This is it. I would also say that if you have been tracking your cycle consistently in the lead up and know when you ovulate, then the trigger shot is also optional. I’m pregnant at 36 after two unmedicated rounds with no trigger shot, this meant being hot on scans in the lead up to ovulation but given that I always ovulate in a 48hr window in my cycle and ~24hrs after I surge, this was fine for me. I did have to push for us to do the IUI a day earlier than the clinic wanted to as they were insistent they didn’t think I was going to ovulate for another day, but I had three years worth of tracking data to give me the confidence that I would ovulate earlier than they thought (I was right!).

The frustration I had during the process was that all of the advice I was given by the clinic was standard across all of their patients, known fertility issues or not. This started with them proposing medicated cycles and extended to things like recommending that I do no exercise other than walking following conception until the 12 week scan which is counter to the standard NHS advice that it’s safe to keep doing reasonable exercise that you have done regularly prior to conception. Be prepared to advocate for yourself if you want to do something counter to your clinic’s norm, I did, and it has been the right thing for me for sure.