February IUI

amanda_1182

I had my follicle check this morning. I had a 22mm and a 24mm. They triggered this morning and I'm pretty sure we'll do iui tomorrow. Last month we BDed the night before my follicle check and the night before our iui. DH's post wash count for iui was only 10 million. This time we're not bding before the iui. Part of me in concerned we're going to miss ovulation. But I'm interested to see if his count is better. Also, does your DH produce his sample at home or at the dr. office? 

funkykey

@brooklyngirl18 - how did the convo go? Were you feeling more comfortable after? If my doctor mentioned ***tw*** "reduction" to me, I would cry. Maybe because we have spent so much time and effort longing for one little embryo to stick, the thought of that scenario is so devastating. My heart goes out to the couples who have to go through that.

@Cinnamonn - have you decided what to do? Are you going to try a third IUI?

@junicek - oh man, sounds like your time in 2015 was rough. We've not had that exact problem, but I can totally see how it could happen. Thank you for sharing - your comment made me think I haven't been as sensitive to the pressure on DH as I could be. I've been so wrapped up in my own head about timing. FX for you this cycle!

@BlackRose - so sorry to hear about the family emergency. How frustrating! Sounds like you'll have a better chance this time than you did last, but that the odds this month are still not where they'd be if you had the IUI. I'd still probably get my hopes up, though - it's so hard not to. FX for you.

@amanda_1182 - my DH produces his sample at the doctor's office.

AFM: Guys, my sex drive is totally gone. Anyone else experiencing this? While it'd been limping along after the IF diagnosis death blow for some time, this past month, since our first IUI, it's died.

It's not how I feel about DH - I still think he's cute and am attracted to him - it's just the thought of actually having sex fills me with such dread. I think I'm a bit traumatised from all the TI over the past 17 cycles- it's almost like now that the pressure of having to have TI is off, I can finally let myself process how hard it was on me... All the feelings of failure and inadequacy and whatever. Ugh.

brooklyngirl18

@funkykey I'm sorry you're back here, thank you for making the chart again. I'm also hoping for 100% BFP for this group I was totally shocked when my dr made that comment and it's definitely  not something I'm comfortable with. I had decided to cancel the cycle if there were too many mature follicles but when I went for a scan Friday, I had one at 19 and 2 more around 16 so likely I'll only ovulate one or two. DH and I had a long talk about how many we were comfortable with are on the same page. I had an iui yesterday morning (in case I ovulated sunday when the office is closed) and then triggered last night and have another iui monday. 

wabash15

@brooklyngirl18 glad you and DH had a long talk about numbers of follies to trigger with. DH and I had the same talk and 4 is our max but we are more comfortable with 3 or less.  GL with your IUI
@funkykey the whole IF process can take a toll on you in so many ways. maybe it would help if you set up a date night maybe something romantic or something just fun that you two used to do together. Sometimes just trying to step away from IF for a little while can make so much of a difference.
@blackrose sorry you had to cancel your IUI. Your not totally out but the timing is not ideal 

blackrose-9

Well I'm hoping that it still works... after yesterday's emergency if this doesn't work we're going to have to hold off for a few months before continuing treatments.  After 3 years of trying and finally being able to see an RE I really don't want to have to stop after barely starting. 

junicek

@funkykey I understand about libido. I find mine is only tied to the fertile times. I rarely want to be intimate due to attraction, only because it's the "right" time. It's frustrating to have our whole lives dictated by the calendar! 

SoonToBeMommaHowe

@funkykey couple things...yes, yes, yes to the lack of libido. DH and I are benched from naturally trying until August due to Zika exposure so all sex needs to be with condoms. The combination of no sex drive and having to use condoms = two thumbs down and not much BD at all. 
  Second, thank you so much for making that chart I went in for my baseline the other day but my IUI won't be until 2/21. I would LOVE for this to be the group against all odds and for everyone to get a BFP!

Eternalyte

Hey ladies! I want to jump in on this thread too  

My husband and I have been ttc for 20 months now. Had an ectopic in August, and finally first IUI in January (which was unsuccessful). 

We did IUI #2 last week, and I'm currently 6 DPIUI. I'll be going in for beta blood work next Monday, and trying to remain very neutral til then. 

This emotional rollercoaster is so difficult at times. I'm thankful to have found this thread where I know others are going through the exact same thing as me. 

Heres hoping for all our BFPs!! 

pawcall

Heading in for my baseline US and bloodwork to get going on IUI#2. 

wabash15

@pawcall just out of curiosity why are you doing unmedicated IUI?
@eternalyte welcome. I am also 6dpIUI. this TWW is dragging! GL

Paisley2015

Hey everyone!

This is only my second time posting in what seems like forever.. please excuse my lack of acronyms! 

We added fertility treatments to the mixture in August of 2016. Turns out, DH had extremely low testosterone and a very low count. His guys were also low in motility and mobility. HE is on clomid as well as conception XR -- counts are up! We have had one failed (natural) IUI then we took a break. 

Back at it for February -- I am 10 DPiui and it's driving me CRAZY! I have zero symptoms for pregnancy nor for AF. I know it's early for pregnancy symptoms but the more I read, the more it seems everyone is having symptoms but me (again, I'm going crazy..)

Here are our numbers for this cycle (after a steroid and letrozole prescription):

I had two follicles measuring at 23mm and 18 mm
My lining was at 9mm
DH had a count of 13 million AFTER the wash (they said they were happy with this number, seems low to me?)

Bloodwork showed my Estrogen @ 113, Progesterone @ .6, LH Surge @ 38 on February 2nd (ovulating) so we went in for acupuncture and IUI on the 3rd. That day, I had major cramping on my left side (where those large follicles were). Minor bloating the next day and NOTHING but irritability (8 and 9 DPiui) since.

I am on progesterone for the time being.. I'm trying to stay positive and do everything I can to distract from taking a HPT. Bloodwork on Friday will tell us preggers or not.  

I hope I didn't bore y'all with my details -- just getting it all written out helped a little. Is there anyone else in the same boat? Am I looking at a bad sign since I don't feel ANY different than normal?

Thanks Guys -- wishing you all well! Lots of positive baby vibes. 

brooklyngirl18

i go here now. i had an iui saturday and this morning with my beta scheduled for feb 25. good luck to everyone!

Funnygirl34

@Paisley2015 When do you plan on testing?  I'm 8dpo and dying to test!

wabash15

@Paisley2015 welcome. I'm glad to hear clomid is working for DH. They want 10+million post wash so 13 is good. TW** for both of my pregnancies I had no signs and was sure I was out both times. End TW** so just because you don't feel different does not mean somethings not happening. GL

pawcall

OK so IUI #2 is on (so far).

I just had my baseline US and my RE recommended doing a clomid cycle.  @wabash15 I guess they did an unmedicated cycle to see if/how I ovulated on my own?  I'm not sure, honestly, but he said it's helpful to try that first to get an idea of what he's working with.

His thoughts - I clearly did/do ovulate, but with FI's "meh" sperm (count is okay at 30-40 million, motility is fine, but morphology is abysmal) he thinks having "more targets" would be helpful.  So 50mg clomid for CD 4-8, then I go back for an US on CD12 to check on things and schedule IUI. 

He said that on both this month's and last month's early cycle US, I had a really large number of follicles. I know I only had one mature one at IUI time.  He is suspicious of PCOS (which floored me because I feel like - wouldn't I know??).

What were your PCOS symptoms like?  I have regular periods, I do ovulate, the only thing I'm now wondering if it's related is that in the past year, without changing my (admittedly lazy and unhealthy) lifestyle at all, I gained like 25lb.  Trying to lose it has been a bust.

Anyway, he sent off a ton more bloodwork and he'll call me and let me know if the plan needs to change, but for now, Clomid + IUI.

wabash15

@pawcall I don't have PCOS but there are different forms and some women don't have the classic signs.  So it could be very possible that you have PCOS and not know. GL with this cycle

Momifbysea

I've noticed a lot of us know their follies' number and size but I don't have ultrasounds for IUI so I never have these stats to share. I had a baseline when we started but that's it. I asked RE at our last appointment why I didn't have the ultrasounds during IUI like I've noticed a lot of women doing IUI online have shared, but he said it wasn't necessary and he could do it but it would just be an extra cost to me and not help anything as far as how they proceeded. But then again, I ovulate normally and am doing letrozole with no trigger so maybe that's why? Just trying to learn more here.

brooklyngirl18

@pawcall your whole story sounds almost identical to mine and same treatment except I didn't do any unmedicated cycle. DH counts are good but morphology is pretty low. I chartered for months and saw a clear temp shift almost every month but my RE suspects pcos and ovulation dysfunction. I have no symptoms of pcos except cysts on my ovaries and a high amh level. He thinks I'm not ovulating correctly or have some kind of imbalance which is causing the eggs to not fertilize properly. TW** this blew me away because I've been pregnant twice before only trying 1 month each time. the first resulted in my son and the second in an ectopic pregnancy. TW OVER** Right now I'm on iui 3, I've responded well to clomid having 2 follicles each cycle and still no pregnancy and my RE can't pinpoint why. it's so frustrating and It's driving me crazy wondering what has changed to make this so difficult now. I'm 32 so age isn't really a factor. I also have been really lazy this year and put on 10-15 pounds but still in the healthy bmi. I'm trying now to get my weight back down and destress my life. I hope iui 2 works for you! feel free to ask me any questions.

pawcall

@amanda_1182 - FI *will not* produce his sample at the office, which drives me a little nuts since we live like 45 minutes away, but I'm trying to be respectful of what he needs.  It's a weird situation for them too, I know.

@funkykey - I feel you.  I'm not in the mood AT ALL anymore.  14 cycles of trying in, and it's more stressful than fun, by far.  And for me it really does seem like that first IUI last month killed it for me.  Like, my body is so useless, why bother?

@brooklyngirl18 - I asked about this this morning, since this is my first medicated cycle and I know I ovulate on my own, I'm worried about overstimulating.  My RE said he won't proceed with more than 4.

wabash15

@Momifbysea that is super irresponsible of you RE. if he is medicating you there is the risk of large numbers of follies and a HOM pregnancy which is risky for you and the babies.  I have been on letrozole and with the same dose over 6 cycles, some cycles I would have 2 follies and others 4+ so its not OK that he is not monitoring you. 

pawcall

@brooklyngirl18 - I was blown away too!  ************TW*********** I conceived my 6 year old in one cycle, no problems. Granted, this was with my ex husband, and now I'm TTC with my fiance, but when they're telling me he checks out fine, I'm just kind of floored.  Like, I've done this before, it worked, what is going on here? ********* end TW ****************

My RE is also kind of drawing a blank on why IUI#1 didn't work.  He said everything looked great, my bloodwork was fine, who knows.So onto clomid IUI, and hoping for the best.  I'm starting on a low dose, 50mg for CD 4-8, so hopefully it's not enough to overstimulate.

Paisley2015

@Funnygirl34 -- I'm trying to hold out. My RE doesn't want me doing a HPT. However, testing tomorrow morning and potentially surprising my DH with a BFP on Valentines day is REALLY tempting. How about you?!

@wabash15 -- THANK YOU! I totally missed how many they wanted for his count. That helps! 

@Momifbysea -- this was our first IUI with the ultrasound to measure follicles and lining. Our first was considered "natural" so we had zero motoring or testing. Our first IUI cost us $500, next was around $2,000 with the added tests. I would do it again. I enjoy knowing whats going on in there. Can you request the ultrasound?

Momifbysea

@wabash15 thanks. When I first saw him last fall they did an ultrasound for my AFC and I had 4 on one side and 5 on the other. I am 42-1/2 so maybe that's why he's not concerned? I go in next Monday for the ultrasound and bloodwork for IVF prep (since this will be our last IUI) so I will ask more then. He is the only RE in a 3-hr radius so it's not a choice to switch. I just need to go in as educated as I can be. This is really challenging me to understand everything, to be honest.

@Paisley2015 yes I can request, thanks!

wabash15

@Momifbysea do you know what your AMH is?  ideally you would have at least 6 antral follicles on each side. So having less than that is not ideal. Also I would think it would be to his benefit to see how you respond so he can get an idea if you do move forward with IVF...

Funnygirl34

@Paisley2015 I think I'll be testing tomorrow morning... Valentine's Day seems too perfect not too. 
 

Paisley2015

@Funnygirl34 good luck!! Sending lots of positive baby vibes to you!

Momifbysea

@wabash15 my AMH is 3.754 and FSH 6.98. He said for my age the AFC was really good. I realize that at my age it won't be "ideal ". But I was encouraged that he said all my numbers were in the good range.

funkykey

Some news for me: AF hasn't come yet, which means I might not have my IUI until about March 1. My first cycle with clomid was 26 days; this one might be 31. I knew it was a possibility because I O-ed 2 days later than usual.

Grr.

wabash15

@Momifbysea that's a pretty decent AMH! well at least thats not a huge problem, I was just curious when you mentioned your antral follicle count

Momifbysea

@wabash15 yes, I was pretty happy with my numbers. He said my big unknown is quality not quantity and due to all my numbers and my age he thought it highly unlikely I'd get multiples so maybe that's factored into his recommendations for me to not have the additional ultrasounds. He quoted me that with Femara there was approx 7 percent chance of twins vs 3% without meds, and that triplets on Femara was less than 1%.

londonsmom-2

Good Luck @SugarHead  and @wabash15  FX!!!!!

Just saw my Re this morning and he now had me on 250mg of clomid.., Small sacrifice for a big reward.

londonsmom-2

Hey @BlackRose try Preseed tonight. Its suppose to help the sperm travel to the egg. 
Sorry i was delayed.. 

brooklyngirl18

@pawcall I'm worried about overstimulation also. earlier in my cycle my dr said I had a lot of follicles and I was really worried but luckily today there were only 2 mature follicles, same as last month. 

amanda_1182

I had my iui this morning and was thrilled that my DH's post wash count was 171 million with 55% motility! It was 10 million last month! We also BDed for two nights in a row before our iui last month, but abstained for a few days before iui this month. What a HUGE difference in count! 

Paisley2015

I couldn't hold out any longer.. BFN. 

wabash15

@paisley2015 sorry for the BFN, it may still be early... 

Paisley2015

@wabash15 thank you.. that's what I am hoping for. 

Funnygirl34

Ugh @Paisley2015 that sucks!  Hopefully it'll still happen!

brooklyngirl18

@Paisley2015 i'm sorry hopefully it's just too early.

pawcall

@Paisley2015 - i'm an obsessive early tester too - I hope you still get your BFP!