TTC - First time home insemination

[libbyidk]

First time posting so bare with me.

We are in a same sex relationship, and I just thought i'd share our story so far to see if anyone else is going through the same or has any advice/tips for myself and my partner.

We first went to a private clinic, and payed hundreds for scans, blood tests, screening etc, only to be told my partner couldn't donate her eggs (we were counting on this as it lowers the price by about 3-4000 pounds!), we were then told we should try IUI at the clinic which would cost us about 2-3000 pounds. We went home after this appointment and had a chat, we decided to try home insemination first, and if it doesn't work after 2 times, we will then go back to the clinic, but I wasn't finding them very helpful, and they were quite rude to us!

We searched online for sperm banks and came across cryos in denmark. We researched all the legal complications and know all about it, and decided as so many people do try this, we were going to as well. We ordered our anonymous washed donor sperm (MOT20) 2 vials (all we could afford.)

It arrived on tuesday (it lasts for 7 days in a nitro tank), and I started using the clear blue dual hormone predictor kit. I also use a fertility app and have been vaguely monitoring my cervical mucas. I tested negative from monday (the start of my fertility window) until yesterday (friday) i went straight from negative to peak on the clear blue monitor! I researched this to make sure it was right and I saw that a lot of people go straight from low to peak, especially if they missed their surge (which i may have done). The app also said I was due to have peak fertility friday and saturday, so i'm confident in the test and we decided to inseminate one vial on friday at 6pm (8 hours after my positive result) and we inseminated again on sunday at 6am. Just before I had the insemination, I was getting pretty bad cramps and I think ovulation may have started, although i'm not 100%. I got some cramp after inseminating too.

Frozen sperm lives in the body for 12-24 hours (apparantly) but some swimmers can last longer. So we inseminated at 6pm which will cover me (hopefully) until 6pm saturday, whilst also inseminating at 6am saturday which would cover me until 6am (hopefully) sunday. We sat and talked constantly about the timing but we just decided to go for it, as like everybody says, even if the timing is perfectly right and your CM is perfect, there is still only a 10-20% chance of conception.

I'm just praying my clearblue test was correct and my peak is friday and saturday like it shows. (My app also shows this like i said). I have a 29 day cycle and it's hardly EVER irregular, so I think we've done all what we should have.

Now we're onto our two week wait which i'm not looking forward to! Like I keep saying to myself, it is our first time trying and we could have done a number of things wrong. It is just trial and error from here on out! If anyone else wants to share their story about home insemination with frozen sperm, using clearblue monitors / success stories, i would really appreciate that!

@Dosmamas I think I've got line eye squinting at your tests, I'm not sure I can rely on anything I can't/can see!
Fingers crossed though, update first thing please lady!

I've been squinting at it too. I'm a total novice though so wouldn't like to say either way. Fingers crossed for the weekend.

@Freezerbump @bitheby I will defo let you know either way.

BFN this morning on supermarket cheapie strip as expected. I don't think I'm pregnant. Was feeling all sorts of things early on but not now.

Only temped last three days but my temp has gone down from the first reading. Best case is an implantation dip but I think it's not looking good.

@bitheby hopefully implantation dip, until your period comes all you can do is be cautiously hopeful.

I just tested FMU with a FRER and BFN. No more testing for me!

@Dosmamas @bitheby ahh sorry girls, still early though, 🤞 I feel a bit nauseous today, but I'm on nights so may just be tired, 3 days until af, no sore boobs yet, usually sore for a few days before af, but had them pre ov this time which is weird, stopped as soon as I ov'd, do you guys get sore boobs at ov?

@TimeIhadaNameChange any news? How're you getting on? X

@Freezerbump I used to get sore boobs about 3 days before AF but I haven't noticed recently. I don't get sore boobs around ovulation. Just cramping...

Only symptoms I have now is bad PMS, anger is my number one PMs sign which is foul but I am also lose my temper so quickly I hate it!

@Dosmamas love those hormones! I guess it could still be either, when is your af due? I'm weirdly teary today, watching we bought a zoo.. tired and hormonal!

Well of course when I went back to the test, well outside the window, and squinted, perhaps I could see perhaps the tiniest thing but it means nothing I know. But perhaps I still have a little hope left.

I managed to find my cervix in the shower today. It's high and soft as far as I can tell - having never felt it before I'm not sure what it's usually like - but that gives me hope too.

A bit nauseous, a bit crampy.

Off to watch an FA Cup game now. Take my mind off it.

@bitheby that's amazing! Will you test again tomorow?

Yeah. Will probably do my first FRER as per my original plan. I doubt I could actually see anything but it wasn't nothing if you see what I mean. Probably just the edges of the strip of chemicals slightly highlighted.

I don't think it's a positive but it's got my head back in the game with some hope.

Whatever will be will be. I just want to know now.

Having to fight myself to not test now. Just put some more FRERs in my amazon basket. Just in case....

Lol! When's af due?

Pretty sure I'm out.

Negative FRER this morning and I think I can feel AF coming. Due Wednesday although last cycle was a short one so any day really.

@bitheby well maybe we'll make that decision on Thursday then chick, chin up xx

Sorry to hear that, bitheby.

I'm in a quandry. Online calendars have me ovulating Tues/Wed. By ny own calculations it should be Tues. Was planning on dtd Mon pm, Tues am, Tues pm.

Cheap stick (allegedly what the NHS uses) had me at 0 this morning, 21 about an hour ago. However, smiley face came this morning.

So, should I bring it forward 24 hours or wait til tomorrow as per my original plan? Any ideas?

@TimeIhadaNameChange is it a solid smiley or a flashing one lovely?

@TimeIhadaNameChange if you take the stick out and look at the lines are they the same colour, or is the left line (if you have the cap on the left) darker?
How many straws do you have?

@Freezerbump - you star, thank you! I thought there was a three stage thing but when I looked it up found only zero and full face. Had forgotten there's a difference between solid and flashing. Should have got the box down and checked.

It was flashing.

Have three straws. What do you reckon? Wait till tomorrow evening?

(Can't check the test, it is somewhere in the outside bin.)

Hi Ladies, can I join in??

I thought this was just me!! I am using a donor that I found on a co-parenting website - we won't be co-parenting! He lives over 100 miles from me which makes it difficult and with work means I can only inseminate once each month.

I am in my 4th cycle now and got my first flashing smiley face on my clearblue advanced digital OPK this morning. I am 37 (turn 38 in July) and have read that the older you get the sooner ovulation happens after your positive OPK and often means you ovulate on the same day as you get your positive. Last month my donor could only meet me the morning after (I got my positive about 4pm) and I think I missed my window as, as I lay in the hotel room that night (too nervous/excited etc to sleep) I had cramping in my right hip which I believe were ovulation pains.

I just messaged my donor to let him know I got my first flashing smiley face (I'm sure he really cares, NOT! - Of course he's not as invested in this as me) and he is away until Wednesday so if I get my static smiley before Wednesday I can already right this month off.

I'm so frustrated as I didn't get to try in January either as I didn't get a static smiley, I think I missed my surge as I was testing before work (around 8am and then not until around 8/9pm). I started in November with my first insemination and I know people who try naturally sometimes are trying longer than I have been but I really want this.

As for talking about buying baby stuff - I have EVERYTHING not even kidding, bottles, steriliser, baby bath, pram, car seat, moses basket, cot!! I got everything before I started trying so that once I get pregnant I can use those months to save for while I'm on maternity leave as I am doing this on my own.

Good luck to you all in your TWW it certainly messes with your head!

Sending everyone loads of babydust x

Hi Waiting

My first donor was hundreds of miles away but it fell through before the first attempt. I thought that would be an advantage in terms of other potential offspring but I'm glad now I've found someone a bit closer, around 60 miles.

I'm using OPK sticks as then you can see the progression as the line darkens. This month was my first attempt, so I have no idea how close to a positive OPK I ovulate but I got my first positive around 9pm and met him about 12 hours later as that was all he could do this time. Ideally I would have met him twice, the first time 2 days before.

That's what I'll do next time I think; although I might miss a month to avoid a Christmas due date.

@TimeIhadaNameChange happy to help! I'm a fr opk blooming ninja now.. now it depends on your cycle, I get 6 days of flashy before my solid (peak) they say you should do it 24-36 hours after your first solid however I did that last time and didn't catch, but may just not have been time.

Have you got 3x mot 10? Or did you go higher/lower?

It's like trying to shoot an arrow at a target blindfolded! There are clues that you notice over time, but there's no set schedule ( which is bloody annoying!)

Based on that, this time I kept an eye on the lines, I can pretty much see when I'm about to peak doing this so thought I'd try something a bit different. I think I ov pretty quick after surge so thought I get some swimmers up there early.

Did 1 straw day 30 hours before peak with preseed.

Did 1 on day 1 of peak ( I was nearly peak the morning before) about midday, and one about 2100 all with preseed.

Saying that, no idea if it's worked, af due on tues, not sure if any symptoms or not (went mental spotting last time!) all I've got are no sore boobs, which normally happens before af, hot flashes (had to have 2 fans on me for 3 hours last night at work, felt like I was in an 80's music video) and I keep bursting in to tears randomly..

I'm also coming off night shift and due af, the perfect mix of hormones and exhaustion!