# Plan B - switch to unmedicated IUI?



## starbuck (Apr 12, 2009)

Hi girls - I was hoping you might be able to advise me on my current diliema.  I know I should just wait a week or 2 to see what is going on but the LWC news has really thrown me so I think planning might help me settle down again. 

My original plan was to do one natural IUI and then switch to clomid.  Mostly this was because I thought I should test my fertility before jumping to a plan which increases my chances of twins.  However in my consultation the Dr said natural cycles had 6-9% success rate and with meds was 15-20% so she suggested I went straight to meds.  So that was then the plan.

With the current problems they are now having I might be faced with the choice of waiting an extra month or starting my cycle with scans and then cancelling it later if they still aren't sorted.  I'm now thinking maybe I should just plan on doing a natural July cycle as a) if bank not open by mid July then I don't lose any money, b) won't have to leave my holiday for half a day to go for my first scan on day 2/3 (which would be a phaff but to me was better than waiting another month) and c) get to test my fertility as per original plan.    I'm assuming I can switch the plan with LWC without them charging me but hard to tell!

As I write this I actually wonder whether I should go back to the original plan in anyway as b) and c) are important in their own rights.  Its just the 6-9% vs 15-20% which makes me think natural cycles just aren't worth the money.....

Any advice or opinions greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Starbuck.


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## indekiwi (Dec 23, 2008)

Hi Starbuck,

Just a quick comment really regarding the following:



> My original plan was to do one natural IUI and then switch to clomid. Mostly this was because I thought I should test my fertility before jumping to a plan which increases my chances of twins. However in my consultation the Dr said natural cycles had 6-9% success rate and with meds was 15-20% so she suggested I went straight to meds.


I was just wondering about the "test my fertility" bit in all of this, particularly as you repeat the phrase later on as well. It took me four attempts at medicated IUI before falling pregnant, with excellent FSH levels (at that time). It wasn't that I was infertile that it took four attempts to fall pregnant, it's more like rolling a dice and seeing when my number came up. The same applies for anyone trying to become pregnant naturally - it _might_ happen first time around but it is more likely to happen after a few months or even a year of trying, without there being a problem with your fertility. I understand, and fully respect, your concerns about falling pregnant with twins. If money is truly no object, then trying natural cycles time after time until your number comes up is as good a way as any to achieve your goal (though of course there is still a chance of conceiving twins, albeit a much smaller risk). However, if money might be an issue, and you want to maximise your chances of falling pregnant in fewer cycles, then you might want to consider moving directly to medicated IUI as suggested by your consultant.

Furthermore, is there a reason that you couldn't wait a further month before starting tx? It seems to me that given LWC has the biggest sperm bank in the UK, there will be pressure on both the clinic and HFEA to get this situation sorted out ASAP. Nonetheless, you could play safe by simply postponing by a month so that you would have certainty surrounding your access to a sperm donor and therefore not be cycling with this issue hanging over your head. Once you set your heart on tx, I know it seems a crushing blow when you can't act immediately.  However, will a month truly make a difference in the scheme of things?

Anyway, hope there are a few things there you can think about. It's a real shame this issue at LWC has surfaced - though I have never been treated at this clinic, it has a good reputation.

A-Mx


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## starbuck (Apr 12, 2009)

Thanks A-M.

Certainly lots to think about here.  I think my main problem is that I'm just too impatient to start.  I know there is a lot of waiting to do once you start but having geared myself for July then August seems so far away.  I might just have to accept waiting an extra month (and I can't believe it would be longer than that) is best and I have to somehow work out a plan to keep me sane whilst I wait.  I had felt all settled and sorted before this happened and now seem to be in turmoil again .....  Maybe I need a natural cycle cost vs sanity cost risk analysis


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## starbuck (Apr 12, 2009)

Good to see they are all sorted now so I can go back to plan A!  So will be medicated with Clomid.

With A-M's reply (thanks again) and looking back at an old thread which discusses med vs natural then I'm happier to go straight to a med cycle.  

Starbuck


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## bingbong (Dec 9, 2008)

It must be good to have made a decision!    


Bingbong x


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