Hard to get the catheter in uterus

[Anonymous]

Anybody else has extremely difficult time getting the catheter past the cervic into your uterus (tilted uterus & minor scar tissues on cervic that cannot be burnt)? It took hours during HSG, IUI, ERA, IVF transfer. What if the doctor just cannot put it in this time, what to do then? It sounds like a silly reason but also so hopeless since everything else is normal, good embryos, good lining, etc. Is there any doctor/clinic that has great experiences this specific issue?

[Anonymous]

Yes! This is me. Tilted uterus. Had to do two HSGs because the first place couldn't do it. I did an EFT, which involves two uterine biopsies. The first one took forever and was painful. We almost canceled. The embryo transfer I had months before went very well because I happened to have a full bladder, which made it easier. The same doctor who did my embryo transfer happened to also do my biopsies. She suggested I drink lots of water and once my bladder was full, getting the catheter in was so much easier. So a full bladder seems to be the key for me to getting the catheter in. Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

The third season of the BFN (Big Fat Negative) Podcast features in every episode with a couple, Liz and Nick Fox, who have gone through this exact issue. You might like listening, if nothing else, because it’s relatable! https://www.bigfatnegative.com/

[Anonymous]

Did your doctors mention the term cervical stenosis? This is a narrowing of the cervical opening, which can be caused by scar tissue or occurs naturally.

I had no idea I had this until my first IUI when my doctor could not insert the catheter. My doctor wound up doing a manual dilation using dilation rods during that first IUI. It took three rods to dilate enough so she could pass the catheter through. I will not lie, it was very painful, but that was because it was completely done on the fly, with no medication or warning. Once dilated enough the catheter went in no problem. The good news is following that process, I never had to be dilated again. We did a few more IUIs and then several IVF cycles and transfers and it was never a problem after that.

You could ask your doctor about doing a manual dilation during your next attempt at an IUI. There is also a surgical procedure where I believe there is an ablation of scar tissue that sounds extreme. As uncomfortable as the manual dilation was, really did the trick in my case. Wishing you luck.