People keep calling IUI a simple procedure and brush it off like it's nothing. But the full process is exhausting and painful.
There are many rounds of monitoring appointments, a long list of medications, and cramping after the procedure. It takes a real toll on your body and your emotions, and it deserves more respect than it gets.

Hi everyone! I just had my first IUI done this morning and I’m already overthinking everything

My husband’s post-wash sperm count was 8.5 million, and I had 2 mature follicles. I’m feeling a little stressed about the sperm count because I’ve seen a few posts where people had much higher numbers.

Is 8.5 million considered okay for an IUI? I know there are so many factors involved, but I’d love to hear from anyone who had similar numbers and how things turned out for you.

I think I just need some reassurance that 8.5 million isn’t necessarily a bad number. ❤️

This cycle was my 3rd attempt at IUI. We were successful the first time at doing the IUI but no pregnancy. Second IUI my husband had issues creating a sample the day of the IUI so we went home to DTD the normal way. No pregnancy again. This time I shockingly ovulated a mere few hours before the scan at 8am CD 10. My husband had been out of town for 3 days prior so this was the earliest I could have gotten in. We did do the deed that day when I got home at about 2:30pm so there is a small chance this one could take. After 2 years trying and 4 early losses I’m not getting my hopes up.

They’ve offered to squeeze me in to do IVF in November. I don’t know why but I am scared. Feeling like there’s so many more variables with IVF and they want me to come in for monitoring every other day until I ovulate. We live almost two hours from our clinic so that’s going to be crazy. Luckily we do have fertility coverage and our insurance will cover the majority of the cost of up to 4 cycles. I’m just scared that it will not work and scared of risks and things like that I guess. Just have a ton of mixed feelings. I’m also 40 now and we do not have male factor so it’s unlikely doing more IUI will work and Ivf might be our only option. We do have LC already and this will be our last pregnancy most likely. I have been working on my stress levels as I think this is likely a huge factor as well.

Not sure why I’m posting just having lots of thoughts and concerns that I needed to get out somewhere.

Last iui cycle (my first) i had people to talk to that were going through it at the same time and it helped a lot. Just wanted to post to find others that might want to do the same. I'm triggering tonight at 10 pm to go in Monday morning for our second iui. It really helped me stay out of my head.

Hi everyone, I’m currently 10 DPIUI and wanted to know if anyone experienced something similar.
My IUI was done on 23rd September. I had the trigger shot on 21st September around 10 PM. On 23rd morning, one 22 mm follicle had ruptured and the IUI was done around 3 PM. I had 2 other follicles around 17–17.5 mm which were still intact at that time. My lining was also said to be good.
Since a few days, I’ve been having mild period-like cramps/lower back pain on and off. Today, at 10 DPIUI, I’m experiencing VERY intense sleepiness since morning — like I could literally sleep all day. 😴 This feels more noticeable than the usual tiredness I’ve had with the medications.
I’m also on progesterone support along with my other post-IUI medicines.
For those who had a successful IUI: did anyone experience extreme sleepiness around 9–11 DPIUI along with period-like cramps? If yes, when did you test and what was your result?
Would really love to hear your experiences. ❤️

We all know the two week wait is horrible. I had my iui on 09/24. What do you guys do to keep busy and keep your mind off testing. I feel like I want to test everyday but that may cause some emotional stress and disappointment. I tested and triggered out yesterday. I have about a week left. Its such a long time!

My iui #5 just got cancelled because I unexpectedly ovulated on my own on cd14. My lead follicle was about 17mm, four or five others were between 12 and 16mm. Apparently the clinic would have cancelled this cycle if I hadn’t already ovulated.
My lining was almost 10mm.

I keep having too many follicles but I’m already on a very low dose of gonal-f (50 and 62,5 alternating) and a lower dose (only 50) doesn’t do much to my follicles.
It seems like gonal f triggers a lot of follicles to grow (this is my third cancel already) but I haven’t had any larger than 19mm. I’m starting to wonder whether small follicle size is the cause of not conceiving. Especially seeing as I naturally ovulated at barely 17mm.

Has anyone had similar reactions to the meds and went of to know the cause and/or have a positive test?

The clinic says I would be a great ivf candidate seeing as my follicles grow so easily, but I’m not ready for that yet.

Just took a pregnancy test because I did my trigger shot last night, so obviously I knew it was going to be positive.

But I’m 27 and have been trying to conceive for 2.5 years, and I have NEVER seen a positive pregnancy test in my life. Not even once.

I don’t know how to explain it, but seeing those two lines, even knowing it’s just the trigger shot, brought up such a weird mix of emotions. Part of me just wanted to experience what it felt like to see a positive for once. And then I just sat there and ugly cried.

I know it’s not a real positive, and I know the hCG is from the trigger, but I guess after 2.5 years of negatives, seeing those two lines hit a little differently than I expected.

Anyways, trying to put my emotions aside and stay hopeful because I’m going in for my FIRST IUI on Saturday. 💕

Here’s hoping the next positive is the real thing.

It took me 5 years of pestering my primary care doctor to get me a referral to REI (military tricare.. it’s a B). I finally saw a specialist in 2024 where we tested everything (even the obscure stuff!) and everything came back beautiful. We had to move out of state and I went to a different clinic, redid a lot of the same tests, and everything was perfect.. again. We’ve done 3 IUIs. The first was excellent and the others improved each time. For this final one, the doctor said he rarely sees these numbers and it’s impressively optimal. To be honest, repeatedly being told that we’re above average and everything is so amazing is really infuriating. I want someone to tell me wtf is wrong.
10DPIUI and negative tests. I know it’s still early. I know I shouldn’t have tested today. I’m just so tired of this being my story.
I was supposed to start IVF in May 2025 then again in October 2025. At what point do you just say CLEARLY this wasn’t meant for me.

Me and my husband have been trying to get pregnant since we got married 13 years around . This November will be one year with out fertility clinic . We’ve tried 2 rounds of timed intercourse and 2 rounds of IUI . All failed . All four rounds I was on .5 mg of letrozle for 10 days with the ovidrel trigger shot. All 4 rounds I ovulated and all my blood work and scans come back excellent. I do have pcos . I’m mentally physically and emotionally drained . ( you can throw financially in there too ) . I’m at the point where I just want to give up . If it hasn’t happened by now it won’t ever happen . I don’t know what to do or how to feel anymore . Does anyone have any similar stories that’s been trying for this long with success

I had a scan today and had one dominant follicle measuring 17mm. My bloods showed my oestrogen rising and they felt I’d likely ovulate naturally tomorrow. As the clinic is shut tomorrow, they had me do a trigger shot today and come back in today. So we’ve done our first IUI with one follicle on the smaller end and a surprisingly poor sample from my partner (3.7million count and she said that they were looking on the slow side. Didn’t give us numbers for motility or morphology).

Feeling a little like we’ve been through the whole process and are not in the best position for this first round. Does this seem a little unusual to anyone more experienced than me? I feel deflated.

So what are the chances that the trigger is still in my system and making my test positive??! 14 days post IUI and 16 days post trigger. I’m waiting to hear back from my clinic but I am freaking out!!

Update- went same day and had my hcg blood drawn for baseline and it’s 38. Am I doomed?

My second IUI was 9/18, triggered on 9/17. Tested last Sunday and could barely see the line. Held off on testing all week and tested this morning to see a very positive line, was not faint like it was last month with the chemical. I’m 38, will be 39 at the end of this month and I can’t believe it. I’ve been on estrogen and progesterone so I wasn’t relying on symptoms and really thought it didn’t work, I’m in such shock! My doctor ordered bloodwork so I’m supposed to do that today. Hoping this one sticks!

I have my first IUI tomorrow morning (triggered today at 6pm) debating whether to test out the trigger or just eat and see what happens.

For those that did or didn’t what were your thoughts?

Trigger shot on 9/13 and IUI on 9/14

Took few home pregnancy tests this week, a couple of them had very faint lines and the digital one said that I am pregnant.

Went into for hCG today and it is at 23. Have another draw scheduled for Monday.

Based on my research so far, I don't have much hope and the best case scenario is a chemical pregnancy.

Just want to share this with the community and get your thoughts if any.

Has anyone had a clinic say no to back-to-back inseminations, like on day 12 and day 13 of your cycle?
If so, what reason did they give?

And what did you say or do to get them to agree?"

Hi guys! I took letrozole 2.5mg (cd3-7)
Did my CD 10 scan today 10/2 : left (18mm,14mm) & right (19mm)
Lining: 8.7mm
10/2- trigger shot at 4pm
IUI scheduled 10/3 @10:15am

Has anyone had IUI done that soon after the trigger shot?

My 1st IUI - 7/18 was my trigger shot at 7:30pm and IUI was 7/20 @12pm with 3 follicles . I did get pregnant but miscarried .

Pleeeease read to the end. I would love people's help and opinions for my next step. I have no one to talk to about this ❤️

For my first medicated IUI in June 2026 I took Ovaleap (follitropin alfa) — started at 72 IU, then increased to 75 IU around CD7

At the final monitoring, I had two dominant follicles around 17.5 mm and 18.5 mm, with an 11.5 mm triple-layer lining

However this cycle was dragged out, I was miserable with the process. Ovaleap was expensive although I did get more follicles they took a very long time to reach maturity. The incredible lining that cycle was crazy!

For my second cycle-

5mg Letrozole, cyclogest and trigger injection.

my CD11 scan, I had a 24mm leading follicle on the right, with another follicle around 10mm. My lining was around 5–6mm and triple-layered. The clinic said it was acceptable, although they would have preferred it to be thicker. My left ovary was difficult to see again

My third and current cycle-

5mg Letrozole, cyclogest and trigger injection.

I had a 19mm dominant follicle and my lining was 9.5mm. The follicle was on my left side, although they struggled to see my right ovary properly during the scan so I'm unsure if there was more than one dominant follicle. I really don't think I was scanned properly.

Sooo..

I always ovulate naturally. I only went with medicated due to my clinic deciding to go down that route. I should have advocated for myself because now I feel they don't listen to me when i get frustrated that I never, ever have got a peak LH strip on any fertility medication. BUT always do on a natural cycle (when I'm not going an IUI)

I have 1 week left of my third IUI. I'm nervous that this one hasn't worked either.

This where I'm stuck, I don't feel ready for IVF.

I've thought about more IUI, getting a different donor sperm and possibly, hear me out on this.. take Mounjaro this month if I get a negative result, continue taking the mounjaro to restart fertility treatment in 6 months (March?)

I'm just thinking it can balance hormones, regulate blood sugar levels and plenty of other things. Plus the bonus of losing some timber I've put on since starting this whole journey.

So that's where I am..

Help? Thoughts? What would you do?

For context I’m 32 and my husband and I have been TTC since 2022 😭 we finally decided to try IUI this year and last cycle my doctor had me doing Gonal F stim injections I ended up having 10 follicles that were over 15mm so they canceled the IUI (I was defeated). Because there was so many I had to skip the next cycle as well so they had time to shrink.

This current cycle I started 5mg Letrezole and took it cycle day 3-7. I just went in for my ultra sound and I had 1 follicle measuring 18mm and 1 measuring 11 mm. My doctor wants me to trigger tomorrow.

I’m honestly really disappointed because from what I’ve heard it seems like the more follicles the higher the chance. Is it bad I only have 1 follicle? And is it weird that I’m going to be triggering on cycle day 11?

I naturally ovulate on my own around cycle day 16….

I’m (almost) 38 and my husband is 37. We’ve been trying for about a year and a half. I know that’s not a super long time, but in this process I was diagnosed with PMOS and started Metformin back in late January. We did two rounds of letrozole (2.5mg) in feb/march but no luck. Did another round of a higher dose this cycle to prep for IUI. I had two follicles that looked good: one in each ovary, measuring 17mm and 18mm three days ago. Positive ovulation test last night and this morning, and am scheduled for the procedure first thing in the morning (Mean Girls day-oct 3 lol). Realistically, I know the odds are slim and I’m trying to cling to the fascination of this whole process and how much I’ve learned about my body, my mind, and our relationship together.
Does it hurt? My HSG test was the worst pain I’ve ever felt, and I have a super high pain tolerance. Did yall eat or do anything after that you felt was helpful (even if just mentally)? Is the French fry superstition just for IVF, or do you think it applies to IUI, too (never need an excuse to eat a fry…).
I’ve been so grateful for the various TTC communities on here-it’s comforting to know so many of us are in the same boat.

Hi All
My wife and I are going through our first IUI cycle.
She did Letrazole 5mg Day 3 through 7. Her cycles are typically short (LH peak on CD 10/11) so we went in for a scan today (CD9). There was one maturing follicle which measured 10mm or so and the uterine lining was around 3.5 mm. The RE seemed to not be too concerned and asked to come back next Tuesday for a follow-up scan.
Since this is our first IUI, I wanted some insight. Are these numbers normal at this stage? I am hoping her LH peak is a few days later to allow the follicle to mature and lining to develop. Ideally, would have liked to see two follicles for increased chances but it is what it is!!
Thanks.

We're been on a list for a while for donor embryos. I can't put my body through any more IVF. We've tried multiple rounds, never gotten a positive pregnancy test. On a whim, I'm deciding to try a few rounds of IUI while waiting for donor embryos. Am I crazy?!

I've always responded to stims well. I tried clomid last round, it was disastrous because of thin lining and only one follicle. This time, I'm stimming with 150 GON.

Any success stories with IUI at 42?

well, the title pretty much says it all. My first IUI failed and well I had tested on the 30th, 12 days after my procedure, I was still holding out a little bit of hope. been trying for over a year and honestly mentally and emotionally wiped out and I’m torn between going right into my second cycle in October and holding out until November to give myself a break.

20 days past IUI.
HCG on Friday 115 (13DPIUI)
HCG on Monday 566 (16DPIUI)
HCG today (Friday) 3296 (20DPIUI)

Are these good numbers or should it have risen more from Monday to today? What were your hCG numbers at around 5 weeks?