How many vials do you buy/use at a time when trying IUI?

kbartkbart Posts: 36
in Single Mothers by Choice
My doctor told me that I needed to purchase 3 vials per try! She said that we would try 2 days before ovulation, on ovulation day, and then 2 days after. Has anyone else done this or is it more commom to just buy and use 1 vial at a time and hope for the best? I know that buying 1 vial would be much cheaper but is there a better chance of conceiving using the 3 vials? Has anyone done this both ways? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I just have so many questions and want to make the right decision!!!

Comments

  • beatrice00beatrice00 Posts: 16
    The IUI is usually done the morning after an ovulation surge and if you really want to, you can have a second one the following morning. That's called back to back IUIs. If you do a trigger shot, the IUI is done 36 hours later.

    I never heard of 3 times per cycle and I have done 4 IUI cycles with and without trigger shots. I am also part of a group of hundreds of women who discuss IUI and IVF and have never read of anyone having 3 IUIs in a cycle!

    I was told by my doctor that frozen sperm only lives about 12 hours so an inseminaton 2 days before ovulation is absolutely useless. Also, an egg lives 24 hours so an IUI 2 days later makes no sense.

    Buy 4-6 vials and tell your doctor to monitor your follicle growth by ultrasound and give you a trigger shot. If you don't want the monitoring, start using a home ovulation kit every day when you get home from work. When you get a positive, go in the very next morning for the IUI and maybe do back to back IUIs if you feel like it.

    Good luck.
  • Mom4KiddosMom4Kiddos Posts: 83
    Beatrice, I have to disagree with your information.

    Thawed sperm can live up to 48 hours, but probably start to lose potency/the ability to fertilize at around 24 hours in utero. The egg lives a maximum of 24 hours but may start to degenerate as early as 12 hours after release. Therefore, timing an IUI shortly before ovulation. My doctor routinely does two IUIs per cycle. I was instructed to come in for my IUIs the morning I get a positive OPK (for me the night before I will get an "almost" positive, as I can never get a good test result early in the morning), and then the following day, so I go the day before ovulation and the day of ovulation.

    I hope that helps.
  • sunshine3313sunshine3313 Posts: 37
    Maybe 3 vials for ICI if that is what you are doing? I have gone to two different RE for IUI, both do 1 IUI 24-36 hours after a trigger shot. However, I have read many people saying they do 2 IUI a cycle.
  • hannahahannaha Posts: 71
    I just did my first IUI (01/28)- only one vial (50M at the CCB paper) - Wednesday. However, my OBYN doctor just thaw it, then put it in, so I don't know how many I have at the time of IUI.

    I had an ovulation on Tuesday. I used ClearBlue Monitor to follow my cycle and ovulation. So my test is my first urine upon waking. I've been doing that for four months. On the day (Wed) of IUI,test is very confirmative, my line is much much darker than the default one. I feel heavy on my lower part. When the doctor did it, he told me that I'm ovulating because my vagina is wide open.

    I was hurt and cried a little at that time, because I'm a virgin at 40. and this is my natural IUI. I took my FSH test three months ago and the result is 4.7. So I'm on the normal range.

    Now, I feel a little weird every morning, just like a stomach ache. I know that it is too early for pregnancy symtoms, so I try not to think that is related to IUI.
    God bless all of us.
  • ryanhlryanhl Posts: 116
    Hannaha,
    Congrats on your first IUI. That's wonderful that your doctor was able to tell you that you were ovulating at the time of the procedure (that way you don't have to guess if your timing was right). I always second guess myself with the timing question. I wish you the best of luck. I had my 3rd IUI last Friday (1/30).
    Heather
  • hannahahannaha Posts: 71
    Thanks Heather,
    Wishing both of us getting luck at this time. Let me know if you feel anything. Same from me. However, I know that you are more anxious about the timing. Me too, however, honestly, I don't expect much because I'm afraid that will hurt badly when the result coming back not good...:).
    Also, I have a budge in mind (6 times, one vial each time)...:).
  • danimoni70danimoni70 Posts: 19
    How do all of you ladies know so much about ovulation and FSH? I could use a tutorial on all of these technical aspects. Can any of you suggest an informative website or book? I just purchased my first vial, so I'm buying these one at a time too. I plan to start my first IUI in about 6 months. My friend got pregnant on her first try with CCB after trying for over 7 years with another sperm bank. Best of luck for all!
  • hannahahannaha Posts: 71
    I've been reading all sources about ovulation and FSH- through Google search over the last 5 months. My favorite site are -
    http://www.sjfert.com/fshAge.htm
    http://www.houstonfertilityspecialist.com/clomid.html

    http://www.infertilityvancouver.com/lifestyle_diet.html

    Also, I've been drinking soy milk with wheat germ (6 spoon/days), and eat one Jam/day. My estrogen level improve much over last 5 months. I've gained more confident about my fertility than I had 5 months ago.

    Honestly, my FSH level is 4.7 that gave me hope to try IUI. before that, I didn't have ovulation.
    Now, I ovulate regularly monthly as expected.

    On the day of my 1st IUI, when coming home, my mom talked to me just like I already pregnant..:). I don't tell her anything more, just don't want her to have so much hope..:). My mom pray for me everyday.
    We are all on her prayers..:).
  • danimoni70danimoni70 Posts: 19
    Thanks for the infomation Hannaha!
  • Nikki27Nikki27 Posts: 9
    I am preparing to buy vials for ici. I am thinking of only getting two on my first try.....any advice?
  • kbartkbart Posts: 36
    I can't thank you all enough for all of your information. I feel so much more informed! Having communication like this and getting the chance to ask questions from those who have been through it is just wonderful. Thank you again so much!!!! What a great community!
  • buffettqueenbuffettqueen Posts: 5
    I'm debating between ordering 2 or 3. My dr recommended ordering more to save on shipping and they can store it. I too am trying to not get too excited because I have a huge fear of being disappointed. My FSH was 9.2 this week. Last year at this time I was at 5. Also, my follicle count is drastically low - only 2-3 (last year it was 3-4). I was told last year I should have between 8-12 per ovary at my age. I'm 35 now. I started meds for my first IUI cycle last night. I feel like I'm in a fog today.
  • hannahahannaha Posts: 71
    Buffetqueen,
    This pregnancy project will cost us many things. In my own personality, I'm often plan with the worst case toward best case, and financially affordable. So hopefully the project is developing well and under control.

    FSH fluctuates every month, so you are on the good and normal range. Don't worry about it.

    For follicle, I don't know how many follicles that I have every month. My first IUI is on 01/28/09, I don't even know the sperm count or number of follicles at that time. However, I've been feeling pregnancy symptoms like many prenancy people posted on the web until now 10 dpIUI. I pray for the miracle of life which will happen with us all.

    When you decide to use meds, your chance of pregnancy will be increasing significantly, so be strong and positive that you're doing your best. The baby dust will come to you very soon. Many people have suceeded to get pregancy by IUI. So are we.
    God bless us All.
    Hanna
  • UnknownUnknown
    Depends if you are using fertility drugs or not. If you are, they give you and injection that makes you ovulate within 24 hours. They inseminate you 12 hours before you ovulate (in the a.m.) and the following morning (12 hours after you ovulate. If you are not on fertility drugs and not having ultrasounds daily of when you ovulate (which is what they do when you see a fertility doctor), you probably need to cover your bases more.
  • ninargvninargv Posts: 17
    Hi came across your post and wanted to comment. I am now prego. I was very luchy and got prego. on my first IUI no meds. My firtility doc. told me to moniter my ovulation after my period with an ovulation kit, I got "Firts Response" strips, because they where cheaper. I tracked and wrote my ovulation response everyday even after I got the Positive ovulation mark. A few days after I had another appt. with my doc. and we confirmed that I ovulated. Then he asked me to do it again the following cycle and this time I was to call in when I got a Positive. I started testing again and then I got a positive ovulation on a Sunday so I called in and they scheduled my IUI for 3pm the following day (monday). According to the rummors I was supposed to go in in the morning so after I was scheduled so late I was sure it wasn't going to take, but after the TWW I got a BFP.
    oh, my doc. recomended I test for ovulation at 10 am, and not first thing in the morning.

    I just really want to say, be positive, and to beleive everything you here, every woman is different. FYI, my doc. told me I had a 2-3% chance of getting pregnant on the first try... that's almost nothing, and look at me now, I am 11weeks prego. with my fist baby on my fist try.

    Hope this helped.
  • sjr14221sjr14221 Posts: 3
    ok, no one had really answered the question.

    I think it would depend on how old you are and what reproductive issues you have.

    I am preparing for my first IUI as a woman of advanced maternal age, so it makes sense for me to buy 6 vials at once. I will save on shipping and I will have enough to try for a while (seeing as I only have a 10% chance of getting pregnant). If I am lucky and it happens right away, say on the first try, I will still want the other vials to try for a sibling as soon as I start ovulating again.

    I picked out a list of about 15 potential donors at another bank back in february. When I went back to my favorites list, only one of those donors was still available! So if you have a favorite(s), I would be more inclined to purchase extra. Really with what most of us are paying for the whole process, a few unused vials is the least of our worries.

    That being said, I think I will order my long profiles tonight and try to pick my donor this weekend ;-)

    sjr14221
  • slcoyleslcoyle Posts: 34
    The way I went about it, was I ordered 2 vials at a time and had them sent to my doctor's office. I went through 5 cycles before I became pregnant, and used a total of 10 vials. Now that I am pregnant, I put 12 vials of my donor in a 3 year storage account so I can use the same donor for my next child. Sometimes it takes 1 time, sometimes it takes months, or even years.

    I never did the 3 IUIs in a row, just two back to back every month, and my doctor thought that was over kill, but I did more for myself than for his approval.
  • kbartkbart Posts: 36
    slcoyle...

    Thank you so much for your reply. I will be purchasing next week and am still wondering what to do. I think I've decided to buy 2 vials for IUI. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and buy the family plannng package too....that's 6 vials to be held for a year. This is a big deal because if (and that's a BIG IF) I get lucky to get pregnant on the first try....then I'll have some left over for another baby which is great. My problem is this.......I don't have that much cash saved up to do that PLUS pay for all the current medical bills for the stuff I'm doing now......

    So, CCB has a credit card that's called "credit care" I think. I think I'll do that. My donor will be retiring and I don't want to miss the last vials and a possible sibling. Have you heard of this card? Is it safe? This is so huge and a once in a life time opportunity for kids from the same donor.... I think the credit card is my ticket!
  • slcoyleslcoyle Posts: 34
    kbart-
    I started off at another sperm bank and ordered 2 vials at a time, and ended up having to throw away a vial (sad to see that cash go down the drain) when I decided to switch donors after 4 months of that one not working. Then I switched to CCB and got pregnant the first cycle with one of their donors. The 6 vials with free storage for a year is a good idea but IF you do get pregnant your first time, will you be ready to use the other vials within that year? Something to think about.

    As for the care credit, it basically just sounds like a credit card, so you might look in to the fees and see if it would just make more sense to apply for a new visa or mastercard than signing up for the care credit if your fees would be less.

    Good luck with making your decisions!
  • alivinalivin Posts: 143
    Yeah Kim I can't wait for you to get started!!! We only shipped 2 vials to our RE and kept the rest in storage and are hoping that we won't have to use those until we are planning for baby #2!!!

    Baby Dust to all of you amazing ladies!!
  • kbartkbart Posts: 36
    slcoyle.....that's great advice! Thanks a bunch for your reply!
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