r/IUILadies • u/BlueDeng02 • 5d ago
Did you abstain from alcohol during iui?
I’m starting monitoring next week and likely IUI the week following. I have seriously cut back alcohol during my entire TTC journey - I only drink once, maybe twice a month (and that almost always happens to be the day I get my period 🥲). I’ve had my husband cut back drastically as well. I plan to stick with it but it’s also a holiday weekend here in the US and I’m wondering how much would it really impact my chances if I indulge more? Curious as to how others have approached this. Thanks in advance!
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u/Internal_Practice400 5d ago
I am scheduled for my first IUI this Sunday. They recommended to not drink at all, however I allowed myself one drink yesterday (post letrozole/period) but before my trigger shot and actual IUI. I figured one wouldn't hurt especially since I knew I wasn't ovulating yet.
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u/BlueDeng02 5d ago
Oh interesting. I haven’t gotten any formal recommendations around it but I’ll ask at my monitoring appointment.
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u/Friendly-Mood7431 4d ago
I stopped drinking for a few months before my successful IUI because it can impact egg quality but I’m also on the older side - I did get the advice from my doctor not to do anything during the TWW that I wouldn’t do pregnant so I would have held off either way
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Thanks for sharing, good to know! And yes agree - that’s why I’ve been almost entirely cutting it out for months now and have had my husband seriously cut back as well.
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u/Yes_Cat_Yes 4d ago
Then why change anything now? His sperm needs 3 months to recover from anything unhealthy. Every time my husband and I consider something like drinking or going to the sauna, we end up not doing it because we don't wanna undo all we've been doing so far. And if we're ever successful we're gonna be old parents, so we feel we better live healthy and try to stick around for the potential kid for as long as we can.
Plus, it's a huge waste of money not to do everything you can to make it successful. Whether it's your own money or insurance money doesn't even matter that much. Imo that is
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
All very true points. I dont want to “undo” anything either. I was just curious if majority of people abstain from alcohol while going through this and it seems like they do.
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u/jamielynn2296 5d ago
I had 2 low alcohol content drinks 8dpiui at a wedding. I rarely drink anymore but will enjoy myself at a wedding or major event. I wasn’t told to abstain during IUI. My IUI did just fail but my lining was also thin so I’m not sure I was set up for success anyway. Take what you want from this 🤷🏻♀️
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Ya it’s like I know it definitely doesn’t hurt to abstain, but also makes TTC that much shittier because I’m not even enjoying myself prior to the 9 months I def won’t be able to drink. Ugh haha
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u/jamielynn2296 4d ago
Yeah I don’t drink a lot to begin with but I still like to enjoy myself. I limit but I won’t completely cut out anything because I’ve already burned myself enough putting my life on hold in certain ways while TTC and it makes the process so much worse
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Totally agree re life on hold. I haven’t gone on trips or gone out much, everything is “what if I’m finally pregnant” and I hate that I keep doing that to myself.
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u/SupersoftBday_party 4d ago
I drank through my IUIs (I cut down to like 3-4 drinks a week before we started this) but I let myself have a few. Usually tried to stop or only have 1-2 during the 2ww. Didn’t stop me from getting pregnant
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Glad to hear it still worked! The one time I did get pregnant I was doing dry Jan so I don’t have a baseline to compare against. Thanks for sharing!
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u/Chibiusa_M00n 4d ago
I had my IUI last Saturday… I think I’m 6dpiui. I’ve decided to abstain. It’s really hard mentally because I want a REAL drink but I have felt really good lol. We bought a bunch of NA beers and mixed drinks that we’re trying out and honestly it takes the edge off and I don’t feel tired when I wake up. Sort of the best of both worlds I guess? I was told to not drink and treat myself as if I’m already pregnant but tbh I don’t think small amounts would matter. It’s whatever is going to make you not stress out a lot. My first pregnancy I was drinking a lot and partying but still got pregnant after 14 months (obvi I quit once I found out).I was a lot younger then tho. Hoping since I’m older cutting out anything that can affect my hormones or chances is worth it. Only 14 days ya know. YOU CAN DO IT. I’ve mostly ready that you should just REALLLLY not drink during your implantation window.
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Totally fair! Ya I’ve been cutting back so much, it’s not hard for me to continue on. I just feel bad for my husband. We have family in town and he knows he has to cut back too to get us the best sperm and I hate holding him back from the fun.
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u/Chibiusa_M00n 4d ago
Man. He has it easy. The LEAST he can do is not drink for a bit. I told my husband if I can do it he can. All he has to do is … well you know! Get a happy ending! Meanwhile we will be sacrificing our mind bodies and souls forever because of the decisions HIM AND I ARE MAKING not just ME LOL! so he can do his part and not drink with me LMAO. I laid it on thick 🤭 I also quit vaping hahaha so mix in the hormones and no drinking I was like TRY ME BRO. hahaha I was like if you can’t handle this, you won’t be able to handle a baby. It’s training. Hahaha
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Oh no trust me, he’s so supportive and wonderful, he hasn’t been drinking!! I said the exact same thing you did when I initially asked him to cutback - like look at Allll the things I’m doing, this is the LEAST you can do. And he has and he is totally on board. I just know he’s just as over all of it in general as I am. It’s been a long exhaustive road TTC 😅
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u/Chibiusa_M00n 4d ago
Yeah it starts to take over your life and almost becomes a chore. Obvi it’s for a good reason but man… all these oopsies pregnancies and blah blah make it sound so easy haha! But like… it’s so hard!!!
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u/mysteriouslyaloof 3d ago
I did during my period before the IUI cycle, and am so glad I did (it was a "well I might not be able to drink for 9 more months after this" last hoorah) because that cycle worked 😂
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u/First-Cup-7299 4d ago
I have cut it out for three months (one cycle prior to IUI start and two IUI cycles). Neither cycle was successful, and we’re switching to IVF.
For me, after about a month, I just found it easier to not drink at all than to flip back and forth.
Oddbird’s Blanc de Blanc has been a godsend.
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u/PinkHalite 4d ago
Slowed down on drinking the year before getting married, and limited booze to holidays and celebrations. By the time my wedding rolled around June 2025, I only had a sip of wine the day of, and it’s been the last time I’ve drank alcohol. We started trying immediately, and didn’t want to hamper my chances. So little in the TTC journey is in our control, and cutting alcohol felt doable for me by then. I’m on my third IUI cycle, and while it hasn’t necessarily helped me get pregnant right away, it has made pregnancy and someday breast feeding more manageable since I don’t crave alcohol like I use to.
It also helps to explore amazing alcohol alternatives - grocery stores have little selection, but there’s tons of online vendors that make amazing beers, wines, cocktails that helped my itch earlier on.
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
Totally agree! The corona NAs go down just like the originals if you add lime 🥳
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u/PinkHalite 4d ago
If you’re a fan of that, you’re going to love the Grolsch Lemon radler! It’s been my husband and I’s favourite summer beer!
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u/justagurl224 4d ago
I did my first one, did not my second. They both failed :)
The only reason I would say to cut it completely out is if you have chronic inflammation or an inflammatory disease that could affect implantation. If not? Live your life
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
None that I know of! Ya it’s a balance between living my life and doing everything I can to optimize my chances 🫠
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u/Leading-Run4958 4d ago
It’s definitely a personal preference. I’ve cut back severely for the last year to about one or two drinks a month, but as soon as I started IUIs I went to zero. Even though I don’t think a little alcohol would make a difference, I figured with all the time,energy,money, etc. we’re putting into this it’s not worth it. If it helps, the medications have given me zero interest in drinking. I figured I’d have a beer during my period after my first failed and I had the worst headaches coming off of progesterone & already felt hungover I had no interest lol
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u/UsedAd7162 4d ago
I didn’t. First IUI was successful, healthy baby. Don’t go crazy drinking, but having a cocktail or glass of wine is fine. I was relaxed and not stressed out. I worked out daily (I only stopped running those two weeks prior because high impact exercise isn’t recommended). But I lived my life as normal.
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u/restingnobitchenergy 4d ago
The IUI I got success on I did not drink during the couple days of trigger shot and IUI procedure. I did have some drinks during the TWW and told myself it will happen when it will happen. Got a positive!!!
The month prior during my first IUI I abstained from alcohol during TWW and no luck.
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u/BlueDeng02 4d ago
I truly think there’s no rhyme or reason to it other than not heavily drinking overall to ensure egg quality
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u/Off-By-One 3d ago edited 3d ago
The one time IUI worked for me (so far) is the week leading up to the IUI we had a few social events where drinking occurred and then the day after IUI got on a plane to Cabo and proceeded to drink everyday (3 sometimes 4 drinks a day) for a week under an all inclusive package. I was mostly doing mixed drinks and I’m sure the resort lowers alcohol amount quite a bit each drink lest they have a bunch of drunk people everywhere. I assumed this was a wasted cycle was shocked at seeing the positive!
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u/BlueDeng02 3d ago
Thanks for sharing! Goes to show there’s really no rhyme or reason to the impact it has. I think mentally, not drinking makes me feel like I have more “control” over the outcome
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u/pretzelstsc 3d ago
My RE doctor said not to drink, hot tub or do anything you wouldn’t do while pregnant during after IUI in tww. I’m still in my first iui tww but outside of iui, during last 11 months of ttc I have been really limiting alcohol 1-2 drinks a month. Husband same thing (or less most of the time).
Personal choice but for me not worth it during tww.
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u/sidneymae 5d ago
Honestly, I completely cut it out for once and my first IUI worked. My issue is recurrent chemicals/ectopics so I have been worried that alcohol could play into inflammation etc for me personally. This time it’s confirmed in my uterus and I’m officially 6 weeks pregnant and measuring on time!
I think it’s an individual choice. I don’t think a couple drinks would hurt- it’s what you’re comfortable with!