# Ask the girl who is doing an Intrauterine Insemination **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 25, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945 "2011-01-25T18:40:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/62 "2011-03-13T16:15:53Z")
IUI number two didn’t work. We have one more IUI and then we’ve decided to take the summer off, though that’s going to be really hard for me. This is taking a big toll on our relationship, and we do need the break. The combination of the fertility drug side effects and the general suckiness of infertility make me a very sad and moody person. But it’ll be really hard to not do anything, not even track my cycle so I know when I’m fertile. I’ve been doing it for three years (exactly - last cycle was month 36, and I therefore irrationally expected it to be ‘lucky’) and I don’t know how to not do it. I’ve also started blogging about it, more in an effort to put my feelings down somewhere. Can I post blogs here? ---
**Author:** ![Neeps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a183cd/32.png) [@Neeps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neeps)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/63 "2011-03-13T16:52:56Z")
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear the news. I don’t know what else to say, but we’re here to listen if it helps. A blog sounds like a good idea. If you don’t want to post a link here, maybe pm me with a link - I’d be interested in reading. Month 37 was our lucky month - I only hope it can be yours too. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/64 "2011-03-13T17:20:26Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > IUI number two didn’t work. We have one more IUI and then we’ve decided to take the summer off, though that’s going to be really hard for me. > > This is taking a big toll on our relationship, and we do need the break. The combination of the fertility drug side effects and the general suckiness of infertility make me a very sad and moody person. But it’ll be really hard to not do anything, not even track my cycle so I know when I’m fertile. I’ve been doing it for three years (exactly - last cycle was month 36, and I therefore irrationally expected it to be ‘lucky’) and I don’t know how to not do it. > > I’ve also started blogging about it, more in an effort to put my feelings down somewhere. Can I post blogs here? Grr, that’s so frustrating; I’m sorry. W/o going back to read the whole thread, has there been an SA done in the last year? I’d also be interested to read your blog if you could PM it to me. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/65 "2011-03-13T17:39:07Z")
Thanks for the well wishes! Yes, he’s had three SA’s done, the most recent was just over two months ago. They also look at it with each IUI anyhow, and his counts were amazing this past month. I’m considering asking for genetic testing over the summer if this IUI doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Finally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/67e7ee/32.png) [@Finally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finally)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/66 "2011-03-13T18:01:27Z")
My 16 year old IFV baby is on a different computer across the room from me. My thoughts are with you and your husband. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/67 "2011-03-14T14:11:54Z")
Sorry to hear the bad news, but you got one more try! I hope it works out for you both. Sending good thoughts in your genital direction. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/68 "2011-03-14T14:29:14Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Sorry to hear the bad news, but you got one more try! I hope it works out for you both. Sending good thoughts in your genital direction. Hahahaha, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/69 "2011-03-14T14:51:40Z")
> [@iftheresaway](#): > > The HSG was not fun, and I can’t say I’m looking forward to the IUI. All worth it in the end if it gets me pregnant. Here’s hoping we both get lucky! I know everyone’s experience is different. But here’s how it went for me: HSG - Despite everyone’s assurances that it would not hurt? Oh. Dear. God. It was horribly painful. The worst (physical) experience of my infertility journey. IUI - Piece of cake. Slight pressure. The worst part was being bored when I had to lie quietly without having brought a book. Try not to worry. And good luck! ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/70 "2011-03-14T14:57:04Z")
> [@StuffLikeThatThere](#): > > I know everyone’s experience is different. But here’s how it went for me: > > HSG - Despite everyone’s assurances that it would not hurt? Oh. Dear. God. It was horribly painful. The worst (physical) experience of my infertility journey. > > IUI - Piece of cake. Slight pressure. The worst part was being bored when I had to lie quietly without having brought a book. > > Try not to worry. And good luck! Yes, for me the IUI’s were easy, just some minor cramping. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/71 "2011-03-14T15:04:43Z")
Huh, I didn’t think the HSG was that bad. I wouldn’t say it was a picnic, but it was over quickly. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/72 "2011-03-14T15:26:15Z")
I think it varies person to person. Some women feel nothing, some have excruciating pain. I don’t think it matters if tubes are blocked either. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/73 "2011-03-14T15:30:09Z")
I want to say you have at least one thing to be thankful for, mi chica; very few insurance companies in the States will help people pay for fertility treatments. So, folks spend all their savings, remortgage their homes and take out loans w/ no child to show for it in the end. You can imagine the added strain of \*\*that \*\*on a marriage - yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/74 "2011-03-14T15:41:41Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I want to say you have at least one thing to be thankful for, mi chica; very few insurance companies in the States will help people pay for fertility treatments. So, folks spend all their savings, remortgage their homes and take out loans w/ no child to show for it in the end. You can imagine the added strain of \*\*that \*\*on a marriage - yeesh. We pay for it out of pocket too, actually. Infertility is only covered in Quebec, and partially in Ontario. Our costs are just as much as in the US, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/75 "2011-03-14T15:45:11Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > We pay for it out of pocket too, actually. Infertility is only covered in Quebec, and partially in Ontario. Our costs are just as much as in the US, unfortunately. Oh, that sucks then. Holy cow. Have you ever compared IVF prices between local IVF clinics and Indian clinics? My hope is it would be solely an academic exercise but it can’t hurt to have that info on hand if you decide to ramp up the process. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/76 "2011-03-14T15:59:58Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Oh, that sucks then. Holy cow. > Have you ever compared IVF prices between local IVF clinics and Indian clinics? My hope is it would be solely an academic exercise but it can’t hurt to have that info on hand if you decide to ramp up the process. You mean like travelling to India to do it? I think it’ll be similar, tbh. It’s around $10K for IVF here. My husband and I are seriously considering doing IVF combined with Donor Eggs for my sister and her husband. My sister needs to do IVF (she had cancer, went through early menopause - can carry, but no eggs of her own) and she’s asked me if I would donate. I’ve been talking to her over the weekend about maybe getting serious about it, and we’re going to try and arrange to have joint therapy session in a few months. The benefit with this for us is that my sister and her husband would cover the cost of egg retrieval, which is about half the cost of an IVF. That would be a huge burden off our shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/77 "2011-03-14T16:21:27Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > You mean like travelling to India to do it? I think it’ll be similar, tbh. It’s around $10K for IVF here. > > My husband and I are seriously considering doing IVF combined with Donor Eggs for my sister and her husband. My sister needs to do IVF (she had cancer, went through early menopause - can carry, but no eggs of her own) and she’s asked me if I would donate. I’ve been talking to her over the weekend about maybe getting serious about it, and we’re going to try and arrange to have joint therapy session in a few months. The benefit with this for us is that my sister and her husband would cover the cost of egg retrieval, which is about half the cost of an IVF. That would be a huge burden off our shoulders. It’s so great you’re all discussing this and tentatively planning; I can’t tell you what a comfort it was to know a backup plan was there if we wanted it and THAT we could control! And a shared cycle would be an amazing gift for your entire family - you couldn’t ask for better built-in support. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/78 "2011-03-14T16:57:38Z")
Yeah, that’s exactly it - having a game plan just in case. I feel so much better when I know that there ARE next steps if this one doesn’t work. It makes it a lot easier for me to take the summer off knowing that we’ll hit the ground running in the fall. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/79 "2011-03-14T17:56:24Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I think it varies person to person. Some women feel nothing, some have excruciating pain. I don’t think it matters if tubes are blocked either. I don’t think so either. I was told that if there was pain it meant my tubes were blocked. Not so - I had terrible pain, and then was told I had a perfectly formed uterus and tubes. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/80 "2011-03-25T18:31:07Z")
Well, I got my positive OPK today, so that means our third and final IUI is tomorrow. I requested an ultrasound on cycle day 10 (Tuesday) and my lining was at 7mm (which is good) and I had three follicles growing. I’m not sure how many release without a trigger, but I’ve been told more then one can release on Clomid cycles. Either way, fingers crossed this one works. If not, we’re done trying for a while. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945/81 "2011-04-09T20:09:46Z")
Well, the IUI didn’t work. I got my period today. I had my cry and am trying to deal with it all. We are now taking a break for about six months and will be doing IVF in the fall most likely. I’m packing up all my trying to conceive stuff - ovulation predictor kits, my stockpile of pregnancy tests, thermometer, preseed, etc. - in a box and am putting it away. We have an appointment at the clinic on the 20th to go over the next steps. We will have to do a bunch of blood and hormone tests over the summer as well as attend info sessions on IVF. At least that’s something to look forward to, right? Stay tuned, I guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-who-is-doing-an-intrauterine-insemination/568945.md?page=5)