Considering at-home insemination with donor sperm...?

[mommies1and2]

I finally got my first positive OPK this afternoon and my donor is coming over tonite (no pun intended) to bring his contribution! I'm a little embarrassed that I got my timing wrong and he has already donated Sunday, Monday and Tuesday but he is such a good sport about it.

I was worried becaue my temps and the OvaCue and OPK's were not lining up...I still don't really understand the OvaCue part...I paid $300 for it and it told me my peak fertility day was Tuesday but it clearly wasn't!

But at least we've still got a chance to make a baby this month!

Welcome Mechanica...I am new here too! Everyone here has been so helpful!

 

[mechanica]

Good luck, mommies1and2!! I think i may have got my dates mixed up too! I 'booked' my donor in for Saturday, but i dont think i will get my surge until Sunday now.

Oh well, fingers cross for us both!!

 

[lyvian]

Welcome Mechanica!!
I'm also new and the girls are all so nice and very helpful. I'm so pleased to have somewhere to share my thoughts concerns and questions .....speaking of which..

Girls, I need some help. We are on our second try and our donor has been great. we get his swimmers and off to make baby. We insert and wait about 30minutes and then when she gets up, she kinda leaks, is this normal? are we doing something wrong? I'm sorry if I grossed anyone, it's that I'm concern. Don't want swimmers to go to waste

 

[EpdTTC]

Lyvian,
I think it is pretty hard to gross us out! I don't think you are doing anything wrong-I think some leakage is normal-even for straight women doing it the old fashioned way! I think you can use a soft cup afterwards if you want to prevent some leakage-I found that I preferred them over not using one and feeling the goo drip out of me for a day!

 

[Nimyra]

Lyvian, totally normal to leak. The good swimmers will already be up in the uterus (and they don't fall out once they make it that far) by 30 minutes (10 minutes probably), so whatever leaks out doesn't really affect your chances. Most of us are extra paranoid though and that's where the softcups come in handy.

 

[mommies1and2]

Lyvian: I agree with what the other gals have shared. We use the Diva cup immediately after inserting the sperm and no more leaks...our donor regularly contributes about 5 ml's so that's alot of I think some women even put the sperm into the cup and then insert the cup. We haven't tried that yet.

Mechanica: Good luck on Saturday! Hopefully we'll both be getting this month!

 

[LunaBean]

Yeah my doctor told me that any good swimmers will be up and away by the 10 minute mark, so I wouldn't worry about any leakage! I used the softcup once, but it was uncomfortable, and still leaked, so I mustn't have did it properly lol.

Mechanica, it' ok to do it even 3 days before your surge, because they can live up to 4/5 days in good conditions!! Dont worry!

 

[topazicatzbet]

i use soft cups and love them. sometimes get a bit of leakage but not much.

im starting on the grapefruit juice now and gonna start testing twice a day with opk soon. so far plan is to go to donors wed/thurs/fri. really hoping its 5th time lucky

 

[snagglepat]

Lyvian, we always got leakage too, but couldn't figure out the cup thing without making even more mess so we just went with it. We'd receive our donation in the evening so I'd just go to bed, so stay lying down for 8 hours or so afterwards - with a pillow and towel beneath me. I'd then use a pad the next day to catch any later leakage. We'd always get leakage even whilst still lying down too. It's very normal - and clearly doesn't affect the overall result.

Gina. x

 

[LunaBean]

Topazi, good luck! My donor is only free one night

 

[lyvian]

Girls You all are so amazing!! thanks for all your advice . They really have calmed me! Bless You all! Our donor will be over again tomorrow, and now I will be breathing easier thanks to all of you. We are lucky that he can donate 3 times.

Mechanica and Mommies 1and2, keeping my fingers and toes cross for both of you. Hoping you both get A BFP!!!

Topaz, Good luck to you!!

 

[EpdTTC]

Hey Lyvian-where in Ohio are you??
Erin

 

[RubyRainbows]

Good luck girls! Keeping FX'ed for lots of BFP's around here before xmas! We are hoping to insem again next week -- unfortunately we can only meet up with our donor 1X a month! But -- its better than our chances before -- when we were only able to afford frozen sperm like 2-3X a year!!!!!! Ha!

 

[lyvian]

We are in Avon Ohio Erin

 

[EpdTTC]

Wow! I'm in Kent! We're practically neighbors!

 

[lyvian]

Erin,
Yes we are. today we gave r doner a day off, he gives us his swimmers Sunday. Hopefully second try is a success! Have a great one everyone!

 

[mechanica]

Hello! I contacted my donor today about a donation (hopefully tomorrow/monday) and he said he may only be able to make one day.

Ruby, a doctor once told me that 1 carefully timed insemination is as good as 2/3 donations so don't worry!

I am desperate for it to work this month. I know that sounds ridiculous, but tbh i thought it would work straight away (my first LO was conceived when i was using condoms!). I'm getting really sad about it not working and i've not even had the donation yet! I'm trying not to let TTC take over my life, but it is so hard to not think about it! I feel like i'm either waiting for my period or waiting to ovulate and i've had enough of weeing on sticks!

I've bought some preseed, has anyone ever had any luck with that? My donor said he would do NI if i wanted, but i'm not interested in doing it that way, though a part of me wonders if it would actually work if i did it the 'proper' way. Too complicated for me though, i have too many 'issues'.

I hope everyone is okay. I am trying to be relaxed but i don't think it's working!

I wish i had a partner to talk it through with, but sadly you ladies will bear the brunt of my rants!

 

[topazicatzbet]

im more than happy for you to moan away at me, as i dont have a partner either so know where your comming from.

i also feel fed up, only took 3 cycles to concieve callum and im now on cycle 5.

as for the NI you have the exact same odds with AI. so stick to what you feel comfortable with.

 

[RubyRainbows]

Are the chances the same for NI & AI? I (kinda jokingly) mentioned that to my OH -- bc i know every drop matters! I worried there was some good swimmers left behind in the cup! She, of course, said no way! But i think if a few more cycles go by, i may lightly mention it again......

If it were me, i would consider that option........ bc i know it would simply be a "means to an end" so to speak....... But that's just my opionion. There wouldn't be any feelings involved. I'm sure that's controversial... & i'm not trying to start a debate or anything.

I feel we are all timing things so well -- and its so frustrating that its taking soo long! I can't believe my two attempts & OH's 2 attempts didn't work! When i got preggo with my son, i wasn't timing or trying....... & it happened the 1st month of sleeping with the guy. Plus, i work with teen moms & i see so many unplanned pregnancies everyday! It gets very frustrating!!!!!!!!

 

[topazicatzbet]

at the end of the day which ever way you do it the sperm ends up in the same place, time it well and you have just as good a chance.

try to remember it can take up to a year to concieve in a healthy couple so 4 tries our way is fine. i know its frustrating (im cycle 5 this time) but it will happen if you keep timing it well.