What to Expect: IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)
The answer is: not much. But, take that with a grain of salt because my experience was very different compared to many other women.
If you don’t already know, I live on a different island than the clinic my husband and I went to for help, and because of that, I was not subject to everything that usually happens for women going through IUIs. Typically, the procedure (which starts on CD1 or CD2) goes a little something like this:
Stimulate Egg Growth
This is done via oral medication. The two most common types I know of are Clomid (or Clomiphene) and Letrozole. I took Clomiphene for 5 days.Monitoring
Your fertility team will monitor your egg growth every few days with ultrasounds or bloodwork to see how your eggs are maturing. As a note, I was not monitored.
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Ovulation Predictor Kits
As noted above I was not easily accessible to my fertility team while going through our IUIs. Rather than be monitored in-office, I took OPKs on my own every day starting at about CD10 (this would vary based on your RE). As soon as my OPK indicated that I was ovulating, I had to literally drop everything (meaning work) to get on an airplane to have the IUI procedure done.Ovulation is Induced (AKA Trigger Shot)
Once an egg has matured or is “ripe” you get scheduled for a trigger shot, which will help to cause ovulation within 36 hours. Your IUI is typically scheduled within 1-2 days of your trigger.IUI Procedure for HIM
Dad-to-be’s are so lucky, aren’t they? The first appointment of the day typically starts with your significant other, if you are not using donor or frozen sperm. About two (2) hours prior to the actual insemination, my hubby would do the deed into a collection cup. They would then take the sample and “wash” it. This helps eliminate enzymes, proteins, and other fluids (that can cause adverse effects in the uterus and/or don’t mix with the egg well) and essentially concentrates the semen into the best sperm.IUI Procedure for YOU
After the semen is washed, you head into an exam room and, like a routine checkup, undress from the waist down. Our NP (nurse practitioner) would always have us confirm the samples. Once the business transaction is out of the way, again like a traditional pap smear, you lay down - feet in stirrups - a catheter is threaded through your vagina and cervix directly into your uterus, where the concentrated sperm sample is injected. You are then asked (depending on your clinic) to lay there for an additional period of time, either 10 to 15 minutes, and that’s it!
That’s it!
The longest part of the IUI procedure (for you) is lying down and waiting. It literally takes a minute for the actual insemination. It usually isn’t painful and doesn’t cause cramping, but it all depends on the person.