Tomorrow I go back for my ultrasound to see if my follicles have grown enough. My doc wants them to be at least 15mm before I stop the clomid. Monday they were at 8mm so I am hoping that tomorrow would be the day. If they did grow enough then I get to stop the clomid and start using OPK's to see if I ovulate on my own. If not then I go back in 4 days and get the trigger shot. So the big question is should I go for an IUI this cycle or not. I am listing my reasons for both decisions and would like the help of the community to help me decide.
Reasons for NO IUI:
I was on the pill for 2 years before TTC and then I did not ovulate for a yr. My ovulation last cycle was the first in 3 years. So my doc thinks that it wont hurt for me to wait a couple more cycles as I've hardly had a chance to get pregnant on my own. Also they feel that I am young enough (28yrs) to wait for a few more cycles.
My insurance does not cover IUI so I have to pay for it from my own pocket and for all the tests after the IUI. My doctor's office recommends 2 IUI's in a cycle so my total cost including 2 IUI's and blood tests would be around $800 for this cycle.
I am not sure if the extended clomid treatment affects my lining and egg quality so I dont know if I should wait to do an IUI with an injectible cycle.
Reasons for IUI:
Since I did not ovulate on my own for the past one year, I never got a period on my own. So every month when I did not get my period I would hope that I was pregnant. The doctors would make me wait till cd40 to do a blood test so the time between cd30 to cd40 would be hell. I would POAS like an addict every two days. I also was not allowed to take my migraine meds during the second half of every cycle (cos what if I was pregnant) and so would have to suffer through terrible migraines. So even though I ovulated only last month and that is considered my first active trying cycle, I still went through a year of disappointments and false hopes, so I want to reach my pregnancy goal as soon as possible.
The second big reason would be that I do not respond to regular clomid treatment. Mine is an extended cycle which means I take clomid for 7 days and then go for blood tests and ultrasound every two days to determine if I have a big follicle and my estradiol is above 300. Only then I get to stop the clomid so last cycle it was 13days of clomid and this cycle its already been 15days. So I suffer with migraines, hot flashes and insomnia for a real long time every cycle in addition to the never ending ultrasounds and blood pricks. So I am hoping that if I do an IUI, I might at least avoid cervical mucus problems and give my body a better chance to get pregnant this cycle.
Please give me your suggestions and help me make the decision. The only other person I discuss this with is my husband and he is OK either ways.
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4 comments:
Have you had a postcoital exam? Hence the worry about mucus?
PERSONAL OPINION ONLY... I much much much would have preferred to have gotten preggers in my home vs. in a dr office exam room... but the last time the clomid didn't work for me at home so the dr recommended the IUI route. Since you haven't really successfully ovulated at home and are about to and if you are ok with a couple cycles of trying at home, I would do that. You just would need to make sure that after 14 days you go in for a blood test. And your not out of pocket for the $800 IUI right now. Either way you wouldn't be allowed to take migraine meds, right? because you'd hope in both scenarios you'd be pregnant.
However, you also have some good reasons for the IUI. I don't know the affect of prolonged clomid and maybe researching if that would affect conception might gain you more insight?
Good luck with whatever you decide! I know it's hard either way.
That's a tough decision. I agree with the previous comment that it would be nicer to get pregnant in your own house than a doctor's office! That's where we're at currently too- our fs has said we can go to IUIs whenever we want, but we'd really like a couple of cycles to just try ourselves. Like you said, you've only just started ovulating.
But, I can also completely understand how frustrating the wait to ovulate has been, and how you might want to do anything you could to increase your odds of making this the last cycle (especially as you have so many side effects from Clomid).
I really don't understand how this extended Clomid thing works. I should ask my fs, as I've heard things about lining and egg quality too (but never enough to actually understand whether it affects us).
Good luck with the decision! Remember that the IUI is there as an option even if you decide not to go with it this cycle. I hope your follicles have grown to the appropriate size!
I've never heard of this Clomid treatment - to keep taking it until you ovulate - not everyone ovulates even w/ Clomid - I know I didn't. Just not sure if this sounds healthy - but that's just me - Good luck w/ all. As for the IUI's I think that once you get pregnant - you are going to be so happy/grateful/excited that you won't care where it happened. But, yes you are young and have lots of time to work through these things.
Hey - Rebekah wrote this on my blog. Not sure if you got to read it... if not see comments on Hodge Podge 2.
I did IUI after a long cycle of clomid. It didn't work, but I'm sure it does with some. We only did IUI the one time. On paper everything was perfect. It was pretty devastating when it didn't work. I don't know how some people can do it over and over and over again. They are stronger than me!
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