# Natural or unmedicated IUI ~



## dixie9000 (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi

I am fairly new to this site. I have been trying for two and a half years with no luck...had a laparoscopy early Feb and some mild/moderate endo was lasered out. Apart from that me and DH have no probs. In Feb the consultant told us to go away and try for six months before we could be referred for fertility treatment. Four months have passed and I am feeling very frustrated.

I am now looking into natural or unmedicated iui. I would like to give it a go. Just wondered if anybody has been through it and could suggest any good clinics who do it. Also any ideas of cost. Any stories would be appreciated

Thank you


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## Victoria_In_London (Jun 25, 2004)

Hi Dixie

A starting point for finding a clinic is the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) guide to clinics.  It's downloadable from their website.  One word of caution though is to take success rates with a pinch of salt.  Some clinics only accept patients that are likely to succeed so their success rates are high.  Other clinics will take more complicated cases but their success rates will be lower.

Maybe once you've seen one you like the look of you could ask on this site what people think of it.

You might be eligible for some free treatment on the NHS but this might limit your choice of clinics.

DP and I had unmedicated IUI at the Homerton hospital in East London.  It is not a pretty clinic (a portakabin in a car park) but we found the staff really helpful and they were there for us in the tough times.  Having said that, we found that thing went smoothly if we stayed one step ahead by planning our next treatment during the current one and also by ringing regularly for cancellation appointments.  Some people are less control freaky than me so go at your own pace!  

At that stage, unmedicated IUI using donor sperm cost £450 per cycle.  It's gone up to £500 now.  If you use your DP's sperm I think it's about £250 a go.  Some clinics are much more expensive.

Key things you might consder are:

1)  How friendly and helpful are the staff?
2)  How flexible are their opening times?  Our clinic would do the insemination on a Saturday if necessary but some clinics are much more restrictive and if you ovulate on the "wrong" day, you have to miss that cycle.
3) How close to work is the clinic?  You'll be spending a fair bit of time there so convenience helps.

Unmedicated IUI involves monitoring your cycle, then inserting sperm into your womb as you ovulate.  You generally ring the clinic on the first day of your period (day one of your cycle) and go to the clinic for a scan on about day eight.  The scans are a joy - women on here refer to them as dildo scans because it's an internal scan with a probe!!!  The scan checks that you are producing a follicle (a swelling on you ovary which should contain an egg). 

You visit the clinic every couple of days to have another scan to track the follicle's growth.  Once it reaches about 18-20mm you are about to ovulate.  You can then choose to do ovulation prediction tests (wee on a stick at home) until you get a positive result or you can be injected with something to trigger ovulation.  Either way, 24 hours after that you will be "basted" or inseminated.

I can't tell you anything about the man's role because we used donor sperm but I'm sure the others will tell you what DP would have to do.

Whatever happens, I wish you loads of luck.  Hopefully you'll get your natural BFP before you need any of this information but if you end up needing IUI you'll find some good friends here.  The IUI Girls Rule!!!  

Love VIL
xxx


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## Minkey (May 22, 2004)

Hi Dixie,

I had unmedicated IUI twice, with a success on the second go.  We used The Lister, a London clinic and back in 2004 it cost us about £600 a cycle.  We choose the clinic by visiting and using gut instinct really as well as their stats.  VIL has given you most of the other info I would have said.

Good luck!

Minkey x


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## dixie9000 (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi

Vil thank you so much for all that information- really is very helpful. This site is a lifeline! Will start looking into clinics but hopefully in the meantime will get a natural BFP!!!   

Minkey thanks for your story as it gives me hope that natural iui does work!!!

Thanks again

dixie x


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