The Turkey Baster Gang (gobble gobble)

[Oilyoilyoilgob]

Just starting a new thread on self insemination before our first one locks down!

39 pages of highs and lows and THE most supportive group you could wish for if you’re starting or on a self insemination journey.

💚✨ good luck ✨💚

@Bluey18 So glad you're feeling better and excellent choice of coping strategies! 🛀 🍫
Another tip that I found useful was to give DH the illusion of choice! 😂 Hear me out on this: as women who track their cycles meticulously (OPKs, temps, digging for CM and cervix position 😁) we know when the time is right and we have to SI. But men, I found, even if you explain to them, they still can't wrap their head around the concept of fertile days. Deep down they think you can get pregnant at any time. So even though on the days leading up to ovulation my brain is screaming "GET THE SPERM!!!!" I always try to appear relaxed to DH. I'll say "Looks like we could squirt tonight, but only if you're up for it". In the beginning, he used to occasionally say that he's tired but they key there is to try to silence your brain and just leave it. Eventually we are now at a point where he looks at the timing scores on FF and volunteers to do it on his own! He feels that the pressure is completely off and I'm laid back about it.
Don't be discouraged if your DH is negative at first. It'd be kind of odd if he wasn't to be honest! If you both want a baby, and it sounds like that's the case, then he will adjust to the new norm of TTC. 🙂
Good luck on your SI tomorrow! 🤞🏼

Oh sorry, it's @MrsKin90 that is doing a "just in case"! Good luck!! ❤️

Oh damn, I meant to tag @Makingnumber2 🤦🏻‍♀️ Ignore me tonight, I'm just knackered! I should log off really! 😂

@eloiseisnlost That's ok, it's good the chat is busy enough to get us confused and honestly I will take any and all tips no matter who they are aimed at . And I'm glad your call went better than expected earlier, sorry I missed that post

Hey everyone I’ve just caught up...

@eloiseislost yes that’s a premium thing but I think it’s great your hubby sees it as a competition - makes it more light hearted!
Well done for going ahead with the call with your friend... sounds like it went well. It’s completely understandable that you feel like that though and you are not a bad person! I used to get so excited when other people announced pregnancies but now every time I see one I want to cry. I found out another girl in our friends group is pregnant this weekend and I felt so left out as we have been ttc for so long.. struggled to feel happy for her tbh.

@MrsKin90 sorry you had a dip this morning... we are not growing bbt this cycle but similar to what you said it means I have no idea when I ovulate so won’t know what day I’m in the tww. Not sure what stress is worse the bbt every day or the not knowing. You have SI a lot tho so you still have a very good chance.

@Bluey18 I’m sorry to hear this.. me and my hubby have had many a stressful nights due to doing it this way and some cycles we just completely missed as he was so stressed which made me frustrated and you both just feel shit.. we have got into a system with it all now after so long so it’s a lot better these days. Just give it time to get into a rhythm you both are happy with.

@Makingnumber2 I’ve had EWCM since CD7 so that’s when we started SI every other night but waiting for ovulation like you. I wish my body would just do it on the same day every cycle! Re the soft disc when you were taking it out in the shower how were you standing? The only way I can take it ou lot is on the loo... I sit down and push a little as if I’m having a poop and it kinda dislodges abd I hook my finger in and pull it out slowly... never had a problem doing it this way. I hope it gets easier for you.

We have already picked our baby’s names and every time a friend of family member announces a pregnancy I think they better not take our name!!! X

@eloiseislost don’t worry I knew who you meant it for and your name for it made me laugh. I think maybe I might call the syringes baby sticks and the deposit pot, baby pot to try and sweeten the process for DH. I’m so pleased the call went well. You are such a good friend to be able to put your feelings to one side and do the call and I’m glad you felt good for having done it too.

@Lori23TTC I do the exact same thing about names! So currently two of the girls in my friend group are TTC. And it’s only a matter of time- it will probably be this month tbh! So I feel like it’s this weird race/competition. Neither of them know I have been trying for 6 months already. I don’t really want to discuss it with them cos it just puts me in this weird frame of mind like it’s a race. So stupid I know but that’s just how it makes me feel! Thanks for your tips on getting the disc out. So I did it standing up with one leg up on side of bath. I was initially trying to hook it from underneath but only got success when hooking it from over the top if that makes sense. I will try on the loo next time.
Also quite a few people have said tmi on their posts lately and I just wanted to say please never worry about tmi! My personal opinion is that ttc and all things related cannot be held to the same rules as Tmi

@Makingnumber2 I get the whole race thing I feel like that too. It does really feel like everyone is pregnant at the moment but that’s because I’m so aware of it now. We are all on our own journey and I know it’s hard but must try not to compare to other people.
I just refer to it as ‘the goods’ 🤣
So I think I’ve ovulated but as I’m not doing bbt I can’t be sure. I started OPK from CD7 and it got darker each day, I’ll attach a pic of my darkest one this cycle which was CD13... I’ve just done another one and nothing on it at all. Which would mean I ovulated on CD13/14 - very early for me! I didn’t think this was a peak tho as it’s not as dark but it’s my darkest one, what does everyone else think? Xx

@Lori23TTC It looks aaaaaalmost as dark as the control line, so I think, if you account for hydration and time of day, you probably peaked shortly after this test was taken.
When do you usually ovulate? Did you have other signs, like egg white CM?

Thank you to all that wished me better I feel much better today which coincides with my day of ovulation.

My husband is up for trying the SI today more as practice for next time.
I think I’ll use this as a trial run with zero expectations to see if I can firstly get the syringe inside.

Fingers crossed for all in the TWW and SI this month.

Baby dust to ALL.

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking on this thread for a while but i thought i would pop on and say hello.

I have vaginismus and my husband can get a bit ... nervous at times. So trying for a baby was pretty awful. My dear dear friend got the news in August time that she couldn't have children physically. Shes the same age as me (35) and it really brought home to me that I needed to stop hoping the problem would go away and start trying properly I found this thread around Oct and it changed my view on myself, my relationship and our sex life. It made me feel normal!
I got a clearblue ovulation kit and one of those SI kits from amazon (it was £20). I also got some pre-seed lube too.
I guess I didn't expect it to work but i hoped that if we tried for around 6 months we could go to the GP and start getting tests for fertility etc.
Anyway - it worked! I got my BFP on Friday. On Month 3.
I couldn't be more grateful for this group and the courage and knowledge I got here. I know that as Im technically only 4.5weeks gone that there's a long way to go. BUT now I know I can get pregnant. And no one else needs to know how.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I will pray for the rest of you to get good news too.

Hi all,

Sorry I feel I've been silent for so long - only last week but so much has happened

@eloiseislost glad the call with your friend went well. You are a lovely friend I'm sure but it's not always easy to watch other people having babies when you're struggling. Totally natural and we all have to deal with it in our own way.

@Birchybirch congratulations! So exciting to see that digital test.

@Bluey18 Hope you're feeling a bit better. It's so difficult when TTC is a struggle but it sounds like you did quite a bit of SI so hopefully you will have caught the right day.

@Makingnumber2 this stuff is quite tricky for the menfolk! They don't always admit it but I think it can affect their confidence. My DP struggles to admit that he can't perform several days in a row. It's always an excuse like he's just tired or stressed about TTC but he has always been the same. We have a lovely sex life but he's not got a high sex drive and he's never been a "3 times a night" man or even a "3 times a week" man! But I don't think he even admits that to himself. It's not been easy to find a way to suggest SI but luckily (!!!) I've been getting quite a few UTIs recently so that was a good excuse for me to suggest it.

Everyone else - I can't read BBT charts so I'm no use but hope you all ovulate when you want to and that all the SI goes well

I've convinced myself I am pregnant even tho we're both 95% infertile!! I never learn...

Fingers crossed for us all

Xxx

@Lori23TTC yes I reckon that's a decent one- mine never get much darker than that which I always attribute to being so hydrated (I drink about 3 litres water a day). So yes I reckon CD13/14 was your ov day.
@ComebackQueen I'm pleased you're feeling better and that sounds like a great plan to use this SI as more of a trial and just see how you feel and not pinning big expectations on it. I hope it goes well for you.
@Cathie102 thank you for your post- it made me feel really emotional. It is so wonderful to hear from people who have been successful with the SI method and huge congratulations on your BFP! Well done for having the courage to take the steps you needed to get the outcome you wanted and I wish you a really happy and healthy pregnancy You're right that this thread is a really amazing source of information and support- I too am so grateful it exists and that I found it.

@Janefx40 you are absolutely right- it is really hard for them I think, albeit in different ways to us ladies. I really hope this month is your month! When is AF due?

Ah thank you @janefx40!

Congratulations @Cathie102 and welcome! You're absolutely right. This thread has been an amazing source of information and support!

Wishing everyone SI-ing, or in their tww all the very best of luck! X

@Makingnumber2 I'm due Sunday or Monday so early yet. I was really crampy on Saturday, a week after my positive OPK and had strong cramps 7 days after ovulation in my successful pregnancy.

But as I may have explained before we are IVFers and not only that we need ICSI (sperm injected into the egg) to get pregnant because DPs sperm can't penetrate (!) the eggs PLUS we recently found out that only 6% of his sperm are viable PLUS I'm nearly 44 and have never had a natural pregnancy so all in all it isn't very likely that I'll be pregnant!!! 😂😂😂

@Cathie102 amazing news! Thanks for sharing. So pleased for you and it gives us all hope

Xxx

@eloiseislost I have had egg while CM since CD 9 but it’s kinda dried up now. I used to always ovulate CD17/18 but the last 5-6 months it’s been CD15/16 so does seem early but I will take it as I’ve always wanted a shorter cycle! Weird how it seems to be getting shorted the longer we are trying.

@Makingnumber2drink I do drink a lot of water to so I think that could have been it for this month!

@Cathie102 aww congratulations it’s so lovely to hear and that you found the thread helpful that’s really so nice to hear! I’m glad it’s helping other people too 🥰

@Janefx40 good luck I hope AF doesn’t come and you never know people get pregnant against all the odds so fingers crossed xx

Quick question guys- I just got a very strong OPK which a) unusual for me as I just told someone on here I NEVER get a strong as the control line! It's also 2 days earlier than I thought it would be.
We SI-d yesterday (had a v weak line on OPK yday) and were planning to SI tomorrow eve- but should we do this evening AND tomorrow evening to make sure we catch the egg?
We had decided we were going to do every other day in FW this cycle as last cycle we SI-d every day and no cigar! So we thought to help sperm build up we would do every other. Now I'm panicking that we will are writing off a perfectly good chance if we don't do it today as well and then tomorrow...
Any thoughts/advice for what people think is best?

@Makingnumber2 It's hard to say, the positive OPK means you will likely ovulate within the next 12-48 hours. I would personally SI tonight and for the next 2 days. Unless your DH has a diagnosis of low sperm count, the more often you SI the higher chances of conception. There seems to be some recent research that disputes the every other day advice from the point of view of conception chances. However, not every couple can SI/BD every day so that's always a factor.
The fact that you didn't get pregnant last cycle despite SI every day could be down to so many other reasons, as at best you only have about 30% every cycle anyway, even if you do everything perfectly!

All in all, if you're both up for it, go for it! Best of luck! 😃

@Makingnumber2 Here is an excerpt from an article I was reading about timing and frequency the other day, it might be helpful. 🙂

@eloiseislost thank you so much! That is really helpful and also reassuring that there is now evidence/school of thought which says every day is fine unless diagnosed sperm issues. I don't think DH has sperm issues- although (like me) he is overweight and did drink too much (we are both on damp January- it was dry but jeez lockdown is painful without even 1 G and T) He's lost just over a stone since last cycle which is amazing- and cut the booze by like 90% so hopefully that will be helping!
We are both up for it so going to just do SI every day until I get a neg OPK. Thanks for quick reply

@Makingnumber2 That's amazing, he has made such positive changes and it's not easy under the circumstances (global pandemic and all)!
I love "damp January" 🤣

Sorry ladies TMI

Husband obliged me his load at lunch time and I know with his not very healthy swimmers chances of conceiving are very remote but I managed to get the syringe in thanks for the pre seed. However after sitting with my legs in the air for 15 mins, I think most of the swimmers came back out again.

Any tips to stop this happening again?

Slim, slim to none chances of conceiving but does this mean I’m officially in the two week wait? LOL

@ComebackQueen I laughed so much at the "obliged me his load" 😂
So, sperm are the swimmers. They are the ones that will hopefully meet the egg and fertilise it. Swimmers swim in the semen, which is the white, thick substance that makes up "the load". Semen cannot and should not under any circumstances enter the cervix. The swimmers swim from the semen to your own cervical mucus and through that the make their way into the cervix to meet the egg. After that (which happens VERY quickly, possibly within the first 1-2 minutes) the semen no longer contain live swimmers. And when you eventually stands up, it leaks out. That's what it's supposed to do! I hope this is reassuring. 🙂

@eloiseislost oh I’m so embarrassed thanks for the biology lesson 101, I’ll put my lack of knowledge down to being at a Catholic school LMFAOOOOOO.

That made total sense, ive just had a PT session over zoom maybe I should remember in my TWW next month not to do any exercise because he worked the husband and I out so good and it was HIIT and a bit of strength training which I think isn’t advisable in the TWW.

Nothing to be embarrassed about @ComebackQueen, most women have no idea about these things until they start TTC! That's how I learned and now you know too, that's why we are all here, to share knowledge and experience! 🙂

Don't worry about exercise so early in the 2WW, it won't make a difference. But toward the end of the 2WW I tend to only walk/run for exercise, I park the weights! Some form of exercise, even light, is beneficial because it increases blood flow to the uterus.

Good luck for this cycle, I hope it ends with good news for you! ❤️