Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): What to Expect as a Patient

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment where sperm are placed directly into a woman's uterus. This is how we conceived out twins. To be honest it feels like it’s a procedure that is a lot more attainable financially, emotionally and physically. Here is what you can expect from this procedure (keep in mind that everyone is different of course).

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): What to Expect

Just like any medical procedure, when it comes to figuring out your infertility, IUI will also require some testing. This could mean anything from checking your AMH levels to simply doing an ultrasound or hysteroscopy to see how your uterus and ovaries look like. When my IUI was successful I was much younger. Everything seemed to look “OK” and at the time my issue was that I wasn’t ovulating on my own. My husband’s sperm was at a very high count and the motility rate was strong as well. So, the doctor suggested we proceed with an IUI rather than dive into IVF just yet.

How long is the IUI process?

The timeline for the IUI procedure is approximately four weeks, from beginning to end. We started off slowly on the medication, as most doctors do so that they can get to know your body and see how you react to medications. They try to avoid overstimulation and because this is an IUI, meaning your eggs will drop and hopefully get fertilized with the sperm they inject into your vagina, they definitely try to avoid and “octomom” situation and usually allow 2-3 mature eggs to ovulate when the time comes.

I started off with Clomid. This is a hormone taken orally that can cause follicles, eggs, to mature in the ovaries. Unfortunately for me, the medication wasn’t enough and thus they switched my protocol to Menopur. This is also a hormone that is used to grow follicles and help them mature into eggs that could potentially fertilize. This is done in shot form in the stomach under the belly button. It stings a little, but it sounds scarier than it is, promise!

After a couple weeks of this stimulation (my follicles tend to grow slowly which is why it was two weeks for me, others however react much more quickly than I do), they gave me what is called a trigger shot. This is another injection that you give yourself 36 hours prior to the day they will be inseminating you with sperm. They will ask for a sample of this from whoever your sperm “donor” is (partner, donor, friend), and will put this in a very long looking syringe and inseminate you. Think of basting a Turkey! Sounds crazy but it’s true. This allows the sperm to get much closer to the eggs and increase chances of pregnancy by 20% (if both ovaries are working).

So, we took the shot and then went into the clinic 36 hours later. I laid on an exam table, top on, bottoms off, and the nurse came in and inseminated me. After she finished, and no it doesn’t hurt at all, it’s like an easier version of a pap smear, I had to lay there for 20minutes. And that was it! I was off on my merry way. In exactly 14 days I was to come back in to take a blood test to see if the IUI had worked.

Of course that two week wait was brutal, but getting the call and finding out we were pregnant was the best news ever. We got very lucky because an IUI has a much lower chance of working than IVF does. However, everyone is different and in all reality statistics are just that, a statistic, not necessarily one that will apply to you.

All in all this process takes about one month at most if everything goes according to plan. Of course anything can happen, you could react poorly or react too much to the medication in which case they would have to cancel the cycle. But in my opinion, if it’s an option, I do think it’s a great option to start off with because while the success rate is lower, it can happen and the mental and physical amount of time spent on this is usually much less than on an IVF round.

How much does IUI cost?

With that said, cost is also MUCH more attainable than IVF (and I’m only speaking for the United States, and from my experience). Typically, one round of IUI including medication costs anywhere from $3,500-$5,000. IVF, for example, cost me $30,000 without medications for one round. So, you can see why it might be a good option for so many people. Just something to think about and bring up to your doctor when the time comes.

After we were pregnant, we also didn’t have to take any extra medications. This obviously varies per person and every single pregnancy is different but the number of hormones put into your body are typically far less than when you are undergoing IVF.

All in all it’s a much quicker and easier process (again from my experience) and I would definitely suggest trying this if the doctor believes it’s a good option for you.

-Erin Bulcao, Patient Advocate

Medical Disclaimer:

The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.