My Experience With IUI // Medicated Cycle Step By Step
We started IVF today, so as you can rightfully assume, IUI did not work for us, but I figured I’d share my experience anyway. For those unsure what IUI is exactly, the super short explanation is that a man provides the clinic a sperm sample which a doctor then injects into a woman’s uterus through a catheter. The hope is that by cutting out some of the distance the sperm would naturally have to travel, there’s a better chance one will find an egg to fertilize. Because it’s minimally invasive and relatively inexpensive (I say relatively), many couples start with IUI, but to be completely transparent, my husband and I were never really good candidates for the treatment.
IUI is a great option for those dealing with mild male factor infertility, but as our case is moderate, and success rates for even the best candidates hover around only 15%, our doctors didn’t want to bother. We pushed anyway because IVF is as terrifying as it gets for a needle phobe (plus has a $25,000+ price tag), but my husband’s levels, while somewhat higher after being prescribed Clomid and vitamins months prior, barely warranted us a 5% chance of success. To make our odds slightly better, my doctor recommended a medicated IUI cycle, which included Clomid pills to stimulate my follicles (the sacs that hold the eggs) and a trigger shot to induce ovulation.
A woman’s body naturally matures one follicle per month, so the Clomid is used to hopefully mature a second, giving the sperm double the chances. If both follicles end up releasing an egg and both become fertilized, that’s how you get IUI twins (not super common though). As for the injection, that is done so the doctor is able to time exactly when to do the procedure.
Clomid is known as the devil’s drug within the infertility community, but thankfully, my symptoms were not too severe. I mostly just had hot flashes, but the bloat was no joke. I looked about 5 months pregnant and it took a good 2 weeks for the bloat to subside completely. Just another reason why it is never, under any circumstance, appropriate for you to ask someone if she is pregnant.
As you know from my previous posts, fertility treatments always start on the first day of a woman’s period, so I called the office on cycle day 1 and was scheduled for the usual day 3 bloodwork and internal ultrasound. Following that appointment, I was cleared to start my medication.
After 5 days of Clomid, I had a short break before my next appointment. I always savor those breaks because the amount of appointments required during this journey is extremely overwhelming, especially since needles are always involved. But I was back in stirrups 5 days later for an internal ultrasound to see how my follicles were maturing, a very unpleasant experience if you were wondering. Everything looked good, so my doctor called in a nurse to administer the trigger shot into my stomach. The needle is small, but my anxiety was in overdrive, so the nurse really had to work with me to get it done.
The following day, my husband and I had to come back to the clinic for the actual IUI. He went in first to deposit a sperm sample and when he got back, we had about an hour wait before I got the call that his sample was washed and ready to go. Because of Covid, he was not allowed to be there with me during the procedure, something that never gets easier, but it was a pretty simple process. I was asked to confirm the information on his sample, after which the doctor gave me some bad news. Without being too specific, she let me know there was almost no chance this would work and that we should probably talk to our RE (reproductive endocrinologist) about moving onto a different course of treatment (aka IVF).
My heart dropped, I texted my husband the news, and one minute later, I was having a catheter shoved inside me. Every article I read leading up to this moment promised me that IUIs were not painful, just a little uncomfortable, kind of like a PAP smear. Well, let me tell you something, IT HURT. It’s possible my pain tolerance went to nil after being informed this was a complete waste of time and $1,200, but at least it was all over in a matter of minutes. I experienced some cramping and bleeding after the fact, but by the next day, I was back to normal.
Because all I really cared about was the exact protocol when I was researching IUI, this is how it went down:
Cycle Day 1: Called clinic to schedule appointment
Cycle Day 3: Baseline bloodwork and internal ultrasound
- I received a call in the afternoon with my results and was instructed to start Clomid that night.
Cycle Day 4-8: 2 tablets of Clomid for 5 days
Cycle Day 13: Internal ultrasound and trigger shot
Cycle Day 14: Deposit sperm + IUI
Cycle Day 28: Pregnancy test
Hope this helps. Good luck to all my fellow infertility warriors!
xx Esther
*These posts do not reflect my current situation as they were written in the moment.
Still waiting on our miracle, but sharing now to help others feel less alone.
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