IUI/IVF Aug/Sept/Oct/November

[Springy]

Well ladies I am very frustrated .... Back to the clinic this am for blood and ultrasound and the large follicles didn't grow much, one went from 1.5 to 1.6 so now I have 2 at 1.6, one at 1.5 and one at 1.4 and then lots that are smaller for a total of 9!! If the small ones get bigger I am at risk of having the cycle cancelled.

Anyone have this before?? I'm now down at dosing only 37.5IU Gonal F tonight and then back for more blood and u/s at 8am. Nothing like 8am visits all weekend on a long weekend for me and my hubby!

Don't be discouraged ... From Friday to Sunday my follicles only averaged a 1mm per day. Sometimes it takes them a little longer to gain some gusto. Also, follicles that are 15mm or bigger can contain a mature egg. This was proven at my egg retrieval. I only had about 7 follicles over 18mm, but they retrieved 18!!!! Chin up!!! That Gonal F will help them along .... I promise that.

Thanks Mandy! I am more worried about the small ones catching up and then them telling me that I have TOO many to do the IUI. They will only do it with under 6 follicles so 3 of these bad boys better stay small and not contain an egg! I'm happy with the several I do have that will be large enough for IUI. I just need them to get SLIGHTLY bigger so that they can trigger tomorrow.

 

[PCOSMomToTwo]

I can tell you this with my experience ... I actually had follies shrink ... I remember about 3 months ago I had 4 follicles all around 14mm on CD10. My CD12 ultrasound came and I only had 1 follicle 18mm and the rest were smaller than 10mm ... they actually SHRUNK! Keep positive, our bodies are so complicated ... it's impossible to predict what can happen.

 

[JanetPlanet]

So excuse my ignorance. I'm trying to get up to speed on these things. Usually I'm a researchaholic. But I'm trying not to do that right now because I find that the more the read, the less I feel I know. It seems that every doctor has a different protocol and opinion on everything. It's hard to know who to trust.

So, why can't you have an IUI if you have more than 6 follicles? Is it because of the risk of multiples?

 

[Springy]

Hi all!
I am using Femara/Letrozole with a step-up protocol and Follistim and maybe a trigger (they haven't mentioned it) this month.

I am having my first IUI this month. I am not squeamish when it comes to pain, needles etc don't bother me. And I feel like a baby for asking...but do IUI's hurt? I think I'm just scared because my July D&C was hideously painful.

I pay out of pocket for everything. My husband picked up the meds the other day and it was $600. I knew it was going to be expensive, and I warned him, but it still freaked him out! lol poor guy.

Great luck to everyone!

Janet - I am the BIGGEST baby when it comes to needles and I have had NO issue with the needles and self injecting this month.

The one thing that I can tell you is to make sure you let the alcohol dry as boy does it sting if you inject to soon! I have also found that I can't feel it at all if you really make sure to use a 90 degree angle when injecting!

And I too know all about Out Of Pocket expenses! My Gonal F pen this month was $972 and I may need more tomorrow and my trigger shot is $85 so I'm up over 1K for ONE month of treatment!

And - like the others have said the IUI itself is just like a pap smear. Maybe some more cramping than a pap but the procedure itself is not painful.

 

[Springy]

I can tell you this with my experience ... I actually had follies shrink ... I remember about 3 months ago I had 4 follicles all around 14mm on CD10. My CD12 ultrasound came and I only had 1 follicle 18mm and the rest were smaller than 10mm ... they actually SHRUNK! Keep positive, our bodies are so complicated ... it's impossible to predict what can happen.

NEVER thought I would be praying for shrinkage hehe

 

[Springy]

So excuse my ignorance. I'm trying to get up to speed on these things. Usually I'm a researchaholic. But I'm trying not to do that right now because I find that the more the read, the less I feel I know. It seems that every doctor has a different protocol and opinion on everything. It's hard to know who to trust.

So, why can't you have an IUI if you have more than 6 follicles? Is it because of the risk of multiples?

Yep - risk of multiples so most places will not do an IUI with > 6 follicles. They told me everyday this week that they are generally looking for 3 to 5 good sized follicles to do the IUI.

 

[JanetPlanet]

Thanks for the advice Springy. I will follow those instructions for my shots!

I'm still confused about the >6 follicle thing. Isn't it extremely unlikely that all of these mature follicles will pop eggs AND be fertilised?

I'm ancient and am running against the clock so I don't care if I have 75 mature follicles, they better do the IUI!! Wow, that sounded a lot more aggressive than I intended. lol Sorry.

I would LOVE to have multiples. As long as it didn't cause any problems for the babies. Although...I remember how exhausted and crazy I felt with just one baby.......hmmmm I still feel exhausted and crazy and he's in college!

 

[SquirrelGirl]

just remember if you're doing a trigger shot, like Ovidrel, you will get positive HPTs for several days after the IUI. Go ahead and pee on whatever you want rofl just be aware that you can get false positives unless you wait long enough!!

 

[PCOSMomToTwo]

I went in for my CD10 scan and had 30 follicles!!!! Trust me, it is NOT safe for you or the babies to continue with IUI if you have more than 7 follicles.

If you are using a trigger shot, the likelihood of all follicles to pop is almost 95%! If your husband has good sperm count, the odds of more than multiple follicles fertilizing is still just as possible as only 1 maturing .... since science says the sperm just bump into the egg.

My doctor asked me since I had so many follicles ... "what would you do if you went for your 6 week ultrasound and saw 8 little heartbeats?". Since selective reduction was NOT an option, I decided IUI was not the right answer at this time.

Although the success rates of IUI are not real high, science is unpredictable. There was a show recently on TLC where the gal had 5 babies ... FROM IUI!

 

[JanetPlanet]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the trigger shot. How am I going to remember everything?

 

[JanetPlanet]

Although the success rates of IUI are not real high

But it's higher than natural right?

 

[readyformore]

I would LOVE to have multiples. As long as it didn't cause any problems for the babies.

Unfortunately, all multiple pregnancies pose risks to the fetuses. Even twin pregnancies.
The odds just get worse the more babies you carry.

 

[readyformore]

Anyone doing femara, or has tried femara?

I usually ov cd 16+. Doc told me ov would be later with femara, but I had ov pain and ewcm on cd8! I'm thinking I ov on cd9, which would be crazy for me.

 

[JanetPlanet]

I'm on Femara with a step-up protocol, but I'm only on CD4 and have only taken it twice. Sorry, that's not very helpful.

 

[PCOSMomToTwo]

Although the success rates of IUI are not real high

But it's higher than natural right?

They say 26% ... I think its higher than natural

 

[Springy]

I agree that my risk for multiples increases and we recognize this and are ok with the risk. And I do believe that my chances to have all 6 fertilize & implant are slim as it has now been 22 months and we have yet to have one fertilize and implant .... and hubby has good sperm counts (recall April 321 million with 99% motility and 123 million with 99% motility) so there is a GOOD chance we could end up with multiples! At this point I actually want twins. Instant family for us and we would be done and I would never have to deal with this TTC insanity again!!

 

[PCOSMomToTwo]

YA me too, twins or even triplets are ok. Although, 1 baby is extremely hard work! But, I would not be able to do 5, 6 or 7 babies.

 

[JanetPlanet]

PCOS, sorry for my dumb questions. You had your IVF done right? Does that mean that the eggs were retrieved, fertilized and then put back in? What's the next step?

 

[readyformore]

I remember my IVF consult with my RE for my first son.

We had declined injectable IUI due to possibility of high order multiples and she knew that.
So, she asked if we would consider selective reduction if needed with IVF.
I asked her why I would need to consider it if I'm only transferring 2 (maybe 3) back.
She said "Well, if we transfer 3 and all 3 split you could end up with 6 embryos."

I'm not sure how I kept myself from laughing in her face, lol.

I couldn't get pregnant with 1 baby and now she's imagining that all of the embryos will stick and split!
I found that a tad unlikely, lol!

 

[PCOSMomToTwo]

My eggs are still harvesting

Transfer isn't till next month