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!

@AdriannaP I'm so sorry, sending you lots of love x

I'm very sorry too Adrianna. How heartbreaking. Xx

Hi all - I hope you don't mind me jumping into this thread 💕

My DP and I have been TTC for 5 months, sadly having had a chemical pregnancy last month.
I have managed to pull a muscle in my lower back and so DTD the usual way is completely off the cards for us this month - and typically I'm ovulating TODAY! 🥺🤦‍♀️

So I have been searching the Internet like crazy and come across this method and would like to give it a try.

Any tips are much appreciated! Has this method worked for anybody else? Xx

Please can I ask what everybody uses to insert the sperm using this method..? Literally a turkey baster? Or something else, e.g a syringe? I'm going out later today so wondered if it's something I could pickup whilst out x

I use a calpol syringe and a softcup.

@bitheby thank you! X

Hi @raindroplets I use a 2.5ml syringe (without a needle of course) and a specimen cup. There are plenty of people on here who have been successful with this method including myself, though as with the "normal" way, there is sadly also a lot of stories of chemical pregnancies and MCs (I'm the latter).

I was thinking about this actually... Has anyone been keeping track of how many pregnancies we've had on here in the last few months and how many ended in chemical/MC? One thing I know for certain is that there isn't enough data/information about this method out there and I guess in a weird way we're conducting a bit of a research here ourselves haha...

@primrosechill That's a good point! If I'm feeling bored this weekend, I might scan through the thread and get some statistics! 🤓

@raindroplets You need a needless syringe, or a vaginal applicator. Any pharmacy should have these! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use a turkey baster! 🤣 You also need a specimen cup, though I recently ran out and started using a small glass tub, which I sterilise with boiling water after every use. I found this site helpful when I was starting:
knowndonorregistry.com/library/health/how-to-inseminate-at-home.

@primrosechill it’s something I’m very interested in. I said after early miscarriage to husband ‘could it be syringing’?
I worried that the sperm were damaged by it, it’s been on my mind. Sorry to make a gloomy comment but I’ve been ticking over it.

Then again miscarriages and chemical pregnancies do sadly have a high rate, looking online, so it could be as we’re documenting everything we are unfortunately getting to see real life versions of them 😟

Thanks all!
Haha @eloiseislost I was honestly so confused at the idea of having to use that, I'm so glad I don't have to 😂😂😂

I've had an early miscarriage - around 5 weeks and a chemical pregnancy out of around 7 attempts. I'm about 7dpo on my latest attempt.

There are so many things that could be killing the sperm but I take heart from the two conceptions. My age is against me so it's more likely to be that than the method.

My donor deposits into the soft cup. I syringe most of it - having already inserted preseed, and then insert the softcup so that it catches anything useful and keeps it nearer the cervix.

I figure that out of millions of sperm, it only needs one, and so even if at every point some are dying off, as long as enough make it to where they need to be then I have a chance.

They're microscopic so the way I figure it, the ones on the edge of the sample are the most vulnerable to the method; hopefully the ones in the middle are swimming about completely oblivious to anything unnatural!

@Oilyoilyoilgob First of all, a virtual hug! 🤗
I haven't experienced what you have experienced so I can only imagine the pain you felt and continue to feel, as well as your need for answers and some sort of closure.
Miscarriages are a bit of a mystery, actually pregnancy and birth are still to this day of modern medicine, a bit of a mystery.
If the syringing damages the sperm, the most likely outcome is that the sperm will not be able to fertilise the egg at all. Syringing cannot damage the sperm at DNA level, which is what would result in a non-optimal zygote that could be rejected by your body.
And you're right, our statistics from this platform are slightly skewed. Women who come here are women who have some sort of struggle to conceive, or experience miscarriage(s). On top of that, early pregnancy testing has increased our awareness of what seems to be a natural process of our body selecting only the best fertilised eggs.
So, don't blame yourself about this, as hard as it is. You were unlucky is all and, yes, it absolutely sucks. But you are strong and resilient; and your rainbow baby will be too! 🌈❤️

@Oilyoilyoilgob I totally get it and I must admit that similar thoughts have crossed my mind, but I think @eloiseislost is spot on in that if sperm gets damaged in the process, it's likely not able to then make it to the egg in the first place. But I guess that in itself isn't ideal either - I do wonder what the impact is REALLY in terms of lowering chances, but then again I remind myself that a lot of medically-assisted conceptions rely on fairly similar methods and they are often very successful...

Eloise, love the enthusiasm haha! We should totally nerd it out and get some stats :D

@eloiseislost and @primrosechill you’re right, completely common sense right! As is my husband who said the same thing-it does work and they do swim because you got pregnant!

It’s my brain trying to solve problems, and for me the thought of ‘did I do something/it’s my fault’

We did seven days straight of syringing so yes it works, it definitely works. As we know from this thread. It’s been the HUGEST support for me mentally ☺️🥰 We only did four syringes this time and two of those I mentally was switched off. This is my ‘meh’ month tbh.

I still haven’t started my period. I bled for two weeks with them days of spotting. I did Opk strips More by chance (supposed) cycle day 18 which was high, then day 19 which said peak. I honestly think my hormones are out of whack, and I’ve been hugely stressed. So I’m not testing. I’m a bit crappy and really spotty so I’m thinking period will come soon, got an absolute painful mount Vesuvius on the rim of my nostril, yay for hormonal spots 😂😭

@primrosechill I think how much it lowers your chances depends on the sperm count and motility as well. If the count is low and a certain percentage gets damaged, I would imagine it would result in a significantly lower chance of fertilisation. But if the count is normal to high, the impact would be less significant. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Unfortunately it's not a well-researched method. If you're feeling particularly academic, there are a few articles with some promising results:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=10&q=home+insemination&hl=en&assdt=0,5#d=gss_qabs&u=%23p%3DxKwZbeXmf7UJ

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&assdt=0%2C5&q=home+insemination&oq=home+i#d=gss_qabs&u=%23p%3DhITF6cQpuTAJ

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&assdt=0%2C5&q=home+insemination&oq=home+i#d=gss_qabs&u=%23p%3DIQzf6ctqZ1gJ

Well, it's Friday and we live a global pandemic and we TTC so I thought you might need some entertainment… Here is my vaginal BBT chart! 🔥❄️🔥❄️
I know the times are not great because I just started a new job and I have been waking up between 4-6 depending on the day, but these are some rocky mountains!!

Wow Eloise! That’s a lot of zig zags!

The highs are good for between me down there hand warming. Then the lows? Winter is coming 😂

Aren’t our bodies amazing though?! Who knew that could be going on 😮

@Oilyoilyoilgob What's odd is that it also changes so rapidly, literally one day high, the next low and repeat! Who knows what's going on? Am I putting the thermometer too far in? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤣
All I know is that I'll be temping orally next cycle because vaginal BBT is just not worth it for me.

We are close to 1000 posts in this thread and it will be locked when it reaches that. So I was thinking, should we start a new thread? Maybe name it "The turkey baster gang 🦃" 🤣 @primrosechill gave me the idea about gathering some data so I was thinking, I can make a spreadsheet where we can keep track of BFNs etc anonymously. I can link it on the first post of the new thread so we can all add to it.

What do you all think?

@eloiseislost I mean, the regularity in the spikes is phenomenal 😄 I have zero idea on distance to ideal temp zone in the virginny-I haven’t even been doing it orally. The nearest I came to using mine was when me and husband had temperature competitions one day 😂

Ooh I’ve been thinking we need a new thread and yes to the name! The gobble gobble gang 😂
I’d definitely use my data into the chart, I love anything about facts and figures so would be honoured to take part in the first syringing project ☺️

Aww everyone’s so nice on here. One day we should have a meet up 💚

@Oilyoilyoilgob Aaaaaand it's down again today, at least it's predictable!
Some watery CM too so it's going to be a busy weekend! 💦

I'll start on the spreadsheet this weekend, as sad as it sounds, I love a good spreadsheet! 🤓
Also, Gobble Gobble Gang!! 😆 Excellent idea!

@eloiseislost awesome, thanks for taking the lead on this :) and good luck this weekend!

How is everyone else doing today? I’m 2DPO today and so the dreadful TWW begins!

@eloiseislost I love a spreadsheet too 😄 good luck for this weekend, hoping it’s a productive one.

@primrosechill sending you lots of luck and thoughts of bfp for you-keeping everything crossed 🤞🏻 Look after yourself xx

@primrosechill I hope it's a relaxed 2WW that ends with a B(ang)FP 💥 🤞🏼

@Oilyoilyoilgob Thanks, I plan to inseminate today and tomorrow and, for the first time, I'll use a soft disc. A bit nervous about it getting stuck up there! 😰 I will let you know of my undoubtedly hilarious adventures with it. 😆