IUI and when IVF

[Anonymous]

Hello Ladies, I need some advice. I am 36 and have been working with the RE for about 10 months.. I have had several IUI cycles cancelled due to overstimulation and then leftover cysts. That being said, we got pregnant on our 3rd IUI (using injectables) and I started acupuncture.. unfortunately, we miscarried last week at almost 9 weeks... We are trying to decide if we should do one or two more cycles of IUI (since it worked) and when to move on to IVF. My RE says either is fine.. but we are leaning towards giving IUI another shot.. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Other than expense, which is a big "other", IVF is not a big difference from IUI in terms of meds, monitoring, etc. Plus you have the certainty of fertilization and/or you will discover more about your fertility problem. There are a host of Male Factor issues that you will not detect on a sperm count/reg analysis or in IUI. I would go for the IVF, you got PG once, so with IVF you could skip the uncertainty of fertilization and go directly into waiting to see if it holds.

[Anonymous]

If you may want another child after this one, do IVF and try to get some good embryos into the freezer. Two years from now, you're just going to be older.

Just make sure the clinic uses vitrification, which has a much better thaw/success rate. Dominion does, and I think SG does now.

[Anonymous]

I'd do IUI since it worked for you. If you got pregnant, there probably aren't any big male factor issues that IVF would pick up. Also, there is no guarantee that you'll have any embryos to freeze. I did 3 IVF cycles and only had left over embryos (that were not transferred) in one of those cycles and none of those made it to day 5 so none were frozen. This was at age 32.

[Anonymous]

I'd go with the IVF route. Your success rates on IVF are just so much better and it sounds like you are already do meds, so it should not be terribly different in that way.

My doc recommended switching to IVF after 4 IUIs, since the success rate with IUIs just doesn't get better (although I had to do them without meds due to prior health issues - maybe success rates are different with meds).

And a previous poster is right. If this is your first baby and you think you may want more, then go the IVF route and freeze the additional embryos for future transfer.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PPs, except that I do not agree that IVF is not that different from IUI. Having done both, I can say that IVF is much more intense, both physically and emotionally. You are doing injections on a daily basis for about two weeks (as opposed to a couple of shots for an IUI cycle) and going in for monitoring almost every day. You also have egg retrieval (which was actually pretty tough for me, though it isn't for everyone) and the embryo transfer. In short, there are a lot more shots, ultrasounds, blood draws, and doctor's visits. And, for me, because I had invested so much, getting a negative on my first IVF cycle was a killer, even moreso than the BFNs on my IUIs. I am pregnant now and SO glad that I switched to IVF when I did, but I just want to make sure you go in with your eyes open. We have male factor and were borderline candidates for IUI anyway, so my circumstance is a little different than yours. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

I'd give the IUI another shot or two.

[Anonymous]

I am on my second IUI round, and my neighbor did botyh. Her IVF regime was much more intense and required many more meds, more time, more doctor visits, more money.... At 36, you still have time. If IUI worked once, you have some good knowledge that you cna get preg and can carry a baby. I'd stay w/ IUI.

[Anonymous]

Does your insurance cover IVF? If not, it is much more expensive. What's your perspective on multiples? More likely with IUIs.

[Anonymous]

OP here, My insurance covers 50% of IVF and IUI. and meds.. I believe for IVF its..3 tries per live birth.. I also have some meds my friend donated to me.. so the cost of the IUI would not be horribly expensive... I guess I'm just super freaked now because of the m/c. I thought everything was going well.. my HCG numbers were great, I saw the hb at 6.5 weeks and then at 8 weeks, it started slowing...after trying so hard to get pregnant..the m/c was a tough pill to swallow...It was my first BFP also..

[Anonymous]

OP again, I also had a D&C.. no picnic there either

[Anonymous]

OP. so sorry about your MC.

If you can afford it I'd go for an IVF. The chances of success are so much better with IVF, it is likely cheaper and less stressful in the long run. And, having done both, I can tell you IVF is just not such a big deal compared to IUI.

[Anonymous]

Hi- I also have a tendency to overstimulate. I would give IUI another try before moving on to IVF. I just went through my first IVF and found it much harder on my body than IUI. My RE was very careful with my stim levels, but I still experienced mild OHSS with my IVF. I ended up on bedrest from the time of my HCG shot until several days after my ER.

[Anonymous]

OP here, still waiting for HCG levels to drop to normal. Thank you for all of the responses. I think I am leaning towards one more IUI (since I have the meds here) and then IVF.. I am also taking some herbs from acupuncturist, before my next period starts...