# IUI basting tomorrow - any tips



## Guest (Mar 6, 2006)

Hi lovely ladies

I had an iui in Jan/Feb 06 which failed    and started my second one about 13 days ago and due for a basting tomorrow.  I've got a stinking cold and sore throat so I'm off to bed for an early night - hoping to feel better tomorrow, I've got an acupuncture session first thing.

I've been reading bits here and there about using hot water bottles and lying on the side of the follicles etc and was wondering if anyone knows anything about these and also has any tips to help give this one my best shot in the couple of days after the basting.  I'm doing all the vits, herbs, diet and acupuncture and starting on the pineapple juice today. 

Also does anyone know how much rest is recommended as I've read conflicting stories about this one - I don't mind rest at all, I love it in fact, but it's trying to get the time off work and making excuses is the problem.

Many many thanks and wishing you all lots of baby dust 


Janeymay


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## emsy25 (Mar 18, 2005)

Hi Janey,

I did not do anything to prepare for any of my bastings, in fact I worked right up until 1 hour before each one.   I have not heard anything about using hot water bottles or lying on the side that has the best follicles in.

After each basting I came home and basically just laid up on the sofa for 1 day, even though my clinic said I could return to my normal routine.  The only thing they told me to avoid was hot baths for the whole of 2ww and excercise for a couple of days, apart from this I went to work as normal and got 2 bfp's out of 3.  I know that pineapple juice is recommended to ladies who are doing IVF.  Sorry I cant help you further.

Good Luck for today.
      
Emma
x x x x


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## Lulu2003 (Jan 10, 2006)

Dear Janey,

I had heard hot water bottles are good and I've tried this, not sure about lying on the follicle side, I didn't do this! I'm half way through my 2ww now and have been drinking lots of pineapple juice, taking vits and eating healthily.

Good luck for today, just make sure you get plenty of rest today and perhaps tomorrow too if you can get the time off work!

Take care
Lu


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## LeighanneC (Sep 20, 2005)

Hi Janeymay,

First of all good luck honey, hope it goes well. I tried all ways non worked so I would just go with what you think is best, I would rest for the remainder of the day after the basting but then go back to normal.


Love and kisses
Leighanne


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## NicolaG (Oct 30, 2005)

Hi

First of all I want to wish you loads of luck!!

I have had 5 x IUI in total and out of those, 2 pregnancies.  On the 2 that resulted in my pregnancies, I took time off work and completely rested on the sofa for 3 days!!  I do believe that this is the reason that they worked, especially as my current pregnancy was achived through non assisted IUI.

Hope this helps and good luck once again!!

Nic


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## Clarebabes (Feb 14, 2006)

Hi Janeymay,

Good luck with the IUI.  I am going to be basted tomorrow or Friday too.  This is my first time and I haven't heard any little tips, but just wanted to say good luck and hi.

Let's hope it's a   for both of us!!

Good luck again,
Clare


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## Lulu2003 (Jan 10, 2006)

Hi there,

I'd agree with that, just get plenty of rest and make sure you look after yourself. Drink lots of water and eat as well as you can do.

Good luck chick with the IUI.


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## Sair (May 26, 2004)

Oh Janey... sorry to hear you are feeling down at the mo.  It is such a stressful time isn't it, it's not surprising that couples end up having rows at the crucial time.  Try not to worry about not having BMS cos the best sperm are already up there... 93% swimmers is fab.

How many more IUIs will you have?  Will you try IVF?  I'm having my third IUI tomorrow and it will probably be my last before moving onto IVF because my cons believes that the likelihood of it working after this many attempts isn't great.

I'm not too sure about the cyclogest question but I think I've read on here that whatever needs to be absorbed is done so fairly quickly so if you went to the loo an hour later that should be ok.  On my last cycle I completely forgot to take it and didn't remember til I was at work the next day.  I phoned the hospital and they said it wouldn't matter.

Thinking of you and sending you loads of          Really hoping this works out for you hun.

Love Sarah xxx


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## Clarebabes (Feb 14, 2006)

Janey, sorry to hear that you're having a time of it.    I just hope that things go better for you and you can rest at the weekend.

Good luck with the 2ww....    

Clare


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

Hi Janey - you shoudln't beat yourself up about feeling out of sorts with your DP - fertility treatment is so stressful and its easy to feel like you're doing things all wrong and lessening your chances of success. and   is often the last thing we feel like after all the poking around that goes on in the first half of the month! i'm also on my first iui cycle and in the middle of the 2ww. i've had some spotting and so am worrying whether this is a good or bad sign - my fertility nurse didn't know - i think it was too early for implantation bleeding. i was also told that cycolest could made you totally mental but am feeling strangely up at the moment so god knows what is going on there. what a rollercoaster! i know its difficult but try to keep your spirits up and try to smooth things over with DP - explain how your feeling, explain that all the hormone drugs can have a bit impact on you emotionally, tell him you need lots of TLC - i honestly thing it is hard for the blokes to get just how incredibly exhausting fertility treatment is emotionally and physically. 

i hadn't heard about the milk, water, pineapple jucie so all helpful. unfortunately after a year of fertility treatment (clomid cylces initially as i'm PCOS) i'm not doing too well on the no alcohol front but trying to not drink too much at least!

huge luck with this cycle.
tam x


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## clare mitchell (Mar 10, 2006)

Hi Janeymay, pleased to meet you, I'm new today so not sure if I'm replying properly. Our fourth I.U.I just bloody failed but our third one worked, unfortunately it ended in m/c @ 6 weeks but it gives you some hope, I know the success rate is crappy but when do u say enough is enough. After m/c our consultant said we could have a further 3 attempts or go straight onto IVF but as the third one worked carry on with I.U.I. 

The 2ww is just the toughest thing, it kills you, you can't think of anything else, can't have a glass of wine to help u relax & time goes by so slow it is absolutely unbelievable. We found out this Monday it failed & me & my husband had convinced ourselves, we just felt extremely positive & my boobs were so sore & larger, not to worry, hopefully next time. Please reply as it would be great to speak to somebody going through the same.

Look forward to hearing from you
Clare


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## cheesyb (Oct 31, 2005)

Hiya Claire  

Love
Theresa(just popped in, I am on the IVF & Woking thread) 

love to all


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi janeymay - i left a long rambling message for you on another thread - in the ask a nurse section - take a look. Hope u feel better. xxx

hello theresa

clare - i'm fairly new to all this too and am on my 2ww after my 1st IUI on 3 march. Had bloated belly (gone down now) and very sore boobs too... 

Hello to Sair, Clarebabes too. hope all is well.

xxx


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## Clarebabes (Feb 14, 2006)

Hi everyone,

Janeymay, hope you are feeling better and that things are going well.  Have you tried any of the tips you've heard of yet?

I have been done now and am just going to relax at home for the day.  DP is waiting on me at the moment and we'll see how long it lasts 

Talking of Cyclogest, I forgot to ask today if I needed it at all!  They didn't give me a script for it, so I have just left a message to find out if I do need it or not.  I thought I would because I had to do the HCG jab.

Anyway, positive vibes to all     
Clare
xx


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

Hopeful,

I had my first IUI on 2 March so we're on a similar cycle. Feels somehow better to know others are going through similar processes...it can be very lonely - particularly when everyone else in the world seems to be pregnant. What is that   Anyway, good luck for d-day next Thursday ... 

How are you feeling on the cyclogest? I had been warned that it can make you a bit   but I'm feeling okay mentally, although have had very dry mouth and skin and some nausea. 

Clare - really sorry to hear that your last IUI ddn't work out and that you m/c ... it is really harsh : ( Make sure you give yourself lots of TLC so that you can recharge...

Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi Tam,

nice to hear from you. I was really positive during the first 2 weeks of all this treatment - was just pleased to be doing something positive... but this 2 week wait is really playing havoc with my emotions! First my tummy being bloated... and just generally feeling really unattractive, tearful, irritable, snappy, acting a bit ditzy... and the rest. I've had dry mouth too, but mostly at night....(?). I'm just sat here typing whilst dying my hair brown!!!!! Ovbviously in the need for a change!

My test date is 19th march - apparently its 16 day wait at the clinic i go to... so i'll be testing on the sunday... 
let's keep in touch... have you thought about what you might do if its negative? or is that too pessimistic? I keep thinking about it then checking myself becuase i need to think posiitively!!!

anyway, hope all is well...

Hello to janeymay, clare, cheesyb, clare, sarah, lu and everyone else too 
xxx


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

Hi Hopeful,

I've had 7 cycles of clomid with 6 BFN's (and one that didn't work) so I have to admit that I haven't been feeling very hopeful ... probably mostly because I'm trying to protect myself because each BFN seems to make me feel more terrible and much harder to bounce back from. But of course, even when you're telling yourself not to try to be realistic, there is a big part of you that can't help hoping and I guess that's a good thing. So...if AF comes on Thursday when she's expected, I will have a good cry and feel sorry for myself for a few days and then pick myself up again and carry on with the next IUI (I have 4 in total). I will also treat myself to a bottle of wine   I have my 3 year old nephew coming at the weekend so I probably won't be able to mope around for too long.

And if it is a BFP ... well, I think that I will be in complete shock. And then will start worrying about the next thing  

I can't concentrate at all at the moment. Trying to analyse every sensation even though I know that it is too early to have pregnancy symptoms. I went to the toilet in the next and had bright red blood, which had turned to dirty brown this morning. I'm hoping that this could be implantation spotting of course but I also had some spotting at the start of my 2ww so who knows. It is all so uncertain.

What's next for you if you do get a BFN ... but of course we hope that you won't! 

Right, I really should be working right now   This site is so addictive!

Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi tam,

Gosh it is all soooo hard... and so emotionally draining...

Dp said yesterday that he didn't want to go through this again... (For God's sake man, it's only been ONE IUI!!!!).. think its mostly to do with me being a right little pain in the backside over the weekend! Not sure what we'll do... probably go through it all over again. I've found it hard juggling work and this... not so much the time off for appointments but the emotional side of things. I haven't felt motivated to go to work or get on with the stuff i really should be doing. 

Its funny cos you do try to ground yourself and not get too excited about what could be possible symptoms and i think i do very well at controling these on the outside... but inside i'm dancing about like an idiot thinking... this could be it , this could be it... is it? is it?? !!!! 

Over the past few days i've had some pains in my tummy and i'm convincing myself these are pains to do with implantation... (gotta dream!) so if it is a BFN, the damage has already been done. I can think of nothing else!

So, what day are you testing on? Friday? 

       for us both!!!!

xxxxx


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

ha ha - that made me laugh   men are such wusses sometimes! 

all very spot on - i feel exactly the same ... trying to keep myself grounded but inside am already visualising getting a BFP, struggling to keep up appearances at work, not wanting to be controlled by all this but know i will be compelled to go through it. we did consider going straight to IVF - particularly as i have two friends who have had success with their frist private IVF treatments recently and this has bouyed our hope. but it is so expensive so we figured we should definitely do the IUI first. our NHS IVF treatments should be due early 2007 but i've had some horror stories from some of the london hospitals and their success rates are far below some of the others that I can only access privately. Still, we are very lucky that private an option for us! Are you on an IVF waiting list? 

Yes, testing day is Friday. My periods were very regular on the clomid so, if they stay the same, AF will be Thursday if its coming. But I read on this site that the cyclogest can delay AF so perhaps it won't be the same on the IUI. 

Huge good luck to you to       Of course, we may well have gone insane by testing day (or more likely driven our DPs insane)  

Tam x

Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi Tam,

Oh, you're so close to test date now...!!! only about 3 days to go (and 3 nights!!  I'm constantly counting down until mine!!!). Will you test first thing Fri morn I'll have to jump on the internet whilst i'm at work on Friday to see how you got on!!! Have you got a plan of action about Friday? I doubt you'll feel like working whatever the result!! Will you DP be about?

We had all the pre-scans and stuff done on the NHS... and were told that we were entitled to 1 IUI and 1 IVF on the NHS but that the first IUI would take a good few months before we could start it. So we decided to do an IUI privately first. We have a couple of appointments coming up in another hopsital to start the NHS IUI, but not sure when it'll all kick off. They seem to fart-**** about quite alot! We went private first just so we could start treatment and not wait months and months and months... but financially it is a struggle. I'm not on an IVF waiting list - hadn't thought about that. Will definitely talk to our consultant about this when we see him on Friday (this is our 1st appointment to start the NHS IUI - the irony of it is that i could actually be pregnant whilst seeing him!!!!). Thanks for letting me know about the waiting list though.

I kept wondering about my period - whether it would arrive or not, or come early. When i was due to start treatment, AF was 6 days late - very unlike me! So I have no idea what will happen this month after all the anxiety and interventions...

Certainly feel as if i'm going  ... these last few days til test date will probably go sooooo slowly..... yawn!

Keep breezy Tam!



XXXXX


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

Hi Hopeful (and others!),

I think that AF my have arrived this morning - what a ****er! I'm trying to kid myself that it may not be as it's only 13 days since my injection (the Pregnyl one) and so I wasn't expecting it yet - particularly as I thoguth the cyclogest may delay it. But to be honest it is proper bleeding so it is unlikely that its not AF. [email protected]

Oh well, I guess this is day 1 again.

I'm not starting to wonder whether I'm not pregnant because I didn't completely cut out alochol (although I'm keeping it down to a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend). Also, I haven't been doing things like drink pineapple juice, take wheat germ. I eat quite healthily but I'm not detoxing or anything. I'm really confused as to how much weight I should put on these things. I've been having fertility treatment for nearly a year now and it could go on for another year or more so I don't think it is realistic to cut out everthing that I love - booze, chocolate, cheese - mmmmm

On the IVF - my expereince is that you should definitely get yourself onto the waiting list as soon as possible. I guess it will depend on where you live, your hospital etc., but I live in North London and so have been referred to the Hammersmith. I was referred last October and was told that the waiting list was around 8 months but I have't yet had my first consultation and it is unlikely that the treatment will be until next year. One good thing (for me) is that the postcode lottery means that I will get 2 NHS IVF treatments (whereas if I lived a mile away I would go to a different Primary Healthcare Trust and only get 1. You can get lots of info about clinics from http://www.hfea.gov.uk/Home. If you got the section A-Z of clinics, you can search for clinics in your area and see how compare in success rates.

Right, I'm off to lick my wounds (although perhaps not the best choice of words! )

Good luck for Sunday 

Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi Tam,

Oh [email protected] that witch AF. You are still going to test tmrw though aren't you? you never know.

I'm sure you probably feel disappointed.. but there's always the test... I've heard quite a lot of stories of girls having their period and still being prenant.

I totally agree about the diet thing... ages ago i started being really focussed on eating the 'right' stuff to get me preggers... but it has to be something you can sustain. I've stopped drinking while on my 2ww. (think this was more of a test to see that i could actually stop more than anything!!!! i drank every night 2-3 glasses of wine... so its a big deal for me!) but i've eaten chocolate (lots of... ) and all the rest!

People will always pass on the stuff that they THINK worked for them... but at the end of the day there's no science to it at all. If you can go out and get compltely hammered then get pregnant, it ovbniously won't hurt having a glass of wine!

Thanks for the advice re IVF and NHS and for the web site. 
Let me know about tmrw won't you?!

xxxx


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

Hey Hopeful,

Well i'm in limbo about whether or not my AF has started. Some bleeding yesterday morning (bright red then dirty brown) then nothing all day. Same again this morning (although not so much). Keep feeling like i might have period pains but not sure whether i'm just imagining them. As this is my first IUI, I can't tell how my period should be. Normally I would bleed quite heavily from the off but of course it might be all different on the IUI drugs to the clomid. It is driving me bloody crackers though. Can't concentrate, keep going to the toilet to check, etc. - you know the ropes  

Going to the hospital tomorrow for a scan so should know more then. Testing day isn't 'til Friday. I am sooo tempting to test now but, looking else where on this site, I can see that this is a big no no. 

How are you doing? Managing to think of something other than pregnancy? When did we get so obsessed?? I would love to be able to think of something other than this.

Thanks for the kind words about the do's and don'ts of diet etc. We need to keep this stuff in perspective! (but congratulations on being able to give up the booze on 2ww - i bet you really enjoy that glass of vino inbetween  )

Love
Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi Tam,

Blimey o' riley mate... same thing's just happened to me! This morning i went to the loo and nearly fell over to see i'd been bleeding. Then it seemed to stop by lunchtime and seems to have started again now... it started off very light red.... now is dirty brown like you!!!! Wasn't expecting AF so soon... but it must be it do you think?
I have felt like i'd had period pains but then i seem to have had them throughout this 2ww.

Like you its driving me bonkers - had a long cry this lunchtime away from the office... just want to know one way or another but test day isn't til Sunday. I've been dashing to loo every 2 mins as well to check what's happening next!!!!!! Glad i'm not the only one! Just feeling really frustrated this evening.  

A big NO to testing early... although how tempting is it in our position??!!

How on earth am i gonna get through the next couple of days

just one more full day for you...!!!!! hope the scan goes well - perhaps the nurses will shed some light on your bleeding? (and mine!!!)

lots of luck Tam.

xxxx


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Any news Tam?  
xxx


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

hey hopeful,

well, what are the chances of that! woke up yesterday morning and again had some bleeding but it was heavier than the previous two days and i also felt like i had some cramps so really did suspect that it was the AF this time. went for my scan and my lining was only 5mm so my nurse said it was very unlikely that i was pregnant. they did a blood test and told me to start injecting yesterday evenng unless i heard from them. well AF came good and proper during the day so i wasn't expecting to hear and i didn't ... so no need to do the test. save a few pennies at least, eh  

i described the bleeding to the nurse and she people were just different and that some women had this slow spotting, brown blood (although over the course of the week my has been bright red, brown, pink ... all sorts - well not green or anything  ) and other just came on as normal. so basically, any of the signs could mean anything. not very helpful but perhaps realistic? in some ways it keeps our hope up, eh? but in others it just feeds the obsessiveness of it all.

really sorry that you are going through the same now. i think the uncertainty of it is actually the worst thing - as well as the loss of the control and the way it makes you  . It does sound like it might be your AF - but who knows...reading through the messages here it sounds like some people bleed and then have BFP so this could also happen to you. its a fine line between trying to keep alive that bit of hope and keep your feet grounded, isn't it.

i was sad yesteday and had a few tears but am actually feeling relieved to day that all the bloody uncertainty is over. obviously i would have loved the outcome to have been different but at least now I can look foward again rather than being stuck in the limbo. We had another bit of bad news though - the nurse told us that they put less than 10mil of DH's fellas in. We knew that his count wasn't that hot but they'd said it was okay. Hopefully this low count was a reflection of his excesses around Christmas (about 70 days for the sperm production woudl be about right, eh?) and we'll have a better shot next time. The nurse said she had seen success on less than 5mil but, really, it may be possible but it's hardly probabe is it?? So, i'll be searching on the board for advice about that now ... something else to obsess about. My DH will be soo happy  

Try to keep you chin up lovely. This is the worst bit. Sending you lots of  . I've got my family staying at the weekend but I'll log on Sunday evening to see how it goes with you.

Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hiya Tam,

Sorry that your fears were confirmed... does this mean you're straight into the next cycle of tx??

I had my heaviest Af for ages so i'm absolutely certain i'm not pregnant. Sunk the best part of a bottle of wine last night i'm that sure!!! Had a hospital appoinment yesterday. This was our 1st visit to the place where we will have our NHS IUI. We had to go to do a SA (not very nice for 1st visit). I found it all really indiscrete too... there were scan rooms just off the waiting room that you could ACTUALLY SEE INTO!!!!! flippin' 'eck!

DP and i spent all morning arguing too (not the best thing to do before a SA!) - think we were both disappointed and took it out on each other. Back to that same hopsital on Monday for a consultation with the consultant - although feel this is all a waste of time really. we've been through all this before . Why can't they just compare notes!

Hang on in there re the low count - it CAN happen!!

I'm going to do the test tmrw (why, i really don't know!) and then we're going to start tx again next month. So got just over 3 weeks til next AF then it will all kick off again... what a game, eh?!

Will let you know how things go on Sunday... have fun with your family over the weekend.

lots of love
xxx


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## TON (Mar 9, 2006)

Yeah, I can imagine it's a bit of shock to the system going from private to NHS rather than the opposite way! I've only had treatment on the NHS so far and, although the nurses are great, they're overworked and the hopsital is just chaotic ... i really don't know how they manage to treat anyone effectively. or why they can't manage to get better systems in place! The scan rooms are private at least (oh my god...how can they have scan rooms that you can see it to!) but it always makes me laugh (well you have to!) that they mix all us infertile women in with the pregnant women having their scans. Hardly rocket science is it! I had a trainee sonographer doing my scan the other day - it took about 15mins because she couldn't find my ovaries becuase of the 'bowel gas' (nice!) and in the end I had her and the usual sonographer both holding the scanner together (i mean, c'mon....) Anyway, I'd better stop. I can rant about the NHS for some time  

Sorry to hear that you also are pretty sure that your AF has arrived and hope that you're not feeling too awful. It's so hard to keep spirits up ... i find the wine does help (only kidding!) As for arguing with the DP, it really is par for the course isn't it and, I agree, the arguments always seem to happen at the worst moments. I really do think that a sense of humour is the most necessary piece of equipment to see us through this! 

Silly question but does tx mean treatment?  If so, yes, I'm straight into my second IUI so back on the injections and scans ....

Take care
Tam x


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi Tam 

Hope you had a nice weekend with your family. Good to hear you're going into IUI 2 ... fingers crossed eh?! i really hope it works for you this time....    

The place where we're going to do the NHS treatment (yeah tx is treatment i think!!!) is the same place that others go to do their private tx... so its nothing to do with a different level of service, i think its just a different way of doing it and when you're used to one place you feel comfortable in its hard to switch.

And I agree about mixing pregnant women with us... its so bloody insensitive. 1st time i went ot our local hospital for a consultation i cried every time a pregnant woman walked past! Hopeless!

Today i think i had my worst day - argued all last night with DP... he slept on the sofa... we finally made it up this morning but then did preg test (which of course was negative!) and that set me off being tearful for the rest of the day - i was still carrying some hope! Anyway, we went out but i just feel as if i could burst into tears any time. Trying really hard to hold it together today. Sure i will be better tmrw... just an emotional day really!

Hope things are better for you and that having your family around has taken your mind off things....
xxxx


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## Hopeful4712 (Mar 1, 2006)

Hey Tam - haven't heard from you gfor a whle - you ok?
xxx


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