IUI after IVF

[Ash2016]

Its been a while since I’ve been on here so I hope everyone is well. I needed a break from all things fertility after our third failed cycle over the summer. We’ve had some time out to be ourselves, go on holiday and have fun. It has been a relief not to think about fertility every waking hour. We’ve recently got a puppy and are in a happy place and have started to think about the future and what that means for us family wise.

I am not sure that I have another cycle in me so we are thinking about all possible options, two being donor egg and adoption but neither of us sold on those just yet. I’m wondering whether IUI might be an option.

I have low amh and embryo quality been an issue on my previous cycles & we’ve never had anything to freeze. Our last cycle was the best in terms of mature eggs and fertilisation rate but also the one with the least drugs (although even then we had two poor four cell embryos transferred back on day 3). That has me wondering whether my fragile geriatric (I’m 36!) eggs would stand more chance if they weren’t bombarded with drugs. I think I’d still need support both for the luteal phase and follicular phase due to short cycles and poor lining but at least my eggs wouldn’t get nuked.

As someone who has never been pregnant, I know that IUI is probably a long shot but I wondered if anyone had tried it or had it presented as a possible option? Thanks ash

[Clementinedam]

Hi! I also have POF and LOR and 6 failed IVF, bad eggs. Have been recommended to try IUI as ultimate resort, Consultant says:" the reason to try is not a rational but philosophical".

They say that when you work with very small pourcentage (2% of chance) IUI or IVF are pretty much identical. The treatment that they do to the sperm could change the odds from natural insemination and supositely the egg stays where he is the best. The idea is to try anything and hope for the miracle. I had my first try of IUI last month. It failed. The 2 weeks wait is long. I am going through another 2 try because it is quite cheap. I have been worried that If I was pregnant with an egg of bad quality that would have survived because it stayed in the womb, there is a higher risk for malformation but is just me stressing out. I couldn't find any scientific review backing up this speculation. I wish I could be of more help, and more optimistic. I will definitely keep you posted if anything positif comes from IUI.

[Ash2016 in reply to Clementinedam]

Sorry for your failed cycles. You’re a warrior with 6 IVF under your belts That’s really interesting what you’ve had to say, and that consultant didn’t dismiss the idea. Hopefully it will be good news next time. Do you do them in successive cycles and was your IUI cycle medicated in any way?

[Clementinedam in reply to Ash2016]

Thanks for your message. Yes, I did them successively. I was really lucky , in a way, for the IUI, just did a scan and blood at day 11 as I could not come to the hospital before and they scheduled me directly the day after without a trigger. They say that usually they are using a trigger. Compared to IVF, IUI is a walk in the park. That's the nice bit of it, the bad bit is that while you wait for the 2 week, you start getting hopeful and that's always dangerous.

[Ash2016 in reply to Clementinedam]

I still get my hopes up on a normal monthly if we had sex around my fertile time, even when I’m not monitoring. It’s daft as no chance but can’t help it🤦‍♀️

[Doglover7866]

I’m in the exact same situation. My specialist has said IUI would be a waste of money because my eggs are poor quality. He’s recommended donor egg which has had me in a continued spiral of anguish over the past 24 hrs since we saw him yesterday. Xx still crying as I type xx

[Ash2016 in reply to Doglover7866]

Sorry you’ve had that news yesterday. Is it maybe worth a second opinion? I really don’t know how I feel about donor eggs or another ivf cycle, the idea of it just turns my stomach. I expect we’ll be told the same as you but interested to see what experiences people have. If you want to chat, PM me, sounds like we are in very similar positions xxx

[Doglover7866 in reply to Ash2016]

That would be great xx

[Clementinedam in reply to Doglover7866]

I am in the same situation as you, you are not alone. I start believing that it can be a beautiful projet and can enrich families but I aim for a know donor which isn't easy. I still believe that we have been through the worse and that things will stop going downhill and some light will appear...