IUI Information Handout

October 18, 2024

What to complete prior to your intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycle

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If using fresh or frozen partner sperm:

  1. Infectious diseases blood work for you and your male partner. Must be up to date within 1 year. If they are expired, you will need to update your blood work as soon as possible to avoid cycle cancellation or delays.
  2. IUI Consent - this will be sent to you through DocuSign for you to review and sign

If using frozen donor sperm:

  1. Infectious diseases blood work including Cytomegalovirus (CMV) within 1 year of IUI date 
  2. Implications Counselling
  3. Carrier Genetic Testing (CGT)
  4. Donor sperm selection and delivery to Pollin - please have your donor sperm vial shipped to Pollin prior to your Day 1 of your period/treatment plan start
  5. Donor Sperm Consent - this will be sent to you through DocuSign for you to review and sign
  6. IUI Consent - this will be sent to you through DocuSign for you to review and sign

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How to prepare

During the IUI procedure, fresh or frozen sperm is placed directly into your uterus using a small catheter with the goal of achieving a pregnancy.

If you are using your partner's fresh sperm, they need to attend their scheduled sperm collection appointment the day of your IUI. If your partner is collecting their sample at home, the sample must be stored in a sterile container given to you, or your partner by the clinic which will also include a patient demographic label. If completed at home, it must be produced no longer than 60 minutes before their scheduled sperm collection appointment time, and delivered to the clinic lab at the time indicated in their appointment details.

Please ensure your partner follows all instructions located within their appointment on their Patient App. 

If you are using your partner's frozen sperm or donor sperm, you will be booked in for an appointment prior to your IUI between 7-8:30 am to come into the clinic to verify and sign off on the thawing of the semen sample. This consent allows the Andrology team to proceed with thawing and preparing your semen sample for your IUI later that day.

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On the day of your IUI

Please arrive 10 minutes before your IUI appointment. Please arrive with a full bladder - drink 4-5 cups of water 1 hour prior to your IUI procedure appointment.

If using fresh partner sperm: Please ensure your partner follows the Semen Collection preparation details. Your partner will need to abstain from ejaculation 2-4 days prior to your IUI. Your partner will come in on the morning of your IUI to their scheduled appointment (booked between 7:30-8:30 am) to provide a semen sample at the clinic. Our Andrology team will verify patient identification and ensure sample integrity upon receipt of the semen sample.  

If using frozen partner sperm or donor sperm: The female patient will be scheduled to come in between 7-8:30 am to sign off on the thaw of the sample. This consent is to confirm to the Andrology team that you will be proceeding with your insemination today and will allow the Andrology team to thaw/prep the frozen semen sample for IUI.

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After your IUI

After your procedure, you are welcome to lie down for a few minutes but it is not necessary. Lying down does not increase the chance of fertilization. It is normal to experience vaginal discharge afterwards. It is not sperm coming out of you.

There are no special precautions after your IUI. You may resume normal activity. You may have intercourse.

It is normal to experience spotting or mild abdominal cramping due to ovulation after your IUI. It is also normal to not experience spotting or cramping. Neither predicts pregnancy and is simply how your body responds to ovulation and the IUI.

Since a catheter is inserted into the uterine cavity during the IUI treatment, there is always the risk of a pelvic infection following the treatment. Symptoms of an infection include fever, vaginal bleeding, chills and abdominal pain. If any of these symptoms occur you should contact a Pollin team member. If you should have any difficulty in contacting a Pollin team member, you should proceed to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

We ask that you avoid the following:

  • Smoking/vaping and recreational drugs
  • More than 1 cup of coffee per day
  • More than 1 standard alcoholic drink per day is okay until you are confirmed pregnant, then no amount of alcohol is safe
  • Extreme, strenuous exercise that raises your heart rate over 140 beats per minute for more than 60 minutes. We encourage regular moderate physical activity, with a rise of 140 beats per minute for 30 minutes per day
  • Saunas, hot tubs, pools and hot yogas

If progesterone supplementation is a part of your treatment plan, please start your progesterone medication as instructed by your nurse. Do not stop until advised by your nurse. If you run out of medication before your pregnancy test date, do not stop, please advise a Pollin team member.

We recommend that all pregnancy tests are completed no sooner than 14 days after ovulation. If you have taken Ovidrel as part of your treatment cycle, you will receive a false positive pregnancy test up to 12 days after taking it. This means if you complete an early home pregnancy test, you will receive a false positive result. Some people will get an "implantation bleed" known as spotting and some people do not - both are normal. The 2 week wait can be challenging mentally and emotionally. If you are having a difficult time, please connect with us.