To feel like we've got no chance..

[greypaint]

Hey,

Hope this is okay to post - for traffic.

So After an abnormally long cycle for me, following a early loss last month, my DP and I decided to try self insemination this month to try and take the pressure away from 'performing' for DP, and to also try to aid BD'ing this month as unfortunately I've had a recent injury meaning it's really hard to do the deed 'normally'😆🤦‍♀️

Unfortunately whilst tracking my ovulation, I had absolutely no indication of a blazing OPK so didn't realise that I was actually in my fertile window last week, so we didn't DTD at all..

I got a static smiley on my CB ovulation tests on Thursday, so we tried self insemination then, and we also did the same last night as I had a static smiley then, too..

I just worry that this isn't enough to have covered the ovulation window, and that our chances are therefore really slim for this month 🤔😔

I'm wondering if anybody else has perhaps tried this method and it's worked? Feeling a bit down about it all this morning 🤷‍♀️☹️

When you say self insemination do you mean putting the sperm around your cervix or actually putting a tube up your cervix into your womb (IUI).

If the former, yes we do it regularly as I simply can’t cope with daily sex when we’ve been TTC so long!

If the latter (and I know you can buy the sterile kits online) it’s not advisable unless your DH is trained in the procedure (eg a doctor) as you can easily insert the tube too far into your cervix/womb. Also sperm MUST be washed before inserting via IUI as the prostaglandins in the semen can cause horrific womb cramps. You can buy sperm washing machines online but again I’d recommend a professional doing it.

There have been cases where people have tried DIY IUI and accidentally perforated their cervix or womb by inserting the tube too far or adding the sperm too quickly. If you must do it (and I advise you don’t) then have your partner use a flashlight and don’t insert the tube more than an inch into cervix.

It would be much safer to just squirt the semen into your vagina with a sterile syringe (tap the bubbles out first), making sure you start before the LH surge and continue for a few days after. Missing the positive OKP doesn’t mean you’ve no chance this cycle, it identifies the LH surge so ovulation can happen a couple of days later. Good luck!

Oh and I’ve had a few friends successfully conceive via the ‘squirt semen into vagina with a syringe’ method one even conceived first time!

If you have male factor issues you’d be better going to a fertility clinic for IUI or ICSI.

But please don’t do DIY IUI at home, the success rate is very low, the risks are high and you’ve just as much chance with the normal method of putting sperm in vagina. Just make sure syringe is sterile and don’t leave semen at room temp more than 10 mins as the sperm start to die off.

If you have long cycles you may ovulate twice in one cycle so keep testing!

My daughter was conceived in a month when I only had sex once. We’d pretty much given up on hoping we’d conceive as well as we’d been trying on and off for the best part of ten years. So as long as there’s been some contact of sperm with vagina there’s always a chance.