More details about Insemination

After my last post it seems people wanted a bit more detail about the different types of insemination and what was involved. I will do my best to explain all that I've learned, but I am by no means a medical or fertility expert!

So let's talk a little bit about the equipment involved in the process of our at home insemination using IUI:

Oral Syringe--this is basically a needle-less syringe, just like the kind you would use to give a child medicine orally. Looks like this

We'll get the oral syringe from the sperm bank when we go to pick up our specimen.

We will also use a speculum for the at home IUI. I ordered a pack of 10 single use speculum's (ladies you are probably familiar with these) from DME Medical Supply.

Next we needed a catheter tube. There are different types of catheter tubes and the type that we needed is called a Tom Cat Catheter because they were originally used in veterinary medicine. We ordered them from Insemination Supplies, which helps people take control of their own insemination.

When the catheter is connected to the oral syringe it looks like this

Next I wanted to talk a bit more about the different types of insemination. I know I threw out a bunch of acronyms and you all were probably thinking, what does that mean, so here goes.

Unwashed sperm basically means sperm in it's "natural state", swimming around in all of the seminal fluid.

Washed sperm means the individual sperms have been seperated from the seminal fluid.

 

IVI (Intravaginal Insemination)- IVI involves taking unwashed sperm either from a bank or directly from a known donor if you're not using a bank and inserting it into the vagina with an oral syringe. You don't use a catheter with IVI. 

ICI (Intracervical Insemination)- ICI also uses unwashed sperm either from a bank or known donor, but with ICI you do use a catheter. You insert the catheter as close to the opening of the cervix and deposit the sperm there. 

IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)- IUI is what we are doing. With IUI you have to use washed sperm. This is important because the seminal fluid is not meant to reach the uterus and if it is inserted it can cause infection. The process involves the use of the syringe and the catheter just like ICI, however, with IUI you actually insert the catheter into the cervix about 4-6 cm so that it reaches the uterus and then you slowly insert the sperm. I've learned a lot about the process online and here is a good walk though of at home IUI.

I hope this is helpful and that people now have a better idea. If you're curious just Google it! Although maybe not at work :)