# timing donor IUI (natural cycle)



## BlueBird2372

Hi Ladies!
I am just about to do my first cycle of DIUI (natural cycle).... 
I have been reading extensively about the importance of timing it right - and how HARD it seems to be!!
As thawed sperm may only survive 6-24 hours in uterus, DIUI needs ideally to be performed within 6-12 hours of ovulation - but getting ovulation timing right seems to be rather challenging using OPK (with LH surge happening 12-36 hours prior to ovulation and not knowing WHEN you are actually detecting the surge - on the way up or down?).... I am really worried that the probability of success is rather random with my clinic's approach (I am with London Women's Clinic) of doing DIUI in PM of the day AFTER LH surge was detected....
Does anyone have a good understanding / personal experience with timing DIUI with ovulation successfully or any shared learning from not so positive experiences perhaps? I am paying for my treatment and donor sperm - so my number of possible attempts is obviously limited by my budget... :-(
I am also thinking about other options - e.g. inducing ovulation or doing assisted IUI. But I do have a strong aversion to using any drugs and I seem not have any issues with ovulation so there is really no need for drugs apart from more certainty re ovulation timing... So any advice re alternatives would too be much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance!
Cheers
BlueBird


----------



## MrsC8776

I was doing IUI with frozen sperm and went in the day after my surge was detected. It didn't work for me but it has worked for others. I was unmedicated during all my IUI's. I found the best way to detect the surge was to use ic's and then back them up with clear blue digitals. Not sure if you guys have those where you are at but they do help a lot. The ic's are a little more sensitive than the digitals though. Once I got the smily face on the digital I made the call to go in the next day. Not sure if this helps you or not but I just wanted to share the info. Oh and I tested 2-3 times a day with the ic's to make sure I knew when the surge was coming.


----------



## BlueBird2372

MrsC8776 said:


> I was doing IUI with frozen sperm and went in the day after my surge was detected. It didn't work for me but it has worked for others. I was unmedicated during all my IUI's. I found the best way to detect the surge was to use ic's and then back them up with clear blue digitals. Not sure if you guys have those where you are at but they do help a lot. The ic's are a little more sensitive than the digitals though. Once I got the smily face on the digital I made the call to go in the next day. Not sure if this helps you or not but I just wanted to share the info. Oh and I tested 2-3 times a day with the ic's to make sure I knew when the surge was coming.

Hi! Many thanks for your prompt response! 
What is "ic's"? I am still very new to all this so I have not come across this one....
I am using clearblue fertility monitor in the mornings (first cycle, just got it) and used clearblue digital tests over my last 3 cycles (it worked 2 times and didn't work last time - when i actually was going to do my 1st IUI originally - hence I have now bought the monitor)...
It was my second day of "high fertility" today (according to my monitor) - so LH surge is coming any time now.... (I hope!!!)
Many thanks in advance for decoding "ic's" for me! I hope we have these in the U: 
Cheers
BlueBird


----------



## MrsC8776

Not a problem! I have missed the surge on the digitals as well which is why I started using ic's (internet cheapies). Here is the link of what I buy https://www.amazon.com/Combo-40-Ovu...LNVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329953755&sr=8-1 They are pretty cheap and they help with detecting the surge. Like I said I use about 2 or 3 a day when I know my surge is coming. They probably won't get there in time for your next IUI but it is possible if you do over night shipping or something like that. They should be able to ship to where you are. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.


----------



## BlueBird2372

Many thanks for explaining!
What a good idea!
I went to my clinic today for a scan (CD11) - we saw a 17 mm follicle (the main one, I think there was one more, a smaller one). I am on a natural cycle. So they have given me a trigger shot to take away which i now need to do on Sun (just in case) and my first IUI is on for Monday! Am excited and scared at the same time!!


----------



## MrsC8776

Sounds great! We have an unmedicated IUI thread if you would like to jon please feel free. Good luck on your IUI on Monday!


----------



## BlueBird2372

it seems NEVER what you expect!! 
I surged this AM - so am going in for my IUI today now (as it is Saturday and the clinic is shut on Sundays)! The told me to do the trigger short this AM (on the top of the surge) - which I did. It was not as difficult as I thought it might be - as I have never had to do any injections before to myself.
So I am doing it in 3.5 hours from now!!! I will let you know how it goes.


----------



## MrsC8776

Good luck on the IUI today. My one and only trigger shot I was scared of at first but it was no big deal. Yes please let me know how it all goes for you!


----------



## moonhippie

Hey there Bluebird! I ALSO just did my first IUI with donor semen (frozen) unmedicated. My dr had me do OPK's at home (clear blue digitals) and when i got my + i called and went in the following morning for my first IUI and then the following morning for a second one. Yes more costly when using donor semen, but he swears they have more +'s with this protocol. I know i've read that one well timed iui is just as effective, but this seems to be the way he works. So we went in 21hrs post +opk and then 45hrs post +opk. He also told me this morning when i asked that previously frozen donor semen can live up to 48hrs inside the uterus. 
How did your insemination go? I had some pretty intense cramping for about 5 minutes after each insem but otherwise it went smoothly. He commented i had great CM and my cervix was open. He also said I'm lucky as they have issues with some women having tilted uteruses etc making it harder to feed the catheter in and he had no issues.

Can't wait to hear how your experience was.


----------



## BlueBird2372

Hi Ladies!
Here is the full account of my first IUI experience.... Not quite sure about timing this one perfectly, though :-(
I had my CD8-CD11 as "high fertility" on my ClearBlue fertility monitor - meaning high levels of oestrogen were detected by the monitor (first cycle using it, though), so I went for a scan at CD11 to check what's happening and to make sure i do not miss O this time. (I did miss it last cycle using digital ClearBlue tests). 
All was fine - good lining and an 17mm dominant follicle on the left side. The nurse said that I should expect my LH surge on CD13-14 (Sun-Mon). As I couldn't take Tue off work, she gave me a trigger short to self-administer on CD13 (Sun) at 14:00 and booked me for my IUI for CD 14 (Mon) at 14:00.
When I used my fertility monitor yesterday - CD12 (Sat) - it showed "peak fertility", meaning it picked up my LH surge.... It was obviously earlier than I expected. I had a box of Clear Blue digital tests - so I decided to double check - using the same urine sample. The 1st test was negative, the 2nd test was positive (a smiley face), and the 3rd test was negative again!!!! (I am going to report this to ClearBlue - my confidence in their products is quite low after these inconsistent results....)
I called the clinic to report my situation and they told me to do my trigger short right away (9:00am) and come to the clinic for my IUI for 13:30pm same day. The clinic is shut on Sundays - and as I was clearly picking up the very start of my LH surge NOW, Monday would be too late.... (So ideally, I should have had my treatment today, on Sunday, - 24 hours AFTER I had it done, I think....)
Anyways, the treatment itself was very quick. The nurse did have a bit of difficulty getting the catheter in. It was my fault, I think. They told me to come in with semi-empty bladder but I always drink lots of water so by the time I got to the clinic I was desperate for a loo and had to empty my bladder right before the procedure - a good learning here.... 
It was generally pain free - just a bit uncomfortable with spectrum (as usual). I didn't even feel the sperm getting in!! I didn't move for 30 min after the treatment - as I read that this is what you are supposed to do. The nurse just left me in the room "to take my time" - so I waited for 30 min, then dressed up slowly and stayed in the clinic resting in the waiting area for another 1.5 hours just to make sure the sperm won't spill out. Then I had another hour sitting on the tube/train while getting back home from the central London. I tried to move slowly for the rest of the day (very hard for me as i usually run rather than walk!) and now, on Sun morning, I am absolutely desperate to go to the park for a run (it is a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday morning here!) but I guess I shouldn't really.... (Do you guys know about what can and can't be done after IUI??)
As I said, I didn't really feel anything - just a very little cramping on my right side primarily while i was waiting in the clinic following the procedure. I also felt a bit bloated for the rest of the day and had a bit of a funny taste in my mouth (must the the trigger short!).
This morning of course all tests showed LH surge.... My BBT had 0.1 increase from yesterday - but it is my first cycle doing BBT - so I do not really have any patterns to compare to.
Well, all i can do now is to wait for 2 weeks and hope it worked and if it didn't to hope to time my next one better!!
I hope it helps. Good luck to you both!!
Cheers
BlueBird
PS they do not do 2 IUIs the same cycle here! only one "well timed" - yeah, right!!


----------



## MrsC8776

I'm glad everything went well for you. The clinic I used to go to had me lay down for about 15-20 minutes after the IUI and after that I was free to go. There is no way for the little :spermy: to fall out so you don't have to worry about that. Once they are up inside they stay there. :thumbup: When I was doing IUI they told me to continue with normal everyday activities but I don't think I would feel comfortable going on a run. I know some girls do it though so it's kinda up to you. The one thing I was always told not to do it to not take hot baths during the 2ww. It could cause problems with implantation so I always avoided those during the waiting time. Other than that I think everything else is ok, of course if you are worried about anything just avoid it but still carry on with your day.


----------



## BlueBird2372

thank you!  I will stick to walking for now, I guess!


----------



## moonhippie

Hello, so glad things went well for you. As Mrs C said...they can't fall out. The nurse i deal with told me the uterus is a collapsed organ so once something is in it, its in there to stay, Only if they were doing an AI as in depositing the semen outside your cervix as if you had sexual intercourse would you need to really stay laying down for an extended amount of time.
Mine was done on Friday/Saturday and It went really smoothly aside from the cramping I had for about 5mins after each iui. Here the dr does the entire procedure from thaw to insemination. Did the nurse comment to you about whether your CM was ideal or if your cervix was open and indicating your fertile window? Mine said both days that everything was optimal and he mentioned I'm lucky as in it is not difficult to catheterize me *shrug* not sure exactly what that means. lol.
I hope we both get a BFP soon! I have my cd 21 progesterone test tomorrow am :)


----------



## BlueBird2372

thanks 
there was some difficulty inserting catheter but nurse has managed OK - something to do with me not having a semi-emty bladder but a totally empty one....
no other comments e.g. re CM - but my understanding is that CM is irrelevant to IUI - as they deposit the sperm right into the uterus.
well, 8 days to go till testing!!! time goes by sooooo slowly though!!!!


----------



## moonhippie

oh CM is not important, my dr just noted that it was very fertile, so indicating i was in my O window, thats all. I was never told anything about drinking water or having a full bladder. Thats the first i've ever heard of that. I know...i cannot wait to test, yet i don't want to...seeing that one lonely line gets hard after awhile.


----------



## BlueBird2372

when are you due to test?? i still have a whole week to go - all the way until next Sun.... it is a long wait. This is going to be my FIRST time - quite nerve-racking!!
i really hope you will see BFP when you test next!!!!


----------



## DL1971

What was the outcome of this IUI?


----------



## DL1971

moonhippie said:


> oh CM is not important, my dr just noted that it was very fertile, so indicating i was in my O window, thats all. I was never told anything about drinking water or having a full bladder. Thats the first i've ever heard of that. I know...i cannot wait to test, yet i don't want to...seeing that one lonely line gets hard after awhile.



What was the outcome??


----------



## BlueBird2372

Hi! How is everyone doing on this thread?
I had my second DIUI today.... Apparently the sperm sample was "very good" this time (which makes me wonder what was the story with my first sample a month ago?) - 17 million count and 90% motility....
I really hope I am lucky this time round!!
I was timed a bit better this time 2 - the day of ovulation and not the day before ovulation.
Best wishes, everyone!
Cheers
BB


----------



## Pink Lolly

Hi bluebird :wave:

I had my second diui on 23rd march and my OTD is 5th April so you are just a little ahead of me! Mine was a medicated cycle though. Was this your first iui?

Fingers crossed we both get a :bfp:

:dust: :dust: :dust:


----------



## whatwillbex

Hiya, hope you dont mind, I was reading your post. Just wanted to wish you all the luck. I know what its like ive been there. Just read my posts lol I hope you all get your BFP!!


----------



## BlueBird2372

Pink Lolly said:


> Hi bluebird :wave:
> 
> I had my second diui on 23rd march and my OTD is 5th April so you are just a little ahead of me! Mine was a medicated cycle though. Was this your first iui?
> 
> Fingers crossed we both get a :bfp:
> 
> :dust: :dust: :dust:

Hi Lolly, it was my second IUI - natural cycle... My best wishes to you too!!!


----------



## 3rdluckyhopex

whatwillbex said:


> Hiya, hope you dont mind, I was reading your post. Just wanted to wish you all the luck. I know what its like ive been there. Just read my posts lol I hope you all get your BFP!!

Hello, hope you don't mind me jumping in on this thread.

I am on my third natural IUI with donor sperm and the last two times were unsucessful. The last two I went in on the same day of my LH surge as advised by the nurse, but I now wondering if this is too early and if this time I should go in on the day after?

Can I ask when did you test in the morning or afternoon?


----------



## whatwillbex

Hiya,

Wwell I was told to do this with the first wee of the day, but realised this cant be right. I did a bit off research and it said the best time to test was after 10am. I did this I tried not to have any fluids about an hour before hand so the wee wasnt diluted.
Once I started testing after this my OPK were working great where as before I couldnt understand why the line wasnt appearing as clear and confused me.
Once I had a pink line which was pretty dark (similar to the control line)
I called and had treatment the next day in the afternoon. I was told not to call until the test line was exactly the same to the control line. Sorry I do go on! :haha: hope this helps??


----------



## Pink Lolly

Whatwillbe - did you use donor sperm too? xx


----------



## BlueBird2372

3rdluckyhopex said:


> whatwillbex said:
> 
> 
> Hiya, hope you dont mind, I was reading your post. Just wanted to wish you all the luck. I know what its like ive been there. Just read my posts lol I hope you all get your BFP!!
> 
> Hello, hope you don't mind me jumping in on this thread.
> 
> I am on my third natural IUI with donor sperm and the last two times were unsucessful. The last two I went in on the same day of my LH surge as advised by the nurse, but I now wondering if this is too early and if this time I should go in on the day after?
> 
> Can I ask when did you test in the morning or afternoon?Click to expand...

I am using ClearBlue fertility monitor and it says to test first thing in the morning... what it means however when FM shows peak fertility (LH surge) CB digital test shows nothing until later (sometimes at night) that day!!
Based on Basal Body Temperature charting however, it looks like CB FM can detect LH surge a bit early - as last time my ovulation didn't happen until 2 days after - meaning that I had my IUI a day before ovulation and not on the day ovulation as I was supposed too! :-(
Btw my clinic advises to do IUI next day (afternoon) after the morning LH surge is detected - to align IUI with ovulation. The defrosted washed sperm do not last for too long unfortunately. Clinic says it does last 24 hours but based on my research it could be as little as 6 hours in fact... :-(


----------



## BlueBird2372

whatwillbex said:


> Hiya,
> 
> Wwell I was told to do this with the first wee of the day, but realised this cant be right. I did a bit off research and it said the best time to test was after 10am. I did this I tried not to have any fluids about an hour before hand so the wee wasnt diluted.
> Once I started testing after this my OPK were working great where as before I couldnt understand why the line wasnt appearing as clear and confused me.
> Once I had a pink line which was pretty dark (similar to the control line)
> I called and had treatment the next day in the afternoon. I was told not to call until the test line was exactly the same to the control line. Sorry I do go on! :haha: hope this helps??

wow!! congratulations!!! well done on getting it right from the first try!!


----------



## 3rdluckyhopex

Hello everyone,

Thank you all for your help, using clearBlue digital ovulation tests I detected my LH surge on Saturday morning and had to go in on the same day at 1:30pm, as they are closed on Sundays.

Late afternoon on Saturday I had some sharp pains on my right side, so I am hoping this was my egg being released and it was all timed ok. Will have to wait and see, now the dreaded two week wait.

Hope everything goes well for you all x


----------



## whatwillbex

Hiya, I did.


----------



## Pink Lolly

whatwillbex said:


> Hiya, I did.

That's fab and gives me so much hope!x


----------

