START IVF or go for IUI#2? 6yrs TTC (photo from prev.ectopic pregnancy)

Question

Hi! I was originally looking for an IUI group but I can’t find recent posts so I’m posting here. I hope u don’t mind or please redirect me if there’s a more appropriate place to post. Long story short, we’ve been TTC for 6 years. We did our IUI on Oct 2, 2023. It was successful but then later found out it was ectopic so I lost my right tube. My REI told me during my follow-up visit that I was starting to have endometriosis so he highly suggested I go start IVF instead of doing my second IUI since I have mild hydrosalpinx (my left tube is slightly inflamed but dye passed thru during HSG). He said, I’d be risked for another ectopic & I had better chance with IVF but we don’t have the money for IVF yet. We need at least 6 months to get it. Nothing covers fertility treatments from where I came from. But my Dr. told me, he was just laying options, he was not forcing us to go straight IVF so now, I’ not sure whether to go for my 2nd IUI or just save up with IVF. Also, I don’t have any experience with uterine pregnancy so I’m scared of miscarriages in case we try IVF. Stepping on the “last resort” is really a hard decision to make. So, do u think, I should give IUI another try or just go for IVF? Also, for those of u who do IVF, may I know the reasons why u had to do IVF? Just want to see if we are sharing the same experience.

Answer

Hi Juvia!
I’m very sorry to hear about your ectopic pregnancy. I know how hard the disappointment can be. My husband and I were against IVF in the beginning, but after a failed IUI we decided we were tired of trying without success so we decided to do IVF and it was the best decision we ever made.
Our biggest deciding factor was my age. We knew we wanted more kids, so we thought IVF would give us the best chance to freeze embryos for the future. We also wanted the option to test our embryos to help prevent miscarriages from any genetic abnormalities. 
I have 1 son who was conceived naturally when I was 33. I was 35 when we decided to do IVF for baby #2 and I was 36 when I finally did my 1st my transfer with my daughter, who is now 2. I did my second transfer just 2 weeks before turning 40 and now I’m pregnant with a boy. When I did my egg retrieval we collected 16 eggs and ended up with 4 genetically normal embryos to freeze. 
Honestly if you have to wait 6 months that’s kind of ideal because you can start prepping your body now. It takes at around 3 months for any supplements to start improving your egg quality and your husband’s sperm, and the longer you prep the better. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend picking up a copy of “It Starts with the Egg” and start taking all of the supplements that the book recommends. Also ask your fertility dr what workup is required before you start IVF. For example, you need to be up to date on your annual physical, Pap smear, mammogram (some clinics require yearly mammograms for IVF patients), genetic blood work for both you and your husband, regular annual bloodwork, and my dr also required some bloodwork to be repeated every 2-6 months. You can also have a uterine biopsy done during your waiting time and a hysteroscopy. Some drs like to do a hysteroscopy right before your transfer so you should double check what your dr prefers. For endometriosis you can have a laparoscopy done to try to remove it, or you can try taking Lupron for a couple of months before IVF to calm it down so it doesn’t interfere with your egg quality. It sounds like a lot, but it’s definitely a good idea to talk to your fertility dr to get an idea of timelines, requirements, etc so you have an idea in your mind. 
Best of luck!

Answer

Hi Juvia, I also have experience with ectopics so wanted to share my story that led me to IVF. Fall of 2022 I got pregnant the first month we began trying for baby #2. I started having spotting right away after taking a HPT and assumed I was having a really early miscarriage (I had miscarriages before my now 2 yr old, so just figured it was happening again). The bleeding and pain got worse over a week or so, and by the time I went to the doctor he sent me to the emergency room where I had surgery and removal of my ruptured left tube. 
We continued to try naturally after that without any testing. Nothing was happening after 6 months so I booked an appointment with a fertility specialist and went in on day 2 of my period. Much to my surprise my blood work came back with a really low positive HCG. It was so low a home pregnancy test wouldn’t have even caught it. After monitoring it was determined to likely be an ectopic and because it was found so early treated with methotrexate. 
After the second ectopic I had an HSG done and found out my right tube was totally blocked (one of the most painful experiences ever 😖). 
So my one tube is useless which brought us to IVF. With your tube being at least partially open you still have a shot. It’s such a tough call. If you are able to be monitored very closely and early and you are ok with the possibility of needing to treat another ectopic you could move forward that way. One thing to note is that if you needed methotrexate, you have to wait 3 months after treatment to continue ttc. For me personally I wish I’d had the HSG after my first ectopic and moved right to IVF saving myself the time and heartache, but of course your situation is different bc your tube is not totally blocked. 
Anyway that’s my story and I hope it at least helps to know you aren’t alone in all this. Best of luck and i hope you get some clarity on your next steps soon!

Answer

Firstly I personally don’t mind if you post here but I think you might find the medically assisted group better (see pic for name) as that’s for iui/ivf etc, so there might be people in the exact same situation as yourself.
Sorry your going through this though as it’s a rubbish place to be, so I hope you find the best option/treatment for yourself and get your baby
Personally we can only do IVF due to my husband having no Vas Deference so his sperm cant get out. He had to get his sperm collected surgically and then ICSI (sperm injected into the egg) 
We’ve had 2 round now first was a fresh transfer and gave us our 3 year old, second has also been successfully and Iv just got my positive test (beta tomorrow) 
Anyway I hope you find the answers you’re looking for.

Answer

Hi Juvia, welcome to the group! 😊 I’m sorry to hear about your ectopic pregnancy and it’s difficult outcomes :< I’m not sure what your age is, but I’d like to share my story if that helps you at all. I’m currently 36 (and 16w pregnant, following IVF treatment). We’ve been trying to conceive for at least 4 years with no success. Then we decided to consult a fertility clinic. After thorough scans and diagnostics, the verdict was unexplained infertility. 
When we asked about recommended next steps our doctors strongly encouraged us to go for IVF instead of IUI. She said age was a factor for me and we had a better chance of success with IVF. It was a bit of a shocker but we decided to trust her. We only got two embryos from our last egg retrieval which was a disappointment for me, I was sure that wasn’t enough, yet few months later I got pregnant with our first embryo. 
Now, the money is a big factor, always, but I would say that considering your ectopic pregnancy aftermath, IVF could be a safer option without risking your other tube. Ultimately it’s up to you and I wish you all the luck regardless of what your next steps will be!! ♥️

START IVF or go for IUI#2? 6yrs TTC (photo from prev.ectopic pregnancy)

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