Calling all Donor Sperm/Insemination Buddies!!!

[Savasanna]

Yay for insemination day! Good luck waypast!

I always think it's so funny when I talk to people about picking a donor. When we first started we had all the same conversations you're having. We had an entire spreadsheet outlining the pros and cons of each donor (good smile, weird nose, etc) and even did one of those online "what would your baby look like" type things with all the "finalists". Now.. I literally don't even care. I'm moderately interested in an Rh- donor, but even that isn't all too important because you can just take the rhogam shot. I'm pretty sure our current donor is Rh+, actually. Our previous clinic was notorious for running out of donors (and we only ordered one vile at a time) so the most we were ever able to use the same donor was two tries in a row. Then it was back to the drawing board. After a while we just stopped caring. I don't remember anything about our current donor, to be honest. I *think* he has dark hair? It's almost embarrassing how little we care. At this point, I'd take anyone's sperm. lol

 

[Savasanna]

Oh, and welcome, Mombychoice! Happy to have you here!

 

[WayPastReady]

Yay for insemination day! Good luck waypast!

I always think it's so funny when I talk to people about picking a donor. When we first started we had all the same conversations you're having. We had an entire spreadsheet outlining the pros and cons of each donor (good smile, weird nose, etc) and even did one of those online "what would your baby look like" type things with all the "finalists". Now.. I literally don't even care. I'm moderately interested in an Rh- donor, but even that isn't all too important because you can just take the rhogam shot. I'm pretty sure our current donor is Rh+, actually. Our previous clinic was notorious for running out of donors (and we only ordered one vile at a time) so the most we were ever able to use the same donor was two tries in a row. Then it was back to the drawing board. After a while we just stopped caring. I don't remember anything about our current donor, to be honest. I *think* he has dark hair? It's almost embarrassing how little we care. At this point, I'd take anyone's sperm. lol

Thank you! It sure is funny what you're willing to give up in order to be pregnant. All of the grand ideas, hopes, and dreams in the beginning of ttc have now gone by the wayside and desperation has taken its place. Now, I'm rapidly approaching the "take anyone's sperm" stage too. If we decide to use donor sperm for a third child, I'm not even sure we'd even care about using the same donor. Since we already have an adopted daughter, I kind of like the idea of them all being biologically different so she doesn't feel like she's the only different one. Guess we'll cross that bridge if and when we get to that point. Right now I'm hoping and praying to just get pregnant once and experience giving birth and breastfeeding.

 

[MombyChoice]

WayPastReady, that is so exciting!! Not all women feel that ovulatory pain and you could have ovulated when you were sleeping and you'd probably have missed it! You had the LH surge as evidenced by your OPK strips from the other day also...so there is still every reason that this could be the big cycle. You spaced the insems out well...I'm afraid I'll rush things and do both vials too close. I feel the ovulatory pain about half the time, I hadn't even considered using that as an identifier of ovulation

Well we are all rooting for you, try to stay busy the next couple of weeks...supposedly that's supposed to help with the anxiety

See, I'm just starting out over here, having never TTC before. I was going to start trying in April but I decided that nothing will change between January and April and that I don't want to waste those cycles, who knows how long it'll take me. I have irregular and unpredictable cycles though-PCOS ruled out and no other identifiable hormonal reason so we'll see. I'm temping, monitoring CM and using the OPKs...just did my very first one today to see what the negative looks like.

Thanks Savasanna! I am still stuck in that picky mindset but I can see the otherside of it, a baby is a baby is a baby and that is what we are all working for! I think once I actually start trying things will change as reality sets in..I'm still in the planning stage and have no idea how things will go or what challenges I will face. So funny you had a spreadsheet, you must have been considering a lot of donors! Do you mind if I ask which bank you went with?

 

[Lulua]

Hi I'm new. We are using donor sperm as my Dh was diagnosed with Azoospermia last year after 1 year of us TTC. it was a big blow to us both.

We have done two cycles of at home AI with a known donor. Second one I just did tonight. I hope hope it works. !!!
Good luck to everyone else. Enjoyed reading this thread

 

[Savasanna]

Hello Lulua! Fingers crossed for you this month! At home donors are a new level of.. what can you call it.. things I never thought I'd ever experience. haha

 

[KylasBaby]

Good luck Lulua! Hope it works for you.

You too Savasanna!!

You ladies have me quite broody! One more month!! Gah!

 

[Savasanna]

January will be here in NO time!

 

[KylasBaby]

Oh I know. I just can't wait for it to be over haha. All this planning and worrying it won't work put because of how far donor dude is to us since we moved and hoping he will be able to work up here when we need him or meet us closer. I probably wouldn't be worrying as much if he were closer. But that's my biggest worry. The logistics.

 

[WayPastReady]

Hi I'm new. We are using donor sperm as my Dh was diagnosed with Azoospermia last year after 1 year of us TTC. it was a big blow to us both.

We have done two cycles of at home AI with a known donor. Second one I just did tonight. I hope hope it works. !!!
Good luck to everyone else. Enjoyed reading this thread

Welcome Lulua! So glad to have you here and to join in on your hopefully short journey using DS! I can completely relate to the "big blow" feeling of finding out DH had azoospermia. I physically felt sick and was emotionally crushed. It's definitely better now, but I still get sad every once in awhile when I think about how we might never have a child that is biologically both of ours and how I wish we could just get pregnant so easily like everyone else appears to.

Good luck in your tww! I'll be anxiously awaiting your updates.

 

[WayPastReady]

Savasanna, how did the ultrasound go last week? Did you inseminate yet?

AFM, my mom said I looked different today in a good way...my hair was dirty and pulled up so it's not like I was looking great today lol. She said it wasn't my hair or makeup, but my face just looked different. Then when I got home tonight, I noticed brown spotting in my underwear. Implantation spotting? Here I was doing so good at keeping my mind off of this tww...now not so much

 

[KylasBaby]

Timing would be accurate for implantation spotting! Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Savasanna]

How exciting Waypast! How far in the tww are you? Are you planning on testing?

Ultrasound was good, I got zero information from it which annoys me a little and I'm going to talk to my RE about on Thursday. (as in, I know they're creating the treatment plan, but I still would've appreciated "you have x follicles on the right and x on the left. Your hormone levels are x. So the plan is...") In any event, I triggered Thursday night at had the IUI on Saturday morning. So I'm 4dpiui today. Nothing to note, I'm not really symptom spotting because I've had cycles with every symptom in the book turn out bfn so I don't want to drive myself crazy. However, it's easy to say that when you're this early in the tww when symptoms wouldn't be present anyway. I'm sure I'll be going crazy come this weekend/early next week. haha.

My period is due on the 25th, however we're planning on testing on Thursday the 22nd so we have a head's up before our holiday travels.

 

[WayPastReady]

That's super annoying that they didn't give you any info. I would definitely be wanting to know what they saw and their thoughts on it.

I'm 7dpo today so only a few days ahead of you. I have a short LP of 10 days so I'm supposed to start this Saturday the 17th. I probably won't test until at least Sunday. I'm having what feels like light menstrual cramps today, which I'm hoping is implantation, but it's making me feel like I'm out. It's so hard to keep your mind off the wait when your body is giving you crazy symptoms.

 

[KylasBaby]

I felt implantation with my MMC. It was so weird. A few seconds of sharp pain and then it was done. Had to catch my breath a bit. Was so weird. But with dd I didn't feel anything. Already had the next cycle planned and was surprised either a BFP at 8dpo.

Anyway, not sure if you've said WayPastReady, but how did you do the insem? We did it at home. Got as romantical as possible and OH shot the suckers up there haha. We didn't have sex or anything because it's pretty gross to be around there with some guys stuff all up in my business lol. But there were candles lit and making out and whatnot. This time probably won't be as romantic. Probably be much quicker.

 

[WayPastReady]

Kylasbaby, I thought we would make it romantic, but when it came down to it, my husband got weirded out about it last month (possibly because I made him take a pic of me holding the nitrogen tank to document the process for the future ) so I decided to make it less of a big deal and just did it myself. We also didn't have sex afterwards since there was another man's stuff in there.

This month my husband knew we would be inseminating again, but I didn't tell him when I picked it up or when I did the first one. The only reason he knew I did the second one was because he ran back into the house for something when he was leaving for work and saw me getting set up.

So awesome that you got your bfp at 8dpo with your dd! Part of me is curious to see if I would get a bfp that early, but the other part of me doesn't want to see another negative test so I'll probably keep waiting.

 

[Savasanna]

lol - we have a pic of us holding a nitrogen tank as well! A 10-day lp does seem on the short side, but here's hoping your cramps are implantation and not menstrual!

Have you guys heard that it helps to orgasm if you're doing at home inseminations? The muscular contractions kind of help to suck the sperm up into the cervix. We also skipped anything sexual during our at home tries (we were too nervous when it came to the frozen tries, and the known donor tries meant her brother was hanging out downstairs) so I just did the job myself after the insemination.

 

[WayPastReady]

That's so funny that you took a pic with the tank as well!!

I have heard about the orgasm helping and did it last month after the second insem, but this month it didn't work out since I did it in the mornings and was alone with our dd.

I've used progesterone cream a few times before to help extend my LP, and it gives me a couple more days but last month it gave me every single pregnancy symptom that I wasn't sure I could mentally go through that again. I plan on getting my progesterone levels checked asap once I get my bfp to make sure I'm not having an issue being low and will most likely get them checked every couple weeks for my own peace of mind.

 

[KylasBaby]

Aw man I wish I'd gotten a pic of one of us holding the cup haha.

We swayed for a girl and will be this time as well and the female orgasm sways boy so no happy ending for me lol. I also can only get off orally and no way I could ask OH to do that with a guys stuff up there hahaha

I use npo after O. An issue with pcos is low progesterone. At 8 week pregnant my progesterone was only 16 on the cream so I'm sure without it it would have been super bad news. Doctor wouldn't give me anything since it was in the normal ranges even if it was right at the bottom.

 

[WayPastReady]

I also only get off orally, so we would have the same issue with DH going down there afterwards. I didn't know about orgasm favoring a boy though! Guess it's true that you learn something new everyday.

I've never been dx'd with pcos and my acupuncturist said she doesn't think I have a LPD, but I definitely think something isn't right with it only being 10 days. What's the npo? I do worry about possibly being low in progesterone and the cream not being enough. I've never had my day 21 prog check, so I should probably go ahead and get it checked next month if I'm not pregnant this cycle.