How many IUIs?

KLake42

This question is for those of you who looked to IUI as your first method of TTC.  

How many rounds did your doctor recommend (or suggest that they'd recommend, if you succeeded early and didn't need to keep going) before trying to sell IVF instead?

I know a lot of REs will only recommend 3 to 4 IUIs when they're dealing with straight couples who are dealing with some sort of infertility before they move on to IVF.  I've just had my second failed IUI, and I'm wondering how many IUIs would be reasonable.

I mean, my inclination is to think that I should try several times.  The timing is tricky, so I expect that some IUIs just aren't timed right.  I'm okay trying several times.  I'm not a straight woman who's at the doctor because I've been trying at home, with no success-- I'm literally trying for the first time ever.  

I know y'all can't tell me whether I should be discouraged after two failures (we all have our own bodies, our own issues), but... should I be discouraged?  Or should I feel like I'm just getting started, that it's too soon to know how difficult this will be?

valeriegp

I got pregnant on my 6th IUI at age 35. The last few rounds were medicated, but I didn't respond to the medication much. It was our last vial and we weren't going to be able to afford IVF. 

Don't give up hope. Depending on who you listen to, the chances in any 1 month are only 10-15%. For a straight couple having unprotected sex, most doctors tell them to try a year before worrying about fertility. 

Good luck!

KLake42

Thanks, @valeriegp!

2brides

We did 2 ICIs at home
2 unmedicated IUIs
3 IUIs with Clomid and a trigger
2 IUIs with Clomid, Follistim, and a trigger

got pregnant on #9. I was 29-31 while we were trying.

good luck!

MrFilch

**Removed for TOU Violation**

ashes1010

Definitely don't be discouraged! Timing is everything with IUI. With the twins, I got pregnant on the 5th try, BUT, for the first 3 tries, the sperm quality of our (anonymous) donor was CRAP. It was the worst that our clinic had ever seen. We switched donors, tried once more and then took a break for 3 months over the summer. We we tried again that September, with another new donor, I got pregnant. Fortunately, for this one, I got pregnant on the 2nd IUI. 

We were told that if you don't get pregnant after 3 times, change something….for us, that was the donor. I had done cycle monitoring and my body did everything is should naturally. 

Good luck. It WILL happen

smdrodgers

Our RE said after 3 IUIs our odds aren't going to increase on getting pregnant so he suggests that after 3 switching to IVF. Our doc also has us start our first IUI with clomid, ovidrel, and prometrium even though I am healthy and have no known issues, we are using frozen sperm due to DH being sterile.

hopes4baby

My RE wanted to go right to IVF because of the fact that I had had breast cancer and was 40. My insurance wouldn't cover any part of IVF until I did 6 rounds of IUI. I ended up with 7 rounds of IUI due to timing issues and one round of IVF. Got a BFP on the first IVF round. 4 weeks pregnant right now

Shepp0409

Hi.
Are you able to add me to the group.
Kinda a newbie and would love to join the group

aces1104

Hi there..... Got bfp on 3rd Iui with dd in 2010..... And now with baby #2 bfp on 3rd Iui again..... 3rd times the charm lol feel very blessed only 5 weeks and hoping for a healthy baby

beanie1977

We were able to get pregnant after 1 IUI (I'm 37) but we used clomid right off the bat.

claireloSC

If you don't have known fertility issues you don't need to jump to IVF. The 3 then IVF thing only applies for those with fertility issues. We did two AI at home and then 7 IUIs before I got pregnant. We changed the donor a couple times. Timing is easy to mess up and it's harder to get pregnant with frozen sperm. My dr wanted us to keep trying before she would consider fertility drugs. Optimal timing is 24 hours (like, exactly, if you can) after you test positive for ovulation. So if you test at 7 or 8 in the morning, try to get your insemination done the next morning around that time. In the end following that advice I did get pregnant naturally and I am now 13 weeks. Good luck! It's hard not to get discouraged by keep trying. I was 29-30 while we were trying.