We spoke with fertility doctor, Dr. Kurt Peterson of @NevadaFertilityCenter, to learn all about the IUI timeline from start to finish.
Connect with Dr. Kurt Peterson: fertilityspace.io/clinics/nevada-fertility-center
Find a fertility clinic in your area: fertilityspace.io/search
Read it on the blog! | Intrauterine Insemination Timeline and Sample IUI Calendar:
fertilityspace.io/blog/iui-timeline-from-start-to-finish-sample-treatment-calendar-for-intrauterine-insemination
The IUI process takes place over the course of a typical menstrual cycle, so within the timeframe of about one month.
There are variations in the exact number of days you will take medication and have ultrasounds depending on the type of protocol your fertility doctor gives you as well as your individual fertility.
Each Step of the IUI Process
🩸 First day of period (Day 1)
🔎 Ultrasound to check that ovaries are resting (Day 2 or 3)
💊 Start 5 days of fertility medications (Estimated Days 3-7)
🔎 Ultrasounds to check growth of follicles (Between Days 10-13)
💉 Trigger shot to induce ovulation (Estimated Day 13)
🏥 IUI Procedure (Estimated Day 14 or 15)
🤞 Pregnancy Test (Estimated Day 28)
The easy thing to remember when it comes to fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination is that everything begins with the start of your period. The first day of your period is considered to be Day 1 of the menstrual cycle.
This is when your clinic will normally give you instructions for your IUI cycle.
The IUI Timeline - Day by Day
In a nutshell, Dr. Peterson shares that an IUI cycle is “broken down into roughly two weeks of meds, monitoring, and an insemination procedure followed by two weeks of waiting to test for pregnancy”.
Let’s go day by day for each step of the process.
You will have an ultrasound ~Day 3 of your menstrual cycle to confirm that the ovaries are resting.
The next step will be to start taking fertility medications that will encourage your ovaries to start developing follicles. Each follicle contains an egg.
The IUI Timeline with Clomid or Letrozole is Essentially the Same
The most common fertility medication to take for an IUI cycle is either Letrozole or Clomid.
Although Clomid and Letrozole have different ways of working in the body to help you develop an egg for ovulation, the end result they bring about is essentially the same (to grow eggs) and take the same amount of time.
Both medication options, Clomid and Letrozole, are pills which you take orally for 5 days.
Your fertility doctor will then have you return to the clinic sometime around Day 10-13 for another one to two ultrasounds so that they can check that your ovaries are developing follicles in response to the medications.
So, how does your doctor know when it’s time for the insemination?
Your doctor is looking at the ultrasound to measure the size of the follicles in your ovaries. Once they are large enough, follicles ≥ 18 mm, then it is time for the next stage of the IUI cycle - the trigger shot.
The trigger shot induces ovulation and has a very specific timeframe. After the trigger injection, a IUI takes place 24-36 hours later.
Eggs have a short window of time when they can be fertilized, so it’s important to time the insemination as closely as possible with ovulation.
The trigger shot is usually taken about two weeks into the IUI cycle, the same timeframe as when you would normally ovulate in a typical menstrual cycle.
What day of the cycle is IUI done?
It depends on how quickly your body responds to the medications but an IUI is done mid-cycle around Day 14 or 15, similar to the typical time of ovulation.
The IUI is done 24-36 hours after the LH surge or trigger shot, so you likely cannot be sure of the exact day of your IUI until your doctor tells you which night to take the trigger injection.
So really, the timing of an IUI cycle is very similar to what a typical menstrual cycle timeline would be.
It’s just that you’re very closely monitoring your body’s progress through the cycle and taking medications to help control all of the timing and make sure that you do actually ovulate.
When can you take a pregnancy test after the IUI procedure?
You can take a pregnancy test 14 days after the insemination procedure, so there are two weeks of waiting to see whether you got pregnant from the IUI cycle.
And that is the entire IUI timeline!
Want to learn more about Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)?
💡 Check out our Guide to IUI video with Dr. Peterson where he answers common questions about IUI and talks more about who this treatment works best for.
💌 Questions for Dr. Peterson? Contact his team here!
👩⚕️ Haven’t found a fertility doctor yet? Check out different options of fertility clinics in your area.
🧪 Learn all about fertility testing with Dr. Matrika Johnson.
#iui #intrauterineinsemination #iuitreatment #iuicycle
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