"This procedure was a very rewarding process for us since we now have our son. It was a wonderful feeling when William was born and I was able to hold him and count his fingers and toes," Taylor says.

Artificial Insemination (AI), is a reproductive technology in which sperm is prepared, concentrated and placed directly in the uterus, the cervical canal, the ovarian follicle or the fallopian tube. Couples turn to AI after they are diagnosed with infertility (failure to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse) and they have unsuccessfully tried other fertility treatments, such as chemical stimulation of the ovaries. Single women using donor sperm also utilize AI.

Your physician can determine whether AI is right for you. This procedure isn't recommended if pregnancy is contraindicated or in cases of severe pelvic adhesions, damaged or blocked fallopian tubes or very abnormal sperm. Additionally, infertility combined with advanced maternal age sometimes prompts more aggressive infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (a reproductive technology in which an egg is removed from a woman and joined with a sperm in a test tube).

Couples begin their AI treatment with a detailed medical history and testing. For women, this includes x-ray studies of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes, and men undergo a semen analysis to document adequate quality and number of sperm. After testing, women may decide to take medications to stimulate egg production. This comes with the knowledge that these medications increase the chances of multiple pregnancy.

When the egg is ready for fertilization the male provides a sperm sample or, in some cases, donor sperm is used. "The sperm is treated and washed to concentrate it for the most active, motile sperm," Herbert says.

In the most common AI procedure (intrauterine insemination -- IUI) the treated sperm is then inserted into a narrow, flexible catheter and pushed out inside the woman's uterine cavity. IUI is usually painless.

"It was no big deal at all. It wasn't the romantic moment we had planned, but it worked!" says Jane Herman, of Lincoln, Neb.

"IUI was similar to having a pap smear exam. It only took 15 minutes or so and was painless," Taylor adds.

Herbert's patients rest for a few minutes after IUI before they resume normal activities. "We place no activity restriction on the women after IUI. There is no proven benefit to remaining in a horizontal position -- even with your feet in the air -- for prolonged periods of time after this procedure," he says. He adds that some couples like to have intercourse that evening or the next morning hoping to further improve their pregnancy chances. "Although it is presently unclear whether this does improve pregnancy rates, it isn't harmful and is OK to do," he explains.

Success rates for AI vary depending on factors such as maternal age and ovarian health, medications given to increase the number of eggs released and sperm numbers or quality. "In the more difficult categories, pregnancy rates can be as low as 2 percent to 3 percent but in the more optimistic categories, pregnancy rates can reach 20 percent to 25 percent per cycle. It's very important that each woman have a thorough evaluation and adequate knowledge of her success probability based on her own unique set of circumstances before entering the AI process," Herbert says.

It's also important to talk with your partner and decide how many AI cycles you're willing to try. Herbert recommends three to six cycles for most of his patients. Belinda Taylor became pregnant during her second cycle but miscarried the baby. She tried one more cycle and successfully carried her son to term.

Herman conceived during her first cycle and nine months later was gleefully hugging her daughter. "Holding her was unbelievable. We tried for so long, not as long as other couples we know, but it seemed like an eternity to us," she says.

Costly Cuddles
Having a baby the high tech way can be expensive. At the San Francisco Fertility Centers a simple IUI, which includes the sperm separation and preparation as well as the actual insemination, costs $350. But costs rise with the use of pricey ovarian stimulation medications and additional testing. Since AI is only covered by some insurance companies, and expenses can snowball with multiple cycles, ask for a cost estimate prior to deciding upon treatment.

If AI isn't successful you might want to try in vitro fertilization (IVF). "IVF therapy circumvents many of the factors which can interfere with success in AI cycles such as decreased tubal motility or tubal transport of the egg/embryo as well as providing a method to insure fertilization when abnormal sperm are the major problem," Herbert says.

Kathy Anderson, of Park City, Utah, became pregnant with IVF after eight failed AI cycles. "Going through artificial insemination and in vitro was tough but holding my twin boys in my arms is heaven," she says.