IUI or IVF? IUI or IVF? I've kept myself busy this cycle thinking about what path forward is best for us. Ever since I was warned by my RE last month of the risk of high order multiples (I developed 5 follicles), I've wondered if IUI is right for us.
But to be honest, I'm scared of IVF. I don't like needles and I really don't like A LOT of needles! I sucked it up last month to take Foll.istim for 6 days, but I've read enough blogs to know that IVF involves more scary needles multiple times a day.
I'm also scared of egg retrieval and the hormonal roller coaster, but most importantly, I'm scared of failure. Rationally, I know that nothing is certain, but I find comfort knowing that there's still "a next step" if our current attempts are not successful.
When I look at the downside of doing IUI with gonadotropins, this is what I think about:
- lower chance of success than IVF
- possibility of a cancelled cycle due to too many follicles (a nice problem to have?)
- the chance that I will only be able to cycle every two months due to cysts
- higher probability of triplets or more
The last is the scariest for me because selective reduction really isn't an option for me. The most concerning is the possibility that each failed IUI cycle will leave me with leftover cysts and a month off. I have no desire to take an entire year to get through 6 IUIs.
I don't know what to do. I don't like the invasiveness of IVF, nor the number of shots or the cost, but in some ways it just seems like the way to go if I want to get pregnant faster. I suppose that as long as my cysts are gone at my next baseline ultrasound, I'll march forward with another IUI cycle and talk to my RE, see what she recommends, and go from there. I still have a ways to go before that happens; after all, it's only CD18 (and counting).
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It's a hard decision.
ReplyDeleteTook me and my hubby over a year to decide to move on from IUI to IVF.
I'm in the middle of my 1st IVF cycle, and I have to say I'm feeling more hopeful than I have in a LONG time.
Take the time you need to decide, it's a big decision!
Hi Shelly, thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteI went through the same thing, and what kept us with IUIs for so long was that 1) it worked to get me knocked up with my kiddo, so we knew it wasn't just a shot in the dark (haha, no pun intended), and 2) I have pretty good insurance coverage, so I knew I could afford to throw around a few IUIs without it killing us.
So, I did SIX IUIs. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted 8 months on 6 IUIs. I wish I had gone to IVF sooner. But, who has a crystal ball?
There's nothing that says that you have to risk multiples with IVF - you can control things so much better, so why not do eSET's? (Single embryo transfers) Twins (or higher, shudder) scare the bejeebus out of me, too.
Good luck in your decision - it's a tough one!
Thanks for the inputs ladies! My inclination is to do an IUI cycle in November and see what happens. If I develop several follicles or I end up with cysts again, I'll probably move to IVF. If not, I'm not sure what we'll do. I called on Friday to get costs, and I think I'll be able to get a couple of cycles covered by insurance.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell!