Anyone go from injectables back to a Clomid cycle?

[KellySF]

First, let me say that I am so glad I found this forum!  I wish I'd known about it for the past year that my partner and I have been TTC.

I am wondering if anyone here ever had success with a Clomid cycle after doing injectables + IUI.  I'm 33, with no diagnosed fertility problems, and we've been TTC for about a year using frozen donor sperm.  We started off working with a doctor because I couldn't pinpoint ovulation using OPKs.  I had a lot of testing done and everything came back normal.  My doctors have said that OPKs just don't work for some women.

So, we've had to go the ultrasound/trigger shot route from the beginning.  In 2010 we did 5 IUIs, the first 4 with Clomid and the last one with injectables.  I had two extremely long injectable cycles last summer that got cancelled because I made so many eggs.  Had a chemical pregnancy last March, but other than that all BFNs.  Every IUI was done at the doctor's office 36 hours after an hCG trigger shot.

After realizing that my body goes too crazy on injectables, and not being financially able to do IVF, we've decided to get back to basics and do some inseminations at home.  I feel like it's kind of crazy that we never tried that to begin with.

My plan now is to start Clomid on my next cycle, have just a little bit of ultrasound monitoring around Days 16-18 (I tend to ovulate a little late), do a trigger shot and then do two ICIs at home and one IUI at the doctor's.  Does this sound like a good plan?  What timing would you guys use for the ICIs, considering that the IUI will definitely be done at the office 36 hours after the hCG shot?

Thanks in advance!  Good luck to everyone and thank you so much for sharing your stories.

[wehrli]

Welcome! Though I've never done injectables, we did do 7 cycles of at home ICI (2 per cycle) with 3 of those cycles being on clomid. Since you still plan on doing IUI, I think your best timing would be 12 & 24 hrs prior to O... So maybe 12 hours post trigger and then 12 hrs later? Just a guess really, I was never successful at home. I think it might have been due to the clomid, as it has a tendency to dry some people up right at ovulation, just when those swimmers need some fertile CM! Just something to keep in mind. Do you track your fertility any other way? Cervical position, cervical mucous, temping? Those can be incredibly helpful, moreso than any OPK I ever peed on!

You should consider joining the Queer Conceptions board (if you haven't already), they are a fabulous group of people with loads of experience and knowledge! Very friendly and welcoming too!

Good luck!

[2moms3kids]

36 hours seems like an awfully long time to me to do an IUI after trigger. We always have done 24 hours after with much success. My wife did 1 clomid cycle and got pregnant. Then 18 months later started the clomid again and eventually moved to injectibles, but never back to clomid. From what we were told, you can only do clomid a few (4-5 times) before it stops working and you have to move to injectibles. Your plan sounds good though and I would probably do a 12 hour ICI (why not an IUI?) another at 24 hours and the office IUI. Good luck!!

-Sarah

[kgulbransen]

Actually, studies have shown that doing the IUI closer to 36 hours after trigger has shown increased chances of getting pregnant over 24 hours later. But much of that depends on when your body responds to the trigger. Most people are supposed to ovulate 24-36 hours after trigger but I never did. No one believed me but on the one cycle I got pregnant, it was actually about 5 days after I triggered...Not everyone responds to a trigger the same way which is why it's critical to read your own body and use technology (such as ultrasounds) to make your best educated guess as to when you will ovulate.

[wehrli]

FTR, i got pg twice by having one IUI exactly 36 hrs post trigger. i felt myself O within the hour both times. like krista said, everyone's different... follow your own bodies signals!

[KellySF]

Thanks for all of the good advice!  We will definitely be using the assistance of ultrasounds as ovulation gets closer.  My CM is a very good indicator although I was never able to see a pattern in my BBT.

It sounds like doing the trigger, then an insem 12 hours later, another 12 hours after that, and the in-office IUI is a good plan.  How hard is it to do an IUI at home?  I'm sure my partner would be up to giving it a shot if it's not too daunting...

I can't really remember if my previous Clomid cycles affected my CM.  If I notice that this time around, I think I'll just do some natural cycles.

Thanks everyone!

[cejae]

Kelly, if you aren't up to doing an IUI yourself at home, I would *definitely* check out Michelle at At Home fertility.  Both my partner and I hired her when we were each TTC (I even flew back out to CA just to have her inseminate!) and I love love love love love her!  You get the higher IUI success rates in the comfort of your own home with a lesbian midwife.  It's awesome.  Example:  DP always had extremely painful IUIs at the doc's office.  Bleeding, you name it.  Yuck.  Turns out she had a stenotic cervix.  When we finally switched to At Home fertility, Michelle did a guided visualization with DP to help her relax and voila, cervix opened, no pain *and* DP got pregnant!  Am I raving enough yet?  :).  Here's her info:  http://www.athomefertility.com/.

Good luck!!

[KellySF]

Thank you so much; I will definitely check them out!

Hmm, I wonder if I might have a stenotic cervix or something.  If I remember correctly, in 3 of my IUIs the doctor had a problem threading the catheter up into the uterus.  They eventually had to use a special kind of catheter.  Only at the first IUI was everything open and willing :) 

I'm so happy that you guys got such great results with this midwifery practice.  I may call them today!