Preconception Care

However you intend to conceive, holistic preconception care provides the knowledge to optimize your fertile health and become an expert on your body’s signs of peak fertility. This helps you achieve pregnancy more quickly and easily and also gives you and your baby the best chance for optimal health and well-being.

In the initial Preconception Care appointment, we review your medical history and any cycle charts that you already have, order diagnostic laboratory tests as needed or desired, address your questions and concerns, and create an individualized plan to optimize your health and fertility.

If you are not yet familiar with cycle charting, I will get you started and help you gain confidence in interpreting your peak fertility signs in order to pinpoint ovulation and the optimal timing for you to conceive—whether through intercourse or insemination. Learning to track more signs of fertility than just BBT and LH surge alone, greatly improves IUI success rates!

In follow-up appointments we check in on your progress, review new cycle charts and laboratory test results, answer any questions, and fine tune your fertility enhancement plan and/or conception timing, as needed.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

IUI is a relatively simple procedure in which specially prepared (“washed”) sperm is carefully placed directly into the uterus with a small, sterile catheter. If you are ready to grow your family using IUI, you can do so in the comfort and safety of your own home with an expert midwife.

With IUI at home:

• Your IUI provider is on-call for you 24/7
• The insemination process is gentle and respectful
• You have control of the setting and ambience in which your child is conceived
• You can decide who depresses the syringe to release your sample
• Success rates are often higher than IUI performed in a clinic setting

Precise timing is essential with IUI. For greatest success, IUI should take place as close as possible to ovulation—ideally within 6 hours. So prior to starting IUI, it’s highly recommendable to first invest 2 to 3 months in detailed cycle charting. This allows you to learn to clearly identify your “fertile window,” which significantly increases the speed and ease of getting pregnant with IUI.

IUI must never be performed with fresh, “unwashed” semen samples. It’s imperative that samples are first washed, in order to separate the highly active, healthy sperm from lower-quality sperm and potentially dangerous elements, like seminal plasma. This dramatically reduces the chances of harmful reactions, such as severe uterine cramping, and increases the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy. There are numerous ways to wash sperm samples, however, sperm washing is not a service I provide. I only offer IUI with pre-washed, IUI-ready samples.

As your IUI provider, I am available on-call 24/7 so that you can inseminate as close to ovulation as possible, regardless if it’s on a weekend, a holiday or in the middle of the night. I strive to offer trauma-informed, respectful and empowering IUI care, honoring all bodies and family structures. I require an IUI intake appointment before providing IUI services.

For more information about my services and fees, please contact me.

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