I would really like to try my own eggs with healthy sperm. It's a lot less invasive and DH is less saddened by genetic loss. Having fallopian tubes checked this month. Any guidance, or could you help me understand your path? Very many congratulations on the heartbeat!!

@Impatientlywaiting10 It did not work unfortunately! I am moving on to IVF in September. Had the IVF consultation in July and given 5 OII's and 1 IUI failed where all the signs looked ideal (responded well to low doses of medication, good follicle development, uterine lining was good) they have a working theory that it might be a fertilization issue. My husbands test were great and his sample for the IUI was in the 99 percentile. When we do the egg retrieval, provided I have enough eggs of good quality they are going to to do regular IVF on one half and ICSI on the other to see if this can give more answers. Also I am in Ireland no the NHS for me. An IUI with trigger does have higher success rates as it bring the sperm far closer to the egg, the sperm sample will have been analyzed for the strongest swimmers, the doctor will also clean the cervix so the sperm don't get stopped by cervical mucus etc.

Hi, I wonder if they have steered you away from IUI because they're presuming you'd want to use your husband's sperm, in which case you've obviously tried natural in a sense for two years.

Might be worth saying to them you'd like to try IVF with donor sperm and asking them about that. Obviously I'm not a professional, but feels a bit early to go donor eggs at 37 if you haven't even tried any IVF or multiple rounds of IUI with donor sperm yet even with low AMH - did they say why they thought your eggs would not work? When I was 37 with low AMH they were still kinda hopeful in their recommendation as age isn't as much of a barrier. It was only after two (and a half) failed IVFs after three failed IUIs they started talking donor eggs. (Which I ended up not going with and just trying again and again with natural IUI)

There's obviously the financial aspect to consider - I don't know how many goes NHS would give you and whether they're trying to put every chance into one go, but again, that's really your consideration rather than theirs so am not sure why they'd go straight for donor eggs. IVF success on average takes about four goes anyway. Worth probing a bit further I'd say to find out why they're recommending that.

Hi,

I'm currently going through IUI treatments and have been since late January. Went through 5 cycles so far, but only had one 'completed' cycle with the actual IUI.

I'm 30, been TTC for 2.5 years now. DH results all above average and mine are perfect too. I do have one blocked tube however, so they believe this to be our issue conceiving.

It's quite emotionally and physically taxing tbh. First cycle we tried clomid and injections - resulted in my blocked side responding and too many follicles and too thin a lining.

2nd cycle we went for injections only, but I ovulated myself apparently.

3rd cycle was similar. 4th cycle we managed to see through to the end but I only had one follicle and it didn't work 😂

5th was abandoned too then had two cycles off over summer.

Now on my 6th cycle with injections. Was in on Friday for my scan but I haven't responded how they would have liked, so more injections this weekend and a scan on Monday - fingers crossed.

I feel very stuck in limbo. We don't want to throw away our 3 cycles of IUI and move straight to IVF just yet, but the The constant let down each month is taking its toll. Never realised it would be so difficult.

Think the IVF waiting time is around 9 months in our area. Part of me wishes we'd went straight to it tbh.

Hi there, I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions as my partner and I are on round three of IUI and feel a bit lost, confused and conflicted. There is so much information out there and every clinic seems to have differing protocols.

You said that in your 2nd cycle you ovulated yourself. How do you know this? Was this confirmed via a scan at the clinic or at home with an ovulation test kit?

I'm also a bit confused regarding your follicle count. I was under the impression that if you have too many follicles they may abandon the IUI procedure due to the risk of twins, etc?

As far as we are aware we do not have any fertility issues, but are trying to figure out how to increase our chances. This whole process is so taxing; emotionally, physically and financially!

Hi,

I'm usually scanned every other day whilst having IUI, so it was confirmed via scan as my follicles had reduced dramatically in size.

My clinic want 1-3 mature follicles but no more than that. You can have many smaller follicles but no more than 3 large ones.

The process is horrible, you're right! We actually had this month's cycle abandoned as I already had two large follicles on day 3 of my cycle this month.

We've asked to be placed on the IVF waiting list whilst having IUI treatment. They've been very accommodating and allowed this to happen. We've been going through IUI since January and only had one complete cycle 😂