A full IUI cycle fits inside one menstrual cycle, and most of it is watching and timing. Here's the sequence as you'll actually experience it.
Days 2–3: baseline and starting medication
The cycle starts with a baseline ultrasound. If medication is part of your plan — tablets or low-dose injections to encourage one or two follicles — it begins here. Many IUI cycles use no stimulation at all; that's a clinical choice, not a shortcut.
Days 9–12: follicle tracking
A scan or two tracks the growing follicle and the uterine lining. The aim is usually one, at most two, mature follicles — unlike IVF, more is not better here, because every mature follicle in an IUI cycle can become a pregnancy. Too many follicles is a reason to convert or cancel the cycle rather than accept a high-order multiple risk.
The trigger and timing
When the lead follicle is mature, a trigger injection sets ovulation for roughly 36 hours later — or, in natural cycles, home LH kits catch the body's own surge. The insemination is scheduled to land in that window, with sperm ready and waiting when the egg arrives.
Insemination day
The male partner gives a sample about an hour or two beforehand (or a frozen sample is thawed). The lab washes it — removing fluid and slower sperm, concentrating the healthiest — and the doctor places it into the uterus through a soft catheter. The procedure takes minutes, feels like a pelvic exam, and you walk out and carry on with your day. A short rest on the table is customary; prolonged lying down changes nothing.
The wait and the test
Progesterone support may be prescribed for the second half of the cycle. A pregnancy test follows about 14 days after insemination. If negative, review what the cycle showed — response, timing, lining — and either go again or escalate; if this was the agreed final IUI attempt, the conversation moves to IVF with everything learned so far. Side effects, risks, and why testing early can mislead covers this wait in more depth.
Frequently asked
Does IUI require rest afterwards?
No — normal activity, work, and travel are all fine the same day.
Can we have intercourse during an IUI cycle?
Usually yes, and around insemination it can even add to the chances — your doctor will confirm for your specific cycle.
What if the cycle gets cancelled?
Cycles are occasionally cancelled for no response or too much response. It's disappointing but informative — each cycle teaches the next one.