Three million couples actively seek reproductive treatments in India. Although they can be challenging, treatments utilising assisted reproductive technology (ART) are effective and give couples hope. Due to the multiplicity of these treatments and their outcomes, patients may get extremely perplexed. One of these forms of therapy is IUI. This article explains pregnancy success symptoms after an IUI pregnancy and some precautions that can be followed to achieve a successful outcome.
A fertility method is intrauterine insemination (IUI). It involves injecting sperm right into the uterus of a woman to increase the chance of fertilisation. Couples or individuals who are having trouble getting pregnant may benefit from IUI treatment for a number of reasons, such as low sperm counts, sperm motility abnormalities, or unexplained infertility.
It is an important stage in any fertility treatment if conception is the main goal. However, just like any course of action, IUI pregnancy can have both favourable and unfavourable impacts on your chances of becoming pregnant.
What are the IUI success symptoms?
As soon as sperm is injected, an expert asks to take a pregnancy test after the IUI procedure. After a successful IUI cycle, you might expect to experience changes in your body. Here are a few IUI success symptoms and signs.
3 days after IUI symptoms:
- Pelvic discomfort and pain: Your lower back, pelvis, and stomach will all experience mild to moderate discomfort. These pains are known as implantation cramps. These symptoms may resemble menstrual cramps.
14 days after IUI symptoms:
- Breast soreness: If your breasts are uncomfortable and swollen, you should expect certain changes to the areola and nipple areas of your breasts. Most women have some discomfort in their breasts.
- Fatigue: It’s common to feel exhausted and tired during pregnancy. You might feel more worn out than usual due to the hormonal changes brought on by an embryo transfer, though. Particularly after eating, there will be a lot of lethargy or sleepiness.
- Morning sickness: You might feel a bit queasy or possibly start throwing up as the embryo transfer nears its conclusion. During the first few weeks of pregnancy, these signs and symptoms, often known as morning sickness, are frequently experienced.
- Food intolerances: It’s common to experience intolerances to specific foods and fragrances after a successful embryo transfer.
- Changes in vaginal discharge: After a successful embryo transfer, there may be an increase in vaginal discharge due to changes in hormone levels. Extra vaginal discharge preserves the endometrium’s readiness for implantation.
- Spotting: Occasionally, about 7 days into the two-week period, you may also experience light bleeding or spotting. It is typically known as an implantation haemorrhage.
- Frequent Urination: During an IVF cycle, hCG pregnancy hormones are administered, which increase the urge to urinate. Women who use these hormones could have frequent urination. An increased urge to urinate is another indication of pregnancy.
- Missed period: Missing your menstruation following an embryo transfer is a sign that the pregnancy has started and that the embryos were successfully implanted.
Negative Signs After IUI Procedure
Keep in mind that sometimes the symptoms stated above may also be brought on by the hormonal medicines used during the IUI cycle to boost the success chances of conception. However, you should consult a fertility expert to find out whether your IUI pregnancy was effective or unsuccessful. It’s because a diagnostic pregnancy test is the only reliable technique to determine the results of your IUI cycle. Additionally, keep an eye out for any indicators of risk or complications. Which are:
- Bright red colour bleeding
- Severe cramping in the abdomen
- Neck, back, and leg pain
- High body temperature
- Dizziness
How Can We Improve the Success Rate of the IUI Pregnancy?
Despite the fact that IUI treatment is highly effective in treating infertility resulting from particular causes, it is always preferable for the couple to comprehend what influences the IUI success rate:
- When the woman is under 35, it works best. After this age, the success rate usually declines.
- It also concerns what caused infertility in the first place. The woman’s uterus, fallopian tubes, and egg count all need to be in good shape. The male partner must also have sound sperm.
- Additionally, the IUI procedure’s timing is important. The crucial factor in this case is ovulation timing, which must be accurately calculated.
- When you attempt the treatment more than once, month after month, without giving up despite initial failures, the success percentage increases.
Precautions After IUI procedure
The IUI procedure typically takes 20-25 minutes. Post insemination, it is necessary to take good care of yourself, and an expert may give you a few instructions you need to follow in order to boost the chances of a successful IUI procedure. Here are a few precautions you need to keep in mind after the IUI procedure:
- Avoid picking any heavy objects
- Do not consume caffeine or alcoholic drinks
- Quit smoking and any other tobacco products
- Avoid unhealthy sleep patterns
- Skip junk, oily and spicy food
- Avoid stress as much as you can
- Do not skip regular, minimal exercise
Conclusion
For couples struggling with unexplained infertility, intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is one of the non-invasive assisted reproductive technologies (ART) that has completely changed their lives. The WHO estimates that the prevalence of infertility in India ranges from 3.9% to 16.8%. The majority of couples find that the success rate of IUI is personal because the severity of the infertility disorder and body type varies from one person to another, including biological conditions and lifestyle decisions. However, the majority of couples can improve their odds by adopting healthy habits and using the aforementioned IUI success suggestions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Why is IUI recommended to couples?
Here are a few reasons for which IUI treatment is recommended:
- Unexplained infertility
- A female who is allergic to semen
- Low sperm count
- Sperm structural abnormalities
- Low sperm motility rate
- What are the common fertility drugs used during IUI treatment?
IUI treatment is mostly combined with fertility drugs in order to boost the overall fertility health of the patient. Some of the common medications are:
- Letrozole
- hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin)
- Prenatal vitamins
- Clomid or Serophene
- FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
- What leads to IUI failure?
Endometriosis, poor sperm morphology, poor sperm motility, low sperm count, and ovulation abnormalities are a few variables that can make IUI unsuccessful.
- Are there any significant risks involved with the IUI cycle?
IUI treatment involves medication and fertility injections that are intended to increase ovarian stimulation. Potential risks from these reproductive medications include multiple pregnancies, OHSS, and other issues.
- What happens if IUI is unsuccessful?
If the IUI cycle fails, your fertility specialist will examine you to determine the problem and seek to fix it using alternative treatment methods, such as IVF and ICSI.
