Ovulation Induction
OVULATION INDUCTION
At our fertility clinic serving Beverly Hills, and Mexico ovulation induction is frequently used as an adjunct to intrauterine insemination (IUI). Ovulation induction uses medications to stimulate the development of one or more mature follicles in the ovaries. This is a good option for women who do not regularly develop mature follicles, or for patients who do ovulate but want to improve their odds of getting pregnant by releasing more than one mature egg (super ovulation). At the Center for Reproductive Health & Gynecology, Dr. Najmabadi and our team use a variety of fertility medications, including Clomid (CC), hMG, and hCG (human menopausal gonadotropin.
CC/IUI (Clomid)
If Clomid is used for your IUI cycle, you will be asked to start your Clomid pills on day 3-5 of your menstrual cycle and then on a daily basis for 5 days. Clomid allows your ovaries to develop a greater number of eggs, increasing your chances of getting pregnant during each cycle. You will return to the office, usually on the last day of your pills, and then every other day until your IUI is completed. You will have an ultrasound and your progress will be evaluated at each visit.
Once your ultrasound indicates that it is time for us to inseminate (IUI), we will ask you to administer an injection of hCG. This medication will allow a timelier IUI coinciding with the time of eggs being released from the ovaries. This increases the chance of getting pregnant by placing the sperm in the uterus within a two to four hour window of egg release from the ovary. To accomplish this, after the hCG injection, you will be scheduled to return to the office within 34 to 36 hours for an IUI. Your male partner or donor’s sperm will be needed on this date.
HMG/IUI
Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG/IUI) is very similar to the CC/IUI (see above) however; you will be utilizing an injectable medication (hMG) for your IUI cycle. You will be asked to start your injections on day 3 of your menstrual cycle and continue on a daily basis for 5 days. hMG works in a similar manner to Clomid, but is more aggressive, causing your ovaries to develop a greater number of eggs, thereby increasing your chances of getting pregnant during each cycle. You will be returning to the office every other day until your IUI is completed for an ultrasound and an ongoing evaluation of your progress at each visit.
Fertility Drugs After IUI
After your IUI you may be asked to start progesterone supplementation until the confirmatory pregnancy tests are done 10 to 12 days later. If we are blessed with a positive pregnancy test, you will need to continue the progesterone for the first 11 to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The pregnancy test will be done 10 to 12 days after the IUI.
Contact Us to Learn More
Ovulation induction and fertility drugs are an essential part of IUI and other assisted reproductive technologies at our fertility clinics in Beverly Hills, and Mexico. To learn more about fertility drugs, their side effects, and administration techniques, contact us to schedule a consultation with an infertility specialist.