IUI as a Treatment Option for Infertility
Infertility is a common problem for couples who want to have their own children. In spite of the fact that infertility is quite ordinary, most infertile people still find it hard to talk openly about their situation. Apparently, the idea that infertility is something to be ashamed off was inculcated in their minds. This is probably why few facts about infertility are known.
Infertility is defined as a person’s inability to contribute to conception. There are several factors which can make a person susceptible to infertility. Anxiety and depression are the more common psychological factors that contribute to infertility. Meanwhile, reproductive track infections, diabetes, hypertension and blocked reproductive structures rank highest among the health conditions that may trigger infertility. While these conditions may be aided by counseling, antibiotics, insulin shots, a healthy diet, and surgery to counteract infertility, other treatments that can directly treat infertility are also an option. One of these treatment options is called the Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).
What is IUI?
IUI is a treatment for infertility which yields better results in cases when infertility is caused by male sexual dysfunction, female cervical factors, or both. The IUI process is performed in a medical facility. It involves introducing concentrated sperm, either from the male partner or a sperm donor, into a woman’s uterus through a tube that is to be inserted through a woman’s vagina.
The IUI process is relatively painless and is said to be one of the most stress-free methods to be used by infertile couples. Consequently, IUI is among the more common options advised by doctors to couples who find it difficult to have a baby.
Sperm preparation before IUI
Like all medical processes, certain preparation needs to be done to ensure better results. In the case of an IUI process, sperm washing should be undertaken before it can be put inside a woman’s uterus. Sperm washing is the process in which individual sperms are separated from the seminal fluid. This process can take about 30 minutes to 2 hours. Doctors who perform this medical process reiterate that the higher the number of sperms used, the better chances of a successful IUI.
Success rate of IUI
IUI is seemingly a tedious process. Is it worth it?
According to medical experts, the process of IUI has a success rate of 20%. They also noted that the use of fertility drugs to produce multiple eggs have an increased rate of up to 30%.
They added that the insemination process should be done during a woman’s ovulation cycle; otherwise, the outcome of the procedure may not be successful.
Ovulation Predictor Kits vs. Basal Body Temperature
When you are trying to get pregnant of course you must have intercourse - at the right time that is. That right time is called ovulation, there are ways to determine whether you are ovulating. You can either opt to use an Ovulation Predictor Kit or resort to measuring your Basal Body Temperature. But which one is better? Here are their pros and cons
|
Ovulation Predictor Kit - Tests your urine for hormones that signal that ovulation is imminent |
|
| Pros | Cons |
| Convenient | Can be expensive (kits cost between $20 and $50 per cycle) |
| More accurate than charting basal body temperature and cervical mucus | Directions must be followed to the letter for accurate results. |
| Can predict ovulation as close as six hours before it happens, making it easier to time intercourse. | May not work well for women with irregular cycles, who may require more than the five to nine predictor sticks for daily testing available in ovulation predictor kits. |
| Only needs to be used mid-cycle, instead of every day. | Tests for the luteinizing hormone surge that takes place right before ovulation, but doesn’t confirm that you’ve ovulated. |
| Works better for women whose temperatures don’t rise after ovulating | Fertility drugs can invalidate results. |
| Does not indicate the presence of the kind of cervical mucus (egg-white in texture) that must be present for successful conception. | |
| BBT and Cervical Mucus Chart - Keeps track of your temperature when you first wake up in the morning, and the texture of your cervical mucus. | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Inexpensive. After the initial investment of between $5 and $10 for a basal body thermometer, you’ll have no additional out-of-pocket costs. | Inconvenient. You must check your temperature first thing in the morning and your cervical mucus every day. |
| In most women, accurate when done correctly and consistently. | Can be messy. |
| Teaches you how to read your body’s signals. | An unusual event such as illness, moving, or a job change can disrupt your cycle, skewing your pattern for that month. |
| Teaches you how to interpret the texture of cervical mucus, a fairly precise sign of fertility. | Doesn’t pinpoint exactly when you’re about to ovulate. May take two or three months for a pattern to emerge. |
| May work better for women with irregular cycles. | |
| Can also be used later to prevent pregnancy (by avoiding sex on your most fertile days). | |
Medication and Its Effects On BBT Readings
People who are charting their Basal Body Temperature to determined when ovulation will occur but who suddenly experience a certain condition which require them to take medications are worried that it might affect the result of their BBT readings. For instance. A woman charting her BBT but had an anxiety attack and needed to take medication such as Paxil and Remeron to help her sleep at night.
According to doctors, there has been no medical findings suggesting that medications such as those mentioned previously have no effect on a woman’s BBT reading. In fact, you can see no rise in daily temperatures.
However, hormones such as projesterone, have an effect on your BBT reading. Having a projesterone test could cause your BBT reading to rise, particularly if you take hormones during your luteal phase.
Clomid Effects On Your Basal Body Temperature
Women who are trying to get pregnant have reported that clomid affects their basal body temperature and thus, misinterpretation of temperatures on their BBT charts can happen.
What is Clomid?
Clomid (Clomiphene, Serophene) is an oral medication that induces ovulation. It works by making your pituitary gland think you ovaries are not doing their job. The pituitary gland will try to stimulate the ovarian response by increasing the output of stimulating the Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). According to report by women who take Clomid, the resulting high hormone levels begin to drop again by the fifth day of taking the medication. This is when the ovary begins to respond.
Clomid can be used by women who are not ovulating, those who are ovulating regularly, and those who require assistance in the correction of their luteal phase defect.
How does clomid affect basal body temperature?
According to some users of Clomid, this medication causes their basal body temperature to be quite high while taking it, then drop after, finally rising again with ovulation. Clomid has also been reported to have an effect on fertile cervical mucus. Clomid causes a decrease in the volume of cervical mucus or produce hostile cervical mucus, according to scientific studies.
Some women report that when charting your BBT and taking clomid at the same time, your temperatures will rise usually on the third day of Clomid use up to a few days after you stop using the medication. Ovulation usually happens 5-14 days after your last day of taking Clomid. Thus you can identify if the increase in your temperatures is due to Clomid or ovulation. If you start using your ovulation prediction kits while taking clomid or even up to 2 days after the last pill, you wil reportedly see a false positive test, which is quite normal. But for more accurate results, use your ovulation prediction kits 3-4 days after your last Clomid pill.
Variations on Basal Body Temperature Chart
Basal Body Temperature is used to find out when ovulation will occur. For most women, it is basically standard - low means 97.0 F range. High means 98.0 range, with a .4 rise the day after ovulation and a 14 day luteal phase. The luteal phase means the time from ovulation to menstruation or the start of the next cycle. However, for some women there are some variations on their temperature charts. But there are several possible explanations for these variations.
High temperatures on the whole chart
A consistently high temperatures on the whole chart (especially in the first half of the cycle ) may be a sign of a “hyper” thyroid. You must see your doctor and have a thyroid test. Either this will rule out the possibility of a thyroid dysfunction or confirm that your thyroid is indeed hyper-active. If you do have a hyper-active thyroid, your doctor will prescribe medications that will help balance the thyroid. These medications should also help your temperatures go back to normal.
Low temperatures on the whole chart
On the other hand, consistently low temperatures on the entire chart (in both halves of the cycle) may be a sign of a “hypo” thyroid or a low thyroid. You should also see your doctor for tests and treatment of a hypo-thyroid.
Both hypo and hyper thyroid can cause infertility.
Hormonal Imbalances
Apart from a dysfunctional thyroid, hormonal imbalances may also cause very low or very high temperatures. For instance, low estrogen may cause pre-ovulatory temperatures to be higher than normal, while high estrogen may cause temperatures to be lower than usual. And as with other reproductive hormones, imbalances in any of them will cause variations in your temperatures.
Slow Upward Shift
A woman with a fairly normal chart but then slowly rises upward after ovulation may cause difficulty in determining the exact date of ovulation. There is usually a .4 of a degree shift in temperature when ovulation occurs. However, if the shift happens on one-tenth increments, it will be more difficult to point the exact date of ovulation. For increased accuracy, be be extra attentive to the other signs of ovulation such as cervical fluid and/or cervical postions.
No Shift, Erratic Temperatures
There are instances when a woman has erratic temperatures. These cases where her temperature is all over the place from the start until the end of the cycle is known as anovulation. Anovulation is the absence of ovulation. Anovulation can happen evenm with menstrual bleeding each month. This is common in women who take birth control pills. They do not ovulate yet then bleed during “period” time. The chart will look like any of the following: all low temperatures, all high temperatures or erratic temperatures.
To know more about basal body temperatures, consult you doctor and/or bring your chart for clarifications.
Can Basal Body Temperature Diagnose a Thyroid Condition?
There have been articles which say that Basal Body Temperature (target range being 97.8 to 98.2 ) is much more accurate than blood tests. A woman whose doctor has used her Basal Body temperature (BBT) as a guide to determine if she has met her optimum thyroid medication level. She took her temperature under her arm first thing upon waking for 3 days in a row and write it down . Her basal temperature for the 3 days ranged from 95.8 to 96.8, though her Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone or TSH level at her last doctor was in the normal range. Since that TSH test her thyroid medications have been increased by her new doctor, and her BBT is still low.
Basal Body Temperature Should Be Part of The Equation
Dr. Richard Shames, a medical practitioner for 30 years and an expert on thyroid related topics, says that “there is considerable evidence that current tests both for the diagnosis of hypothyroidism and for the management of a case under treatment are tests that lack sensitivity and accuracy. Faced with this situation, in my medical practice and in my second opinion telephone coaching sessions with patients of other practitioners, I absolutely insist on basal temperatures being part of the equation”.
Apart from being a diagnostic maneuver that Dr. Shames uses, BBT is also an important additional data along with symptoms, family history, related conditions, and signs of abnormality upon physical examination. For people who have been diagnosed already with hypothyroidism, BBT test is an added observational measurement that helps in determining whether a person is on the right medication and/or the right dose. This includes considering responses to medication, physical signs (e.g. ankle reflexes and skin temperature), and blood test results.
However, Shames also says that basal temperature testing is “much more accurate than the blood tests” should be taken with a grain of salt. Mainly because what maybe true for one may not be true for everyone else. What this boils down to is that medical practitioners and patients should be prudent enough and use as many different sources of information as possible. This helps in the difficult decision of whether to or not to treat a health problem as a low thyroid issue or , if already being treated, whether or not to add or change medication or supplements.
Dr. Shames shares this example:
“I generally find out on a first conversation with a potential thyroid sufferer what is their present percent of total optimal function that they currently enjoy. Some people say to me, “Dr. Shames, I’m glad I can talk to you on the phone from across the country because I’m only feeling 20% of my prior self, but my doctor says my TSH test is normal, so they are not going to do anything further.”
This is a person who should be following their basal temperature, rather than their TSH. Most likely their basal temperature will still be low, suggesting a need for further medicine, and I endorse people going along with that suggestion regardless of TSH levels.”
Pros and Cons of BBT
While Basal Body temperature can also be used as a natural family planning method by telling when is the ’safe period’ or the appropriate time when couple can have intercourse without the risk of getting pregnant. This safe period begins the 3rd day after the temperature increase and continues until the next menstruation. Listed below are both the good and bad sides of the method.PROS
1. It can be used in for improving chances of contraception by mixing it with other methods, in case the other method would fail.
2. This is a drug-free and device-free method.
3. It is free of any cost and any kind of side effects and shows goof efficiency.
CONS
1. The method might not be practical for everyone since it requires that the body temperature be taken everyday: from the time the person awakens and before any physical activity has taken place and throughout the entire ovulation cycle.
2. Method may not be that accurate. If temperature is not accurately recorded, the test would not prove useful. An accurate thermometer with an accuracy of 0.1 Celsius or more is needed.
3. Infections like flu, common colds and urinary track infection can cause premature temperature increases and interfere with accuracy of results.
4. The irregularity of the ovulation cycle may be caused by infection which can result to inaccuracy.
Guidelines for an Accurate BBT Chart
Since measuring a woman’s basal body temperature can be really tricky, one has to be able to know what to do in order to measure her BBT as accurate as possible. Measuring the temperature at either a few degrees higher or lower than the actual BBT would only cause a miscalculation on a woman’s ovulation period.Here are some tips on what to do for an accurate BBT chart.
Start on the right track - Make sure that the first day of your BBT chart should be the first day of your menstrual flow. Do not include temperatures taken days before that. Once measured, expect that your temperature should drop when your menstrual flow starts, recording each reading everyday.
Indicate the dates correctly - You need to make sure you note the actual day of the month when you have taken the temperature. This is to correctly monitor your ovulation period. Make sure to use a dot instead of an X or check mark when recording your BBT, as well as using a downward-pointing arrow on days when you had sexual intercourse.
Use a more accurate thermometer - Instead of the regular thermometer, use an oral, digital thermometer that specializes in basal body temperature.
Take your temperature regularly - Your basal body temperature should be measured just after you wake up (without ever leaving the bed). Place the temperature under your tongue for two to three minutes.
Avoid error-causing activities - Never eat anything, drink anything, or smoke for about 12 hours before you take your temperature. (And when I say anything, this includes sperm!) You also need to note any special considerations such as an actual fever or any other illnesses.
Change charts regularly - Get a new BBT chart once you get your new menstrual cycle.
The Basal Body Temperature Chart
For women who wish to improve their chances at pregnancy, one of the most effective methods that they can use is the BBT (Basal Body Temperature) Chart. This chart allows women to keep a record of their Basal Body Temperature over a period of time to determine at which times they are fertile.The basal body temperature is the temperature of a woman’s body that is taken right after waking up from sleep before any physical activity has been undertaken. Differences in basal body temperature have been proven to help determine at which times a woman may be at her most fertile. This is due to the fact that ovulation can cause an increase in a woman’s basal body temperature by one half to one degree Fahrenheit. Charting will help determine a woman’s biphasic pattern, which is the tendency of women to have lower basal body temperatures before ovulation and then higher temperatures afterwards.
Keeping track of the basal body temperature on a regular basis can also help show signs of certain issues that concern a woman’s fertility cycle. Through the charts, a number of minor infertility issues can help doctors know a lot more about what is happening to a woman’s body and help provide necessary remedies to them. A fertility BBT Chart may be able to show if a woman is experiencing anovulation, the absence of ovulation during a cycle. This can be seen on the BBT Chart when there are no drastic temperature changes even as the menstrual period is experienced.
Women who have low estrogen levels can also be determined through the BBT Chart. This can be known when the pre-ovulation temperatures charted during a cycle are not low enough. Estrogen can cause the basal body temperature to drop. Low levels of estrogen will show on a woman’s pre-ovulation temperatures. In the same way, low progesterone levels may also be determined from a BBT Chart. But this time, they can be reflected through a record of post-ovulation temperatures that stay on or below the average temperature.
Through a BBT Chart, a thyroid dysfunction might also be determined. This might reflect by having either too low or too high temperature levels during the first week of menstruation. A reading that is too low may indicate an underactive thyroid. A too high reading during the first week of the menstrual cycle may indicate an overactive thyroid.
Keeping a BBT Chart would really be an important undertaking for women trying to conceive. A minimum of three month’s worth of BBT chart records may be able to tell how a woman stands when it comes to her fertility. Through the charts, certain fertility issues may even be determined and help doctors to further increase a woman’s chances of conceiving.
Factors Influence Your Basal Body Temperature
It is very important to take your basal body temperature (or BBT) first thing in the morning so that you won’t have many variables that can influence it. This makes your measurement more accurate and more reliable for identifying your fertile phase. Here are some factors that could affect your BBT readings.
Occasional high temperature - If your temperature is artificially high because of fever, a restless night’s sleep or alcohol consumption the night before, you may want to cover the outlying temperature with your thumb when you are interpreting your chart.
Write the lowest possible temperature (the part that lies on the edge of your thumb) as well as your highest temperature at that moment so that it doesn’t interfere with your ability to decipher your chart.
Any physical activity - Even the slightest shaking of the thermometer before taking your temperature is enough physical activity to slightly increase your BBT. Remember that you are monitoring your temperature up to the tenth decimal point, so a little difference in the temperature can be interpreted differently.
With that in mind, take your BBT upon awakening, about the same time of day, after at least three hours of consecutive sleep, and before doing anything such as talking on the phone, drinking water, and getting up to urinate.
Smoking - Never smoke a cigarette if you are trying to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. This is also considered a physical activity that should be avoided before taking your BBT.
Checking the coverline - One way of properly interpreting your BBT chart is to be able to draw a “coverline.” To do so, you need to remember that you are checking your last six temperatures at a time. Once you see a temperature of at least two degrees higher than the highest of the last six days, you assume that you’ve had a thermal shift.
After which, count back six temperatures, highlight them and draw the coverline, which is one-tenth of a degree above the highest of those temperature. Once your temperatures have been above the coverline for at least three days, you can be virtually positive that you are fertile.
