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Family Building Services

The staff of The Midwife Center is happy to offer insemination services (Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or Intracervical Insemination (ICI)) to clients who desire a more home-like experience while conceiving their baby. Our Midwives and Nurse Practitioners provide these services in our clinic. The following is the suggested course for insemination services:

  1. 1. GYN Preconception Visit. This appointment is the first step. We review your medical history and discuss fertility awareness tracking. We may do a physical exam and collect bloodwork or other labs as recommended by the provider at your visit. If you are due for a pap smear and desire one, we can collect it at this visit. This visit can be billed to your insurance as a family planning or wellness “annual exam” if you have not had this annual exam yet with another provider this year. For self-pay clients, this visit will be approx. $175. Sliding scale costs can be provided upon request
  2. 2. Fertility Charting. You will complete 1-3 months of fertility tracking with the help and support of the TMC team. Quality ovulation tracking is the key to successful insemination.
  3. 3. Appointment to Review Tracking. This is a 20-minute visit which can be in-person or via telehealth to review your tracking with a provider. The cost for this visit is $75 and is not billable to insurance. At the time of this visit, the payment of $300 for IUI or $250 for ICI will be due. The insemination procedures themselves are not billable to insurance. Sliding scale costs can be provided upon request.
  4. 4. Insemination. When the ovulation occurs, you will page the midwife on call at 412-321-6880 option ‘5’ between 7 am and 4 pm to arrange insemination. You need to be able to arrive at TMC no later than 5 pm for insemination to occur that day. You will be responsible for obtaining and bringing your sperm sample. At this time, TMC is not doing any sperm washing. At your preconception visit, the provider can provide you with information about obtaining and storing sperm samples.
  5. 5. No medical follow-up is required after the procedure unless indicated. We will have you take a home pregnancy test two weeks after insemination. If conception is successful, you can begin prenatal care with the provider of your choice.
  6. 6. Repeat Insemination: If repeat insemination is needed, the insemination will cost $300 for IUI or $250 for ICI, prepaid before repeat procedures. Any additional Fertility Tracking appointments will be $75 per visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

We offer ovulation tracking and counseling for both intracervical (ICI) and intrauterine (IUI) insemination and in-office IUI or ICI. At this time, IUI and ICI are available to those interested in using donor sperm with insemination to become pregnant. ICI can be done with unwashed “fresh” samples also. We hope to offer known donor services for IUI with sperm washing in the near future.

ICI places sperm at the opening of the cervix in the vagina, while IUI places sperm directly into the uterus. ICI is done with unwashed “fresh” samples (in the case of a known donor) or purchased “frozen” donor sperm. IUI is done with washed “frozen” samples or washed “fresh” samples (fresh samples for IUI are not currently offered at TMC). You may choose to do ICI at home, and we can help you with timing. ICI can be done without a speculum, but IUI requires visualization of the cervix with a speculum.

Inseminations will be done in our exam rooms or birth suites designed to look and feel more comfortable than a traditional clinic room. You are welcome to bring any music or special elements to make you feel comfortable. We welcome support people to come with you if desired.

Yes. We will help you make sure your experience is how you envision it. The midwife will place the catheter, but anyone you’d like can place the sample.

A complete medical history and a conversation about the next phase of fertility tracking are essential to this process. It is useful to have previous gynecological records and any fertility prep and/or fertility/period tracking information you have for this visit (though not required). This visit will address informed consent, the type of sperm sample appropriate for you, and sperm sample collection, storage, and sperm bank information (if needed).

No, we do not require Clomid or fertility medications. We can order some basic labs as needed based on clinical review.

No, we do not perform ultrasounds for our Family Building Services. Insemination timing is tracked using cervical signs of ovulation and at-home urine test strips.

Intrauterine insemination is typically well-tolerated without the help of pain relievers. However, you may choose to use nitrous oxide (laughing gas) during your procedure for an additional fee. We cannot guarantee nitrous oxide will be available if it is already in use.

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