Home Insemination, anyone?
lucky_4_u_13@yahoo.com
Posts: 22
My partnerr and I tried about 2 yrs. ago to get pregnant and now we are ready to try again. I was wondering if anyone has tried an in home insemination and if you were successful?
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Unfortunately when we were trying it was a learn as you go kind of situation. We read up online about the process, but, let us tell you, it is very different to read about than to do it! A few things we learned that you, and others may find helpful:
1. Know your cycle very well. I kept track of mine for about a year before we started trying.
2. Find a good online ovulation calculator to help yout keep track of and anticipate your ovulation.
3. Ovulation sticks are helpful, but they go bad quickly (usually within 30 days of opening the pack) and, often they're expired on the shelf, so be sure you check the expiration date on the package and read all the instructions paying special attention to the "good for XX days" stuff.
4. And, speaking of ovulation sticks, sometimes they catch the hormone too late...in other words you've already ovulated.
5. There are natural ways to check your ovulation (like the cervix feeling open, comparatively). If you're keeping track of your cycle and know yourself pretty well, you'll get a sense of when you're ovulating and your partner can check the cervix opening. There are plenty of other natural signs. We recommend a book titled something like "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" which explains how to track your cycle and how to check the natural signs of ovulation.
6. Moral of all the above - if you think you're ovulating you probably are!
Next steps, actually "doing it." Let us tell you it is nothing like the movies or the TV shows. We tried to set up a romantic situation (involving a trip to our favorite Indian restaurant, a good bottle of pinot, and some classic Marvin Gaye) but there's not too much romantic about the process when you get right down to it!
So here's our advice (take it or leave it).
The smaller the syringe the better - and in our experience a baby medicine syringe is too big. The issue is the inseminating partner has to be able to feel where they're aiming in there, so the smaller the diameter the better. Length wise, longer is better.
Obviously follow the instructions for thawing. Tip, don't boil the water. It seems like 98 degrees is really hot so you need to crank the heat up on the stove, but the reality is hot tap water in a pan with the setting on low (electric for us) can even overheat without careful monitoring. We used two thermometers to monitor the temp constantly during the thawing.
And, if you've never ordered before, be prepared for a shock when you see the vial. It isn't as big or as full as you think, but trust us it will accomplish the job! As all our high school sex ed classes taught us, it only takes one sperm to accomplish the job!
OK - so there's some tips from us. Hope you find it helpful.
Thanks to our donor and the California Cryobank for helping us realize our dream of a family. The Cryobank really has been great to us!
And, just in case anyone wonders, it's a boy! Due the 17th of December.
Dealing with the tank and thawing out the vial were challenging, but not too difficult. However, the syringe I bought was too big to fit into the tiny little vial (which wasn't even half full), so I had to pour it into another container and take it from there. At that point, I may very well have destroyed most of the little swimmers, but I tried it anyway. Needless to say, I was totally stressed at this point.
It didn't work out and I wasn't surprised. But it sure was an expensive little experiment!
I plan on returning to IUIs from here on in and personally, I wouldn't recommend an at-home insemination unless, perhaps, you're truly prepared for all the challenges involved. But to each her own.
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