Many couples who have exhausted almost all efforts to treat infertility with the
hope of conceiving would turn to other more serious and complicated methods such as IUI.
What is IUI and what are your chances of pregnancy after undergoing IUI?
Intrauterine Insemination or IUI is a pioneering treatment for infertility that dates back to the early 1900s. It is a relatively simple procedure done by placing a sperm directly into the uterus through a small tube. Its name back then was Artificial Insemination or AI.
Nowadays, the term is IUI and the sperm is washed with a special fluid before placing it into the woman's uterus. The washing process is performed to produce the strongest sperm capable of successfully penetrating the egg. Of course, the doctor will need to determine if the woman is ovulating before the whole process is began. When she is positive to be ovulating, the sperm is placed in a catheter or tube and makes its way into the uterus. If the sperm manage to penetrate and implant itself into the egg, a pregnancy after IUI is likely to happen within a period of two weeks.
The hope of women achieving pregnancy after IUI is slimmer compared to another procedure called the IVF or In Vitro Fertilization. For this reason, doctors often prescribe ovulation drugs to maximize the chances of pregnancy after IUI.
For women who follow a regular ovulation cycle and who are producing healthy eggs, they can usually achieve pregnancy after IUI without the aid of fertility-enhancing drugs. However, there are alternative natural remedies that you can take to increase your chances of a pregnancy. You can try taking licorice root ramp to boost your estrogen levels.
The success rate of pregnancy after IUI is varied. Some women who have tried it got pregnant after two keeps while others have to repeat the procedure more than twice to make it work. This all depends on the case of infertility on either party. Some females whose partners have low sperm count or could not produce sperm at all would resort to accepting sperm donors to get pregnant.
The possibility of pregnancy after IUI is 10% to 20% given that the sperm is of good quality and that the female's fallopian tube is healthy. That said, it would help if you try your best to keep your body, particularly your reproductive system in its best shape. Your age is a determining factor to increase your chances of a successful IUI.