A few questions if you don't mind me asking

mommy87mommy87 Posts: 103
in Single Mothers by Choice
I recently started a topic on here and now i have some questions to go along with it. There is quite a list so if its to much, just let me know.

1. How did you finally choose the right donor/bank? There seems to be quite a few that catch my eye.

2. How did you come to choose open or anonymous donor for your child?

3. Whats my better chance of getting pregnant? Using ICI or IUI?

4. When using ICI or IUI, what are the chances of multiple births? Though I wouldn't mind having twins if that happened. :)

5. How many vials do you normally buy at a time?

6. How many vials do you use for each insem?

7. How do you pick the right doctor? (sorry I don't know all the acronyms you all use for medical terms)

I'm so excited to be starting this process. I can barley contain myself. Sorry if it was to many personal questions. I just want to be as informed as possible. :)

Comments

  • Sunshyne2010Sunshyne2010 Posts: 91
    Hi Mommy87,

    1. I was given a list of bank by my fertility doctor and this one of the first one's I visited online and happened to have the kind of donor I was looking for.
    2. I'm not sure if my donor is open or anonymous however, i did pay for his profile, voice analysis, baby photo, and several medical reports that I plan to keep and share with my child when the time is right.
    3. You have a better chance of getting pregnant with a IUI because the sperm is injected directly into your Uterus on the other hand an ICI is usually performed at home and is only injected into the cervix which is further down from where it has to meet the egg.
    4. You have more chances of multiple births when you do back to back ICI's or IUI's or even when you use fertility meds like Clomid because it helps to send out more then the one egg that generally released.
    5.My doctor told me to I should just order one at time because I'm doing a single injection. However, if you really like the donor you selected its advised to order more in case there is none left when and if you need to use him again.
    6.Your doctor may suggest that you do one at time since you are just starting as well as going "natural" like myself which means no fertility meds.
    7.I picked my fertility clinic by just doing a simple search on the internet for clinics in the surrounding area, you can also ask your GYN if they recommend any. If you're in the Jersey area I can give you the number to the one I go they're good.
    Hope this helps. I go for my 1st IUI tomorrow I'm sooooo excited!!!
  • neaneaccneaneacc Posts: 29
    1. I did a ton of research online, and ultimately my doctor recommended California Cryobank. The donor selection is a bit tricky, but here are some good hints: 1)each month this site does freebie information on the main page under the donors of the month section, 2)you can search the entire bulletin board using the "search" function at the top, 3)ask questions on the board freely and someone will post answers.

    2. I found this to be a difficult decision for me, but in the end what I liked about my donor outweighed that he was anonymous.

    3. IUI puts the sperm most of the way to the finish line in the uterus and has to be done in the office with only pre-washed sperm. This is important due to the fact that sperm naturally has proteins that can cause lots of trouble if it goes directly in the uterus unwashed. ICI is more like sex in that the sperm it placed near the cervix and have to swim farther, but they normally are not washed as the protein helps to keep them safe on the long journey.

    4. Multiple birth rate is fairly low without drugs or family history of twins. Even with drugs like Femera or clomid I am fairly certain it is less than 5%.

    5. This is tricky, and I bought 3 based on my doctor's advice. I know that having left over isn't an issue for me because I know that I do want more than 1 child if possible.

    6. At least 1 vial per insemination, but occasionally some doctors do back to back days of insemination. In this case you could go through 2 vials two days in a row. However given your age I don't think that they would recommend this process.

    7. Well finding a good doctor is important. I spent months with a doctor who didn't listen to me, and finally I switched. You may see RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) or a gyno for this process depending on where you live. What ever you do make sure that you feel that this doctor listens to you during this process, and involves you in the decisions.
  • mommy87mommy87 Posts: 103
    Thank you both for the information. Sunshyne2010 unfortunately I don't live anywhere near Jersey or I would love to know. Good luck tomorrow. Lots of baby dust to you!
  • tjmoorstjmoors Posts: 151
    1. How did you finally choose the right donor/bank? There seems to be quite a few that catch my eye.

    I knew the donor was right for me when I heard his audio interview and was able to "connect" with him. I can't explain it, but I just knew he was the right one for me. I chose California Cryobank because they have such a high standard and good reputation.

    2. How did you come to choose open or anonymous donor for your child?

    At first, I wasn't too concerned about whether the donor was an open donor or not. Like I said before, I connected with my donor and it was a bonus that he turned out to be an open donor.

    3. Whats my better chance of getting pregnant?

    I have read that an IUI is more successful because it gets the sperm closer to the egg. http://www.cryobank.com/Bulletin-Boards/messages.cfm?threadid=2848

    4. When using ICI or IUI, what are the chances of multiple births? Though I wouldn't mind having twins if that happened. :)

    An ICI/IUI itself doesn't necessarily cause you to have multiples, but it is the fertility medications that put you at risk for having multiples.

    5. How many vials do you normally buy at a time?

    It is usually one vial per IUI, but some RE's like to do back-to-back IUI's - in which case you would use 2 vials. If you really like a certain donor, it is best to buy 6 or more vials because they can sell out fast or retire from the program. My donor is now retired so I am glad I bought 8 vials one year ago to be prepared because I had my heart set on using only him.

    6. How many vials do you use for each insem?

    As I mentioned above, it is 1 vial per IUI. If your RE elects to do back-to-back IUI's, you would need 2 vials.

    7. How do you pick the right doctor? (sorry I don't know all the acronyms you all use for medical terms)

    It is based on what you are looking for in a donor and what is most important to you. I liked my donor because he sounded very genuine in his audio interview and I liked the answers he gave in his interview. We all have different factors in what we are looking for, but the most important thing is that you are comfortable with your decision and feel like you made the right one.

    I hope this helps and good luck on your journey!
  • LydiaLydia Posts: 29
    I recently started a topic on here and now i have some questions to go along with it. There is quite a list so if its to much, just let me know.

    1. How did you finally choose the right donor/bank? There seems to be quite a few that catch my eye.

    It took a while. Right now it all comes down to cost, and quite a few are expensive.

    2. How did you come to choose open or anonymous donor for your child?

    Open if possible, but that tends to involve finding a place with reasonable prices.

    3. Whats my better chance of getting pregnant? Using ICI or IUI?
    IUI definately. My doctor doesn't do ICIs, I guess because of the lower success rate. But I have heard that you can buy a vial for ICI, and some doctors will wash it for you and make it IUI.

    4. When using ICI or IUI, what are the chances of multiple births? Though I wouldn't mind having twins if that happened. :)

    I think it depends on the family history and what kinds of medications that you use.

    5. How many vials do you normally buy at a time? just one.

    6. How many vials do you use for each insem? Just one. Though I haven't gone through the insems yet. My doctor is just having me moniter cycles beforehand to do this natural.

    7. How do you pick the right doctor? (sorry I don't know all the acronyms you all use for medical terms)

    You'll get an idea after you've met with him a few times. The good ones are nice and they listen and spend time answering your questions. Plus they'll help you out figuring out a way to pay if you have limited funds.

    I'm so excited to be starting this process. I can barley contain myself. Sorry if it was to many personal questions. I just want to be as informed as possible. :)

    That's fine. It's good to ask :)
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