It has been a few months since I blogged on Redbook magazine's blog, The Infertility Diaries. In the feature, Wisdom from Wisot Wednesdays," I answered reader's questions. Since that blog no longer exists, I am going to resurrect WFWW on my blog. Here is the first entry. You can post new questions as comments to this message.

Wisdom from Wisot Wednesdays

When to perform an insemination?

Could you please give your opinion on what is the best time to perform an insemination (IUI) without any drugs in relation to the detection of the LH surge? Is it before or after detection of surge and please be specific with hours. There seems to be a lot of differing info on best times.

I usually recommend that a single insemination be done in a natural cycle the day after an LH surge is detected by an ovulation predictor kit. That’s because the surge usually precedes ovulation by 36 or more hours. You are detecting the surge sometime after it happened. Most women test once a day in the afternoon or evening, so they should be close to ovulation by the next morning. The egg has about 12-24 hours to be fertilized and the most sperm specimens can maintain good motility for 48 hours in the wash media, so the IUI does not have to be done at the exact time of ovulation. All the averages coincide the morning after the surge is detected, making it the most logical time to perform the IUI. Alternatives to using the urinary ovulation predictor kit to time intercourse or insemination are ultrasound or a variety of fertility monitors. In fact if at the time of the insemination, an ultrasound shows that the follicle is still present, we recommend doing a second insemination the next day as well.