IUI question

I have a few questions re IUI...

I talked to the dr yesterday (CD21).  He confirmed via u/s that I did ovulate w/clomid this month...which is a good thing.  No idea when though.  I've been temping this month...and until late last week FertilityFriend (not) was telling me that it wasn't sure but thought I'd ovulated between days 5-11...which was not good because we didn't BD until CD13 & CD 14 (that's it for this month...my husband hasn't been feeling well).  Then Saturday when entering temps, it changed and said that it was estimating I O'd on CD 11 - still not good, even w/a specific date.  Monday after entering my temp, it changed again and told me it was NOW estimating that I'd O'd on CD16 - which was better considering the BD on CD 13 & CD 14.  Not great...but at least gives a chance.  I didn't temp today because my son woke me up at 3 a.m. to tell me he'd puked all over the place and I had to clean that up for him...and didn't really get back to sleep after that (I get up at 5:15 a.m.).  I know I should have temped before getting up to clean the mess but forgot until I was already up.

Anyways...the dr suggested that we try IUI...because he too says that the continuous estrogen/progesterone is not good...and the sooner I can 'get off' them (ie...get pg or give up)...the better.  It only costs $400-$500 here (is that a good price?  I assume it is...)...and since insurance won't pay for that, I will...which is not a problem.  He said I'd just do the clomid again...then around ovulation time, I'd come in, he'd do an u/s to confirm it was about to happen...do the IUI...wait 15-20 minutes before I went home...rest that day, then come back and do it again in a day or two.  No 'extra' drugs or anything.

Can any of you IUI mommies, or TTC mommies who have been doing IUI, give me the benefits of your experiences w/IUI. 

How many of you did it work for?

How many 'rounds' did it take? 

Any 'aging maternal age' IUI success stories out there?  He's telling me because of my age (41), I have a less than 5% chance of success each month anyways...so the IUI will increase that by about 10%...but that since apparently I haven't had much trouble get pg in the past, it has a good chance of working for me.

How was your experience (ie discomfort? pain?) w/IUI.

Did you only have to do clomid?  I see some people 'talking' sometimes about a 'trigger' shot, but don't know what that is...and don't know if it is used for IUI?  or is that only IVF? 

This could all be negated if I got good results next week...but I'm not counting chickens...and trying to learn what to prepare for.

Thanks.

Hi Holly.  I have had 5 IUIs.  2 of these have been successful in the vague sense of the word (sperm met egg).  Once was with femara, and this last one with injectables.

My advice is that it I believe it would be a waste of money UNLESS you are triggering.  You trigger when you eggs are getting close to maturation and then have you IUI around 36 hours later.  If you do an IUI without a trigger, you risk doing it at the wrong time and not to mention...usually only one follicle will release even though clomid may give you more than one (with a trigger -- all mature follicles release).

So, essentially...you go in for an ultrasound and on clomid, once your follicles are measuring at least 18 mm or so...you trigger (with Ovidrel or other HCG shot) and then have your IUI 36 hours later.

IUIs in general do not hurt.  Sometimes the speculum can pinch.  OR, if they have to manipulate your cervix to shoot for one tube (they did this last time with me), it can cause a sharp pain...but most definitely bareable for the short time it occurs.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Ann....I thought the trigger was mentioned for people having IUI...and assumed it was to get the ovulation to happen NOW (ie at the time of the IUI) rather than whenever.  I'll mention this to him and see if he does it...because he didn't mention anything about that step...but he could have just been glossing through things until we actually get there to do it.

How are you?  Not good...stupid question...I know...but I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you.  Hopefully you're able to find your own way to cope with your sanity intact right now...I don't know if you're the type who just stays busy so you don't think about what's going on...or if it's better to stay home and cry until it's over...but however you handle it...I wish you the best. 

Hi, sorry I don't know much about IUI- but I can tell you that my sister who is 41 conceived on her own with her DH who is 44.  The MFM group that followed her was amazed they made baby without any help.  So- it can be done...don't let those % get you down.  Her only change had been losing some weight (probably 10 pounds), and getting her diabetes (had just found out that year) controlled.  I wish you the best!

Thanks Jenn.  I do know that last year, I got pg relatively easily - 3x in 11 months - I just haven't been able to STAY that way.  I've been doing estrogen/progesterone for three months now and one month of clomid, but even though I'm not having any side effects from them - my body's doing what it's supposed to except getting pg - it's just not good for long term use while I keep trying. 

A very good friend of mine whom I've known since I was 20 years old - and who has a son one month older than mine (14 years old) - and who is from August to March older than I am - is currently pg w/o any outside intervention.  We actually got pg w/in a week of each other, but I mc'd...she's doing great and due in August...so I know it's possible...I'm just impatient to begin with...and don't want to cause worse problems in a quest to get pg and try to stay that way.

Holly,

I did three rounds of IUI and am currently pregnant. My first round was just with Clomid. My second and third round was with clomid and injections. Neither hubby or I have any issues. His sperm is fine.

I would say as long as your physician will be doing closing monitoring and making sure when you need to do a trigger shot.

My doctor seems me for an internal ultrasound on CD 3 and makes sure that uterine wall is shedding properly and there are no cysts. Then, I come in several times for ultrasound to see how many and how big the eggs are getting and then trigger and 36 hours later I have IUI. Then, I do progesterone two days post IUI until I have my first blood tests. If it is positive, I continue progesterone until around 10 weeks. 

Hope this helps.

Traci

Thanks Traci.  I'll definitely ask him again re the trigger shots.  Seems to make more sense to me.

When you did your IUI...did they do it twice during the month - ie back to back two days in a row (or a day in between)?  Or just once w/the trigger?

Just once. They do the trigger to time ovulation for 36 hours after shot. Then, hubby and I BD that evening of hte day of IUI and sex the following day and the second day after just to have extra help :)

Hi Holly,

I conceived both boys through IUI.  After two miscarriages, the dr put me on Clomid (made me psycho - moody and hot flashes) but worked both times the first time.  Our infertility issues were: I didn't ovulate and not enough BD.  :)

It's amazing to read the posts of those of you TTC because you know so much more about your bodies and infertility than I ever thought to know.  I just got lucky!

Best of luck!

Thanks Kelly.

Last year, for my first pg, I got pg on my first month of trying...and mc'd a week after finding out I was pg....then got pg again in one month of trying...and mc'd two months later...then got pg after 3 months trying...and mc'd 2 1/2 months later. 

I am relatively sure I could get pg again with a few months trying...but they have me on estrogen/progesterone each month to make the endometrium thicker (one of my problems is that they've determined it isn't thick enough on it's own to sustain a pg)...then would continue the progesterone until 12 weeks...so to do it month after month means more exposure to the hormones, which are not good.  I would also start daily Lovenox (blood thinner) injections as soon as I found out I was pg...and I take two baby aspirin a day, plus 5,000 mg of folic acid, because I have several blood clotting disorders...so they're not 100% sure if the three mc's are caused completely by the uterine lining...or the blood clotting disorders...so they're treating them all in the hopes that when/if it happens again...it'll stick.