Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

A: Before and after an IUI, you can largely keep to your normal activities. You can try to increase your odds of a successful pregnancy by following the dos and don’ts below:

Do:

• Take your folic acid during IUI treatment
• Eat a balanced diet and take care of yourself
• Exercise as you normally do but keep it light and low-impact, such as light aerobics, walking and yoga
• Have sex regularly
• Limit yourself to 1 cup of coffee or tea per day

Do not:

• Engage in overly intense or strenuous exercise
• Drink alcohol
• Use hot tubs or saunas between your IUI and your pregnancy test

A: It is best to wait at least 14 days to take a pregnancy test after an IUI.

A: The process of fertilisation to implantation can take about 6 – 12 days, with an average of around 9 – 10 days.

A: Your doctor may have you start progesterone supplements right after your IUI to support your uterine lining and make it more receptive to implantation, as well as to help support early pregnancy.

A: IUI may not be effective if the fallopian tubes are blocked, or if the sperm count or motility of the sperm is low.

Under such conditions and if you and your partner have been unsuccessful in other types of treatment, your doctor may recommend IVF. In IVF, the egg and sperm are fused in an external laboratory environment.

The success rate of IUI or IVF is dependent on individual factors.

A: Although there is no limit to how many times you can go for IUI, the usual recommendation is to give IUI at least 3 tries before trying IVF.

A: If the treatment has been unsuccessful, you will start a period about 9 - 14 days after insemination.

A: Your baby due date is determined by when you ovulate, or in this case, from the date you had an IUI. If you are undergoing IUI, your due date is 266 days (or 38 weeks) later.

A: It is important for the man to avoid ejaculating for 2 – 5 days before the IUI so that his sperm count will be as high as possible.

A: A healthy uterine lining is crucial for conception and for supporting an early pregnancy.

You can consider natural treatments such as:

• Acupuncture
• Avoiding seasonal allergy medication or cold remedies, which can constrict blood flow
• Engaging in moderate exercise, to increase your heart rate and promote good oxygenated blood flow to the uterus
• Fertility massages, to improve blood flow to the uterus
• Reducing your caffeine intake, to promote good circulation
• Making sure you are a healthy weight, as a low BMI can reduce estrogen levels
• Taking the right supplements, such as vitamin B, E and L-arginine to improve uterine thickness

A: It is difficult to predict the success of IUI as every couple responds differently to the treatment. Factors that can affect the outcome include:

• Age (success rates for IUI tend to decrease in women over 40)
• Underlying fertility conditions
• Whether fertility drugs are used

Generally, the IUI success rate ranges from 9% – 15%.

A: Intrauterine insemination is a simple and generally painless procedure. Most women do not experience much discomfort. However, it is not unusual to experience cramping or slight bleeding during or after the procedure.

You should inform your doctor if your cramping is severe or accompanied by other symptoms like fever or abnormal vaginal discharge.

A: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) are two commonly used methods of fertility treatment to increase a couple’s chance of becoming pregnant.

IUI is a procedure in which processed and concentrated motile sperm are inserted directly into a woman’s uterus. This procedure is timed according to a woman’s ovulation to increase the chances of the egg and sperm finding each other.

IVF is the most successful method of fertility treatment used today to help couples to conceive. The process consists of:

• Stimulation of the ovaries to produce multiple eggs at a time
• Removal of the eggs from the ovary (egg retrieval)
• Fertilisation of the eggs in the laboratory
• Placement of the resulting embryos into the uterus (embryo transfer)

The chance of pregnancy from IVF depends on factors such as:

• The age of the woman
• The cause of infertility
• Quality of the IVF laboratory process

A: Typically, patients will want to consider IVF after they’ve experienced 2 or more IUI cycles. Do have a discussion about this with your doctor, who will take into consideration other factors such as your age, health and reason for infertility.

A: IUI has not been shown to have a higher risk of miscarriages compared with naturally conceiving women.

A: IUI can be used as a fertility treatment option for women with endometriosis.

A: It is common for women to experience cramping during or after an IUI. Some women experience cramping right after the procedure as the catheter can sometimes irritate the uterus.

It is also possible to experience cramping a few days after an IUI. It can signal implantation, or that your body’s getting ready for your period.

You should inform your doctor if your cramping is severe or accompanied by other symptoms like fever or abnormal vaginal discharge.

A: While uncommon, natural conception after assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as IUI and IVF can occur.

One study found that out of more than 2,000 couples who attempted ART, about 20% became pregnant on their own after treatment. This is because some couples that come for fertility treatment are subfertile (when couples have a lower chance of conceiving on their own), and not infertile (when couples cannot conceive on their own).

To maximise your chances of conceiving naturally, you can try:

• Having frequent intercourse (every 1 – 2 days) during your fertile period
• Making lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption

A: Your partner should be available on the day of the insemination. It is recommended that he abstain from ejaculation 2 – 5 days before giving the semen sample.

He may also want to:

• Avoid overheating (such as using the sauna and hot baths) or overcooling his body
• Try to lead a calm lifestyle and limit physical activity
• Abstain from sexual intercourse for 2 – 3 days, but no more than 5 days (as the quality of sperm deteriorates with longer abstinence)
• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes