Infertility or fertility problems are common in today’s world. Due to certain medical conditions, ageing, environmental pollution, bad lifestyle, and exposure to extreme heat/chemicals, this problem is getting bigger with each passing day. As per the World Health Organisation, around 186 million individuals or 48 million couples have some sort of infertility. 

Usually couples visit a fertility or IVF clinic in Bangalore or their locality when they notice their conventional effort is not fruitful in their path to parenthood. At the clinic/hospital, respective doctors interact with them and offer a few fertility treatments, such as IVF, IUI, and ICSI with IVF. If you are among them, you can have a query. And the query could be which fertility treatment is better for me, especially IUI and IVF. 

Usually, it is hard to say that IVF or IUI is a better treatment for you. To answer this query, you need to know each of these two fertility treatments in brief. Having an idea what IUI/IVF is, why IUI/IVF is recommended, and what your reproductive health status is can help you make a wise decision. So, keep going through the post till the end. 

What is IUI?

Standing for intrauterine insemination, IUI refers to a reproductive medical intervention in which experts directly inject healthy sperm into a female’s uterus. Doctors recommend IUI treatment to decrease sperm’s travel time to the fallopian tubes and the uterus and bypass probable cervical issues. 

Whom Do Doctors Recommend IUI Treatment?

This fertility treatment is an effective option for couples with hormonal imbalances and fertility problems. The issues could be:

• No ovulation (Anovulation) 
• PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• Poor sperm quantity and quality 
• Cervical mucus issues
• For same-sex couple or couples opting for donor sperm or single mother
• Couples with unexplained infertility 

Suggest to Read:- What should I eat during my pregnancy?

Stages of the IUI Treatment:

IUI treatment follows a systematic approach. It includes the following steps:

• Sperm preparation 
• Ovulation monitoring 
• Injection of healthy sperm into the uterus a day before or on the day of ovulation   

Some of you may experience infection, vaginal bleeding and multiple pregnancies. Your doctor can help you minimise the associated risks and you need to follow your doctor’s instructions. 

What is IVF?

Standing for in vitro fertilisation, IVF facilitates a couple to become parents of a child. It is a time-consuming, but an effective fertility treatment option. 

Whom Do Doctors Recommend IVF Treatment? 

IVF or in vitro fertilisation is highly effective for couples with one or more fertility problems. Doctors recommend this fertility treatment to couples with:

• Blocked/damaged fallopian tubes 
• Ovulation disorders 
• Endometriosis 
• Fibroids 
• Sperm abnormalities 
• Unexplained infertility 
• Genetic disorders 
• History of tube removal or tubal sterilisation

Also Read: Effective Infertility Treatment for Women Trying To Conceive

IVF Treatment Process:   

As mentioned above, IVF is a long, but effective fertility treatment option. It starts with ovulation stimulation and ends with a pregnancy test. A cycle of the complete IVF treatment includes the following steps:

• Ovary stimulation with fertility drugs 
• Egg retrieval
• Sperm extraction 
• Egg fertilisation 
• Embryo development and transfer 
• Pregnancy test 

After or during a complete IVF cycle, you (especially female partner) can experience nausea, bloating, headaches, water retention, and mood swings. At the end of embryo transfer and after around 15-20 days, you can experience:

• Swollen ovaries 
• Cramping
• Tenderness
• Light bleeding   

Your IVF treatment, if anything goes wrong, can make you prone to have multiple pregnancies, low birthweight, preterm delivery, birth defects, etc. 

What Should you Do?

You need to do nothing except listening to your doctor carefully, comprehending the issues you have and knowing the suggested fertility treatment options (mainly IVF and IUI) in detail. Go through each aspect and make a wise decision for expanding your family.