How Does Artificial Insemination Work?

Artificial Insemination sounds like some alien terminology only understood by the elite few. But you’d be wrong. Your journey to conceiving has been difficult, but understanding what artificial insemination is and how it works doesn’t have to be. School yourself up with this blog, so you don’t end up at the doctor’s office feeling like the alien.

The First Step In Getting Pregnant

So, there is no bun in the oven and before you hike up the debt and go up the ladder of complex infertility treatments, start slow. Time under the covers has proven fruitless, as well as the annoying on-the-clock hormones. So what’s next? Your doctor will suggest artificial insemination, a less expensive, short and mildly painless treatment. Here’s what you need to know.

The Procedure Explained

This simple procedure has few side effects and a moderately good success rate. During the procedure, the doctor will insert sperm directly into the woman’s cervix, fallopian tubes or uterus. In alien terms, this process is called intrauterine insemination. Artificial insemination is used when your man’s swimmers can’t swim that fast or do not have the determination to swim all the way up into your uterus. It’s also the solution for a low sperm count problem. But there’s no shame in this, all swimmers take their time in learning the watery ropes but eventually get there in the end.

Sometimes, it’s not the sperm that is battling on their journey to the egg, with the woman’s uterus causing the chaos. Some women have endometriosis, unreceptive cervical mucus or other abnormalities with their reproductive organs. Basically, AI is the speedboat to becoming pregnant as it provides a shorter trip and a racing boat speed journey for the sperm to get to the egg. It also presses the fast forward button and lets the sperm skip the cervical mucus altogether. Nothing shameful in getting a little help, right?

So You’re Not Expecting, But Here’s What To Expect With AI

With this procedure, it’s all about timing. Time waits for no man, but with AI, women will be waiting for their next ovulation. Artificial insemination is done when ovulating. Sure, it can be said that a woman knows her body, but to make100 percent sure that ovulation is taking place the doctor needs to check. The doctor will either use an ultrasound, ovulation kits or blood tests. Then it’s the man’s turn to do his job in a cup and provide a sample of his semen. No naughty business must be done two days before this to ensure his swimmers are at their peak performance. The semen is then washed in a lab within one hour of ejaculation and not a minute later. After the lab techs do their thing, the best sperm is placed in a catheter and put through the vagina into the cervix and then the target destination – the uterus. Once semen has been inserted, the woman has to lie down for up to 45 minutes before continuing as usual.

Now that you’re in the know and understand how artificial insemination works contact BioArt Fertility Clinic to book your appointment.