“INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION” – DELVING DEEP INTO THE FIRST PHASE OF FERTILITY TREATMENT.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). This particular process is almost the very first step of treatment recommended by fertility experts to couples who are finding it difficult to get or stay pregnant. Although the name is somewhat complex, along with a lot of technical terms on the internet stirring a lot of stigmas around the treatment, this process is rather simple when compared to the sea of fertility treatments out there.
At Vizag IVF Centre, our team of expert doctors deeply diagnose the underlying causes of infertility as well as the couples’ lifestyle, genetic issues and other health conditions before carefully crafting a treatment plan that suits the mental wellbeing of the trying couple. But as well as it may sound, it is natural for a lot of individuals/couples to feel stressed or nervous before starting the treatment. Often, the first treatment involves IUI, we assure them it’s a fairly painless process.
But what is IUI really?
Short for Intrauterine Insemination, It’s a process of injecting healthy sperm of the male partner directly into the uterus (womb) of the female partner. To be straight to the point, it’s an easy and painless process. But there is a lot more to the preparation of the sperm and ovaries before the insemination happens or simply, releasing sperm into the uterus takes place.
Prior to the process of insemination, the sperm of the male partner is collected and carefully separated from dead cells and other unusable sperm. This process is often called “washing” – leading to a healthy concentrated sperm ready to be injected into the uterus. If there is more than required sperm collected for the process, it is carefully frozen at – 196-degree centigrade temperature, enabling them for future requirements, if needed.
Often, there might be unexplained reasons why there might not be regular ovulation happening in female partners. IUI is best recommended for these types of unexplained infertility issues. For maximum assurance of IUI success, the female partner is prescribed appropriate fertility drugs between the 2nd to 5th day after her period to enhance ovulation. There is a chance that the female partner might develop more than one ovary in the process. IUI generally produces a greater chance of having twins in the process – so, expert fertility doctors always take care of the chances of multiple ovulations.
To insert healthy, washed sperm into the uterus of the female partner, A rubber catheter is gently inserted into the female uterus through the vaginal/cervical opening. Then the sperm are simply injected into the uterus through the catheter using a very slim injector/tube. The catheter is removed and the female partner is generally advised to lie back for a few minutes after this process to eliminate any signs of discomfort during the process. The entire process of insemination is expected to be done within one hour and the couple can resume their daily activities after the process is complete.
A few things to keep in mind while undergoing IUI:
Spotting after the process: It is absolutely normal to see blood spots after the process is complete, as vaginal walls might be a bit terse with the rubber catheter inserted during the process.
Multiple Pregnancy at a time: IUI process can be made with or without the aid of fertility drugs. In severe cases of unidentified infertility or in lack of ovulation, drugs can be administered to increase ovary(egg) production. This can lead to multiple ovary fertilization. I.e., pregnancy resulting in one or more babies on the way.
Waiting time for the IUI Success: Generally, the couple is advised to wait for 2 whole weeks after the artificial insemination process, to determine the success of IUI. The pregnancy can be confirmed by taking a pregnancy test with readily available pregnancy kits on the market.
IUI has helped a lot of trying couples in a promising pregnancy. In cases where IUI doesn’t yield promising results, IVF is carried out to enhance the chances of pregnancy.
Vizag IVF Centre is a state-of-art speciality meeting Fertility clinic located in Visakhapatnam and has branches in Vizianagaram and Gajuwaka. VIZAG IVF CENTRE provides the best quality, comprehensive, holistic care to Infertile couples and women at a reasonable cost. An interdisciplinary team of expert and caring professionals is committed to meeting the medical as well as emotional needs of couples trying to conceive. The architecture is soothing and dignified, with a clean, modern design. The success rates for the treatments made in the clinic are commendable proof of our reputation in the field of fertility treatments.
Want to find out more? Or need expert advice on your ongoing issues with pregnancy? Give us a call and we assure you we to help you with all things’ pregnancy!!!