IUI questions

[haleiwamama]

Hi ladies, I'm considering doing IUI this month but need some opinions..
This month we did timed intercourse, I was on 100mg of Clomid and took 5000 units of HCG.. we BD'd a lot when it was time but it still didn't work...DH sperm analysis was 31 million but 41% motility and only 4% morphology.

- does this mean that only 508,400 spermies are actually usable (31,000,000 x 41% x 4% = 508,400)?

- my doctor says that our chances are less than 1% of conceiving on our own, not impossible, but very slim... we've been ttc for 1 year and I can see it's a challenge... IUI increases the odds to 8-20%... but how much does the sperm count affect the odds? Should we just skip it to IVF?

- I read online that gonadotropin can increase sperm count, any one knows anything about this? How much does it does? Does it work? How effective is it?

 

[beaglemom]

I am on IUI #2...from what I understand, IUI is a good start. And my husband's numbers were LOW. We just got SA from last IUI & they had quadrupled! So we are pretty excited. I have decided after 3 unmonitored IUIs, I will probably move to monitored with more drugs before considering IUI. But you also have to factor the cost in & decide what you are comfortable with. I am not comfortable with the cost of IVF vs the successes. I would rather take more shots with IUI. But we are prepared for IVF if needed.

 

[haleiwamama]

I am on IUI #2...from what I understand, IUI is a good start. And my husband's numbers were LOW. We just got SA from last IUI & they had quadrupled! So we are pretty excited. I have decided after 3 unmonitored IUIs, I will probably move to monitored with more drugs before considering IUI. But you also have to factor the cost in & decide what you are comfortable with. I am not comfortable with the cost of IVF vs the successes. I would rather take more shots with IUI. But we are prepared for IVF if needed.

Hi Beaglemom!! Thanks for the feedback! How do you do an unmonitored IUI? Does the doctor still perform the insemination or do you guys do it at home?

What does your DH take? How did you guys get the numbers to quadruple?? That's awesome!

To make it worse, turns out I also have polycystic ovaries, I'm borderline PCOS minus the syndrome part because my hormone levels are actually OK and I do ovulate, just not very strongly...

 

[beaglemom]

I hear femera does very well for PCOS patients.

He has been taking fertility blend from gnc...along with a lot of other supplements like iron, omega 3, b vitamin, magnesium. So his count last month for IUI #1 was 12 million, 1 million post wash. Same count as his previous SA. This last time it was 44 million, post wash 4 million. Still not fantastic, but technically it takes us out of the LOW category. It takes 3 months for any life style changes to be seen in the sperm...& this lines up with his orginal SA & when he started taking the fertility blend. My dr & nurse were so excited. Pluse I was still having opk doubt, but the morning of had a lot of cm...even my dr found some when she was doing the procedure. So I feel good. I think I O'd yesterday, so we backed it up with BD last night. I also don't feel like BD is a waste this cycle because his counts are better. Before it just felt like a waste of time because I had so much doubt any of them were reaching the egg.

 

[beaglemom]

Oh, i forgot to answer your other question...

Unmonitored just means no ultrasound, no blood work, & no trigger. The dr still does the actual procedure. I am using clomid 50 mg & call the dr when I have a pos opk...then go in the next day.

Because of my opk doubt, my dr is having me come in Mon (CD 21) for blood work to check progesterone...which is also exciting.

 

[haleiwamama]

Thank you for the reply. That's awesome for you and your hubby! It gives me hope that things will get better for us too...

I've been doing monitored cycles but no IUI, it helps a lot to know exactly where I am with my lining, with follie size etc.. My DH is not into the IUI that all :/ so we just keep doing monitored timed intercourse...

Good luck to you!