IUI/OU
Assessing Egg Quantity and Quality
Women are born with their lifetime supply of eggs already inside their ovaries. With each menstrual cycle, eggs are released, with their quality and quantity diminishing over the years. The following blood tests and ultrasound can help us determine if you are ovulating and your overall fertility potential. However, it is important to remember that numbers aren’t everything. It only takes one good embryo to develop into a baby!
OI and IUI
Ovulation induction (OI) and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) are usually the first fertility treatments that most patients will experience. These two processes increase ovulation and treatment may include oral or injectable medications.
Ovulation Induction (OI)
OI uses oral medications and or small amounts of injectable medications called gonadotropins to increase the number of eggs in the ovaries. From there, it’s a matter of timed intercourse to facilitate fertilization.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
IUI is the process of placing sperm inside a woman's uterus to support fertilization and increase the chance of fertilization. During the IUI procedure, the catheter (loaded with concentrated sperm) with be slid past the cervix and into the uterus. The sperm is then injected into the uterine cavity and the catheter is removed.
An IUI procedure only takes a few minutes and doesn’t require any type of anesthesia. Usually, the procedure does not result in much discomfort, however, some mild cramping can be expected.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a response to excess hormones-based medications. It will usually occur in women taking injectable hormone medications to stimulate the development of eggs in the ovaries, but it could happen with oral medications as well.
OHSS happens in less than 3% of cases but cause ovarian swelling, nausea, and can lead to more serious risks. That said, OVHSS, especially a serious case of ovarian hyperstimulation but incredibly rare with OI or IUI.