IUI Buddies

[Arohanui]

Hello, can I join you?

A wee bit of background - DH and I have been TTC for 4 years on January 13th. I got my first BFP in May this year (6th round of clomid) but found out at my 12week scan that my baby had died at 7+4 - we were/still are devastated, and now we're getting close to what would have been our due date (also 13th of January) things are feeling very raw.

A couple of months after my MC I finally got my referral to the Assisted Conception unit and after discussing all options and my history TTC, and all of the tests and procedures we've already had, we were put on the wait list for IUI and prescribed Letrozole to take in the meantime. At the time we were told IUI would be June 2016 at the earliest, but on Christmas Eve I got a phone call from the clinic to say my appointment has been moved forward to end of January.

I have no idea what to expect at the first appointment as it will fall around the middle of my next cycle, I'm assuming it will just be a consultation? Has anyone here had IUI on the NHS and can you shed any light on what might happen at this first appointment and what length of time you had to wait to start treatment? I don't want to get my hopes up if there will still be a few months to wait between this appointment and actually having the IUI.

I'm sorry to read of you that have had AF's arrive recently.

I wish those in the TWW lots of luck! Hopefully I can join you in the IUI TWW very soon!

 

[amanda1235]

Welcome arohanui! I can't tell you exactly what will happen, as I went through IVF first, and am in Canada, but I do believe the first thing they will do is a ton of tests. Blood tests to check hormone levels, possibly a histosonogram to check your tubes and uterine cavity, as well as a vaginal ultrasound to check your follicle count. I imagine hubby will also need to do a semen analysis. And then once all those results are back, the dr will decide how to proceed with your IUI the following cycle (medicated or not). I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, I can't even imagine how devastating that would be. Hopefully IUI is all you need!
Again, may be wrong with what to expect at your clinic, but that's what I went through at mine.

 

[ILoveme29]

Thank you ladies I really appreciate your kind words. me and DH decided we would try one more iui since its free for us, then if no success we will just move to IVF. My due date is reaching I was hoping to be at least pregnant again before then.

 

[Hope16]

I'm 5dpo today. Don't really feel much of anything. I know it's early but I think I would feel a little something ya know?!

Where is everyone else at in their cycles??

@iloveme ...when will you be starting your injections again??

 

[ILoveme29]

I will be starting femara on Wednesday and go for a scan in the morning and blood for my baseline. this will be round 4 after MC ughh

 

[ILoveme29]

@Aro im terribly sorry for your loss. I am though confused at how your clinic is going about your cycle. you can not time an iui like that. you are suppose to be monitored to determine when exactly it will be done. just a break down for you of the process
1. baseline ultrasound, HSG to see if your tubes are blocked, blood work checking hormones, bloodwork for DH and semen analysis
2. discuss with your doctor when you will be taking your meds, come in for scan at least every two days to check size of follicles and estrogen levels.
3. take Ovidrel ( or other hcg shot) when follicle grow to a certain mature size, to make sure follicle drop
4. schedule iui

ive never heard of anyone waiting months for this procedure especially if all of your results come back okay. Good luck to you

 

[KatieSweet]

Katie, I have NO clue about numbers, as my hubby has azoospermia, so anything looks better than that! I'm sure if you looked and it seems good then it probably is! Any idea how many follies you had? Good luck and fx for ya!

Thank you Amanda!
I think the numbers are slightly better than "normal" so I'm super relieved. I don't think I mentioned it anywhere in all the time I've been on this forum, but DH had testicular cancer about 10 years ago and had to have one removed. So he's quite proud to see his one remaining one is performing as two should!
No idea how many follies I ended up having. They didn't do any more scans since Thursday. Clinic predicted at least 2 would be mature, perhaps a 3rd.
I feel both sides of my lower abdomen so hopefully that means at least 2 popped!

Has anyone here had IUI on the NHS and can you shed any light on what might happen at this first appointment and what length of time you had to wait to start treatment? I don't want to get my hopes up if there will still be a few months to wait between this appointment and actually having the IUI.

Welcome!
I wish I could give you more information, but I'm not in the UK and my trajectory has been different anyway because I was diagnosed with endometriosis this summer/fall. I went to my clinic because of fertility problems, and had to have my blood tested several times at different moments in my cycle, DH's sperm tested and I also had a gynecological exam. Everything turned out OK except my gyn suspected endo and so I had laparoscopic surgery to confirm the diagnosis. Because my tubes were revealed to be open, IUI was the recommended next step, and here we are. My IUI (follicle growth) was monitored by way of multiple ultrasounds starting from CD3.

So starting an IUI cycle mid-cycle doesn't seem right to me. Perhaps they'll do an intake and also get tests going?

I'm 5dpo today. Don't really feel much of anything. I know it's early but I think I would feel a little something ya know?!
Where is everyone else at in their cycles??

The TWW is so hard! I'm only 1DPIUI today and I'm already going insane.
It's different for anyone of course, but when I was first pregnant in 2014 (ended in MC) it wasn't until 9 or 10DPO that I started noticing some subtle differences! Mostly a lack of AF symptoms, frequent urination, lower back pain and spotting!

AFM - still pretty crampy today after my IUI, also feeling very heavy and full in my lower abdomen!

 

[Arohanui]

@Aro im terribly sorry for your loss. I am though confused at how your clinic is going about your cycle. you can not time an iui like that. you are suppose to be monitored to determine when exactly it will be done. just a break down for you of the process
1. baseline ultrasound, HSG to see if your tubes are blocked, blood work checking hormones, bloodwork for DH and semen analysis
2. discuss with your doctor when you will be taking your meds, come in for scan at least every two days to check size of follicles and estrogen levels.
3. take Ovidrel ( or other hcg shot) when follicle grow to a certain mature size, to make sure follicle drop
4. schedule iui

ive never heard of anyone waiting months for this procedure especially if all of your results come back okay. Good luck to you

Thanks for your reply - I am also confused by the timing of this appointment!

We've already been through our local NHS fertility clinic via our GP for all of the usual tests (CD3, CD5 and CD21 blood tests, semen analysis, internal scans to check follicle growth and Hysterosalpingogram). We were only referred to the Assisted Conception unit once these tests were completed and we'd tried 6 rounds of clomid.

At our referral appointment at the ACU in September they went through all the results of all of our tests from the last couple of years, prescribed me Letrozole and put me on the wait list for IUI and IVF after checking my ovaries and follicles again. As our treatment is funded through our National Health Service there is usually a long wait list for both and we are required to try 3 rounds of IUI before we can progress to IVF which will be sometime in late 2017 based on current waiting times.

Because I've already had all these tests, and the results are all good (except that I don't O without medication) I don't really understand why I'm going in to see them again mid-cycle, unless it's just to have a consultation to find out what I need to do/what they will do when my next cycle starts? I don't know! Oh well, just 28 days to wait to find out!

 

[amanda1235]

Glad things are moving for you arohanui!! Looks like we might be timed fairly close to each other! Also looking at my next IUI near the end of January.

 

[ILoveme29]

@aroh Im happy they moved you rappointment up, atleast you can get your answers sooner than later, please keep us updated.

AFM CD5 scan and my prayers worked, my cyst is gone. I feel so much better I felt there was no progress but I guess it takes patients. I will be starting my Femara 5mg tonight and most likely iui next week/end.

 

[Hope16]

CD7 for me...still not feeling much of anything. My bbs feel fuller but that's most likely the progesterone. I slightly have a scratchy throat feeling first thing in the morning, but it is December and could just be from heat in the house. I'm bloated but since I've started fertility treatment, I'm always bloated. I am extra cranky too but that could be PMS?! I'm at a loss for being hopeful.

 

[ILoveme29]

@Hope your CD 7 or days after O?

 

[KatieSweet]

@ILove - glad your cyst went away! Whew

3DPIUI for me. Still really bloaty and crampy. Despite the extra physical discomfort here and there I'm feeling good!

 

[KatieSweet]

CD7 for me...still not feeling much of anything. My bbs feel fuller but that's most likely the progesterone. I slightly have a scratchy throat feeling first thing in the morning, but it is December and could just be from heat in the house. I'm bloated but since I've started fertility treatment, I'm always bloated. I am extra cranky too but that could be PMS?! I'm at a loss for being hopeful.

7DPO? Hang in there! I have my FX for you!
Same here with the bloating!

 

[Hope16]

sorry I meant 7dpo! lol

 

[coopecla]

I am 1dpiui, our first round. We have been TTC about 14 months. DH had a poor SA with 4% morphology but good counts and motility. Clomid 50 mg days 3-7. US on day 12 showed 3 follicles... one mature on left at 18.5 mm and two immature on the right. Ovidrel on day 13 with IUI 36 hours later. Good counts of 12.5 million for DH post wash, unknown motility. I had left sided discomfort for about day after trigger and day of IUI for about 3 hours after - hoping ovulation pain. We did BD the night of IUI to be safe. I'm really positive and feeling good about this round!! I am testing out my trigger... So hoping for a BFP soooooon!! TWW will be torture haha

 

[KatieSweet]

I am 1dpiui, our first round. We have been TTC about 14 months. DH had a poor SA with 4% morphology but good counts and motility. Clomid 50 mg days 3-7. US on day 12 showed 3 follicles... one mature on left at 18.5 mm and two immature on the right. Ovidrel on day 13 with IUI 36 hours later. Good counts of 12.5 million for DH post wash, unknown motility. I had left sided discomfort for about day after trigger and day of IUI for about 3 hours after - hoping ovulation pain. We did BD the night of IUI to be safe. I'm really positive and feeling good about this round!! I am testing out my trigger... So hoping for a BFP soooooon!! TWW will be torture haha

Hello and welcome to the thread (and BnB in general! This is a wonderful and supportive forum!). Yay for staying positive! Keeping my FX for you this cycle!!

AFM - 8DPIUI today. Just went in for a blood draw (supposed to be 7DPIUI but Sundays...) to see if ovulation went well. Other than that, the TWW is a whole lot of waiting, waiting, still waiting. Think I'll test Thursday if AF is still out then.
Symptoms: feeling legit nauseated today and also got car sick yesterday which never happens, although granted I was a bit tense at that time as well. I'm hoping these are good signs, but I'm staying ever the realist. With IUI there are just so many new symptoms and feelings. For all I know it's all normal / due to meds. We'll see!

 

[amanda1235]

Welcome coopecla!

So just called the clinic, they were closed the last 3 weeks, and got the go ahead for our IUI #2. Just waiting for AF to show, so we can get this show on the road. CD17 today, so should be early next week. I'm trying to be positive, but it's incredibly hard. I keep looking for things I should be doing to increase my chances. Do any of you still drink coffee during the process? What about a glass of wine once in awhile before the actual IUI, during stims?

 

[KatieSweet]

@Amanda - so good that you got the go ahead! That's awesome!
I'm still having coffee before and after IUI, just limiting my intake (two mugs of half-caffeinated daily). I neeeeeed coffee to function!
As for wine, I did have an occasional glass before IUI while on meds. It took a lot of stress away and that counts for something!

 

[amanda1235]

Thanks! My first couple cycles, I cut out everything! That combined with all the hormones and I was an awful mess. This last time I drank my one cup a day, and had a glass of wine a couple times before the IUI. It definitely helps with the stress!!