Suppose you have been trying to get pregnant for a long time without any positive outcomes; you are not alone. More than 12% of married couples have infertility issues. Infertility is a serious issue that has stolen the happiness of many families. Thankfully, there is hope, and you can still conceive and deliver a healthy baby even after years of trying. New York Fertility Institute walks with you every step of your journey until you have your baby. Let us take a deeper look at artificial insemination.
Artificial insemination
It is a procedure to place multiple healthy sperm in your reproductive tract to promote chances of pregnancy. The process can occur in two ways, intrauterine and intracervical insemination.
- Intrauterine insemination
The sperm placement happens in your uterus near the fallopian tubes. Intrauterine insemination boosts fertilization chances by reducing the distance the sperm will move to fertilize the egg. Your fertility specialist may combine intrauterine insemination with ovarian stimulation for successful results.
- Intracervical insemination
The procedure involves sperm placement in the vagina near the cervix. The treatment is advisable when you have a healthy cervix that allows smooth movement of the sperm through to the fallopian tubes.
Though intracervical insemination is less costly and may work for some patients, it does not give as reliable results as intrauterine insemination.
When do you need artificial insemination?
Usually, your provider recommends using intrauterine insemination whenever performing artificial insemination. You may require intrauterine insemination when your infertility causes include:
- Problems with sperm delivery
- Low sperm count
- Unexplained infertility
- Cervical scar tissue
- Decreased sperm motility
- Cervical mucus problems
Intracervical insemination might not be an ideal treatment option when you have issues with your cervix. In addition, both intrauterine and intracervical insemination may not work when you have fallopian tube damage.
What is your ideal artificial insemination treatment?
Fertility doctors usually recommend intrauterine insemination in most cases. The method is minimally invasive and highly successful.
What to expect during artificial insemination?
Your provider ensures to perform artificial insemination on your ovulation. Typically, you may use medications to stimulate ovulation or wait for eggs to mature in your natural monthly cycle. Your fertility expert uses ovulation kits, blood tests, and ultrasound to monitor your monthly process and ensure they implant the sperm at the exact ovulation time.
You can choose to use your partner’s sperm or donor sperm for your insemination. The sperm sample goes through sperm washing. The process allows the separation of sperm from semen, removing non-motile sperm and chemicals that may interfere with fertilization.
Your provider places the viable sperm into a syringe with a long thin catheter. Then, directs the catheter through your vagina to release the sperm through the cervix or near the cervix.
Infertility can be hard to deal with, affecting your quality of life. Artificial insemination allows the placement of sperm in your uterus to increase the chances of fertilization. Intrauterine insemination is the most successful as it reduces the distance the sperm travel to the fallopian tubes. Not everyone is a candidate for artificial insemination; you need to check whether it is the proper treatment for you with your fertility specialist. Contact the fertility specialists in New York to schedule your appointment.