IUI or Acupuncture?

[shellnurse]

Trying to just go with my gut. But if you wanna vote-feel free. Here's the sitch:

TTC #2 for 2 years.

HSG August 30th. 10 days doxycycline for urea-mycoplasma infection(potentially could affect fertility)
Found an acupunturist I like and who has been able to stop my midcycle bleeding in one treatment and generally many other positives from going to her office. She recommends herbs and needles.

Found an OB I like who recommends IUI with clomid- she won't do it without as her studies show it doesn't improve outcomes.

DH has normal analysis but, prolonged liquefaction, OB thinks IUI might not be necessary, but it would circumvent ureamycoplasma if it's still there.

Afraid of OHSS, but thinking my body needs a kick in the pants as this cycle I had 2 pos OPKs and then a negative and then 2 more pos OPKs- thinking that means no O.

My PPO insurance may run out in Jan, so thinking I'd like to do OB treatments now in case it's not an option later.

(My friend just brought her second baby over to my desk to show her off in the middle of this- arrrrrgh!)

What do you think? I know I'll do acupuncture regardless, but wouldn't do herbs with clomid.

Anyone know about frozen sperm v. fresh? I may freeze just to avoid putting pressure on DH to "perform" on cue with a sterile container, if that's an option.

Qestions? Comments? What's your vote?

[lesliesara63]

I spent a ton of money during my months of acupuncture. While it did help me deal with a stressful time in life, it didn't help me get pregnant. In the end clomid wasn't as awful as I had built it up to be. Getting an IUI was the best! It took a lot of pressure off from worrying about not having enough ewcm or when the best times to have sex. Even better it worked the second month we did it. I also did acupuncture during those cycles. We're ttc again and I"m not sure if I will go the route of Chinese medicine again or go straight for the pharmaceuticals.

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by shellnurse

Anyone know about frozen sperm v. fresh? I may freeze just to avoid putting pressure on DH to "perform" on cue with a sterile container, if that's an option.

Qestions? Comments? What's your vote?

Freezing is a bad idea: only 1 in 6 men have sperm that freezes well, and "well" still means a significant loss in terms of count.

Plus, DH would still have to perform on cue, just not on the same cue as you.

You can use a special sample collection condom, ask your doctor about it. I'm pretty sure it's an order online or order at the pharmacy kind of item.

[cristeen]

Have you already tried Clomid without IUI? I wouldn't want to get ramped up for IUI if you don't respond well to Clomid. Not to mention IUI seems like a bit of overkill if your main problem is ovulatory... not that people don't get to that point (I did), but to start at that point seems extreme to me.

As for acupuncture and herbs - I attribute this pregnancy to them. After 3 years of TTC and at the point we were about to advance to IUI with injectables, I wound up pregnant. The only thing we had done that month was acupuncture and 1 well-timed BD (which was completely unintentional).

Not to even mention the fact that IME acupuncture and herbs are much kinder to your body than Clomid, and MUCH kinder to your pocketbook than a monitored cycle.