The counselors will also answer any additional questions that you may have.Starting on day 2 of your period, you will be given hormonal injections for the next 10-12 days during which you can also walk around the city and go sight-seeing. Give New York Reproductive Wellness a call today to talk to a doctor about a fertility evaluation.Step 1 – Ovarian stimulation: Plan to be there on day 1 of your period for assessment and counseling-the doctor will discuss your medical history, lifestyle, concerns, and suggest any remaining investigations. You may be dealing with undiagnosed fertility issues like a hormone imbalance or uterine abnormalities. If you’ve been trying to get pregnant naturally for about a year, but haven’t had success, it may be time to consider fertility treatments. However, a doctor will not recommend IUI for women with fallopian tube disease or endometriosis, or those who have a history of pelvic infections. It can also be a suitable treatment in cases of unexplained infertility, or for a known cervical condition like cervical mucus or cervical scar tissue from past procedures. IUI is typically used if the male partner has a low sperm count or inadequate sperm mobility. When Is Intrauterine Insemination Recommended? Patients should be sure to inform their doctor right away if the feeling becomes painful. Cramping should not be severe, but every woman’s body is different. Taking Tylenol and lying down for a few hours should alleviate this discomfort. Patients may also experience cramping after the process if the uterus is mildly irritated. Slight bleeding may occur if the tube scrapes the cervix, but this is not a cause for concern. Cramping may occur as the catheter is passed through the cervix, but will typically go away soon after the catheter is removed. During the procedure, women may experience a slight pinching sensation, similar to a Pap smear. In fact, ovulation itself can cause some cramping, especially if the patient is taking ovulation medication. That being said, it’s not unusual to experience cramping or slight bleeding during or after the procedure. The procedure takes about five to 10 minutes at the clinic, and does not require anesthesia or painkillers. IUI should not be painful, and most women don’t experience much discomfort. Following the procedure, the cervix should protect against the sperm leaking from the uterus. Because the healthy sperm is directed closer to the egg, the chances of a resulting pregnancy may be higher. The syringe pushes the sperm through the tube and into the uterus. During the procedure, the doctor will clean the cervix and vagina with a mild solution, then insert a thin, flexible tube through the cervix into the uterus. The specimen is then placed in a syringe. This sample is ‘washed’ by the lab, separating the semen from the seminal fluid to concentrate the healthy sperm within the specimen.
IUI requires a semen sample, either collected at home or in the clinic. Either way, careful tracking ensures optimal timing for the procedure.
Some patients may be on medication that stimulates ovulation, while others may be following their natural cycle. The IUI procedure is always scheduled to occur at the time of ovulation. IUI can be an appropriate choice for many patients, and may be used for several cycles. While pregnancy rates are actually higher with IVF, especially for patients closer to age 40, an IUI procedure still offers success rates as high as 20% per cycle, depending on the age and fertility of the patient. IUI tends to be less expensive and invasive than solutions like IVF, and therefore tends to be an early option in fertility treatment. A doctor may recommend IUI if traditional methods have not worked for opposite-sex partners, but the procedure is also an option for single women or same-sex couples.
A quick and low-tech procedure, IUI is also sometimes referred to as donor insemination, alternative insemination, or artificial insemination. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a common form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that improves the chances of fertilization.
Intrauterine insemination is a simple and generally painless procedure that can help women increase their chances of becoming pregnant.