Questions from a IUI newbie

[Janegirl]

On CD1 of our first IUI cycle and I have some questions that I hope you more experienced ladies will take the time to answer:

1) I have normal cycles with ovulation around CD17. Now I'm supposed to take Clomid/Clomifen on day 3-7 and the doctor wants to scan for ovulation already on day 11. In your expeirence, will Clomid mean that I'll ovulate sooner than normal?

2) When there is a suitable egg I'm supposed to get an HcG trigger injection. My normal luteal phase is always 12 days - can I expect that to stay the same when ovulation is controlled by the trigger shot?

3) I have been temping BBT for a while - can I still do that with the hormonal treatment, or will it mess with my temps?

Thank you ladies!

 

[TTC First]

On CD1 of our first IUI cycle and I have some questions that I hope you more experienced ladies will take the time to answer:

1) I have normal cycles with ovulation around CD17. Now I'm supposed to take Clomid/Clomifen on day 3-7 and the doctor wants to scan for ovulation already on day 11. In your expeirence, will Clomid mean that I'll ovulate sooner than normal?

2) When there is a suitable egg I'm supposed to get an HcG trigger injection. My normal luteal phase is always 12 days - can I expect that to stay the same when ovulation is controlled by the trigger shot?

3) I have been temping BBT for a while - can I still do that with the hormonal treatment, or will it mess with my temps?

Thank you ladies!

1) Often doctors will monitor your ovulation really early in your cycle to see how quick you are progressing and make sure you do not hyper stimulate (not likely on clomid). Every time I took medication the doctor did not wait for my natural ovulation so I can't say that I ovulated sooner or later because it was controlled. They will watch your follicle size and determine from there when you should ovulate.

2) I don't think that there is any way for anyone to know if they will trigger for day 12. When you go for your follicle check they will be able to tell you the size of your follicle and you can judge from there when you could be triggered.

3) You can definitely still BBT while on meds. It's interesting to confirm your temps vs when the doctor says that you will O. Just don't pay too close attention to the after O temps because they really don't mean much. If you are on progesterone, your temps may stay up whether you get a BFP or not. If you are not on progesterone then just pay attention to temps around 14 DPO and if those are high then that's good.

 

[Janegirl]

Thank you for sharing your experience, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

/jane

 

[lisap2008]

1) I have normal cycles with ovulation around CD17. Now I'm supposed to take Clomid/Clomifen on day 3-7 and the doctor wants to scan for ovulation already on day 11. In your expeirence, will Clomid mean that I'll ovulate sooner than normal?
If your body has responded well to clomid you should ovulate approximately a week after your last pill for me its always exactly 7 days later. But if your getting a HCG trigger then no need to worry about when your LH surge will come because the trigger will make you ovulate.

2) When there is a suitable egg I'm supposed to get an HcG trigger injection. My normal luteal phase is always 12 days - can I expect that to stay the same when ovulation is controlled by the trigger shot? It may be a longer LP, HCG shot raises progesterone and even though my LP is 14 days normally it can be as long as 16-20 days after HCG trigger or booster

3) I have been temping BBT for a while - can I still do that with the hormonal treatment, or will it mess with my temps?
the HCG trigger can mess with the temps, usually on a trigger cycle temping is not necessary because HCG trigger guarantees you will ovulate in 36 hours. But you can continue to temp if you want to just remember your 2ww temps may not be accurate.

 

[Mrs Pecan]

I'm doing our first IUI with clomid this cycle too! If your doctor is monitoring your follicles with plans to trigger you, they will give you the trigger when the follies are the right size. If left to ovulate on your own, often times people will O slightly later on clomid (although everyone is different). But again, if you're doing a trigger, you don't have to worry about that.

As LisaP said, your progesterone will likely be higher after taking the clomid, so your LP can be extended because of that. And often times the trigger can stay in your system for quite a long time, so it depends on how soon your body metabolizes HCG. Just be sure that if you are using a trigger, don't test too early because it can still show up even at 10 or more dpo in some people.

Everyone's temps tend to react differently, so they may be more erratic or higher than you are used to. But it can still be interesting to compare. If you're being monitored, temping isn't necessary. I'll still be temping this cycle just because I want to see how it compares to a normal cycle.

Wishing you lots of luck & I hope you get your BFP

 

[Julesxo]

I am also doing clomid + IUI this month for the first time. Heading in for my CD9 scan tomorrow.

Best of luck to you! I think we are almost the same day in the cycle!

 

[Janegirl]

Hi Julesxo

Good luck with you scan today! I would love to hear your update as I'm very curious of what you can expect of day 9. I'm not going in for my scan until day 12...

I'm just one day behind you - I'm on CD8 today (sept 3).

/jane

 

[Julesxo]

Hi Jane!

I had my CD9 u/s today and it shows that I have 4 follicles (14mm, 12mm, 11mm, and 10mm). she said that's where she wanted me to be at by now. I think they need to be 17mm to be mature and she said we will likely trigger ovulation on Saturday or Sunday, with IUI Monday or Tuesday (that's her best guess).

I took clomid days 2-6. I have been having some pretty prominent abdominal pain which only started today and my nurse said that's normal from clomid. How have you been feeling? You're taking clomid too right?

This is my first experience with any of this and it's definitely confusing to say the least. I can't believe how people accidently get pregnant with all the things that have to work and be timed so so perfectly!!

How are you feeling and when do you go in for your scan?

Julia

 

[Julesxo]

wooops just saw you go in on day 12! Not long now, however each day seems like FOREVER amirite?

 

[Julesxo]

Mrs Pecan, what day of your cycle are you on? Have you had your IUI yet??

 

[Janegirl]

Hey Jules!

How did the weekend go - did you get your trigger shot and are heading for IUI today or tomorrow? Exciting!

YES - times go by soooo slow (only time it's even slower is the last week of TWW for me).

I took Clomid CD 3 - 7 and I have to admit, I had more side effects than expected, although nothing seriously bad. Mood swings, nausea, red/tight/tingling skin on face and one big pimple on my chin

Today is my CD12 and I have my scan this afternoon. I'll update with the status... I am just so impatient.



Mrs Pecan - I'd love to hear status from you too!


Do either of you ladies "worry" about when your husband have to make his contribution to the IUI party? I'm concerned that mine will freak out completely! He has absolutely no problems in this regard normally but he is an extremely private person (and we live more than an hour from the Clinic so it has to happen there!).

 

[Mrs Pecan]

Hi ladies! Any updates on how your scans went? Did you end up triggering, Julia?

I'm a bit earlier in my cycle than both of you.. I'm on CD 7 today. Taking my last clomid pill tonight! I had no side effects so far except a slight nagging headache that's come and gone. I'm actually having an HSG this cycle too, so I'm a bit nervous about the timing of that and if it can interfere with our IUI at all (even though my RE said it wouldn't, I have to worry about something!). I'm not going for that until Friday (CD 11 for me), and my RE is expecting that I'll do my IUI around next Tuesday. As of right now, we're doing less monitoring and using OPKs to time the IUI. But if I don't have a +OPK by CD 15, I go in for an ultrasound and possibly trigger. Crossing my fingers everything works out!

As for my husband making his "deposit", thankfully we live about 25 minutes from the office so we can do it at home and drop it off. But we have considered doing it there as well.. I honestly feel like I'm more worried about the whole thing than my husband is! Has your husband done a SA at the clinic before? The only good thing is that all the employees there are so used to this from working around it everyday, they are usually quite sensitive to the insecurities the guys may have. Just in my experience anyway! I've seen on other posts that many guys bring their own "materials" on their phones, as many of them get super grossed out at the idea of other guys using the magazines/videos in the room.

 

[Julesxo]

Hey ladies!

I went in for back to back IUIs yesterday and today! I had three follicles ready to go at 23, 22, and 17mm. Luckily my lining increased from 5.8mm to 8.5mm! I was so pleased about that. My DH's counts were not great however (he is in remission from testicular cancer which is why we are going the IUI route. Yesterday he only had 2.9 million motile sperm post wash (90% motility), and then today was a bit better with 5.6 million motile sperm post was (94% motility). Not really sure what our chances are. Yesterday after the IUI I had a little cry (likely a clomid mood swing lol). I didn't tell my DH about his numbers, I said I didn't see them because I didn't want to put pressure on him for today, and luckily today was better. After today, totally different story, I had a really good feeling and was almost giddy coming out of there. Who knows what will happen but I am thankful to be feeling positive. Now the dreaded TWW begins UGHHHH!.

My DH finds giving the sample super weird at the clinic. He doesn't use any mags they provide as he thinks that's way too gross. He uses his phone or his imagination lol! He hasn't had any issues so far but finds it pretty weird. He has been good enough not to complain; I know he is sensitive to the fact that I'm being poked and prodded every morning haha.

Jane, how was your scan today?? When do they think you'll be doing your IUI?

MrsPecan you're not far behind us at all! So exciting!

 

[Janegirl]

Scan was total anti climax. I had got myself totally worked up to thinking that I would be full of big, beautiful follicles... and dreaming that we would trigger then and there or maybe even do the IUI on the spot and mayyybe it would work so well that they could tell me I was pregnant on right away. Just kidding, but I was dissapointed...

Scan showed only 1 follicle: 13mm on the right side, nothing on the left. Lining was only 4mm. It was my CD12. That's not good, right?
I'm going in again on thursday. Doc was not convinced I'll be ready to trigger then so I'm not sure what will happen exactly.

Thanks for sharing your (husbands') deposit experiences Good tip with taking his own... ahem, inspiration on the phone. I think that will make him feel a bit more relaxed than looking through worn magazines.

Jules, your numbers sound so good! Alright, sperm count could have been better, but with two IUIs back to back it does seem like a really good shot. Fingers crossed for you - when is your test date?

Pecan, I really don't think the HSG will be a problem. At least, here in Denmark is standard to it on cycles with active trying (and our Health system is not known for paying for fertility treatments unless they have optimised the odds). Let us know what the OPK says?

 

[Mrs Pecan]

Julia - Wow your follicles sound perfect! Lining is right where it should be as well. I wouldn't be worried about your DH's numbers, especially because you did back to back IUIs. You have a total of 8.5 million swimmers with excellent motility, so that is plenty! I've seen a lot of people have success with IUI with even less than a million post wash count. As long as the IUI was well timed (which it was in your case), you have an excellent chance! Having the three follicles also increases your chances by a lot as well. I'm so glad you're feeling positive!! My DH has mild male factor as well (a result of a previous injury), so I'm really interested and a bit nervous to find out what his post wash counts are.

Jane - You still have plenty of time for your follicle to grow more and for your lining to build up! Most RE's want to see it get to around 7, with 8 being more ideal. But just from hearing from other ladies progress, it seems to build up at a rate of 1-2mm a day at this point in the cycle. So based on that, should have enough time to build up! Your follicle still has more growing to do, so the lining will continue to grow until ovulation. I think it's a good sign your lining is where it is! I'm sure it's super frustrating to have to wait for another scan to find out when you can trigger. Hopefully everything is perfect on Thursday!! A friend of mine who had issues with her lining on clomid gave me some tips to help our body to build it up.. drink pomegranate juice and do the "legs up the wall" yoga pose, which I guess increases circulation to the area.

Thanks for your thoughts on the HSG! My RE told me there was no reason to not do them both in the same cycle. I just keep having this fear that I am going to ovulate prior to the HSG and then we obviously can't try at all this month. Although that would certainly be odd for me to ovulate prior to CD 11! So I'm most likely worrying for nothing. I don't start OPKs until CD 10, since the clomid causes false positives in some women. I'm just so anxious to find out how many follicles I have. But if I ovulate on time, I won't find out until the actual IUI, so not until early next week!

 

[Julesxo]

Jane, do not worry about your numbers. I have heard that clomid sometimes extends a woman's natural cycle and if you normally are ready to ovulate on CD14, sometimes you won't until CD 19 or 20. Follicles are supposed to grow 1-2mm per day, but some of mine grew 2.5mm and 3mm per day, so know that they can increase very quickly! And you won't trigger/ovulate before it's ready!

As for your lining, I was discouraged about mine (at 5.8mm on CD 12) and my friend who is gearing up for her first IVF gave me a stellar tip; she told me to slather castor oil all over my lower abdomen, cover with a thin towel or dishcloth, and then put a hot water bottle on top for 20 minutes before bed. It is supposed to increase blood flow to your uterus to promote lining growth. I did that and my lining went from 5.8mm to 8.5mm in 2 days! I was floored! it cannot hurt to try that! Let me know how it turns out.

MrsPecan, is your RE going to monitor you with ultrasounds and bloodwork? If so then they will be able to catch a natural LH surge if it was to happen before the HSG shot and then they could administer it right away so that all of your mature eggs release I think. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I wondered the same thing but was re-assured by my RE that I shouldn't worry. I actually went in to my first IUI with a list of 10 or 11 questions for them. Questions kept popping into my head the last several days and I just wrote them all down so I would remember what to ask them. I even asked if I could go swimming after the IUI haha. Answer is YES They must think I'm insane lol.

 

[Julesxo]

LOL I just realized MrsPecan and I gave you three really odd tips for helping your lining. I can see it now: you'll be upside down against a wall with a hot water bottle strapped to your tummy which is slathered in oil while drinking pomegranate juice. Your DH is going to think you're nuts

 

[Janegirl]

ha ha Nice tips ladies! I'll try anything - and my husband already knows I'm crazy. I'll be trying all three things tonight, can't hurt right?
Last time I got pregnant, in the BFP cycle I was using the Savasana in my yoga class to focus on my uterus/eggs/fertilisation. I remember thinking that it was a good thing that no body could read my mind going "nice little eggy, let that nice sperm-man in, find a good spot in there and put your hooks in..." Like I said - crazy and willing to try anything.

These days are just waiting limbo for all of us I guess; Waiting for HSG, TWW and waiting for scan.
I'll update tomorrow (here's to hoping for BIG and FAT - that's a first).

 

[Julesxo]

Lol I am going to try your visualization and peptalk at my yoga class tonight . Great tip! They say positivity is so important! I will also send positive energy your way that your follicles and lining increase over the next couple of days so you can trigger!!

 

[Janegirl]

Scan: 1 follicle of 18mm - trigger tonight at 10pm and IUI on saturday morning at 10:30. Lining was only 7mm but doc didn't seem too worried about that. And with all the oil, heat, upside-down pomegranate treatment it's getting it'll be perfect by saturday.

I also booked acupuncture together with the IUI... I asked, and they said that they do recommend it and they are certain they do see higher pregnancy rates with acupuncture. I'm not convinced but it doesn't cost much and I'm trusting everything else of this fertility matter with them, so why not this. Any of you ladies tried it?

Jules, are you slowly suffering the TWW torture or how are things?

Pecan - good luck tomorrow with HSG!!