IUI Help!!!

I have just had #1 IUI and waiting... Has anyone had success with IUI, Ive heard mixed things..
I'm on day 26 of my cycle and was just wondering as I have taken FSH and hCG shots does that mean that it regulates my cycle to 28 days?
My cycles range from 26-28 days but ive read that it lengthens your lutal phase... nurses told me that my period is due on day 28- how do they know this? Im a little confused as to whether IUI goes with your natural cycle or it stimulates its own cycle...Im sorry if all this seems overwhelming, can anyone help?

Kim,

If you have taken FSH and hCG shots then your cycle was stimulated and you would most likely have a 28 day one.

All the best for it... what is the problem, if you don't mind my asking? We have PCOS and male factor.

Shell

Hi There!

Lowish (but not too lowish) sperm morph and i've had mild Endo (stage 1) which I had a lap down this year which went well!

Did a preg test tonight and got a BFN but dont now if that was too early?

Are you doing IUI also?

Hi Kim,

It might be too early to tell - especially with a urine test.

We have pretty poor quality sperm and quantity is also not great so our FS told us IUI is not worthwhile... nonetheless, I have been on Metformin (1500mg) for 6 months (I have PCOS / IR - but am healthy weight), and the FS recently gave me 100mg Clomid as well (I don't know what for if our sperm is so bad). We are doing our first Clomid cycle... but are not going to bother after that - don't see the point when I can ovulate on Metformin alone and he's not going to do IUI. I'm going back in November to demand a laparoscopy, since I have suspected Endo as well for years... but when I got diagnosed w/ PCOS I thought it was just the PCOS, although I had an obstetrician tell me my pain is not explained by PCOS.

We are looking at changing FS early in the New Year - looking for someone who might be a bit creative and do IUI with us - maybe using two samples instead of one to improve our chances. We'll wait and see...

All the best!

This is something I was also wondering about... why IUI is not offered in the case of poor sperm (we have triple defect caused by a varicocele - awaiting specialist appointments to get it repaired). I've heard of several cases of IUI being used, but the majority of IVF clinic websites state that it won't be offered in the case of poor sperm.

I would have thought that just getting the sperm closer to where they have to be would help what sperm there actually are get to the right place, particularly if they don't swim that well... One would kinda assume that the fertility clinics know what they are doing, though.

BW

I think some of it comes down to cost vs. benefit, BW. My FS implied that it wouldn't be worth the emotional cost to do IUI when it wouldn't really increase our chances that much - that the people doing the IUI would be very negative towards our chances of success because of the poor sperm - and he didn't want us to have to put up w/ that. It is also a cost vs. benefit situation finacially as well. Is it worth someone with poor sperm paying for what could be month after month of IUI... if IVF could work out cheaper and quicker in achieving a pregnancy?

(There's actually a study being run at Melbourne IVF on this topic - which would be more efficient and cost-effective between IVF and IUI for people who have "mild" male factor - don't know what they classify as "mild" though).

My DH is outside of the normal parameters for most of the things they test for in a S/A, although for some of them he is borderline - will get an okay result for one S/A and then a not-okay result for the same area in another S/A. But the two main factors are his poor count and poor morphology.... they're certainly NOT borderline normal!

My DH's prob is genetic - microdeletion on Y chromy - so there's nothing that can be done about it.... except to keep him as healthy as possible so that the sperm that do get produced have the best chance possible of catching an eggie!!

Well IUI failed today as I got AF! I spoke to my boss about cutting back my hours next year and she was cool about that! Feeling a little numb by it all really. Im so sick of crying that I just dont want too anymore! Do you guys feel that it is all so consuming that you dont know what life was like before this????? I dont mean to sound insensitive but Im sooooo sick of woman falling preg at a drop of a hat- I have a friend who already has a child, who went to see her gyno because she didnt fall preg in the first month, she nearly quite literalllly had a breakdown over it- she's now preg after the 3rd month! There goes the stress theory!!!!

Anyway back to me and my IUI... I heard different opinions about IUI. My FS is alright, but at times you feel like your in a production line. Went for a second opinion the other day. He was exceptional and went through my records for an hour and explained everything (which came back as everything seems OK) Well if I am OK how come Im not preg??? But he said not many FS do IUI becase the success rate isn't that good and if you think about it it only REALLY gives you a 20% chance- and my FS gave me a 15% chance each month which aint much different!!! I think Ill give IUI another go, its quite painless, and as I have health Insurance, we got about half back! But after that I dont know?

What do you guys think?

Thank you for all your support! its so good to be able to talk about this, as I really don't talk about things with friends as I dont want them worrying!


By the way SHELL what % is poor sperm morph? You have to consider also that analysis varies from test to test!

Kim,

Sorry to hear it failed.

Yes, I often feel like my life is consumed by infertility. I feel like I am almost constantly thinking about stuff related to pregnancy and fertility... and talking about it too. I am sure some of my friends think I don't have a life and are sick of hearing stuff about wanting to be pregnant from me... I only have one friend who is ttc - she fell in the first month but m/c and hasn't tried again since - so very different situation to me (still ttc after almost 2 years)... but I feel like she is the only one of my friends who has any idea what this pain feels like.

I have heard people recommend doing IUI three times, and if it fails, to move onto IVF (if you want to go down that path). But I think it is entirely up to you what you decide to do.

Poor morphology - you are supposed to have greater than 85% normally shaped. My DH's first S/A there were only 24 sperm in total (!!) so they didn't do the percentage morph. Second S/A - 94% were abnormal, third - 92% abnormal... (getting better!! It's hard work though!!). So yeah, I know they vary from test to test, and from sample to sample. My DH's varies quite a bit - from only 24 sperm in total, to a few million. We just have to hope for a peak when I'm O'ing.... whenever that happens!!

Oops... here's my edit: You are supposed to have at least 15% normally shaped (so a minimum of 85% abnormal) - I think that is according to Andrology Australia, or WHO guidelines... not sure ....

My DH sperm came back at 3% then 5% under strict Morph. Now all his other counts are excellent. His SC is very high.
Now, Here's the story:

a) My first gyno who performed my lap and had DH do his tests said that most test come back between 3-6% and the highest he has ever seen was 8% in the years he's worked there. He wasnt fussed my his 3% and told us to try to conceive for 6 months naturally and then to see him....

b) after 4 months I cracked and went to see said gyno who sent me to FS (i think he was sick of my persistance). He had a prob with the 3% and sent DH off for another test which came back as 5%. He said that the norm is 10% and suggested IUI

c) While doing my first IUI i went for a second opinion to a great gyno as Ive said, who explained everything to me. He said the norm for him was 8% but because DH had a higher than usual SC, that the other FS wasnt taking into account that if the norm was to have say 180 mill with 5 % then there may be a prob, but DH had 290 mill-so 5% of that actually better. Did ya get all that???? Very confusing!

Anyway, even with all this explained, the truth remains- Im still not PREG!!!!

Yeh they do say you can only have 3 IUI...I supposed I have to be prepared to do IVF

Also why do you think you have endo?

290 million!!! Wow!!

I will say I am confused by what you have written re: your DH's SC and morph - but I think the gist of it is that if the count is higher the higher number of abnormal sperm doesn't matter that much?? Since overall there would still be a high number of normal sperm??

I think I might have Endo because of some unusual pelvic pain that I get - sometimes can be quite severe too, but is generally a dull ache - an obstetrician told me that PCOS does not explain it, that he could find nothing on the ultrasound to explain my pain. (I posted on this on the PCOS/Endo board). I'm not 100% sure I have it, but I want the lap done and if they find it, well, I'm not going to be surprised, my right ovary has given me so much pain over the last 3 years!

It's interesting because about 4 years ago, my DH (who was then my b/f) was looking up some symptoms that I complained of and told me that he thought I had PCOS. I looked at the symptoms etc. and thought, nah, I wouldn't have PCOS, I would have Endo instead. Well, it turns out I DO have PCOS, but I still think there is enough suspicion there to suspect Endo as well, and I'd rather be sure than keep trying when there is something there.

All the best for next month!!

Hi shell,

Well i didnt know I had endo- I had a lap done because I went for a tubal test (cant remember the name) and it showed blocked tubes, so when I had lap done they found adhesions OVER one tube not inside and mild endo which he cut out.Now the only symptom i suppose I get is P pain, but nothing two naprogesic doesnt fix. You dont have to have any symptoms to have endo, or sometimes you do!@ My friend had Stage 4 endo and gets quite severe p-pain even on the pill. It is also quite prevalent in woman over 30 I have read (but dont quote me on it) If you dont mind me asking how old are you?

Hi Kim,
Sorry to hear about your IUI cycle not working out. There are some ladies on BB who have conceived thru an IUI cycle, so dont let it dishearten you yet!....We also tried IUI after our tracking cycle, but had no success. We were supposed to do 3 months of it, but after the second attempt we went straight into IVF.....We figured 7 years of ttc naturally, there is no chance IUI is going to work for us! We preffered to put the money into IVF which had more of a success rate, and worked first go. I think it is a great idea to try IUI a few times first......Good luck and all the best.

BTW....I know what you mean about your friend ;) I also have a friend who is totally devastated that she isnt preg yet....after 2Months of "sort of" trying ;) But what annoys me the most is that, she goes on about it, and knows exactly how long, and what extremes it took us! Oh well....Just nod and smile LOL! (as hard as it is)

Kim,

I'm 24. It's young-ish for Endo, I know, but teens can get it, and I know also that many women have no symptoms... I suppose I just want to get all bases checked - I haven't had my tubes checked either. I suppose I just don't want to waste more time (I know I'm young, but it's been almost 2 years ttc already) when there could be something else stopping us getting preggers and the docs don't test for it because they already think we have enough stuff wrong!

Anyway, let's see how it all goes...