I think with the age you have and that you have unexplained infertility, it might be worth a try to go through 2 more IUIs. You should have a decent chance at getting a BFP with IUI. Just because it didn't work this time doesn't mean it'll never work. I think they say if it doesn't work in the first 3 tries to go on to IVF. That's what I'd do, especially at your age.
I have no choice myself since I'm referred. We're in the unexplained category as well although I'm a bit older than you (I'm 35 going on 36 in May) and my clinic suggests that if the first 3 IUIs don't work to go on to IVF. I'm currently doing IUI #2. Although since the state is paying we'll have to be referred to a hospital for IVF after a 3rd failed attempt as it's cheaper for the state and the waiting list is 4-5 months. The clinic will be putting us through 3 more IUIs in the meantime if we get that far.
Hopefully we won't need to.
My advice is to just not expect anything each time, don't expect to see a BFP. It helps with the pain of seeing AF. I just assume each and every cycle/IUI it won't work and just live my life as normal so I don't get my hopes up only to have them come crashing down if AF shows up. It helps you to keep going.
Unfortunately After doing a lot of research and talking to several women with unexplained infertility . I come to the conclusion that IUI mostly don't work for unexplained infertility and women wished they had not waste their time doing IUI and went straight to IVF. Although I do agree because of my age I have all the chances on my side but I believe those chances will be grater with IVF and not IUI... Sadly, unexplained infertility is still unexplained fertility at 25 or at 35.
I have also spoken to my acupuncturist who thinks I should do what I believe in.... I didn't believe IUI was going to work to be honest but it was still hard to see AF!
I'm just a bit confused! It's a roller coaster!
Yes but unexplained infertility at age 25 still gives better chances of success with an IUI than if you're 35 and have unexplained infertility and doing IUI. I know of course that this is just a general rule. I haven't done much research myself but can only go by what my RE told me (since she has a lot of experience in helping infertile couples) and she felt we had good chances of success with medicated IUI (I'm on Puregon) since my hormones are normal (for my age) and both tubes are wide open (plus DH's SA showed he's in the normal range, albeit on the lower side). But as said, we'll be referred to IVF if the next 2 IUIs don't work.
Which reminds me, was your IUI medicated by the way?
But if you'd prefer to do IVF and drop any more IUIs then do it
I was just giving my 2 cents on what I'd do at your age
Hope you soon get that BFP
Thank you so much!
I really hope it's going to work for you!
It was a medicated IUI. I was on femara 2.5 and gonal F. And pregnyl on day 10. It worked amazingly. I had 8 follicles , 5 mature ones! My lining was 7mm on day 10. My gyno was extremely pleased. He warned us about multiple pregnancy but we did not mind. Better two than none to be honest!
Although I adore my gyno, he's great to me. I can't help of feeling that sometimes maybe IUI Is a great money maker. It's expensive for very little work to do for him!
Thanks
Ok I've heard that injectables give a higher success rate than Clomid/Femara so if you
do decide to give IUI another go, I'd go with injectables.
I'm amazed that they went through with the IUI with 5 mature follicles
My clinic has a limit of 3 although some have a limit of 4. Don't know if I'd say IUI is a money maker though as it
does work for many women, even if they do have to have a few more tries than just the 1st one. Remember the IUI just increases your chances so you're just on the same playing field as normal, fertile couples that achieve pregnancy within 1 year or so. It doesn't increase your chances much more than that though. For that you'd need IVF.
Gonal f are injectables!
I just feel I'm ready for IVF... I cant explain it. I was not before. I talked to about 10 women that were in my situation. All 3 IUIs failed and they felt like they wasted their time. IUI only worked for one the 6th time. All the others got pregnant first time with IVF (except for 1 , it worked the second time but she was over 40) sadly 2 did not stick.
We were warned about the follicules and the possibility of multiples but we went for it anyway and well look at us! We are still childless!
I understand you're very positive about IUI and I really hope it will work for you! I would rather keep my money for IVF. IUI is much cheaper but it adds up! Between medicines, washing up the sperms etc...
Yes I know, just that if you were going to try another IUI you should try it with injectables again
I don't think I'd personally go so far as to say IUI is a waste of time as many women do get pregnant from it. But it only increases your chances to be on the same level as women who get pregnant within the first few months of trying naturally. When you've been trying for a longer time than 1 year, your chances have fallen a lot. Let's take me as an example. I'm 35 so my chances have fallen from about 12% each month to now 6% if we kept on trying naturally. With IUI, our chances increase from the 6% to around 14-16%.
Of course those it doesn't work for are going to be the loudest advocates and say it's a waste of time. I don't think 10 women is enough of a test group to base anything on. You'd need a much larger group of a few hundred or even thousand women going through IUI to be able to really tell and would need to include a representative group of both people who's IUIs failed plus those where it worked.
As to having more follies, yes it should increase your chances of it working slightly but there are no garantees. I've read about women having 4 follies and getting a BFN then next time having 1-2 follies and getting their BFP. So there's luck mixed into it. Same as it is for couples of normal fertility. Some are lucky to get pregnant the 1st time, others need longer. So maybe we should bypass trying naturally also since the chances aren't much better than for an IUI?
I'm luckily in the situation that the state is paying for everything except the hormones so it's only costing us in that area. But I would still give IUI a try if my RE felt we stood a good chance of it working and we did have the option of going straight to IVF if we could choose which we don't as the state hopes IUI works since it's cheaper for them (of course if the RE said we needed IVF from the get go, the state would just go along with her assessment). Partly because it's less invasive and emotionally challenging than IVF (although we'll certainly do it if the IUIs don't work) but also because it's my last chance for conceiving in my own body instead of the egg fertilizing in a petri dish and then being put in my uterus some days later. Not that there's anything wrong with that but I'd like to try IUI first and see if my body can do it's own thing, albeit with help from the extra FSH hormones. Even if my IUIs fail, at least I gave it a try and will know we really do need IVF.
But I guess we can just agree to disagree
It sounds like you've made up your mind and I truely wish you luck and hope your IVF works
UPDATE: I talked with a nurse from the clinic and she says it's pretty rare for the IUI to work the 1st time and much more common for it to work the 2nd or 3rd time. Then there are the occasional times where it works between the 4th and 6th time. So just because it didn't work this time, doesn't mean it won't work the next time.
Just wanted to let you know what an experienced nurse in the fertility area had to say. But this is probably irrelevant as I think you've made up your mind, perhaps already before asking for advice on this thread. So I will just say good luck and hope you get your BFP soon!
