The visit for intrauterine insemination IUI often is done in a IVF Clinic. The IUI procedure itself takes just a few minutes once the semen sample is prepared. No medicines or pain relievers are needed. Your doctor or a specially trained nurse does the procedure.
During the procedure
While lying on an exam table, you put your legs into stirrups. A plastic or metal-hinged tool called a speculum is used to spread open the walls of the vagina. During the procedure, the doctor or nurse:
- Attaches a vial that contains a sample of healthy sperm to the end of a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter.
- Places the catheter into the vagina, through the cervix and into the uterus.
- Pushes the sperm sample through the tube into the uterus.
- Removes the catheter, followed by the speculum.
After the procedure
After the sperm are placed in your uterus, you lie on your back for a brief time. Once the procedure is over, you can get dressed and go about your usual daily routine. You may have some light spotting for a day or two after the procedure.
Wait two weeks before taking an at-home pregnancy test. Testing too soon could produce a result that is:
False-negative: The test finds no sign of pregnancy when, in fact, you really are pregnant. You might get a false-negative result if pregnancy hormones are not yet at levels that can be measured.
False-positive: The test detects a sign of pregnancy when you really are not pregnant. You might get a false-positive if you took fertility medicines such as HCG and the medicine is still in your system.
You may have a follow up visit about two weeks after your home pregnancy test results. At the appointment you may get a blood test, which is better at detecting pregnancy hormones after sperm fertilize an egg.
If you do not become pregnant, you might try IUI again before you move on to other fertility treatments. Often, the same therapy is used for 3 to 6 cycles of treatment to maximize chances of pregnancy.
