IUI at 38?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not just the chances of getting pregnant with IUI but also the chances of a genetically “normal” embryo at your age. Risk for miscarriage increases, which can eat up more time…putting you back at square one months from now.

This. Miscarriages can eat up a lot of time and miscarriage odds go up rapidly in your late 30s. If you are making PGT normal embryos, I'd just do more IVF and bank as many as you think you'll need.

[Anonymous]

I had success with timed intercourse (2nd try) at 37.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is worth three tries. If its gonna get you pregnant it will probably happen in one of the three tries. A pregnancy conceived via IUI is lower risk than IVF. With IVF babies they want them out by 39 weeks which can end up in a C section.

Not true. My IVF baby went to 41 weeks, and I was 39.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is worth three tries. If its gonna get you pregnant it will probably happen in one of the three tries. A pregnancy conceived via IUI is lower risk than IVF. With IVF babies they want them out by 39 weeks which can end up in a C section.

Not true. My IVF baby went to 41 weeks, and I was 39.

I agree, this info is wrong. I had an IVF pregnancy and went to 40 weeks, vaginal birth. C section was never mentioned other than an elective option if I preferred it.

[Anonymous]

Currently 38 and 35 weeks pregnant thanks to IUI (which means I was 37 when doing IUI.... first IUI cycle i miscarried, 2nd one failed, 3rd had to cancel as ovulated early, currently pregnant from the 4th).

I have PCOS so not so concerned about egg reserve, hope to try again in another 12-18 months and will likely try IUI first (but also have frozen eggs from before meeting my husband so it makes it a little less risky to try IUI first)

[Anonymous]

I started with IUI's at 38 (almost 39) and through 5 cycles, got pregnant 3 times. But with age, all three were chemicals.

[Anonymous]

I started with IUIs at 37 and had a chemical pregnancy and a miscarriage in short succession. My doctor was game for another IUI round but we opted for IVF. Another IUI round could have worked but I wanted a lower risk of miscarriage (time/emotional bandwidth).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m thinking of trying IUI’s because I am not sure I want to do IVF (again). Is that nuts/waste of time for someone age 38 and unexplained infertility? At what point would you stop IUI and do IVF?

No, it’s not nuts or a waste of time.
IVF practitioners tend to have tunnel vision and will tell you it’s a waste of 3 months etc. European data shows IUI is not a complete waste of time, even for women in their 40s (though presumably without diminished reserve etc).
At 41-42 I was told, “don’t bother” (note, I have no known fertility issue and just counseled to do IVF based on age).
Got around 15 embryos every time and many blasts out of those first 3 banking cycles.
On a whim, decided to ignore the RE and tried IUI after 3 cycles. I got pregnant with 1 IUI using frozen donor sperm after 3 rounds of IVF at 41.5
The pregnancy didn’t progress but was worth trying based on getting pregnant alone. Wish I had done more IUI before pumping thousands into IVF and putting my wallet as well as emotions through the grinder. I succeeded with fresh untested in the end FWW.

[Anonymous]

Got pregnant with an in medicated IUI using frozen donor sperm at 38. Delivered a few days after my 39th birthday.

[Anonymous]

I would not. There’s a reason you did IVF before. Choosing to do IUI instead of IVF in the case of someone like you who required IVF to start a family is like buying a pair of shoes two sizes to small and hoping they will somehow magically fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not. There’s a reason you did IVF before. Choosing to do IUI instead of IVF in the case of someone like you who required IVF to start a family is like buying a pair of shoes two sizes to small and hoping they will somehow magically fit.

Nothing in medicine is black and white.
Unexplained infertility is proof of that.
Reproductive endocrinology is proof of that with an overall efficacy that hasn’t really increased despite testing advancements.
Unless you’re using donor eggs or are resolute about testing embryos or having “plumbing issues,” why not? RE’s can only give you their opinions but no one can predict your individual outcome with each try. Crap shoot however you approach it.

I interviewed 4 RE’s with zero fertility issues in the context of AMA at 41.
2 scoffed at IUI. 1 (former ASRM president) said, “Do as many IUI’s as you can when not cycling through banking IVF’s.”
Another also thought it was worth a few tries before going back to IVF. IUI did get me pregnant ASAP.

What many women also don’t know is that IUI can actually fund one of the priciest meds if you try it with FSH (Gonal or Follistim) and are allotted 3 refills before changing gears to IVF. I saved a ton of money that way.

[Anonymous]

Does insurance cover either at all?

Our insurance covered a specific amount so IUI would have eaten into the amount that could go toward IVF. Also, my DH’s sperm count and mobility were both very good (my doctor was all excited about his “young” sperm. Ewww…) so there was no reason to think IUI would do much for us that timed intercourse would not.

After a year of trying for our second (including a few months of clomid) our doctor advised us to either back off and recognize we’d probably have one child, or go to IVF. We booked IVF consults but, in the intervening weeks, I conceived!! I was 37.5 at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just did medicated IUI at 38, with unexplained infertility and one blocked fallopian tube. I got pregnant on first try. I have never done IVF however.

I was strongly encouraged to go straight to IVF, but I declined. I already have 2 children( both via IUI), so I was certain that I would not proceed to IVF if IUI did nor work out.

Good luck!

Have to update to say I miscarried in case anyone is relying on these examples.

I have put a hold on trying for a few months( no huge pressure because i already have two kids). But I think I am moving straight to ivf when I go back. I thought I would stop if iui does not work, but I think I am way too gone now, and I really want a baby. Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got pregnant with an in medicated IUI using frozen donor sperm at 38. Delivered a few days after my 39th birthday.

Donor sperm from a much younger man is a wise idea as far as avoiding abnormalities typical from older sperm. Just need to talk your husband into this (at a minimum, it saves him a trip to the clinic that day).