A growing number of couples in recent years are in need of assisted reproductive technologies. A few decades ago, with some problems, women and men remained childless. Now medicine is developing very rapidly. Therefore, if you can not get pregnant for a long time, it is worth using a method such as insemination. Who succeeded the first time, the presented article will tell you. You will learn about the procedure and the method of its implementation, and you can also get acquainted with the reviews of patients who have passed this stage.
Assisted Reproductive Technology: Intrauterine Insemination
Artificial insemination is the process of introducing sperm of her partner into the cavity of the genital organ of a woman. This moment is the only thing that happens artificially. After that, all processes are carried out naturally.
Insemination can be done with the sperm of a husband or donor. Material is taken fresh or frozen. Modern medicine and the experience of doctors allow a couple to conceive a child even in the most seemingly hopeless situations.
Indications for the operation
The insemination procedure is indicated for couples who cannot conceive a child on their own for a year, while both partners have no pathologies. Usually in this case they speak of infertility of unknown origin. Also indications for insemination are such situations:
- decreased sperm quality or sperm motility in a man;
- erectile dysfunctions;
- irregular sex life or sexual dysfunction;
- cervical infertility factor (production of antisperm cells in the partner’s cervical canal);
- age factor (both men and women);
- anatomical features of the structure of the genital organs;
- the impossibility of sexual contact without protection (for HIV infection in women);
- desire to conceive a child without a husband and so on.
Sperm insemination is usually carried out in private clinics involved in assisted reproductive technologies. The procedure requires some preparation and has several stages. Consider them.
Exploratory survey
Artificial insemination involves the diagnosis of both partners. A man must pass a spermogram so that specialists can appropriately assess the condition of sperm. Upon receipt of unsatisfactory results during the procedure, additional manipulations will be applied. The partner is also examined for the presence of genital infections, passes a blood test and fluorography.
A woman has a greater diagnosis than a man. The patient undergoes ultrasound diagnostics, passes tests to determine infections of the genital tract, provides fluorography. Also, the expectant mother needs to examine the hormonal background, determine the ovular reserve. Depending on the results obtained, further tactics of working with a couple are selected.
Initial phase: stimulation or natural cycle?
Before insemination, some women are prescribed hormonal drugs. You need to take them in a strictly prescribed dose.
The doctor indicates the days when the medicine is administered. It may be in the form of tablets or injections. Hormonal stimulation of the ovaries is necessary for a woman with a violation of ovulation, as well as for those patients who have reduced ovarian reserve. A decrease in the number of eggs can be an individual feature or a consequence of ovarian resections. Also, a decrease in ovarian reserve is observed in women approaching 40 years.
Both during stimulation and in the natural cycle, the patient is prescribed folliculometry. A woman regularly visits an ultrasound specialist who measures follicles. Attention is also paid to the condition of the endometrium. If the mucous layer does not grow well, then the patient is prescribed additional medications.
Important point
When it is discovered that the follicle has reached the appropriate size, it is time to act. Depending on when ovulation will occur, insemination is prescribed in a few days or a couple of hours. Much depends on the state of sperm. If fresh material is used, then its introduction can occur no more than once every 3-5 days. Therefore, the pair is offered two options:
- insemination 3 days before ovulation and a few hours after it;
- the introduction of the material once directly during the rupture of the follicle.
Which method is better and more efficient has not yet been determined. Much depends on the health of partners and the indications for insemination. Who succeeded the first time with a single introduction, it is not advised to dare to double. And vice versa. Otherwise, the situation is with frozen sperm or donor material.
Another variant
Donor insemination always involves pre-freezing the material. Such sperm after thawing can be introduced in several portions. The effectiveness of this method is slightly higher than fertilization with fresh material.
Sperm can also be frozen with a partner in a married couple. For this, it is not necessary to become a donor. This issue needs to be discussed with the reproductologist. During sperm cryopreservation, its quality improves, only the best, fastest and healthy sperm are selected. Pathological cells are removed from the material. As a result of manipulation, a so-called concentrate is obtained.
Material Injection Process
This procedure takes no more than half an hour. The woman is located on the gynecological chair in the usual position. A thin catheter is inserted into the cervical canal through the vagina. A syringe with the collected material is fixed at the other end of the tube. The contents of the injection are delivered to the uterus. After this, the catheter is removed, and the patient is recommended to lie down for another 15 minutes.
On the day of insemination, a woman is forbidden to strain and lift heavy objects. Recommended rest. The next day there are no restrictions in the mode. However, personal hygiene must be observed, since after insemination there is a risk of infection.
On the first and second days from the transfer of material, a woman may experience pulling pain in the lower abdomen. Doctors do not recommend taking medications. If the pain seems unbearable to you, then you need to seek medical help. Also, some patients may have minor spotting. They are associated with a slight expansion of the cervical canal and the possibility of trauma to the mucous membrane. Allocations pass independently and do not require the use of additional drugs.
Pregnancy diagnosis
After insemination is carried out, pregnancy should occur within a few hours. After this time, the egg becomes incapacitated. But at this moment, the woman still can not find out about her new position. Hormonal support is prescribed for some patients. Drugs are always needed in a cycle with stimulation and sometimes in the natural.
The test after insemination will show the correct result after 10-14 days. If a woman was stimulated and an injection of chorionic gonadotropin was given, then she can see a positive test immediately after the procedure. However, he does not speak about pregnancy. The reagent on the strip shows only the presence of hCG in the body.
Ultrasound can most accurately confirm or deny pregnancy. But this can be no earlier than 3-4 weeks after the procedure. Some modern devices allow you to get the result after 2 weeks.
Insemination: who did it the first time?
There are statistics of couples who performed this manipulation. The probability of pregnancy ranges from 2 to 30 percent. Whereas in the natural cycle, without assisted reproductive methods, in healthy spouses it is 60%.
A favorable outcome on the first attempt usually occurs under the following conditions:
- the age of both partners is in the range of 20 to 30 years;
- the woman has no hormonal diseases;
- in the history of man and woman there are no genital tract infections;
- partners lead a healthy lifestyle and prefer proper nutrition;
- the duration of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child is less than five years;
- Previously, ovarian stimulation and gynecological operations were not performed.
Despite these parameters, success can be in other cases.
Women's reviews
Almost all patients before the manipulation study the reviews that insemination has: who succeeded the first time, how to behave, what is better not to do, and whether it is worthwhile to carry out stimulation. I must say right away that if you are hoping for a positive outcome, you only need to listen to the doctor. No girlfriends tips will help. Each situation is individual. Therefore, during insemination, one selects his own mode of action in each individual case.
Representatives of the weaker sex, who had a cervical factor, in most cases receive a positive result of manipulation. Sperm pass the cervical canal and are not destroyed by anti-sperm bodies. If we are talking about the poor quality of sperm, then everything is individual. In many ways, reproductologists can improve material. But this does not give a reliable guarantee of a positive outcome. Approximately 30 percent of couples remain satisfied with the procedure.
The situation is more complicated if the woman has pathologies. These can be diseases such as endometriosis, myoma, polyps in the uterus and adhesions. In such situations, the probability of a positive outcome is even less. About 8-10 out of a hundred couples had a pregnancy.
Doctors usually advise no more than 3-4 attempts. If stimulation was carried out in each of them, then it is worth thinking about more complex methods of assisted reproductive technologies - IVF. In the event that a woman allows age, and hormonal drugs are not present in the insemination cycle, you can repeat the manipulation an unlimited number of times.
Procedure cost
Artificial insemination can be done in private clinics at an affordable cost. But a lot depends on the health status of the partners. The more pathologies are identified, the more difficult the preparation will be. With preliminary freezing of sperm, the cost of the procedure increases, as in the case of its long storage.
If regular insemination is carried out, its price will be approximately 10-20 thousand rubles. At the same time, the price may already include specialist consultations, tests, folliculometry and monitoring until pregnancy is confirmed. Other clinics offer a separate payment for each service, reducing the cost of the manipulation itself. What to choose is up to you.
Little conclusion
Artificial insemination, the price of which is relatively low compared with the method of in vitro fertilization, gave couples new hope and a chance for conceiving a baby. Not every spouse can do IVF on their own, and quotas are allocated only for certain indications. With insemination, everything is much simpler.
If you cannot conceive a child for more than one year with regular sexual activity or have other indications for insemination, then consult a specialist. There is nothing wrong with the manipulation. All processes occur naturally. Reproductologists only help you increase the chance of a successful outcome. Good results to you!