Question about IUIs

[thisgirl]

Hello All,

As the title suggests, I have a question about IUIs. We are using a known donor but are in the process of getting some assistance from a fertility clinic. At our last meeting the doctor suggested the possibility of IUIs. Since we are currently flying our donor to us each month (not cheap) I said that I'd rather try a few cycles with just clomid and/or progesterone (or whatever other plan he has in store for us that hasn't been told to us yet) before moving on to costly IUIs as well. He seemed a bit surprised when I said this and said that there would be no cost to it and that he could show my wife how to do the inseminations at home with fresh sperm from KD and a catheter. I was a bit taken aback because I thought that sperm had to be washed for IUIs and asked him that. He just said that without washing it could cause cramps but would be fine and then moved the conversation onto something else. My wife seems inclined to listen to him but she also isn't the one who has read the literature on conception and fertility. Everything I read says this is a bad idea.

I guess I'm just looking for your thoughts on the matter!

Thanks in advance!

[justrose13]

i don't know much about this but as i understand it you can get an infection from having semen in your uterus, which i hear can be very dangerous. i'd get a second opinion. good luck.

[Pearl1]

Edited by Pearl1 - 2/7/11 at 4:00pm

[thisgirl]

Thanks for the responses! Abeecharmer, you might be right - maybe he did just mean depositing it near the cervix with a catheter. But is that really any different than using a syringe as we have been? I'll have to ask him.

I would like to have our donor do a freeze-thaw test during our next try. He tried to donate to a sperm bank many years ago and was told his sperm didn't freeze well. But part of me wonders if maybe that's just what they say when they decide they don't want you. So we'll see. Thanks for the suggestion!

[FtMPapa]

Run. Far, far away.

IUI with unwashed sperm can cause:
- Cramping, yes.

But also:
- Uterine infection
- SEVERE allergic reaction, as in, anaphylaxis leading to death
- Cramping and major pain

And so on, you get the idea. Also, you are extremely unlikely to get pregnant because the uterus does not like it and will freak out and push the semen out - the prostaglandins cause contractions to expel it.

[FtMPapa]

Also...is there any reason you need to see an RE?

Clomid is better WITH iui because it can cause hostile cervical mucus.

Have you been trying at home without meds?

It's also a much cheaper option to ship sperm via Overnight Male or BioTranz sent by FedEx - then it can be washed for IUI at the REs office.

Has your donor had a semen analysis? That really should be your first line of investigation, since you already know it doesn't freeze well (though this can change over time).

[milletpuff]

Wow, yeah, I can't believe he is suggesting that you do at home IUI with unwashed sperm. This is an RE?!

I will also say that, for me *personally*, sperm bank "doesn't freeze well" and KD "doesn't freeze well" could be different. When we were shopping for frozen sperm, high numbers was the top priority. Now that we have decided to go with a known donor - because that option for family building, with this particular person, was a better (ideal!) choice for us than frozen ID release - well, the relationship part trumps the numbers for me. Within reason, I guess! And I totally agree that the numbers can change over time, even short periods of time.

[thisgirl]

Thanks so much for all of your responses! I will be better equipped to ask questions at our next meeting.

FTMPapa, we have tried a few months at home. We had booked a fertility clinic appointment 6 months before trying with our KD because the waiting list was so long. At the time we thought we would be using it for anonymous sperm donation but when we found our Mr. Right we decided not to cancel the appointment since the wait to reschedule would be so long. We had a monitored cycle this time and although I had a number of follicles the day before I ovulated none of them were large enough. I guess that is why he is suggesting clomid.

KD did have a sperm analysis done and all is well there. Sadly, biotranz isn't an option for us as we are on opposite sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Neither of us lives all that close to the border either to make it particularly convenient.


Milletpuff, I definitely agree that numbers are less important than the fantastic relationship we have built with our KD. The "not freezing well" diagnosis may have either not been true in the first place or could have changed so perhaps we should look into doing a freeze thaw test.

Thanks again for your responses!