IUI Success Symptoms Day by Day: What You Can Expect

After undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI), it is natural to feel anxious and hope for a successful outcome. While the wait for results may feel long and fraught with uncertainty, there are IUI success symptoms day by day you can look out for that can help give you peace of mind.

These noticeable symptoms can help you navigate this fertility journey and keep you informed about what's happening along the way. Your body experiences subtle changes from the moment you undergo the procedure to the day of your pregnancy test, which could potentially signal success.

Symptoms of successful fertilisation after IUI

The insemination process during IUI helps the sperm to reach the egg resting in the fallopian tube by shortening the distance between them. If a sperm successfully fertilises the egg, the  resulting embryo (fertilised egg) travels to the womb to implant itself in the uterine lining.

Successful implantation leads to a significant increase in hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, and oestrogen, which can be detected in your blood and urine. 

While a pregnancy test is the most reliable way to confirm a pregnancy, there are some symptoms that may hint at a positive outcome, including:

1) Cramping

• The discomfort is a common symptom of successful implantation, which may feel similar to menstrual cramps.

2) Thicker cervical mucus

• After successful fertilisation, increased levels of progesterone and oestrogen hormones can cause cervical mucus to become thicker, more abundant, and appear white or yellowish.

3) Nausea or vomiting (morning sickness)

• The surge in pregnancy hormones (hCG) may cause you to feel nauseated and vomit. Despite its name, morning sickness can occur at any time of the day.

4) Breast tenderness

• Increasing levels of oestrogen and progesterone can lead to breast tenderness and soreness.

5) Spotting

• Spotting (also called implantation bleeding) looks like small drops of blood or a brownish discharge from your vagina. It's usually a sign of a successful embryo implantation in your womb.

6) Headaches and fatigue

• Hormonal fluctuations arising from a substantial increase in hormone levels, especially progesterone, can cause headaches and make you feel fatigued.

7) Emotional fluctuations

• Increased hormone levels after conception can also cause mood swings and emotional fluctuations, such as irritability and weepiness.

IUI success symptoms day by day

To give you clearer insight into how the symptoms mentioned above occur after an IUI fertility procedure, here is a breakdown of the IUI success symptoms day by day:

While the symptoms mentioned above may indicate a successful outcome, they don’t serve as a confirmation of pregnancy. This is because some symptoms of a successful IUI are similar to premenstrual signs or even common illnesses, making it difficult to determine the outcome based on symptoms alone.

However, if you miss your period and experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, consider taking an at-home pregnancy test. Alternatively, you may visit your healthcare provider to do a blood test that more accurately verifies your pregnancy.

If you want to make sure your symptoms are indicative of a successful IUI, request an appointment with Thomson Fertility Centre. Our fertility specialists will assist you in the evaluation of your symptoms and the conducting tests.

What to expect during the pregnancy test

Two weeks after the IUI procedure, you can now take a pregnancy test to know for sure if the treatment was successful. This test detects the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that only appears in a woman's body during pregnancy.

The two-week wait is important for accurate results, as taking the test too early can result in false readings, such as:

• False-negative

  • This type of inaccuracy means that the test finds no signs of pregnancy when, in fact, you are pregnant. A false negative result can occur if the pregnancy hormone levels have not reached the measurable amount.

• False-positive

  • This inaccuracy occurs when the test results indicate you are pregnant when you are not. False positives can occur if you have been taking fertility drugs that contain hCG to help ovulation during IUI (SO-IUI) and they are still not fully metabolised.

If the result of the pregnancy test comes out as a negative, don't give up hope. It's normal for couples to take more than 1 round of IUI before successfully conceiving. You can go for at least 3 to 4 more cycles before considering other fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

How to increase your chances of pregnancy after IUI

To help you through these fertility challenges, there are several tips you can do to increase your success rate, including:

1) Managing stress

Create a calm and stress-free environment during the waiting period after IUI treatment. This is because stress can cause a spike in the hormone cortisol, which can negatively affect fertility by disrupting your hormonal balance, thinning your uterine lining, and generally making conception more difficult.

To manage stress, you can use techniques such as building a good social support system and practising mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises.

Learn more about stress management techniques for better fertility here.

2) Consume well-balanced, nutritious food

Routinely consuming a well-balanced diet, including food that is rich in antioxidants, lean protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, could increase your egg quality, thus increasing the chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. 

Consider these foods to boost your chances of conceiving, including:

• Food rich in antioxidants

  • Fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, oranges, grapefruits, spinach, broccoli, or kale.

• Food rich in omega-3 fatty acids

  • Fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel.

  • Nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds.

• Food rich in lean protein

  • Some foods that are rich in lean proteins include chicken, lean cuts of beef, tofu, tempeh, and eggs.

3) Reduce alcohol intake and quit smoking

To maintain your fertility and increase your chances of having a successful pregnancy, it's recommended that you limit your intake of harmful chemicals and stimulants, such as nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.

4) Consume supplements

To increase your chances of fertilisation, couples can consider supplements that contain folic acid, vitamin E, zinc, and iron for healthy sperm and eggs.

Learn more about fertility supplements and if they really work here.

FAQ

What are the early signs that IUI has worked?

Early signs of successful IUI treatment can vary, with some women not even experiencing them. But usually the physical and emotional symptoms that do arise include:

• Mild cramping.

• Light spotting.

• Morning sickness.

• Changes in cervical mucus around 6-10 days after the procedure.

• Breast tenderness or soreness.

• Emotional fluctuations, such as irritability and weepiness.

When do pregnancy symptoms start after IUI?

If the embryo successfully implants in the uterine cavity, you will probably start experiencing early pregnancy symptoms around 10 to 14 days after the IUI procedure. 

However, since the fertilisation process also changes your hormonal balance, you may experience some mild symptoms as early as 3–5 days after the procedure, such as mild cramping or bloating.

How soon after IUI can you test positive?

It's recommended to wait until two weeks after your IUI procedure before taking a pregnancy test. Taking this test too early could result in false-negative or false-positive results, particularly if you've taken fertility medications containing hCG to help you ovulate during IUI treatment.

What are the symptoms of failed IUI?

If you get your period and the at-home pregnancy test shows a negative result, the outcome usually suggests that the IUI treatment was unsuccessful. However, to confirm the outcome and rule out any possibility of a false reading, visit your healthcare provider to do a blood test that more accurately verifies pregnancy.

What increases the success of IUI?

Here are several steps that may help increase your chances of success with IUI:

• Managing stress through meditation, breathing exercises, and having good social support.

• Maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and lean proteins.

• Avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol intake.

• Taking supplements that contain folic acid, vitamin E, zinc, and iron.

What food should I avoid after IUI?

After undergoing IUI, it's best to avoid certain foods and drinks that could negatively impact your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy, such as:

• Caffeinated drinks

• Alcohol

• Fast foods

• Sugary food or drinks

• Raw seafood

• Fish with high mercury

The information provided is intended for general guidance only and should not be considered medical advice. For personalised recommendations and tailored advice, request an appointment at Thomson Fertility Centre.