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!

Welcome to the new ladies x

@MrsKin90 I'm one day behind you today ! Cd4

@MrsKin90 that really made me giggle too 🤣 xx

CD8 today for me and still no flashing smiley on CB digital… Starting to get anxious! How is everyone doing?

*I meant CD9

@Lori23TTC where are you in your cycle now? 😊
@eloiseislost try not to worry as I'm sure it doesn't help! You'll get your static smiley in the next few days I'm sure 😊

@Carol1980 your fertile window will be here before you know it!

@MrsKin90 I couldn't believe it but I got the static smiley this morning!! It's too early to be ovulating and if it is true, it means I missed most of my fertile window, I'm absolutely gutted. I feel like something is wrong with me.

OK, help my wee for 2.5 hours, didn't drink anything and I took a cheapie OPK that was definitely negative. Which test should I trust? I have no EWCM, BBT still in the low range. Can the digital CB be so wrong?

@eloiseislost oh I'm sorry I thought you WANTED your static 🤦 can you inseminate today and for the next two days? Lots of people don't have sex until they get their static smiley and get pregnant so if you can do it today you're still in with a good chance. 😊

Oops sorry posted at the same time. Hopefully someone else has more insight into the CB digital as I don't use them!

[quote MrsKin90]@eloiseislost oh I'm sorry I thought you WANTED your static 🤦 can you inseminate today and for the next two days? Lots of people don't have sex until they get their static smiley and get pregnant so if you can do it today you're still in with a good chance. 😊[/quote]
Yes, I will definitely inseminate today and tomorrow -and Tuesday for good measure! I'm more confused as to how I went from empty circle to the static smiley so quickly. And the cheap strip was negative 2.5 hours later, which makes me question the CB. I regret spending so much on it now, it raised more questions than it answered, I should have stuck with the strips, they worked just fine last month, confirmed by CM and BBT.

Hmmm. Are you still doing BBT? That will confirm one way or another.
I think with the digital ones you shouldn't start testing with them too early? But I don't know and am just guessing ☹️

@MrsKin90 @eloiseislost will go for syringes this time, the cup was strange I could not manage with it. I am thinking to pull some preseed first into the syringe than the swimmers than some more pressed and inject the syringe without waiting cos swimmers as far as I know are light-sensitive if I must wait them to liquify it must be super dark. But its great that it worked for you when you liquifed them, I think I must be very careful with both the temperature and light.

but the problem is that I am not sure whether I am ovulating this month my period was way too long and heavy and cant see any cervical fluid yet, maybe I am not ovulating this month will try the clearblue ovulation kit and see , I should ovulate on Wednesday but there is no sign yet. I dont know if I can be dry but ovulate
Good luck to everyone

[quote littleangle46]**@MrsKin90* @eloiseislost* will go for syringes this time, the cup was strange I could not manage with it. I am thinking to pull some preseed first into the syringe than the swimmers than some more pressed and inject the syringe without waiting cos swimmers as far as I know are light-sensitive if I must wait them to liquify it must be super dark. But its great that it worked for you when you liquifed them, I think I must be very careful with both the temperature and light.

but the problem is that I am not sure whether I am ovulating this month my period was way too long and heavy and cant see any cervical fluid yet, maybe I am not ovulating this month will try the clearblue ovulation kit and see , I should ovulate on Wednesday but there is no sign yet. I dont know if I can be dry but ovulate
Good luck to everyone[/quote]
Best of luck to you! 🧚🏼‍♀️
Ovulation strips are a good start, you can also start taking your BBT (basal body temperature) every morning at the same time. See here for the ways you can detect ovulation: https://mom.com/getting-pregnant/5-natural-ways-to-detect-ovulation-at-home. The important thing is to be as relaxed as possible (which, trust me, I KNOW it's not easy) and take it one day at a time.

@MrsKin90 thanks for asking about me... I’m on DPO13 - not tested and won’t until AF either arrives or I’m late. I had a dip in temp on DPO 7 and it is still high but my boobs have been sore all week but not as sore today so not getting my hopes up. Argh not sure I can mentally go through another cycle how are you getting on? Xx

@littleangle46 goodluck! 😊 It's a bit of trial and error and finding what works for you. This method hasn't 'worked' for me yet, but I'm confident I'm doing it correctly for me. You don't need to leave the swimmers exposed to the light 😊 I hold the cup in my hands so my hands protect them from the light and keep them warm.
@Lori23TTC crossing my fingers for you! Not long to go now and you'll know 🤞🤞 I hope this is it! I completely understand the mental exhaustion, it's such an emotional roller coaster. I'm getting a bit sick of not enjoying life every few weeks for two weeks as I'm too eager to know and then too sad when it hasn't worked. It isn't like we can just 'let it happen' with this method either!
I'm CD8 today, hopeful I will ovulate more typically this cycle🤞
I'd also like to report that I've been taking my BBT vaginally 😳 and I actually hate it 😱 it's weird and it wakes me up more than shoving it under my tongue did. I'm going to try to stick it out for this cycle but regret my decision. 😬

@MrsKin90 Interesting about the vaginal temping. I was considering it but wanted to have at least 1 cycle with complete data and I couldn't bring myself to put the thermometer in there while I was on my period… I'm seeing some fluctuations in my temp, but given I got a peak on the CB and I clearly have not ovulated yet, I think my hormones are all over the place and it's not to do with how I temp. Though I might try the vaginal BBT next cycle -if I have to do it again!
Have you noticed less fluctuations?

I don't temp during AF! I consider it well earned time off... But I have longer than average cycles so I don't need those temps to compare to. The shorter your cycles the more important it is to temp from CD1.
I've only taken my temp for three days and it's on a gradual decrease (normal for after AF) but not rocky so far.
Your fluctuations look normal to me. I'd be interested to see if your temp shoots up tomorrow as it takes 12-36 hours after a peak to ovulate doesn't it?

@MrsKin90

I don't temp during AF! I consider it well earned time off... But I have longer than average cycles so I don't need those temps to compare to. The shorter your cycles the more important it is to temp from CD1. I've only taken my temp for three days and it's on a gradual decrease (normal for after AF) but not rocky so far. Your fluctuations look normal to me. I'd be interested to see if your temp shoots up tomorrow as it takes 12-36 hours after a peak to ovulate doesn't it?

Yes, I think the consensus is you ovulate any time between 8-48 hours after your LH peak. Keeping an eye on the temps but I'm more and more convinced that I will have another surge and I will ovulate then (hopefully!) Last month, my BBT shot up to 37 the day after the positive OPK, which has not happened in this cycle. It's a mystery! 🤷🏻‍♀️ I will give vaginal temp a go next cycle. I have a feeling that a few months down the line, if I'm not pregnant, all this data collection will drive me crazy with anxiety! 🥴

Oh my goodness.... It looks like we might be an SI success! Fourth cycle trying, only the second that we got the dates right. This is FRER at 11dpo.

Amazing!! Congratulations @bigblueboots

@bigblueboots amazing!!! Congratulations lovely !!! Wahoooo!

@MrsKin90 thank you... I’ve tried doing my BBT vaginaly and I didn’t find it to bad but I couldn’t hear the beeping 🤣 I did feel like it gave a more accurate result tho, I wasn’t sure how far to put it in either but I just put the end bit in so who knows. When you ladies insert the syringe do you just release the little guys slowly in the same place or do you try and move it around in there as well as release slowly if that makes sense xx

@Lori23TTC I've read somewhere that you are to insert the syringe as you are lying down and then angle it at 45° to the floor before slowly pushing the plunger. Basically, what I do is insert and then slightly raise the top of it, if that makes sense. It was painful to do with the normal syringes for me so I got vaginal applicators and they work a treat!

@bigblueboots 😍 Congratulations!!! That's amazing! 😊 I'm thrilled for you!

@Lori23TTC I can't hear the beep either 😂 and I wake up needing a wee and having to fiddle around down there with a pointy thermometer isn't what you want 🤭
I do tend to insert and move it around whilst setting them free! Interesting to hear it should point slightly, supposedly angled towards the cervix?

@MrsKin90 Yes, you should point towards the cervix. I'm not sure it would make a huge difference to be honest, but it does make a certain amount of sense. I've started doing it this way this cycle and I'm also trying the lying down for 30 minutes, then to my side for another 15 and then to the other side for 15 more. I'll let you know if it worked! Even if it doesn't, I rarely get to lie on my back for an hour during the day so that's a bonus!

@bigblueboots congratulations!! So exciting! Were you late for AF? Or tested early? Any symptoms you spotted?

Clear Blue Smileys drive me mad. They had my ovulating at CD22 which is unusual for me as I'm usually CD16 but then the cheap ones did confirm CD22 too.. who knows at this point!

I'm 6DPO at the moment. Been good at not letting it consume me at the moment. But there's still time..

Good luck for your cycles!