At-home Artificial Insemination - HOW TO and success stories.

[Stellar.]

Hey everyone

I know this thread hasn't been posted in for a few months but I would like some advice from people who use this method. Unless someone can point me to a more recent thread about this.
My husband has issues with ejaculating during sex, he is capable of doing and does it sometimes (rarely during the times we need him to, though. I kind of think it's a pressure issue) So we have been trying home insemination just so we can have some type of chance at getting pregnant.

I use OPK's to track ovulation, have him ejaculate in a sterile cup and use a syringe to insert it. I also use preseed and then have an orgasm after because I read a lot of people recommend that.

I feel like I am doing everything you're suppose to be doing, but is there anything else? I would really love to try softcups but the thought of it getting stuck really scares me (I probably shouldn't have googled "Softcups emergency room" lol)

Also, how long do you wait to insert it? It seems like timing varies with everyone but i usually try to immediately.

 

[lisap2008]

Hey everyone

I know this thread hasn't been posted in for a few months but I would like some advice from people who use this method. Unless someone can point me to a more recent thread about this.
My husband has issues with ejaculating during sex, he is capable of doing and does it sometimes (rarely during the times we need him to, though. I kind of think it's a pressure issue) So we have been trying home insemination just so we can have some type of chance at getting pregnant.

I use OPK's to track ovulation, have him ejaculate in a sterile cup and use a syringe to insert it. I also use preseed and then have an orgasm after because I read a lot of people recommend that.

I feel like I am doing everything you're suppose to be doing, but is there anything else? I would really love to try softcups but the thought of it getting stuck really scares me (I probably shouldn't have googled "Softcups emergency room" lol)

Also, how long do you wait to insert it? It seems like timing varies with everyone but i usually try to immediately.

I have used softcups for years never had trouble removing it. you want to insert the sample as quickly as possible because sperm start dying when they are not at body temperature. best of luck!.

 

[Stellar.]

Thanks!

I have also been wondering can moving them around too much make them die? Last time for some reason they kept falling out of the syringe and I had to keep sucking them up or if you move them around in the cup too much?

 

[lisap2008]

Thanks!

I have also been wondering can moving them around too much make them die? Last time for some reason they kept falling out of the syringe and I had to keep sucking them up or if you move them around in the cup too much?

I dont think it would hurt them any ,just try not to get air bubbles in the syringe. maybe get some better syringes that dont leak.

 

[jGo_18]

1. If you used a donor (rather than your spouse), how did you find your donor?
we're a same sex couple so donor was a necessity. a friend offered to help us.

2. What method(s) did you use to track ovulation?
opks, bbt tracking, cm & cp tracking, also the Ovacue monitor (worth every pretty penny it cost)

3. What method(s) of insemination did you use?
put a bit of preseed in syringe and then sucked up all the swimmers. had orgasm and wife inserted syringe in me. kept hips propped up for about an hour each time.

4. How many times per cycle did you inseminate and what was the timing relative to ovulation (e.g. 2 days before and day of)?
this varied between 3-5 times. our successful cycle we did 5 times. it ended up being O-7, O-4, O-3, O-1, and day of

5. Logistics. Where did you meet your donor and how did the donation occur?
donor did his business in a sterile cup, we went to his place to get it and bring it home.

6. Did it work? If so, how many cycles did it take?
YES! currently about 13 wks, due July 25th, 2016. It took 6 cycles (but 9 months due to some cycle issues)

7. If you used a donor, what is the relationship you have (or intend to have) with your donor?
he will not play a roll of any kind in the baby's life. we will likely remain friends as we have been - we don't really see him, just a phone/text friendship.

8. Anything else you think people should know?
doing it "this way" was way more stressful and hard on me than i had expected. it is so important to find a way to relax throughout the process. i finally stepped back and took a moment to realize how lucky i was to be able to even have the chance to do things this way and once i relaxed and let things happen - BAM it worked.

 

[MissSaturn]

I'm brand new, first post! This is our 5th month I think doing at home insemination, been TTC for almost 2 years. Due to medication it's easier for my husband to ejacuate into a cup. This month we are really trying we've done 6 inseminations this month so far and I haven't ovulated yet... I've been testing but haven't seen anything yet. I'm on day 15 of my cycle, (usually my avg cycles are 30-32 days), really hoping this month works. Just looking for any suggestions, etc. He gives me his sample in a cup and I use a 10ml syringe, I am always laying down and always O after and either stay in bed for the night or for atleast half hour to an hour, sometimes with hips up and sometimes on my side. Anyways hello and so glad to hear about success stories! Hope this is the month for all of us!

in reply to Stellar. I insert within a few minutes of him making the "donation".

question - do you find you leak a lot after inseminating? I know I inseminate it in deep but I always feel like I leak and when I get out of bed after my underwear is wet. I'm kind of scared I'm doing it wrong. Tried a softcup but couldn't get it in and wasn't comfortable with it.

 

[MissSaturn]

Thanks!

I have also been wondering can moving them around too much make them die? Last time for some reason they kept falling out of the syringe and I had to keep sucking them up or if you move them around in the cup too much?

I dont think it would hurt them any ,just try not to get air bubbles in the syringe. maybe get some better syringes that dont leak.

Can the air bubbles hurt the sperm? I usually can't get them all out.

 

[lisap2008]

Thanks!

I have also been wondering can moving them around too much make them die? Last time for some reason they kept falling out of the syringe and I had to keep sucking them up or if you move them around in the cup too much?

I dont think it would hurt them any ,just try not to get air bubbles in the syringe. maybe get some better syringes that dont leak.

Can the air bubbles hurt the sperm? I usually can't get them all out.

I dont know if it hurts them but maybe confuses them , The main reason I said try not to get air bubbles is because you dont want to inject air in the reproductive tract, so what I do if I have air bubbles , I point the tip end of the syringe up and tap on the syringe with my finger till the bubbles float to the top then gently depress on the plunger to push them out being careful not to lose any sperm. I usually do my insemination first then carefully insert the instead cup.

 

[Mfoster77]

This is so refreshing to hear!! I just did my first cycle, and am hoping for the best

 

[Mfoster77]

1. If you used a donor (rather than your spouse), how did you find your donor?

We used a distant friend. Somebody we could trust but somebody who we wernt super close with to make it awkward

2. What method(s) did you use to track ovulation?
We used an app. Put in my last period date and it told us which days I would be fertile and what my ovulation day was. I tried using the ovulation kits but found them very unhelpful.


3. What method(s) of insemination did you use?
Had him put the contents into a sterile cup, and then we used a 10ml oral syringe to inseminate


4. How many times per cycle did you inseminate and what was the timing relative to ovulation (e.g. 2 days before and day of)?

We did it 4 times before ovulation day, and then twice on that day.

5. Logistics. Where did you meet your donor and how did the donation occur?
donor did his business in a sterile cup, first time in our bathroom and the rest of the time at his house where we would then go pick it up.

6. Did it work? If so, how many cycles did it take?
YES! It worked our first cycle and first time trying to get pregnant! We are so overjoyed!

7. If you used a donor, what is the relationship you have (or intend to have) with your donor?
he will not play any role in the babies life. He actually just moved away and didn't even want to know if it worked or not.

8. Anything else you think people should know?
Just relax and trust your body. I was so skeptical and didn't think it would work. Especially not the first try... But here we are!

 

[Chumba]

Mfoster77 - congrats! This is our 3rd month trying at home AI and I was wondering if you could share more info on the insemination process (or anyone else reading this who has had AI at home success).

1. Did you use preseed?
2. How long did you lay down after insemination?
3. Maybe TMI, but how far in did you insert the syringe?
4. How long after your donor did his deed did you inseminate?

TIA!

 

[BabyinBali]

My story:
1. If you used a donor (rather than your spouse), how did you find your donor

My wife and I are in a same sex marriage and we were lucky enough to have one of our close friends volunteer himself entirely to our cause.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis one year ago and underwent surgery to remove multiple cysts. We now live in Bali and met our donor here, he is a close friend.

2. What method(s) did you use to track ovulation


Temping, ovulation tests, CM , ovulation calculator.

3. What method(s) of insemination did you use

For our first cycle we used fresh donor sperm transferred into a syringe, then inseminated into me. I would lay with my hips up high for up to half an hour after each insemination. We also used fresh egg whites as lubricant when inserting the syringe and I orgasm'd after each insemination with the sperm still inside. I would then lay down with hips up for 20-30mins.

We are currently on our 3rd insemination of our second cycle of ttc and we're using fresh donor sperm, soft cups and pre seed.

15 minutes before we receive the fresh sperm from our donor in the next room, I insert the pre seed using the applicator. I use one full applicator tube and insert it as high up and close to my cervix as I can. Once we have the sperm we carefully pour it into a pre-seed based soft cup and I insert the soft cup whilst in a seated position. I then lay down for one hour. The last time we inseminated I also Orgasm'd twice using an external vibrator to ensure the sperm from the soft cup was sucked up. The latest time I inserted the cup I did spill the sperm, I'm not sure how much but I am confident there was enough left in the cup for it to still be effective. (I'm also just trying to be positive eek!) I leave the soft cup in for 6-12 hours depending on what time we do the insemination.

In addition to the above I am also having acupuncture every third day from CD5 and taking chinese herbs and pre natal suppliments. We are on CD11 today so I have also started taking Robitussin and Red Raspberry tea. I'm trying everything I've read that may help!

Once I have ovulated (scheduled for tomorrow) I will start eating pineapple (about 4/5 slices a day) and eating sunflower seeds (about 1/4 cup) a day. I've read both help with fertilisation so I will eat for four days post Ovulation.

This cycle I also completely cut out coffee, alcohol, banana, potato, gluten and salt. I have been taking regular epsom salt baths and take pre-natal supplements daily.

4. How many times per cycle did you inseminate and what was the timing relative to ovulation (e.g. 2 days before and day of)?

1st cycle: We inseminated once a day for the five days leading up to O, then twice during ovulation.

I recorded my body temp first thing every morning for the first cycle to ensure I knew the rhythm of my cycle and to get more in-tune with my body. I knew I was ovulating because my CM was less thick, clearer and more sticky. I did an ovulation test and it was dark and positive. We knew this was our last chance for the cycle so we inseminated twice in 24 hours. The next day my temp spiked by one degree so I knew I had definitely ovulated.

2nd cycle: Currently on our third insemination for the cycle. We are inseminating once a day for the five days leading up to O, then twice during O.

This cycle I only started monitoring my temp a few days before we started insemination. I found checking my temp first thing every morning upsetting when it didn't take first time so this time I'm more relaxed and know my body better.

5. Logistics. Where did you meet your donor and how did the donation occur?

Our donor either comes to our house or we go to his house. Before each session we sit and chat for a while then he would go off and do his thing. After a little while he would bring the goods to us in a clean specimen cup and within 5-10 minutes of receiving the sperm we would have completed the insemination.

6. Did it work? If so, how many cycles did it take?


We're currently ttc and on our 2nd cycle.

To date we have done 10 inseminations over 1.5 cycles.

7. If you used a donor, what is the relationship you have (or intend to have) with your donor?

We already have a legal contract inlace with our donor should we fall pregnant. We decided it was best for everyone if the identity of the donor if not a secret. Our friends and family (his as well) all know the situation and we know he will be in our lives forever so we feel there is no reason why we should conceal his contribution to our pregnancy.

Legally our donor has contractually agreed to forfeit all parental rights over the child. He will also not be named on the birth certificate.

8. Anything else you think people should know?


When we started our first cycle I really thought we would fall pregnant straight away. I thought inseminating 7 times during the lead up to, and during peak O time was foolproof. When it didn't work I was really upset and felt like maybe it would never happen, or that it would take a really really long time. I felt it was hopeless.

During this cycle I'm more relaxed and more informed. I'm also taking every precaution and trying every trick in the book to ensure we have the best chance of falling pregnant. I understand that falling pregnant is a total body phenomena and not just about getting a sperm to fertilise an egg. Your body has to be ready and in peak condition. If it doesn't happen this cycle I will continue with the diet, alternative therapies and supplements so for the next cycle we'll be in even better shape. I really believe trying the pre seed and soft cups this cycle will make all the difference so we'll wait and see. Fingers crossed.

 

[HopefulFairy]

1. If you used a donor (rather than your spouse), how did you find your donor?

We used a close friend whom also helped us conceive our now 2yo DD

2. What method(s) did you use to track ovulation?

Clearblue advanced digital ovulation kit and fertility friend. Also checked CM. Previous months also did temping but didn't bother this month.

3. What method(s) of insemination did you use?

Cup and 10ml syringe. Previous months used preseed but not this month as was *TMI* very wet already


4. How many times per cycle did you inseminate and what was the timing relative to ovulation (e.g. 2 days before and day of)?

2 days before O as it was only time we could this month. Previous months we tried -3,-2,-1,0 with no luck trying for this baby but did have luck this way when we had no#1

5. Logistics. Where did you meet your donor and how did the donation occur?

I ovulated 4 days earlier than normal this month so was a bit of a rush to catch the egg. I few down to see donor for insemination day of high on Clearblue digital and we did insemination in a dodgy hotel in middle of nowhere lol. Got the peak reading next day but had to fly back home for work.

6. Did it work? If so, how many cycles did it take?

Yes worked! Finally!! For baby #2 it took 9 cycle (10 months). It was a big surprise it took this long as baby #1 with same donor and method was cycle #2

7. If you used a donor, what is the relationship you have (or intend to have) with your donor?

He is a good friend and will be known to our children as their biological father but will not be involved in co-parenting

8. Anything else you think people should know?

I was starting to loose hope as it was taking so long to fall pregnant again. To make it worse everyone I knew was falling pregnant and I was feeling so left out. I had no pregnancy symptoms this month but plenty in tww with baby #1 so I thought I was out. Had tested a few days ago and BFN. But today I was a day late for AF (16dpo) so tested again and BFP!! So ladies it is possible and don't give up. Wishing you all the best of luck xx

 

[MLK]

Been reading all these posts about home insem. Quick quedtion.... Might be asking TMI. I can't find too much about this part tho. How much semen do you ladies use per insem? I get .5 to 1 ml so i use preseed too. Does this amt seem adequate?

 

[knox.les]

1. If you used a donor (rather than your spouse), how did you find your donor
My wife and I are in a same sex relationship, our donor is a coworker who we've known for a few years.

2. What method(s) did you use to track ovulation
Early Ovulation tests (just the walmart brand) and ovulation calendar

3. What method(s) of insemination did you use
The first month we just used a syringe and inseminated me and then I orgasmed and kept my hips elevated for half an hour. The second month we did the same and this month we tried using a syringe with a longer catheter on the end and a softcup.

4. How many times per cycle did you inseminate and what was the timing relative to ovulation (e.g. 2 days before and day of)?
The first month we only inseminated once, the second and third month we inseminated 2 days before ovulation and then again when I got a positive ovulation test

5. Logistics. Where did you meet your donor and how did the donation occur?
We met at his house, he ejaculated into an empty medicine bottle, then we drove home and inseminated within an hour

6. Did it work? If so, how many cycles did it take?
Still trying. We're on cycle 3 now, just have to wait for that late period. Fingers crossed!

7. If you used a donor, what is the relationship you have (or intend to have) with your donor?
We are close friends and he has said he is fine being more of an "uncle" for our future baby. We have papers written up that say he will give up any rights he has to the baby that we will have notarized whenever I get pregnant.

8. Anything else you think people should know?
Any advice would be awesome other than that, just don't give up hope and stay positive also softcups are amazing, they stop messes from happening

 

[Cppeace]

1. If you used a donor (rather than your spouse), how did you find your donor?
My BF/SO has low sex drive so trying this- no other donor.
2. What method(s) did you use to track ovulation
CM/CP, BBT, IC opks,
3. What method(s) of insemination did you use
The first month we are trying this and will start out with sterile container and oral syringe.

4. How many times per cycle did you inseminate and what was the timing relative to ovulation (e.g. 2 days before and day of)?
This is the first month trying this and first insemination was cd 13 and plan to either inseminate or dtd every other day until ovulation is confirmed.

5. Logistics. Where did you meet your donor and how did the donation occur?
Is my guy, we live together, he goes to the bedroom and does his thing, I get the specimen and easily get it in the syringe within 2 mins, get the air out and put it in a comfortable depth and slowly inject. Stay in an inclined position 15-25 mins.

6. Did it work? If so, how many cycles did it take?
First cycle in process- will update when BFP occurs.

7. If you used a donor, what is the relationship you have (or intend to have) with your donor?
See above

8. Anything else you think people should know?
From my research home AI done right has just as much chance as natural sex 20-37% a cycle. Be patient and keep trying.

 

[knox.les]

Update- I'm pregnant! Currently 8 weeks and everything is going great. I think what really helped this cycle was the softcup, apparently it really helped things

 

[lisap2008]

Been reading all these posts about home insem. Quick quedtion.... Might be asking TMI. I can't find too much about this part tho. How much semen do you ladies use per insem? I get .5 to 1 ml so i use preseed too. Does this amt seem adequate?

Semen amount does not matter a normal count can have 15 million - 100 million swimmers in 1ml of semen . if your using fresh sperm and are concerned about the sperm count per ml you can have him go for a semen analysis.
To increase semen volume have him drink more water also l arginine is good for increasing volume and zinc.

 

[lisap2008]

Update- I'm pregnant! Currently 8 weeks and everything is going great. I think what really helped this cycle was the softcup, apparently it really helped things

Congratulations!

 

[petalrebel40]

I am TTC this month for the first time with a donor. I am. My donor lives a couple of hours from me. We were considering me meeting him halfway to pick up the sperm. Is there any chance of success with a 40 minute delay between him "donating" and me using it? Thank you so much ladies!