Doing an IUI While Being a Smoker

IUI stands for intrauterine insemination, a fertility treatment during which sperm is injected directly into the uterus with a small, flexible catheter. It is not advisable for any woman attempting to become pregnant with a IUI to smoke during or after the procedure.

Fertilization

• The odds of conceiving and bringing to term a healthy IUI baby while continuing to smoke are poor. According to authors of "Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn," absorbing nicotine into the body while the treatments are taking place can interfere with the initial fertilization, ovulation process and chromosomal development of the fetus.

Pregnancy

• Smoking also interferes with the absorption of oxygen by both the mother and the fetus, according to childbirth educator, Penny Simkin. This reduces the lung capacity of the mother while she is smoking, and the developing lung capacity of the fetus in the womb. Miscarriages rates for smokers are also higher than those for non-smokers, regardless of the method of conception.

Considerations

• If you are a smoker and are considering IUI or another type of fertility treatment, it is advisable to quit smoking before beginning your parenting journey. Studies from the American Medical Association show that the rate of fertilization and successful pregnancies of former smokers closely rivals the rate of woman who never smoked at all.