Two questions about unmedicated IUI timing?

liz4paws

My RE is having us do our first IUI this cycle, and I?m nervous and anxious! I have not had an HSG quite yet, yet my insurance pays for IUIs through the end of the year, so my RE has a "what could an unmedicated IUI hurt?" point of view. My husband's first and only SA came back not-so-good so we all know it's a long shot.

Regardless, the plan is for me to call their office when I first get a positive OPK and then the IUI will be scheduled for the following day. I will not receive a trigger. I asked the nurse what time the IUIs get scheduled for, and she said it would be up to me to choose morning or afternoon on the day following the surge. The lines on my OPK are getting darker and darker, so I'm pretty sure I'll get my positive later this afternoon/evening based on my observations from previous cycles. I've read that washed sperm can only survive six hours, which obviously means timing is critical.

First question: For those of you familiar with IUIs,  what time of day would you think is most effective for the procedure to be done if you get an positive OPK in the evening? The following morning? Or the following afternoon?

Second question: Has anyone had their husband deliver his sample in the morning (which mine will HAVE to do before work) to then do the IUI later that afternoon? Or does the IUI have to be done immediately after the sample being washed?

I am praying for some kind of a miracle but want to give us the best shot possible. I appreciate your thoughts/suggestions since this is new to me! Thanks in advance!

Blueyed228

I have no experience with unmedicated or OPK IUI's,  but my RE does my IUI 36-40 hours after ovulation.

steff13914

We've always done IUIs this way medicated or not. There is no way to time it perfectly with ovulation. A positive surge means you'll ovulate in 12 to 48 hours. As long as you get the sperm up there before the egg dies, you're good. With that said, if YH does a morning drop off, the IUI needs to be around noon. Noon dropoff and it will be late afternoon, close to the end of the day. I don't think you can dropoff in the morning and wait until the end of the day to do it.

Also, you may want to test soon because some offices have a policy about scheduling IUIs before the office closes. For instance, I can't call past 3 to scheule an IUI for the next day, so I would take my OPKs around 1. 

Best of luck to you guys!

brooklynesque

Blueyed228:

I have no experience with unmedicated or OPK IUI's,  but my RE does my IUI 36-40 hours after ovulation.

I think you mean after trigger?

My RE just did my IUI ~28 hours after trigger.  That is my (very well respected) clinic's normal protocol (trigger in the morning, IUI midday the next day), so I'm assuming that the sperm must live longer than 6 hours, given that O supposedly happens around 36 hours post-trigger.  

watkinae

I usually have about 36 hrs in between my trigger shot and IUI, with ovulation being somewhere in there.  As for the sample question, my RE requires that the sample needs to be provided within 2 hrs of the IUI.  Good luck!

kobrie01

My Dr. montinored me with ultrasound and blood to determine when the unmedicated IUIs would happen.  So, i can't answer your question about OPK timing.  However, we have always been told to produce the sample within an hour of our appointment time.  As soon as we get to the office they take the sample and wash it. If your husband needs to prodcue the sample in the AM, i would schedule your appointment for the AM.  Good luck!  

Seagull2012

We use donor sperm so i don't have experience with the sperm question but for IUIs (we have had 6 unmedicated/no trigger ones this year) we've tried all combos - same day, next AM, next PM, two days later...all BFNs for us. But i think the best "timed" ones was morning OR afternoon the day following your +OPK. Everyone else on this thread is right - should O 12-36 hour after +OPK.

 

Hope that helps! GL! 

liz4paws

Thanks, everyone! Crossing my fingers and saying prayers like crazy for a miracle!!

owlprof

Good luck! 

And a question for you -- I seem to remember that you are from Austin.  If that is right, can I ask who you are seeing?  I am doing my first unmedicated IUI this cycle, if the timing works out and I am in Austin after I get teh OPK+.  Just curious...

Blueyed228

brooklynesque:

Blueyed228:

I have no experience with unmedicated or OPK IUI's,  but my RE does my IUI 36-40 hours after ovulation.

I think you mean after trigger?

My RE just did my IUI ~28 hours after trigger.  That is my (very well respected) clinic's normal protocol (trigger in the morning, IUI midday the next day), so I'm assuming that the sperm must live longer than 6 hours, given that O supposedly happens around 36 hours post-trigger.  

Yes!  Sorry!

April+

I have only done medicated IUIs but in regards to the "sample" I would not try to use it a few hours after it was collected if quality is an issue. I would try to have it down within an hour.