Gearing up for IUI in Omaha

On March 13, 2013 we went to Omaha for a SHG (Sonohysterogram).  During this procedure they place a small catheter past my cervix into my uterus and inject a small amount of saline.  During which time they are watching through ultrasound to see if my fallopian tubes are open and if there are any blockages that they could see along with a few malformations of the uterine lining.  Thankfully we had the all clear from the SHG that my tubes were open, my uterus was clear.

During this same time we did another sperm analysis on Derrick to see on their testing if anything had changed that might inhibit our fertility process.  At this point Dr. Maud was willing to try IUI with us for a few rounds, hopeful that injection stimulation would be what we needed to have a successful conception.

For those who are unaware of the IUI process here is the short over view of how IUI works.  During IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) the sperm which has previously been collect is "spun down" and the best sperm are drawn up into a small catheter.  Then while in stirrups the small catheter is placed past the cervix into the uterus and deposited.  Some women can do a natural cycle with out stimulation (medications) of their ovaries to produce mature follicles/eggs, however with some such as myself we would need the assistance to grow the mature follicles and then help to release the mature follicle when we were ready.

IUI is often a good starting point and less invasive.  Although still pricey it tends to be a cheaper option compared to IVF.  Our actual procedure for IUI was $300, with usually 3-4 ultrasounds during the 2 weeks leading up to the IUI date to monitor growing follicle size.  Each ultrasound ranged from $125-$200. Thankfully our insurance helps to cover portions of our fertility journey.  Our plan would help to cover 50% after deductible of ultrasounds/medications/lab work.  However, insurance would not cover any actual IUI/IVF procedure. We were thankful to have at least a little bit of help when it came to the medical bills that were starting to add up quickly.

We were excited, we were hopeful that this IUI with injection stimulation would be what we needed.