Lesbian couple - no fertility issues - iui #2

Babyburdy

Just got my beta results back after my first monitored natural cycle iui. <1. We are cheduled for an ultrasound on Monday and we want to have a whole list of questions to ask the doctor/nurses when my wife and I go in. We were brand new to all of this when we went to the RE at first and now that I have one failed cycle under my belt I know that we need to be much more informed. I want to try using clomid or some other fertility med this cycle but I'm not sure if I should request a specific one or just trust his recommendation. We are paying totally out of pocket and I know that we can't afford too many more cycles before we have to wait and save again. I'm 33 and have never been pregnant. Any recommendations? Suggestions of things I should research or ask at my appointment? Any advice for us?

PibbleMom

I have absolutely 0 experience with any of this, but I just wanted to wish you luck on your journey!

Jizzill

Babyburdy said:

Just got my beta results back after my first monitored natural cycle iui. <1. We are cheduled for an ultrasound on Monday and we want to have a whole list of questions to ask the doctor/nurses when my wife and I go in. We were brand new to all of this when we went to the RE at first and now that I have one failed cycle under my belt I know that we need to be much more informed. I want to try using clomid or some other fertility med this cycle but I'm not sure if I should request a specific one or just trust his recommendation. We are paying totally out of pocket and I know that we can't afford too many more cycles before we have to wait and save again. I'm 33 and have never been pregnant. Any recommendations? Suggestions of things I should research or ask at my appointment? Any advice for us? </p>

I don't have any advice on this either, but sending positive energy.
Only question is why do you want to try fertility treatment? Is it necessary? I would trust your doctors opinion on this.

beec2421

This may not sound like it pertains to you guys, but if you go to the Trouble TTC board you can get more answers. I'm a lurker here and lurk EVERYWHERE!! The ladies there will know exactly what questions to ask, as well as where to go from there. I know you don't want to feel like you are having "trouble" TTC, but those ladies are great. They also have been through a lot and will be able to answer tons of questions.

SisterMaryNapalm

Babyburdy said:

Just got my beta results back after my first monitored natural cycle iui. <1. We are cheduled for an ultrasound on Monday and we want to have a whole list of questions to ask the doctor/nurses when my wife and I go in. We were brand new to all of this when we went to the RE at first and now that I have one failed cycle under my belt I know that we need to be much more informed. I want to try using clomid or some other fertility med this cycle but I'm not sure if I should request a specific one or just trust his recommendation. We are paying totally out of pocket and I know that we can't afford too many more cycles before we have to wait and save again. I'm 33 and have never been pregnant. Any recommendations? Suggestions of things I should research or ask at my appointment? Any advice for us? </p>

Fx for you!

I would trust your RE. I'm not 100% but I wouldn't think 1 failed cycle would mean using something as heavy duty as clomid. Clomid has a lifetime limit of 6 cycles. That means if you take Clomid for more than 6 cycles, you could be irreversibly reducing your ability to conceive. I'm not saying you don't need it but it's really serious medication you want to be sure you need. If you're under an RE, I would ask them their opinion and what they feel.
My questions would be:
1) Do they have any worries for your fertility?
2) Based on that, what would they recommend?
3) What is the time period/number of cycles they would count as reasonable for someone of your history to get pregnant using iui.

Let us know how it goes!

KLake42

I hear you.  I'm gay, and where I live, at-home inseminations are actually illegal, so I didn't even try to order my own frozen sperm and do a DIY ICI.  I went to the fertility clinic for IUIs.

I've wondered about this-- so many women who go to the REs are straight women who have tried for 6 months to a year, at least, to get pregnant without intervention.  We show up, and we're put in that model, even if it doesn't match up at all with our needs.  I mean, I was required to go to an infertility counseling session before I had ever, even once, tried to get pregnant!

In my case, Im 38 and my blood work showed low reserve, though, so I kind of do fit into the infertility model, at least in that I have some medical challenges.  You're under 35 and your tests all look good?  And the only concern is that you've had one IUI hat failed, and limited finances?

I totally get the anxiety that comes from paying out of pocket, but I'd be a little slow to jump to medication.  Clomid can help if you aren't ovulating on your own, but it can also thin the uterine lining.  That's a risk that someone might take if they can't ovulate otherwise, but if you are ovulating, it might make it harder for you to get pregnant.  (This is based on my own understanding, so you should ask your doctor if that's accurate.)  The trigger shot helps with the timing of the IUI, which is one of the hardest things about it-- getting the frozen sperm's limited window and the egg's limited window to line up.  Getting ultrasounds also help with that, but it dramatically increases the cost (and they're often required with meds).

If I were younger and had good blood work, I would be going to the cheapest clinic I could find for IUI (so long as they were open weekends, good at working with my schedule), and tracking my ovulation like crazy (temping, charting, looking at my cervix every morning with a speculum, mirror, and flashlight) to get the timing right.  

But I'm not, so I'm relying on ovulation stimulation meds, trigger shot, ultrasounds, etc.  I've had two failed cycles so far.  At my age and with my low reserve, there will be a point where they stop giving me the option of more IUIs, even though each cycle has only a 15-25% chance of success.

Be open with your doctor about money being a concern, and ask what the various meds/technologies could do to increase your chances, but at what cost and with what side effects.  You don't want to double the cost of the IUI unless you're really doubling your chances.  And be aware that for the RE, these technologies and meds are all the tools they have, so they might naturally think those are the best tools for the job (my tools are so shiny and awesome!), even if it's not quite the case.

I recommend the book Taking Charge of your Fertility, to help empower you on charting your own ovulation cycle.  With where you are, it sounds like TIMING is the biggest challenge, so the more you know about tracking ovulation, the better you'll be at maximizing your chances for success with IUI.

Also, take all my advice with a grain of salt-- I'm still struggling, TTC, and haven't figured out what will work for me.  This is all based on what I've learned the last 6 months.

Good luck!

GermanGirl2007

I dealt with Unexplained Infertility for a few years before successfully getting pregnant. I ovulated fine on my own every month, but tried a number of different medicated IUI's before eventually getting pregnant w/IVF.  According to my RE, a natural cycle IUI (which I did because of clomid related cysts) didn't really increase the odds of success very much over timed intercourse. That said, with no known fertility issues, it may be a different story.  With Clomid, you do need to be careful. It can cause cysts, thin your lining and cause you to hyperstimulate, all which could result in a cancelled cycle. As long as you're being monitored closely, it's a decent option, but given that you aren't aware of any fertility issues, I'd maybe wait it out for a couple more cycles unless your RE recommends otherwise. Happy to answer any questions about my experience!  Good luck to you and your wife!

WaitingMay14

I'm sorry you feel this way. I have went through two iui's moving onto ivf after next iui if not successful. The percentage of iui working is like 8-10% so you need to go into it with a get out plan. For example, 3 cycle Max then try this. I would make sure you are seeing a RE and see what you diagnosis is. Is you amh, fsh hormone levels normal ? Good luck to you. It isn't easy

Babyburdy

All of my blood work was great. My lining was perfect. I produce great follicles/eggs on my own. I ovulate regularly and my tubes aren't blocked. My vitamin D was low but that was corrected with drops. We did a trigger shot 36 hours before the IUI and progesterone suppositories during the tww wait. At the initial meeting we were told that we'd try one cycle with just the trigger shot and then go on to try clomid if it was necessary or use another med to stimulate more eggs to mature for the second cycle. He gave me two options for that. He has never said that I have any issues that need to be corrected. Should I be using meds on the second cycle? Should I try a few more and then move onto meds? I don't want to use meds that I don't need but I also don't want to waste money on an IUI and not be giving myself the best chance. Thank you everyone for your answers so far.