How many tries with frozen sperm?

[tropicaldutchtulip]

I was just wondering how many cycles did it take for you to get your BFP? How many vials did you use each try? We are looking at the Midwest Bank and the Northwest Bank. Their fees seem much better!

Thanks!

[giggleblue]

i tried for two months with two vials each time. i got my BFP on my second try with two vials.

[lexbeach]

Pregnancy number one: two vials (2 IUIs), one cycle (with clomid), twin babies.

Pregnancy number two: two vials per cycle (2 IUIs per cycle), three cycles, one baby.

Pregnancy number three: one vial (1 IUI), one cycle, one baby.

Our sperm has really good numbers (60+ million post-thaw), and I think that made all the difference. Dw and I were also both relatively young (I was 22 and 25 for the first two pregnancies, dw was 31 for the third pregnancy), and we used ultrasound monitoring with HCG trigger to get the timing exactly right for the second two successful cycles.

HTH!

Lex

[TheGirls]

One month, four vials, four inseminations. Four was excessive, and I'd do 2 or 3 if I had it to do over. But, we got a baby on the first cycle!!

We're trying for DP this month, using 3 vials/3 insems.

We use Midwest Sperm Bank and vaginal inseminations at home.

[cejae]

We did 8 cycles of 2 vials (2 IUIs each time) and DP got pregnant the 9th time with 2 ICIs (1 vial per try) and 1 IUI (a strategy recommended by Maia).

Hope that helps.

[jodybird511]

First time, got pregnant on try number 3, using one vial each cycle. First pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 10 weeks. This time around, got pregnant on first try, again, using just the one vial. The two times I got pregnant, we insemmed the same day I got my positive OPK. All of our tries have been IUIs at the doctor's office.

[elismum1908]

8 tries in all.

the last five were IUI and the last two IUIs were with clomid.

we'd use one or two vials depending on the timing. when I got my bfp we used two - and insemed 12 hours apart. we used the sperm bank of california.

[soso-lynn]

I was compiling some stats at work recently and there is no increase in pregnancy rates when doing 2 IUIs instead of one in a ultrasound monitored and triggered cycle.

[lexbeach]

Originally Posted by soso-lynn

I was compiling some stats at work recently and there is no increase in pregnancy rates when doing 2 IUIs instead of one in a ultrasound monitored and triggered cycle.

This makes total sense, assuming that you are being monitored by someone who's really on top of things. For my monitored cycle, I was just being monitored by a regular OB, and they were a bit lax about it. My last u/s was on a Saturday, and they decided to give me the trigger on Monday, assuming a certain amount of growth in that time (and that I wouldn't O on my own). I took an OPK Sunday morning because I felt like we were going to miss it, and it was very positive. So when I went in for my trigger shot on Monday, I also did the first IUI. Then I had a second IUI 24 hours post-trigger. That was the cycle I conceived Zeben, and from early u/s dating, it pointed to the first IUI as the one that was successful (though, of course, we'll never know). So I'm glad I did two IUIs, even though it was a monitored and triggered cycle.

With dw's monitored cycle, we only had one vial, and we were seeing REs who were much more on top of things. Still, the last u/s was two days before the IUI, but they didn't wait nearly as long to trigger (I think dw's follicle was 18mm at the last u/s, whereas my OBs had waited until my follicle was 22mm or something like that), so there didn't seem to be the same risk of her O'ing on her own before the HCG shot.

But for people who are NOT doing monitored, triggered cycles, I think it makes way more sense to do two IUIs per cycle than one, even if it means only insemming every-other-cycle (for financial reasons). It's just so hard to be exact with the timing, and the timing needs to be pretty near exact.

Lex

[indigoscot]

it took us 2 tries, 2 iuis each cycle. there was a 2 month break between tries due to a cyst caused by the fertility meds and my prolactin being slightly elevated.

currently with dp we've had one unsuccessful try with 2 iuis and are now on indefinite hold while her tsh gets back to normal - we've already addressed her other issues!

we are definitely poster-children for going the doctor route as we both had undiagnosed issues that were not obvious w/o testing.

g

[soso-lynn]

Originally Posted by lexbeach

This makes total sense, assuming that you are being monitored by someone who's really on top of things. For my monitored cycle, I was just being monitored by a regular OB, and they were a bit lax about it. My last u/s was on a Saturday, and they decided to give me the trigger on Monday, assuming a certain amount of growth in that time (and that I wouldn't O on my own). I took an OPK Sunday morning because I felt like we were going to miss it, and it was very positive. So when I went in for my trigger shot on Monday, I also did the first IUI. Then I had a second IUI 24 hours post-trigger. That was the cycle I conceived Zeben, and from early u/s dating, it pointed to the first IUI as the one that was successful (though, of course, we'll never know). So I'm glad I did two IUIs, even though it was a monitored and triggered cycle.

With dw's monitored cycle, we only had one vial, and we were seeing REs who were much more on top of things. Still, the last u/s was two days before the IUI, but they didn't wait nearly as long to trigger (I think dw's follicle was 18mm at the last u/s, whereas my OBs had waited until my follicle was 22mm or something like that), so there didn't seem to be the same risk of her O'ing on her own before the HCG shot.

But for people who are NOT doing monitored, triggered cycles, I think it makes way more sense to do two IUIs per cycle than one, even if it means only insemming every-other-cycle (for financial reasons). It's just so hard to be exact with the timing, and the timing needs to be pretty near exact.

Lex

You are absolutely right. That is why I always stress to people that if they are going to investigate their fertility or do any kind of fertility-related treatments, they need to see a fertility specialist, not just any regular OB. It really makes a huge difference on so many levels. I am always amazed at the prescription OB/GYNs will give women completely randomly (you know the good old clomid prescription without any prior investigation). I even am aware of some doctors who are closed on weekends or whatever and just schedule their patients around that.

As for doing LH strips, I really think the person should do a few cycles of them along with charting before doing an insemination. That way they at least have an idea how long their LH surge tends to be and how long its start before ovulation. Most clinics that still do LH tests as standard also do 2 IUIs, which in the end can be much more expensive than one IUI with ultrasounds and a trigger (it is important to be aware that the trigger is important as not all eggs will be ovulated at the same size). The comparative rates of success betwenn the two methods seem to go to towards the trigger and ultrasound method where I work, but we really don't do a lot of LH strips (they also are an organizational nightmare).

Another important point while we are on this topic is to consider ultrasound monitoring even if doing home inseminations with LH strips when taking any kind of medication. Many doctors, especially non-specialists, will downplay the risks of multiple or high-order multiples with common drugs, like clomid. An ultrasound might be a good idea to monitor the number of follicules reaching maturity and allow the woman to make an informed decision to go ahead or not.

[lyn_ftst]

For our first (my wife carrying): 2 cycles, 2 vials per cycle, ICI at home, no drugs, no monitoring other than charting/OPKs. She was 34.

For our second (me carrying): 4 cycles, 2 vials for three of those cycles cycle, four vials for one (my ovulation can be really hard to catch. Once we realized we'd gone early, we didn't want to lose a whole cycle since they can be really long so we tried again). First two cycles were ICI at home. Second two cycles were IUI at clinic (but not RE) to get on the clock for insurance purposes. No drugs, no monitoring other than charting/OPKs. Those four cycles were spread over 7-8 months due to very long cycles, one anovulatory cycle, and travel. I was 30.

I am a poster child for doing acupuncture early on if you have bad cycles. I have a long history of irregular, painful and anovulatory cycles, but felt strongly about avoiding meds if possible (for a host of complicated reasons) and decided to put time/$ into acupuncture before consulting with an RE. It took almost a year to get my cycles to where we felt comfortable trying, but it absolutely worked. I'm also a poster child for old eggs. On the cycle that worked, I didn't ovulate until CD28. I was committed to doing 8 unmedicated cycles, at which point I would have transferred care to an RE and been grateful for the help, but happily we didn't get to that point.

My wife did not get a fertility workup with an RE before trying, because we felt fairly confident about her cycles based on extensive charting, and also perhaps because we were a bit naive. I did get a workup (HSG, bloodwork) just before we started to try because of my history. The RE couldn't find anything and asked for my acupuncturists name...

Good luck. It is all so completely unpredictable. We've been really lucky.

--Lyn

[elismum1908]

Originally Posted by soso-lynn

I was compiling some stats at work recently and there is no increase in pregnancy rates when doing 2 IUIs instead of one in a ultrasound monitored and triggered cycle.

this may be but i did not trigger. so we had to go based on when we thought i ovulated (u/s, opks, bbt). when we felt we nailed the timing we only did one, when we didn't we did two. DS was conceived on two.

we are getting ready to start ttc#2. i have started acupuncture for mind/body balance and will pick up with clomid and IUIs. we only have 5 vials of DS's donor (and there are no more left to buy) so i am considering triggering just so we can be sure of the timing and maybe not have to use two vials. i didn't want to do it before b/c i felt the fewer drugs involved the better.

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by lexbeach

This makes total sense, assuming that you are being monitored by someone who's really on top of things.

While I absolutely agree with you that it's so much better to have medical help who knows what they're doing, and has the facilities and staff to monitor 7 days a week, a similar thing happened to me, even with all that.

I wish I'd been smart and done the OPKs and the IUI the day of the trigger!

But, I did have seven day a week monitoring, they were like "You're never going to ovulate, we'll do a trigger tomorrow!" but I Oed the next night, so I only did one IUI after O that cycle.

Tulip - I did one cycle frozen at home 2 unwashed vials, no IUIs. One cycle frozen at the fertility clinic, full monitoring, clomid, trigger, two IUIs with 2 unwashed vials they washed there upon thaw. One cycle frozen at the fertility clinic, full monitoring, trigger, one IUI with one vial they washed there.

In between, I think I had two scrapped cycles, one for a paperwork delay, one for cysts caused by the Clomid.

I've since done five cycles with fresh, still not pregnant, but still trying.

I recommend two vials per cycle, but I have lots of friends who've gotten pregnant with one vial, many of them on the first try.

On my most bitter days, I think that the best way to ensure it works on the first try, or at least fairly quickly, is to get yourself a friend who is struggling with fertility. It's working for all my friends! They just have to look at me and they get pregnant.

[deny_zoo29]

We got our BFP on our first IUI with two frozen vials. Our donor had Great post thaw numbers, and we believe that helped! :-) We used the "Cryobiology" Sperm Bank.

[tropicaldutchtulip]

Thanks everyone! We have two vials all set up and ready to go in about a week to us! We are gettinge excited as our surrogate started her AF today!