[ara79]

i just got home from the dr. and feel a bit overwhelmed. so, this cycle i will begin follistim injections, hcg trigger shot and progesterone. the past 4 months i was on clomid w/ hcg and prog. here is the deal...did you all go for the iui directly or did you try to concieve naturally w/ all the meds for a cycle or 2 first? i feel like we should just go for the iui, but it will be $3,000 (w/ all meds) and that is so much. i am terrified that it won't work and then what? i don't know how many of these we can afford to do. i just would love to hear from all of you doing iui's and know what you think. also, i HATE needles and i am terrified of the follistim shots. did you guys do them in the stomach? any tips? thanks ladies.
amy

[jenedens6102]

Amy,
I wanted to wish you luck as you continue this journey. I didn't do injectibles with my IUIs so I don't have any great advice for you. The only thing I would say regarding trying on your own or choosing IUI is that you are paying either way. Do you want the most bang for your buck or do you want to play it safe? Do you have insurance that helps in this process?
Best of luck!

[kobl]

Hi Amy-

I did Clomid for 3 cycles without IUI and then when we moved from Clomid to Follistim, we also started doing IUI. My RE said our chances of conceiving were higher with IUI than just doing the injecibles. I have insurance coverage for IUI though so the money wasn't a factor for us. I will start my second cycle tomorrow.

I am terrified of needles but I am being totally honest when I say the Follistim doesn't hurt at all. The needle is really thin and it slides right in. I didn't even feel it going in. The first time I did it, I stood with the needle poised over my thigh for forever before I could work up the nerve to stick it in but it was really a piece of cake. I always did it in my thigh but I know people who prefer the stomach. I give myself the shots because my dh often travels for work but alot of people prefer to have their dh do it.

Here is a tip with the injection: pinch the skin and then insert the needle but release the pinch before you press the injection button, otherwise, you will bruise. Also, you might hear the pen click and dial down as you push the injection button to release the medicine. That is totally normal so don't be freaked out by it.

Good luck and I promise you the shots won't be as bad as you imagined. Keep us posted!

[einstein]

Oh Amy,

You and I have clicked so well with this forum and I'm so sad that you aren't pg yet. It is so unfair!!!!

Did you talk to your RE about doing the meds and ttc on your own instead of doing the IUI? It is a possibility that you could do that.

I'm the biggest baby with needles -- this is still the case after IVF AND a c-section!!!! Yup, I'm still a wuss! Anyway, any shots that DH did for me in my stomach were EASY. Seriously, they were easier than the ones in my legs. I guess because it's a subcutaneous injection it doesn't even hurt. I wouldn't lie to you. I had the Gonal F in my stomach. I don't know about the follistim but if it's a subcu thing, I can't imagine it being different.

Oh, hon. Come over to my house so we can hang out and sip margaritas! We'll both feel better.

[choller]

Hi Amy

I did clomid, then moved directly on to IUIs+injectibles.... seriously....the follistim is so easy...the needles are so tiny & since it is subcutaneous (you inject them into belly fat)...you will hardly feel a thing. The HCG shots are a little different (intramuscular)....but the nice thing is after doing all these follistim shots, another shot doesn't seem like a big deal.

I wish you lots of luck! Don't worry!

[Lou lou]

To repeat what the other ladies have posted, I too am a needle phobic. I was totally freaked out at doing the shot last week for the first time. It really was okay. Didn't hurt at all, I was so proud. My biggest issue is seeing a needle go in, so after it was in the correct position and my belly pinched, I pressed it against the right spot lightly and turned my head while I pushed it in. Then looked down and pushed the button to inject the medicine.

Good Luck. Obviously when it comes to the expense, it's different for all of us and only you can decide if it's worth it to you.

lou lou

[Boston73]

follistim is such a sinch...I couldn't believe how easy it was. I found that the outer thigh is the best..never feel a thing.

Good Luck
Jill

[meremere]

I have not taken those shots but was taking heperin shots in my tummy last pregnancy and will again on the next. Everyone is right the needle is so small you do not feel it going in. My heperin shot hurt going in because it was so consentrated and thick. Imagine, this I was black and blue from the shots that ended on April 9th still when I was in Aruba on vacation in JUNE on the beach, someone asked me if I had been in a accidents. I joked and said no those were my track marks where DH had to shoot me up everyday. Sometimes it is fun to play with people!!!

[kapish22]

Amy,
The follistim shots r real easy...very minimal discomfort...once u get over the nervousness of the 1st shot ull be fine...in fact it gives u a sense of control over the current cycle... i prepare the injection n DH gives me the shots...but u can do it urself too...good luck n baby dust to u...


Kathy

[Just~A~]

Hi, Amy. Our doc asked if we wanted to do the injectibles and then just do the BD the first month before moving to IUI. They tend to say that cuz sometimes couples still want to ttc as naturally as possible. At 37 y.o. and 10 yrs of ttc, I was so OVER conceiving naturally. We were spending $1500 on the meds + $1000 on unlimited u/s and b/w, so were like, um, let's spend the extra $400 on IUI!!!

If you and dh feel you're ready to go ahead with IUI, and are spending all that money on shots and u/s, I would tell your doc. I'm sure they'll accomdate your wishes.



~A~

[kobl]

Just A,

Since you and I are close in age and I am currently doing injectibles with IUI, I am just curious what your Day 3 FSH was. My highest was 12.9 so my RE says I have dimished ovarian reserves. Just wondering if we are wasting our time with IUI and injectibles and should just go straight to IVF. But knowing that you are over 35 and had been trying for so long and that it worked for you makes me think maybe it could work for us. I am so terrified of IVF (I think mainly it's the PIO shots that really scare me) so I would prefer to stick with IUI and injectibles for another month or two and see if that works. Thanks for any info you can share!

[Just~A~]

kobl - I honestly don't know what mine was. The RE never said it was a problem for me. For that I'm grateful. We had already decided we couldn't afford IVF. We're already so deep in debt from the child-free years!! Our RE was optimistic IUI would work for us since there were no known causes of my IF (she took care of mild endo, tho).

I would certainly consider your options and $$ situation. How have you responded to the Follistim? You have had pg before, I see. I had one, too. I felt very hopeful with IUI.

Best wishes!
~A~

[kuchaks]

Kelly,
I know I'm a bit younger, but my highest FSH was 12.09. Also labeled with the dreaded DOR. However, 2 very reputable RE's have told me it is not at all a waste of time to do IUI w/ injectables. I more than likely will be moving onto IVF for other reasons, though both RE's have said that I only tried one round and 1 or two more couldn't hurt. I just personally am emotionally drained. I really took the BFN hard, and don't want to waste more $ and days off work (RE is 2 1/2 hrs away) unless it is for something that has high success rates. We don't have coverage and will be taking out our IRA and still getting some sort of loan. A...I hear ya about the debt!! But I feel desperate. We'll dig out of the $ hole later on. Ok, sorry I'm getting off track. I guess what I am trying to say is, you're not wasting your time at all. But it is reasonable to move on if you feel like I do. It is such a hard decision. There's no right or wrong answer.

[kobl]

Hi Shannon and Just A,

Thanks for the feedback. I have responded well to the Follistim so far (only did one cycle so far) but my RE said that you can have a mature follicle but that doesn't necessarily mean there is a good egg inside. He said doing IVF would give him a much better idea of what my egg quality really was.

If I were under 35, I would probably move to IVF right away but for my age range (35-37), my RE's success rates are around 40% which doesn't sound overly promising (the other RE's in the area have pretty similar success rates). I know you have a better chance of success if you do more than 1 IVF but that just seems so overwhelming to me right now. It's not a $$ issue for us since we are very fortunate to have insurance coverage for infertility. It's just that I feel so emotionally and physically drained right now and I don't know if I could handle ratcheting up the intensity that much further with IVF. I have been seeing my RE for almost a year and I'm just getting SO tired of it all...the tests, the endless b/w and sonograms, the shots, the disappointments. I don't know if I just need a good kick in the pants to stop being such a baby or if maybe it's time to throw in the towel if IUI doesn't work. I have an appt with my RE in two weeks to discuss next steps so we'll see what he says then.

Anyway, thanks for sharing and for listening.

[CreoleInDC]

Originally Posted by kobl

It's just that I feel so emotionally and physically drained right now and I don't know if I could handle ratcheting up the intensity that much further with IVF.

This is EXACTLY how I feel right now. If this doesn't work this time...I don't know what steps I'll take next because of this exact feeling. *sigh*