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

[Nimyra]

Hey Trippy,

If you temp went way up on CD 18 then you may have ovulated early... hope not, but its a possibility. I'd also trust temping over OPKs. It's frustrating, we all have been there and it can take a few cycles to get the hang of the prediction methods. How long are your cycles usually?

 

[Trippymama]

Well, my cycles are usually 35 days, give or take a day. Last month I ovulated on day 21, a few years ago when I tested for a few months I almost always ovulated on day 21/22, and this month the OPK said I ovulated on day 21/22. And, after talking more to Lizzie Moon, I realized that I took my temp at different times of the morning... usually 3am - 7am depending when I woke up to pee. She said that testing at different times could screw up my body temp reading. I'm hoping that's right, because I'm now using the Clearblue Ovulation Monitor (computer thingy), and it's suppose to test estrogen and LH surge. I thought I was right on with using it. So, I'm just going to hope I did it right this month, and give it a go next month if not. This is an exhausting process that I'm sure all of you have been through... some for years. Kudos to them for perseverence. If I ovulated early I'll see AF next week, which isn't that long to wait. I'm just going to try and chill out until then and work some on my weight, which needs to drop more. If I'm not ovulating correctly, it's likely because of that. Thank you all so much for being so supportive. I'm really thankful for this forum. My other friends don't understand how this makes you. Hugs and baby dust. Lizzie, how ya doing?

 

[LunaBean]

I don't think you would have randomly ovulated early, so lets just hope your temps are off because of the times you took them!! with a 35 day cycle, cd20/21 is about right, 18 would be early!! Fingers crossed!!

I'm doin ok, waiting (impatiently) for the donor to arrive!! He usually gets here between 12 and 1.30, so should be here soon. I reallly hope this is my last time doing all this, it's very stressful at the start, but the more you do it, it's more of an inconveniece because it infringes on my day-to-day life! I need to get to the doctors before 3pm to get a prescription, but wont be able to because I need to stay put for an hour after he's done!!! At the start I couldn't think of anything else, but now it just gets in the way lol. I'm heading on for cycle 11 next month, it has to be over soon!!!!

 

[Trippymama]

How did it all go? I thought you only needed to lay there 20 minutes? Ugh... I have so much to learn. Glad I've got ya!

Trippy

 

[EpdTTC]

Hey gals...just checking in...Sending lots of positive vibes to Lizzie and Trippy. I hope this cycle is it for you.
I am expecting AF any day now, should be about Monday if things go like they used to. I'm not sure how much the m/c will change my cycles. I am going to do 25 mg Clomid on CD 3-7 with a follicle scan on CD 12. If all looks good on CD day 12, I imagine we will trigger on CD 12 or 13 and insem on 13 and 14 or 14 and 15. I'll keep you posted.

 

[RubyRainbows]

Good luck Lizzie & Trippy -- keeping my fingers crossed for you!!!!!!

 

[LunaBean]

Thanks!! I'm done inseminating for this month, did it on CD10, 12 and 13 and should ovulate today, so there's plenty of the wee guys in there waiting on that egg! (hopefully 'eggs'!!!!

Epd..I'm glad you're back ttc again, my MC shortened my cycles, I now have 28 day cycles instead of about 33. Soy could have something so do with that too tho, as it makes you ov earlier.It's good that you get a follicle scan, my doc would never give me one..so I hafta try and guess!!!

Trippy...how are your temps now? Mine hasnt went up yet, hopefully it does tomro!!!!

 

[Trippymama]

Well, honestly, I put the thermometer away after I decided that I may have inseminated too late. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that I did it when I was supposed to. If I did ovulate earlier (like my temps said) then I will see AF this week.. probably on Thursday. And, I've been spending a lot of time with our donor lately, who is adorable and loving, like a third member of our family, and he is willing to help however he can. He really wants us to get preggo, so I think he will let me test his sperm motility now. I'm even considering having his semen spun and inseminated by the doctor so that it bypasses those first few hurdles. With me being 35, I figure it can't hurt. Thank you for the kind words of support. So glad you all are in this with me. Wish we were all closer in distance so we could meet, but this will have to do. Baby dust ladies.... XOXOXO Trippy

 

[LunaBean]

I know you really wana get pregnant quickly, but I really suggest trying for a few months first, before having any tests or getting the sperm spun etc! You never know!!! My mum had my sister when she was 42..you've plenty of time! It's also expensive to do it the IUI way...but it's up to you! Its great that you have a nice donor..ours is never here longer than 5 minutes lol. The first one we had was here quite alot, he used to take us out for drives etc and we'd go for walks and have chats, but he got into a relationship, fiend! I wish we could meet too..we might get over someday! I'm always afraid of booking aything, holidays or even flights, 'incase' I'm pregnant by then, its annoying! But I wouldnt wana take any risks! I'll definately travel over after I've gor pregnant and had the baby!

Hope you had a nice day, it's Mothers Day over here, I know you dont have it until May (I think!) I got a lovely teddy saying 'Best mummy ever' and a card from OH signed from my angels

Try not to count down the days until AF, it's hard not to tho!!!

 

[EpdTTC]

Lizzie,
That is very sweet what OH did for you. Happy Mothers Day. I know your angels are watching over you and helping your future baby to pick you for his or her mom! I am glad my Dr does scans too, in fact, he pretty much does a scan every time I go to check where I am in my cycle. He is pretty aggressive and has a very high success rate.

Trippy-I started off doing inseminations at home with my SO. We did it for two months. The third month I started seeing an RE and had my donor's semen tested which came out AMAZING so that was very reassuring. MY Dr did inseminations and I used clomid 50 mg the cycle I got pregnant. The inseminations are $225 each, which isn't too bad compared to some. It saves a ton of money to not have to buy sperm. Just a word of wisdom for you...most Drs will not inseminate with donor sperm. Read my back posts and I explain further, but many people say that their donor is their boyfriend in order to get Dr to do it without thousands of dollars worth of tests and months of quarantining semen. I took a risk and was honest with my Dr. At first we was very skeptical and was not going to do it for me but once he got to know me better and I brought my mom to an appointment and signed several documents releasing him from liability etc...he changed his mind. I would say that this is the exception rather than the rule though. I will be 35 in October and while I know that isn't old, I am trying to be aggressive and not waste any time as ideally I would like to have more than one child. I hope this is your month and that you won't have to worry about any of this. Also, if you don't get a BFP this month, don't assume it was because your timing was off. Some times everything can be perfect and it still doesn't work. Very frustrating and hard to understand sometimes.

Baby dust to you-
Erin

 

[Nimyra]

Hey Trippy,

If you really want to meet, I'll let you know when I'm in Albany next visiting my mom. I think I'll be up there in late June.

 

[Trippymama]

Thanks for all of the support. Yes, I know that I need to just breath deeply and see what happens. I guess I just honestly thought that I'd put some swimmers in there and poof a beautiful perfect baby would grow inside me. I wished for that. This is dang hard work... the relaxing part. Honestly the rest is a lot easier. Well, I've been doing some writing lately, and that's how I cope. I'm generally a very laid back person, so we'll see. Can't wait to hear about your situation Lizzy. I've got my fingers crossed for you. And Em, yes let's meet sometime for lunch. We'll just have to get a plane to see the others. I think it'd be so much fun for us all to meet somewhere for a long weekend once we're all preggo!

Hugs, Trippy

 

[EpdTTC]

Got AF yesterday, actually a day or so early. Maybe m/c made my cycles a bit shorter too, am more like 30 days now versus, 31 or 32. I start my cycle of Clomid tomorrow. Scan on the 26th, likely insems on 27 and 28th.

How are you holding up in the tww Lizzie and Trippy?

 

[LunaBean]

Im going mad lol. I hate waiting more than anything! Im also not feeling very positive

 

[EpdTTC]

Hang in there Lizzie! Sending good vibes your way. Hey, here's some good PMA for you...remember MaybeMomSarah? I haven't seen her on here in a while and wondered what happened to her and I just saw her post in another thread that she is 6 weeks preggers! Got her BFP on Feb 23 with her third round of AI. Yay! I'm excited for her!

 

[Nimyra]

That's great! I wondered how she was doing... she should pop by and say hello

 

[LunaBean]

Wow! That's great!!! Well I was convinced I didnt ovulate, I still mightnt have, but FF says I'm 3dpo! And my chances are high because of when I timed the insems, so we'll see!!

Must pop over to see how shes doin!!

 

[Trippymama]

Lizzie Moon, when can you test for pregnancy? I had some lower back pain yesterday and this morning, so I'm thinking I will see AF at the end of the week. If she doesn't arrive and I am willing her away, then I still may have a chance. I'd at least like to know that I inseminated at the right time. And, if no pregnancy this month, I've decided to test my donor's sperm. Let's hang in there together... maybe one or both of us will still get that BFP, and if not, we'll stick together and try it again. Right girlfriend?

How is everyone else doing?

 

[LunaBean]

I'm testing on 26th or 27th, AF is due on 27th, tho I always test before then! Even if you dont get pregnant, it doesnt mean you didnt inseminate at the right time, you could do it every day for the whole month snd still not get preg! Sometimes other factors stop the pregnancy. It does take straight couples on average 6 months to a year, and they have an unlimited supply of the stuff!!! I wouldnt be too annoyed if it didnt work first time, its a game of trial and error!!!

 

[Trippymama]

I know that I should be patient, but it's a challenge for me. I'm such a go-getter, make-it-happen, etc. kind of person that this process is excruciating. Okay, I'm being dramatic, but I'm sure you know what I mean if you are using your OPKs multiple times per day.

This is my second month so I know that I need to try a few more times without fretting before moving on to something new. However, I don't think it can hurt to check his sperm motility, because if it's not happening, I should make other plans immediately.

Today, I am writing a story about this character named Miss Jilly Floss, and I wish there was a strand on here to write creatively about this process... poetry, short stories, short memoirs. It would be cool. Are any of you creative creatures? If so, what is your artistic outlet?