Intrauterine Insemination (IUI):
This low-tech approach has pregnancy rates that range from 3%-15% with an average of 10% per month attempted. This means that in any given month 9 out of 10 times people doing an IUI will NOT become pregnant. A patient’s age determines the exact pregnancy rate.
*Though IUI is less effective, with lower pregnancy rates compared to other techniques, patients generally seek out IUI due to its affordability.

IUI Process:
Ovulation is enhanced with medication. Usually accomplished using pills (clomiphene or letrozole).
Egg development is monitored via ultrasounds
Ovulation is precipitated with a trigger medication
A sperm sample is processed and enhanced
IUI is performed: knowing the total distance from the cervix to the fallopian tube is the equivalent of a marathon for deposited sperm (26.2 miles), during an IUI, we collect the best sperm (runners) and place them in mile 24 — making their journey easier.
Pregnancy test is then conducted approximately 14 days after the IUI is performed.

In Vitro Fertilization:

Since 1978, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has been the gold standard of fertility treatments. This technique is usually 2 – 3 times more effective than sexual intercourse with no intervention. With a pregnancy rate ranging from 20-65%, IVF is thus 2 – 3 times greater than the standard pregnancy rate. Compared to it’s alternatives, IVF is a more expensive investment.

IVF Process:
1. Enhancement of ovulation with medications
● Using hormones that your body naturally produces (FSH and LH), we enhance the production of eggs (oocytes) and optimize their maturation.

2. Egg pick up (retrieval)
● The eggs are extracted while the patient is sedated
● They are transferred to the laboratory where our embryologists will identify
and prepare them

3. Fertilization
● Usually the best sperm is selected and injected into the egg, a process referred to as ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection)
● 5 days later, some of the embryos will reach the stage of approximately 200 cells (forming a blastocyst)

4. Embryo Transfer
● A single embryo, sometimes multiple embryos, are transferred either 5 days after fertilization or in the following months after a process of cryopreservation**