Leakage After Insemination: What Does it Mean?

Many people wonder why they experience so much leakage after sex or an intracervical or intrauterine insemination. In this article you will learn everything you need to know about what leakage is, why it occurs, and why it is of no concern in regards to your chance of pregnancy.

Why does leakage occur after an insemination, and what does it mean?

During ovulation, your cervix produces a fluid called cervical mucus. This is a special fluid that creates a path through which sperm can more easily enter the cervix and then the uterus. Cervical mucus not only helps transport the sperm into the uterus, but it also filters out any dead sperm and other ingredients in seminal fluid that are not necessary for pregnancy.

Through having sex or doing an insemination, some of this cervical mucous dislodges from the cervix and enters the vagina. This is one of the reasons (but not the only one!) that leakage occurs.
Leakage can also be seminal fluid itself! Did you know your uterus can only hold a small amount of fluid - less than a typical semen sample? The cervix is designed to naturally “wash” sperm, only allowing through the best swimmers and reducing the volume of fluid that makes it into your uterus.

When having sex or doing an insemination with fresh sperm (such as through using a syringe like Mosie), leakage also results from extra seminal fluid. The volume of seminal fluid from a single ejaculation is too much for the uterus to hold (plus, it contains ingredients besides sperm that aren’t necessary for baby making). So leakage results from this extra seminal fluid as well.

Even when doing an intrauterine insemination, either at home with a midwife or at a fertility clinic, or doing home insemination (ICI) with frozen sperm, leakage is normal. Each vial of processed, previously frozen sperm contains millions of sperm mixed with sperm wash. Depending on the size of your uterus and the size of the sample within the vial, some milliliters of fluid can leak out of your cervix after an IUI. This is normal and not concerning- even if some fluid leaks out of the cervix, there are still millions of sperm inside your uterus traveling towards your awaiting egg.

Is leakage after sex or insemination normal?

While the sudden feeling of fluid between your legs might take you by surprise, leakage, whether it’s post-sex, post-DIY home insemination, or post-IUI, can be a normal part of all of these experiences. Rest assured that leakage is: 

• Totally common experience and completely normal
• Often a combination of cervical and seminal fluid
• Gravity and your body at work

Tons of people get pregnant while experiencing leakage-it’s a normal and very common part of the process! Wishing you all the best and if we can ever be of any help or support with your home insemination process, please feel free to reach out!