Self insemination - Any success stories?!

[TurkeyBasterHopeItWorks]

Hi everyone,

I have NC'd for this to save our blushes!
DH and I have just had our first round of IVF which was sadly unsuccessful after an early miscarriage.
We have 2 frozen embryos but we would like to TTC naturally for the next 6 month's first in the hope the IVF hormones might help boost our chances.
DH has always struggled to ejaculate inside me when DTD. Therefore we have decided to try self insemination in the hope it will take away some of the stress.

I would love to hear any success stories.

Also which insemination kit did you buy?

Has anyone tried a soft cup / Ferti Lily conception cup after inserting the syringe to help things along?

Thanks everyone!

@primrosechill yep, it was just as much a shock to us! I'm part of a Facebook group about home insemination and a few people do get pregnant on first try (just like people who are conceiving naturally), so we knew it wasn't impossible but still surprised, lucky and very grateful for it to work first go. I think my body has been yearning for a baby since I started my periods when I was 10 and then vaginismus hit! It's totally awful and for years and years I ignored it just hoping it would go away. I'm now 32 and during lockdown took an opportunity to do a course to help me. It got me to actually insert dilators but unfortunately I wasn't about to transition to sex successfully. I lost all my sex drive - still have - and finding out about SI really has been a game changer. Definitely realised I'm not alone which is great but it doesn't always help when people successfully overcome it and I can't seem to!

I really hope you're successful soon x

Hey ladies x

@MrsKin90 I'm so sorry about the bfn but I hope your pending weekend fun has taken the edge off the disappointment x

I'm feeling a bit low right now.
A good friend of mines had her baby today, the baby is gorgeous and the first pics just made me yearn for that first cuddle again with my baby girl.
It's made the MC a bit more raw feeling now.

I'm currently 2dpo and I'm praying and crossing everything that we are successful again but the plan for the worst and hope for the best mentality that I have means I'm constantly thinking that I won't be as lucky.

I don't know how I feel about the potential that given my age and the MC after 9 months of trying, that it might just never happen again and my baby girl will grow up without a sibling, and that my hubby and I won't get the chance to expand our family x part of me feels devastated about something that hasn't happened yet ....

Sorry to be such a killjoy, I think just seeing a new born has made me mourn a little more today than I have been for the Mc

@primrosechill can't believe you're 6dpo already! 😊 I think anything different to the norm could be a good sign, and I completely lost my sex drive at 3dpo so maybe horniness is a good thing?! 😂 Either way a holiday to look forward to is lovely!

@Carol1980 I'm so sorry you're feeling down. Absolutely understandable under the circumstances. It's important to let yourself feel sad and mourn when you need to, things remind us of our pain at random - I'm sure that sort of pain never fully heals no matter how much time passes. How old are you lovely? I really believe you'll have another baby, there's no reason to believe it won't happen for you.
Maybe take extra care of yourself and OH for a few days and avoid baby pictures for a little while? It's absolutely fine to avoid that stuff if you need to xx

Just so you both know I'm fine with my BFN 😊 I usually get really disappointed but I genuinely felt fine. Probably helped by knowing we were going away for a few days!! 🌅 I've only been gone one day and being away from normal life has already helped my frame of mind.

Hoping this cycle is the one for you both ♥️

Morning everyone.

@Carol1980 I hope you’re ok? I’ve been here since the beginning and I’m so hoping you get your positive again soon 💚

@MrsKin90 @primrosechill @Lori23TTC hello! And hello to all newbies.

I really hope everyone is well and doing ok?

We inseminated for a week straight, I was due to ovulate 5/9 according to my trackers, and my ovulation strips were the darkest on this date (first month using them).

I’m due to start my period today, I think I can feel the niggles of cramps ☹️ This Tuesday I was absolutely retching in the morning, lots of poos (tmi but who cares by this point 😂) and had to make myself sick in the afternoon after my lunch as it was sat there making me feel more sick.
Feel a bit sick today so having that glimmer of ‘what if’

Haven’t tested yet. I’ve mentioned on here that in feb I tested on cd36, negative but we still thought it could be a maybe. It’s the first time we’ve ever tested and thought it could be positive. Think I’d only ever taken a couple of tests in my life before that. That night our friends announced they were pregnant, total shock as for years they were adamant they were never having kids and it happened on the pill during antibiotic use.

It sounds awful but I was excited for them but so, so gutted. We argued and I cried for weeks.

So I’m just feeling weird right now. Sorry, that’s been an essay. I’m never unwell and never sick unless drinking. We’ve been away and I ate healthily and didn’t drink. This waiting is such a bugger. Sorry I sound a bit of a misery guts. I feel quite up and down and confused this month 😕

I’m sat here reading all your posts and just wish for all of us we get some positive, happy news 🤞🏻

Hoping you all have a lovely weekend x

Hello @Oilyoilyoilgob, so sorry you have that experience in Feb, that must have been so gut-wrenching and especially coming completely out of the blue. Did your friends come to be more understanding in the end or is it still strained?

Fingers crossed the cramps this time are pregnancy rather than period cramps. Are you going to wait it out or test do you think?

@Carol1980 Sorry its a tough time for you as well, its definitely very understandable to be grieving for the MC and struggling with other people's newborns. Hope you have whatever you need to take good care of yourself, and lots of love around you.

I am trying to work out when DW ovulated or might still ovulate - we had a higher reading on OPK back on Monday, then it dropped, and then a higher one this morning as well – but I forgot to check the stick until a while later today, so it might be that which made it darker. Neither actually hit 'peak'. We are trying again on Sunday and then the wait begins in earnest, but who knows when the official TWW began/begins..!

Sending love and positivity all your ways!

Hello 👋🏻 @bigblueboots oh no bless them, they have no idea. When they’d asked us over the years we were honest and said not sure if we wanted kids, as at the time we didn’t (we were having a blast!) so making babies has never been really talked about. Her bf always hinted he’d be happy but she was adamant over 10+ years. That’s why the announcement was such a shock! To be fair it was for them too 😄

So we were ready to go out and they announced it with a scan picture before dinner. Their baby is here now and is absolutely gorgeous, I’m so happy for them and they’re delighted. Just in February I honestly felt so shocked and then jealous. There’s been other pregnancy announcements since then and I feel a pang but then give myself a shake and tell myself we’re properly trying now and hopefully we’ll get a positive too.

Same as everyone on here, that’s why when I log on I’m praying that my insemination friends have good news 🤞🏻

Good luck to you and your wife! I’m a month down with the strips and as predicted on my trackers, the 5/9 was as dark as the control line but only gave a reading of 0.6 so classed it as low. I could definitely see a slow build up of darkening lines so it’ll be interesting to see what happens next time (on the assumption my period arrives)

On the premom app it does show a pic of different graphs and there’s a double peak and multiple peak so it could be right for your wife’s ovulation?

Keeping my fingers crossed and sending happy positivity to you all 💚

@Oilyoilyoilgob Thanks, I've just gone and looked this up - useful to know that if it is a two peak thing, its the second one that's that actual ovulation one. I never realised before trying that you need a PhD in biology just to work out how to get pregnant!

Hi ladies, thankfully feeling more myself again, still little pangs if jealousy when I see the pics of my friends newborn, but hopefully it will be me soon.

Regarding the LH surge, yes you get two, one about 1 week following your period and then it's dips and rises again prior to ovulation.
That's way the clear blue advise you to check the table on the info slip which tells you which date to start testing on.
I used to be a 25 day cycle and due to this I had to test on CD6.
If you have irregular periods they suggest to start testing on CD5.

I can take a pic of it if anyone would like a guide for testing ?

Wishing you all so much luck. X

AF arrived today bang on time :( I really felt we had a good chance too. Onto next month...

@Oilyoilyoilgob sorry to hear your story. My bf told me she was pregnant a few months ago and I did a cry too. She didn't know then that we were having issues trying (she knows now) so it was really hard to share in her excitement. Not to mention that most of my friends show on my fb and instagram with their newborns. I've had to mute a lot of them...
I go through ups and downs of being upset about how hard this journey is as well. Today is not a good day! But trying hard to stay positive and that SI will help us get there 🤞🏼

Hi @bigblueboots @bigsweetpotato @Carol1980 @LAG1986 good to hear from you all.

It’s actually fascinating about ovulation and I wish this got taught at school, along with male reproductive parts-would stop so much googling later on!
Like carol, I ovulation tested early, as soon as my period finished. I enjoy using the premom app and there’s some good info there about different types of ovulation.

Carol, really pleased that you’re feeling a bit better 😊

Big, sorry your period arrived and best of luck for this coming month 🤞🏻 Its a good idea to mute if it helps you feel happy, friends send me the odd pic of their babies on personal messenger when I’m asking how they are and that’s nice, as I feel up for seeing them and I can enjoy sharing in their excitement. It’s when you have a stream of them it’s a bit crap isn’t it?

I haven’t been on fb for around 18 months but accidentally clicked a link and the first post on my page? A friend due in Feb. I’m delighted for them both and they’ll be awesome parents, that little pang of ‘why not us’ crept in but hey ho, we’ll just keep on with our syringes and tubs.

Our bathroom cupboard looks like a science experiment as I bought 200 syringes from amazon 😂🤭

I still haven’t started yet, I’m cd35 but I’m still going to wait, I’m a very patient person! Can’t be doing with just knowing it’ll be like feb and I’ll start the day after after getting hopes up. Plus I’ve been absolutely ravenous which is a sure period sign for me 🐷

Hope everyone is having an awesome Sunday and enjoying the sunshine xx

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, I decided to join because it's our 1st TTC cycle and I'm in the 2WW -it's driving me crazy! I find great comfort in reading your experiences, whether positive or negative, they make me feel less alone.

My DH has DE (delayed ejaculation) so we are trying home insemination. I'm 7DPO today, no symptoms at all and no cervical mucus that I can see, so I'm not hugely optimistic. I only started taking my BBT one day before my positive OPK so not enough data to interpret yet, but I am a bit worried my temp fluctuates so much. we kind of followed SMEP and inseminated from CD8, CD10, CD12, CD13 (ovulation) and CD14 -fingers crossed it worked!

Best of luck everyone, we got this!

Hi @eloiseislost and welcome to the group! I'm either 9 or 10 DPO today, so only a couple of days ahead of you. Definitely symptom spotting though I have to say that the closer I get to forecasted AF date, the more sceptical I get - I feel like I got my hopes up this cycles, thinking my body was behaving slightly differently than usual (weird sex drive, zero breakouts even though I normally get spots a few days before my period etc.), and now i'm going to be pretty damn disappointed if all of this was in my head - which it most likely is!

@MrsKin90 did you have a nice weekend relaxing?

@bigsweetpotato sorry about the AF - she is a real witch!

@Carol1980 I'm in my hometown atm and met up with an old friend who obviously started by updating me on the fact that THREE of our mutual friends are pregnant atm. They even agreed to get pregnant at the same time so they can be mums together. Bloody hell, imagine it being that easy - just choosing a date and some girlfriends and 100% delivering on your goal... I was so jealous deep down but of course on the surface I was all smiles and congratulations. Gah.

Hope everyone else is doing well! Have a fab week x

Good luck to everyone Inseminating this week and/or are in their TWW!
I started my insemming today and am petrified that I allowed air bubbles to stay in the syringe. .. has this happened to anyone and how did you get them out? Google has surfaced all sorts of scary stories around embolisms...

Hi ladies. Sadly I lost my grandmother last week. So although it was my peak week to try, for obvious reasons this wasnt possible. We managed one of the days. Fingers crossed grandma may send us our baby.

Hope you're all doing well. Any ideas on when your cervix changes and how for af arriving? X

@LAG1986 I'm so sorry to hear about your Geandmother x it's going to be hard but eventually you start to feel a bit more normal x sending lots of love x

@Busybee93 embolisms are only if you inject air in to your veins.....think of fanny farts ( sorry tmi) but air gets up the whoha all the time x don't worry about air bubbles in SI xx

@LAG1986 sorry about your news - take care of yourself!

I’m either 10 or 11 DPO today and just got my BFN. Was really hopeful this cycle, it sucks. Onto the next one... at least I get to have a few cocktails on my holiday in the next two weeks hey. Roll on saturday so I can put my out of office on - really exhausted by this year...

Anyone else feel like surely statistically we should have some good news on here soon?! So tired of all of us reporting BFNs all the time... Come on ovaries, you can do this!

Hi everyone

Following on from a couple of previous posters and their success stories, I just wanted to share that I also fell pregnant this way in the second month of trying (didn’t realise I ovulated earlier than usual in month 1 so missed the window!)

We inseminated every other day in month 2 from CD11 to CD17 (I ovulated in the PM on day 17) and then again in the AM on CD18.

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you all, I really hope you get your BFPs soon x

Thanks @Carol1980 I was fretting all night!

I agree @primrosechill, would be nice to hear of some good news soon . Sorry about your BFN, but hey new cycle new chance! Fingers crossed xx

@LAG1986 sorry to hear about your grandmother ❤️

I agree we should hopefully get some good news soon!

I’m CD18 (I’ve never ovulated past CD17) and I peed on a stick this morning and got a positive ovulation but then I had to go to work! So I’m hoping if we do it tonight I’ll catch it. We have inseminated everyday since last Thursday (this will be number 6) and I don’t know about you guys but I think my body doesn’t like sperm in it every night all night, I’m feeling a little sore! Last one tonight then I’ll have a break next week! Really hope it works this month I’m so sick of ttc! X

Yeah the whole ttc becomes more of a chore than anything else the longer it takes x

I'm now 7dpo so crossing my fingers that the I currently have something implanting!!!

I totally hate the 2ww !!
I hate the wasting of tests !! But know that I will test anyway !

I'm going to try my hardest to not test until my app says I should which is apparently 5 days away which would make me 12dpo when I should test.
I'm due af in about 4/5 days ( between cd 25 and 27 )
I won't actually be surprised if I'm not Thai month though given it's our first month after the MC

@LAG1986 so sorry about your grandmother 😟 understandable that you've not tried as much as you would hope but sometimes other things in life really do come first. Hope you're doing okay ♥️
@Busybee93 just seconding that you don't need to worry about the little air bubbles as you're not going into/past the cervix so it won't cause problems 😊
@primrosechill sorry about your BFN but fingers crossed for the next few days for you!
@Carol1980 your tww is going quickly (possibly just from my perspective 😂). Hope you manage not to test, let me know if you need a virtual telling off if you get too close to testing!

I definitely didn't ovulate when I thought I did. I can't do anything else until I get my period as I've no idea when or if I'll ovulate or if I've missed it in the last few days 🤨 unless I get lots of EWCM, in which case we'll go ahead, I'm gonna just have to wait and see if AF eventually turns up!! Eek fingers crossed she doesn't go missing for too long. Fyi took another test today just to triple check 😂 definitely not.

@LAG1986 I’m really sorry about your grandma, I hope you and your loved ones are as ok as can be expected. Take care to look after yourself during grieving

@Carol1980 wow a week in, it’s crazy how quickly time goes on reading this thread. Keeping 🤞🏻 for you

@primrosechill I think I read that you’re still in 2ww so again, keeping everything crossed for you too!

@MrsKin90 that’s been a long wait for you, glad you’ve had your time away to enjoy some relaxing time amongst all the craziness going on right now!

Just off to read about these Covid changes from Thursday, trying to keep up with it all.

Good luck to everyone inseminating or waiting 🤞🏻💚 xx

Hi All,
Just wanted to say that I’m certainly not a troll. I only wanted to share what had helped me, considering that we had been trying for a long time with no success and threads like this kept me sane month after month after month. This is the first time I have actually signed up to post comments on any forum like this. I genuinely just wanted to tell others in the same boat that insemination can work.