What is the IUI treatment process?
IUI treatment is less invasive and complex than traditional IVF since it’s a simpler process. These are the steps you can expect during your IUI procedure with Care Fertility.
Step 1: Consultation
You’ll have an initial consultation with your fertility consultant to discuss your fertility health, and whether an IUI procedure would be the right option for you. Your consultant will also explain any tests that you’ll need before starting IUI treatment.
Step 2: Ovulation
IUI can be performed during your natural ovulation cycle, but if you have any issues with ovulation then we can use fertility drugs to help stimulate egg maturation.
We usually time IUI treatment to coincide with ovulation, using blood or urine tests and ultrasound to carefully monitor the ovulation cycle. If needed, we might also trigger ovulation with medication and then time the procedure to take place 36 hours later.
You’ll need to come into the clinic around day 7 to 9 of your cycle for an ultrasound scan so we can check the progress of your eggs and the growth of the follicles (the fluid-filled structures that contain the eggs).
When you have follicles of the appropriate number and size in your ovary, you may be given a urine dipstick kit to measure your LH levels (ovulation hormone) and advised to contact the clinic when you have a positive LH test. Or you may be given a final injection to release the the eggs 24 to 40 hours later.
Step 3: Preparing sperm
On the day of your IUI procedure, the sperm you’re using will be prepared, either from your partner’s sperm sample or from a frozen donor sample.
Step 4: IUI procedure
A vial containing your sperm sample is attached to a very fine, flexible plastic tube, which is inserted through the vagina and the cervical opening, finishing in the uterus. Sperm is then pushed through the tube and into the uterus, where they will reach the Fallopian tubes where they’ll hopefully fertilise the eggs.
The procedure only takes a few minutes to complete and is almost always painless. Some mild discomfort may occur, and you may experience mild cramps, but both feelings should disappear once the process is over.
Step 5: Monitoring
We’ll monitor your progress after your IUI procedure. After the treatment, some patients may require progesterone pessaries to help keep the lining of the womb receptive to any embryo that may form. Your consultant will discuss this with you.
Before you decide to have IUI, it’s worth remembering that - as with any fertility treatment - there is no guarantee of success. IUI success rates are low in comparison to IVF. Your fertility specialist will make a treatment recommendation based on your individual circumstances.