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

[Sparklypants]

Maybe by the 30th attempt I'll get a baby at the end of it!!

x

 

[LunaBean]

Thought you girls might like to see this wee video I made (under duress from Megg and Patch lol)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT7P91T5KBE

 

[RubyRainbows]

Luna -- that was a cute video! Love your accent!!

 

[LunaBean]

hehe, thanks!

 

[snagglepat]

Hiya,

A bit behind on this but thought I'd add our experience to the mix.

So, what did you all use for timing?

When we were trying with my partner, opks and cervical mucus. Opks don't work with me (PCOS makes them positive for at least 7 days) so we relied solely on mucus.

Did it work, how many cycles did it take?

Yes. We tried 12 cycles with my partner and got one BFP that ended in miscarriage. With me we got pregnant on the 6th cycle of trying, but only the third once we'd got me regularly ovulating - that was for our daughter who is three in a few weeks. This time we tried once before my meds had kicked in so I wasn't ovulating, but we thought I might be at the time. We got a BFP the first time we tried once I was ovulating.

How many hours before or after + opk or other O predictor did you inseminate (like - 2, +12, +24, etc)? How many times did you insem per cycle?

Didn't use them, so can't help, but by following mucus patterns for a few months we conceived with me the first time when we inseminated the day before and the day of ovulation (but it was a few hours beforehand). This last time it was the first day I had good fertile mucus but it was actually a good three or more days before ovulation. It still worked though!

How long have you been using the home insemination method?

Ha! We started in Nov 03 with my partner and eventually got me pregnant in Jan 07. 18 cycles in all first time. It took two this time.

Do you have big O after or before? Also, I wonder if oral is okay after to help get big O?

The leakage issue would definitely put us off using oral! I didn't O the time I got pregnant with our daughter, but I did this time after we'd inserted the sperm but before we removed the syringe.

I hope that helps!



Gina.

 

[EpdTTC]

Cute video Luna-Your dog is very talented!

 

[Goose]

Ruby~ We're waiting to find out about his SA to see how we'll move forward. Fresh wouldn't be an option for us though. I wish it was since the alternative is sooo expensive. Although, if we were to do IUI at the Dr., it would be even more expensive, so this seems like a decent alternative kwim.

 

[Goose]

Gina~ love that you did a home birth! That's the hope this time for me as well. Gotta get preggers first though, lol! My others were hospital births, no fun atall. Congrats to you!! (o: I hope this birth goes good at home as well for you.

Sorry if I offended anyone about the oral, just seemed like the obvious for us. Guess I figured the goods would be so deep inside, it wouldn't matter....oops.

 

[Goose]

Gina~ love that you did a home birth! That's the hope this time for me as well. Gotta get preggers first though, lol! My others were hospital births, no fun atall. Congrats to you!! (o: I hope this birth goes good at home as well for you.

Sorry if I offended anyone about the oral, just seemed like the obvious for us. Guess I figured the goods would be so deep inside, it wouldn't matter....oops.

 

[Goose]

Gina~ That's so fab that you've had a successful home birth! That's our hope for our next birth..the other ones were hospital births...no fun atall. Good luck with your upcoming home birth (o:

I hope I haven't offended anybody about the oral O...it just seemed like the obvious choice for us. Guess I figured the goods would be so deep inside that it wouldn't be a problem...oops.

 

[Goose]

OOPS...sorry! My post didn't show up for a long while, so I tried to re-write it. Then when I posted the new one, the old one shows up twice! Geesh....I feel like a dummy. Sorry about the multi-post...I'm new to this forum and couldn't figure out how to delete.

 

[Sparklypants]

I don't think you can delete you can just edit?

I wouldn't worry about it

But yes, oral would be a big no as you always get some leakage... although there are ways to try and stop that x

 

[Goose]

Do any of you use softcups to help with leakage? I've used them before and they worked great ... zero leakage! (o:

 

[Sparklypants]

I think some of the girls have? I just used to leave the syringe in for 45 mins whilst I was elevated... hardly any leakage at all x

 

[topazicatzbet]

i used them to concieve callum and using them again this time round.

 

[Goose]

i used them to concieve callum and using them again this time round.

How long did you wait to put the cup in? How long did you leave it in?

Did any of you use the catheter with the syringe? Seems like I hear more about leakage without the cath?

 

[topazicatzbet]

i insert the cup straight away, and i dont lay down then. its best to be sat with the cup as it dips the cervix into it.

i leave it in for about 5-8 hours

 

[LunaBean]

i used them to concieve callum and using them again this time round.

How long did you wait to put the cup in? How long did you leave it in?

Did any of you use the catheter with the syringe? Seems like I hear more about leakage without the cath?

You aren't really advised to use the catheter without a doctor showing you how to do it, as you can damage your cervix if you do it wrong, also you can get an infection, as normally only the sperm swim through the cervix, but if you use the catheter, everything goes up there! It also can give quite bad cramps too!

The softcups are a good idea, I didn't like them! (tho I did get pregnant the month I used them lol)

Well....I wasn't gona try this month since Id be in the 2ww over my birthday...but now Ive just text the donor to see if he's free tonight or tomro

 

[topazicatzbet]

ok so i havent ovulated this month for some reason, never missed before.
so i was concidering giving soy a go next month anyone take it. im sure someone mentioned it before.

 

[Goose]

I just read an article about how aspirin can help with uterine lining and ovulation.

https://www.sharedjourney.com/articles/aspirin.html

Also, another article that has some interesting info about taking robitussin or mucinex to increase CM....yikes! I won't take it now that I've read this. I take FertileCM, works great!

https://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/guaifenesin.html

I am under a doctor's care, I'm taking clomid and the kit I'm purchasing contains the catheter, syringe and cup with complete instructions. I won't be going into the cervix, really you need a speculum and light in order to do that and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. But, yes, if you were to do a real "ICI" it could cause infection, injury, etc. and it really doesn't increase your odds over a vaginal insemination.