Self insemination - Any success stories?!

Thanks for all the info/tips!

@MrsKin90 any sight of AF?

I found that the clearblue advance gave me more of an accurate result.
The flashing smiley is an indicator that the your estrogen is going up which happens a couple of days before you get the LH surge.
If your comparing between them and the IC ones I would say only compare the lines when you get a static smiley as this is the indication of the LH surge which is what the strip lines test for, if the line is dark on the IC at the same time as the Static smiley then it means their catching it also.

I have found that it's your pot luck with test strips from either Amazon or e-bag. I've had a lot of bad batches recently.
The last set of one step I got from Amazon didn't even register my pregnancy at all, neither did the other ones I bought to try.
Thankfully didn't spend too much on them but still very very frustrating !! But I guess that's what you get when you buy the super cheap ones.

I use strips I got from amazon but I’m not to confident they are accurate. I tend to ovulate on day 17 so I try not to worry to much about the sticks and start trying on day 13 normally and wait for a temp rise. I drink so much water so I really struggle when I am doing the sticks as my pee is always to dilated even tho I don’t drink as much! I tend to go by the temp as my decider. We have been trying over a year I think if I got the clear blue ones it would cost a fortune every month on top of everything else we do 🤷🏼‍♀️ X

I very much feel there's no point testing with the cramps tbh. Also life is an ass so can't imagine it being that good to me right now.
I've never used OPKs of any kind. They're not great with my PCOS but don't you have to hold your wee and not drink too much? I'd never get a line 😂 I drink a pint of water before I even leave the house!

I had been using the Femometer strips from amazon for over six months, naive me thought they would all have same level of accuracy then I saw on here that people didn't think all strips were made equal!! So I bought some Clearblue and wondfo strips from amazon and this cycle I used all 3 at the same time and compared the result.

I will say that the Clearblue gave me the flashing smiley earlier than a darker line showing on the other two strips. And the Wondfo seemed to be much more sensitive than the Femometer as the line it gave was always darker!! So now I'm wondering in all the last months where I was just using Femometer whether I could have missed my window a bit...

@Carol1980 I have heard the increased fertility after MC line so many times but personally this is cycle 5 for me since the miscarriage and still nothing so far! Meanwhile, it took us only 3 cycles to get pregnant first time round... I feel like it only made me more disappointed tbh, I was really hoping to get pregnant again super quickly and put the MC trauma behind me :(

@MrsKin90 you have a patience of gold if you still haven't tested again since 11DPO - on my 15DPO I would be peeing on every stick I could get my hands on hahaha - not that early testing is going to change the overall outcome in the slightest!

I'm supposedly ovulating today according to my tracking. I hope it's true. We SI'd this morning and I'm going away with some girlfriends for the weekend so fingers crossed we got the dates right. QQ: Does everyone on here use the digital OPKs? I only use the standard strips but I hear you all mention "flashing smiley faces" a lot - have you found the digital tests more reliable?

@bigsweetpotato and @LAG1986 excited to see how you get on! Fingers crossed for some baby magic getting you caught on the first try 🤞🤞

@Carol1980 I'm honestly not sure of the truth of the 'extra fertile' after a MC. I wonder if it's similar to how people are extra fertile after just giving birth? Maybe left over HCG gives a boost or something? Here's hoping for you anyway. I'm not surprised you feel that way, I'll be extra positive on your behalf if you want to be more levelled this cycle 😊

@Lori23TTC glad there's someone else ovulating late like mee! I've been being extra healthy the last few weeks and have been calorie counting and increasing exercise so I'm hopeful that encourages earlier ovulation for me on the next cycle if I keep it up. My ovaries definitely punish me for too many doughnuts 😂 I AM 15DPO today but I've got lots of cramps and super emotional yesterday (cried that I dropped something 🙄 and then just spiralled). Typical AF behaviour sadly. I'm monitoring my rhr on Fitbit too and that's on it's way down so I've no doubt at a AF will be here over the weekend. If somehow it magically isn't I will test Sunday. I do still feel incredibly sick all day long, but that's just as likely stress really. 😊 I'm okay though and won't be crying this cycle when AF comes as I've already done that lol. Are you feeling positive this cycle?!

@Cardigan2020 Hey! Congratulations that is amazing news 🥰 thank you for also sharing what you did with us! I’ve never even thought about was I aiming it in the right direction! I don’t even know how to locate my cervix (I don’t mean to sound silly) maybe this is where I am going wrong. Is it easy to do??

@MrsKin90 I tend to ovulate later to so I know what you mean it just feels like forever each month! I’m CD7 I just want to ovulate already! Now you are DPO15 I believe how are you feeling today?

@Carol1980 fingers crossed this month, it’s been a tough few months for you be kind to yourself xx

@bigsweetpotato @LAG1986 good luck!!!

Morning x

On my 4th day of flashing smileys....usually only get 2 but still hopeful that I will get the static smiley tomorrow 🤞

Hubby and I have done 2 SI so far, had a night off last night as he was working first thing and I was down at my mums doing some stuff in her house.

I'm actually not holding out much hope for this month to be honest, but you never know, I always think that folk say ' your most fertile after a MC' but I think that's probably more to keep the person positive and well cheer them up a bit if that makes sense ?

@bigsweetpotato first time here too!! Fingers crossed for us. Xx

@LAG1986 it's our first time trying this! I'm hoping that it will help us as I'm not getting any younger so I worry about it all the time. Fingers crossed x

@Carol1980 oh I hope you do ovulate when you expect to 😟 like having a miscarriage isn't cruel enough, don't think it should be allowed to mess with your cycles! At least you're testing so you'll know when it happens and sounds like your body is gearing up and trying so 🤞🤞

I try to remind myself I'm lucky to be ovulating at all with my PCOS and my weight going up and up after stopping contraception! 😬 So I shouldn't complain about it taking a bit longer.
I'm supposedly 14dpo today. I do wonder if I'm about 3 days out, so won't freak out if I don't get AF until Sunday. That will teach me to continue taking my BBT through my TWW to see if I get a second/more realistic O rise. I wasn't convinced by the one I had even though FF was.

@MrsKin90
I used to have a 25 day cycle but after the birth of my daughter it's changed to 27, or that seems to be the date now x
I generally OV on cd 11/12 from recent months so yeah, because I have such a short cycle and a short AF ( usually 3 days) means I OV quite quickly.

I've now had 3 days of flashing smiley but last month I had no smileys it just went from empty circle for a few days to static smiley. No flashing at all.
I'm hoping that my cycle follows the same pattern of so then I should OV in 2 days as I'm cd10 today.
Who knows, maybe I've tested too early and it's still all messed up after the MC 🤷‍♀️

I'm hoping that you will get your positive soon xxx keep the faith love x

@Cardigan2020 so good to hear a positive story!! Thank you for sharing. Congratulations ♥️

@Carol1980 ovulating already?! I'm so jealous that you ovulate so quickly 😊 you'll be at the end of your tww before the time I next ovulate! I hope you're okay, fingers crossed for your egg 🥚!

13 dpo today so expect spotting this evening/tomorrow ready for AF on Friday. I've been very mixed up with what day it is this week so kept thinking AF due tomorrow. Getting AF without any spotting would be nice! 😊

Hi All,
This is one of the threads that kept me sane through months of TTC with self insemination at home. It was great to read other people were in the same boat, as it can feel a very lonely place to be. I just want to let people know that it can work. After 18 months I am expecting. We used Mosie syringe. I inserted the syringe pretty much straight away after my husband did his thing and then lay back for about 20 minutes. We inseminated on day 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15. I think I ovulated on day 13. The only thing I did differently this time, was to actually locate my cervix and guide and aim the syringe towards it. I could never find the cervix until I read something which said that the best time to find it, is at the end of your period, as the cervix is quite low at that time. Once I found it, I checked it most days, which made it easier to find as I approached ovulation. Now that Ive actually located it, I know I was pointing the syringe in the completely wrong direction for all the other months beforehand! I had also tried using softcups to keep the semen inside but once I located the cervix, I realised that the way I had inserted the softcups meant I hadn’t covered the cervix. I know other ppl have had success with them, I would just say to be absolutely sure that they are in properly. Good luck to everyone trying, don’t lose hope!!

Hey ladies sorry for the radio silence, I wasn't getting notifications, turns out I had been logged out of the app!

I'm now ovulating, flashing smiley yesterday and today on my clear blue OPK

With regards to the MC I only bled for a few days, but heavier than my normal 🩸 but to be honest I get quite light 🩸 anyway so not too bad and not very many cramps.

So we tried SI last night and I'm glad that the doctor has said to one of the ladies to leave it until it liquifys as that's what I've been doing the past couple of cycles. Done the same last night.

So today I'm cd9 and if I'm true to form I should ovulate around cd11/12 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

@bigsweetpotato fingers crossed!!! 😊

@LAG1986 my hubby has a lower libido than most it seems, so we do it every third day usually but this cycle we did three times in six days which is the most we've ever done it! Ideally if we could do it as often as we wanted I'd do every other day.

@bigsweetpotato everything crossed for you this month. Have you used this method before? X

How often do you ladies try within your ovulation period please? I'm just wondering if every other day is best, or daily? X

Hi all, just an update from me - we tried SI two times this cycle so fingers crossed. I also used the Fertilily cup afterwards - don't know how effective it is but worth a try. Thanks everyone for the advice so far!

@primrosechill thanks for your support 😊 it is hard being told to be positive although I do try, I definitely don't have the power to create a baby out of positivity lol
That sounds mostly positive about your test results! I'd be interested to know what the doctor suggests for your husband. It can't be that bad as you say! CD9 already, feel like it's gone fast.

No spotting or anything for me today! Not 100% sure I'm 12dpo so won't panic if AF is a few days later than expected.

Thank you ladies. Next month will be taking all the advice i can get on board. Xx

@Lori23TTC @LAG1986 sorry AF got you - at least it looks like you have found your cycle buddies, though! @MrsKin90 I hope you have a big glass of red and some bath salts on standby - I still hope it's not over till the blood gates open but I know how annoying it can also be when people keep telling you to keep positive...

We got our lab tests back and everything looks good for me but my hubby's swimmers are a bit off - there's a lot of volume but a bit less motility than they would have liked. Nothing too critical but we will see a doctor for a follow up on monday to see if they can maybe prescribe any better supplements or anything else to increase the quality of sperm. This might be also why it's taking us a bit longer this time but I'm trying not to stress - we got pregnant once already so surely it can't be that bad?!

CD9 for me today - we did our first insemination last night and I think we will try again tonight. I have loads of EWCM right now so hoping it's a good sign for this cycles, but who the bloody hell knows...

@Lori23TTC Hmm I've never heard of pregnancy massage. Interesting that you can do it to yourself!! I'll have a Google; it's a good thing they don't charge for searches as I'd owe a lot of money!! So sorry that AF arrived. A good cry helps get it out but onwards and upwards for us all!

@LAG1986 sorry that AF got you as well. Hope you're okay! At least you're all prepared for the next go around 😊

I'm 12dpo today and cramping is back! Also back pains and a headache so. All typical warning signs for me! If AF does arrive I'm not going to do much differently this cycle... other than work on eating healthily and exercising more and waiting an extra minute for hubby's swimmers to settle before sending them into battle 😁