Any tips for turkey basters?

[MrsBates]

My friend and her partner are trying to get pregnant using what she calls the Sandy Toksvig syringe method and has been trying once a month with a male friend - think with yogurt pot and then her partner administers the syringe. She was hopeful at first but nothing is happening. The donor's sperm have been tested and are 'slow' but fine - he has been accepted by a donor clinic. She is wondering whether she should have tests too. Also considering adoption or going to a clinic although she liked the idea of actually knowing the father even if he will have no formal responsibility.

Any tips from anyone. I hate hearing her sounding so downhearted about the whole thing. She was there at the birth of my DD2 and I wish I could do the same for her one day!

leave donation 20 mins in air tight container keeping it warm then into syringe to administer. the more relaxed and excited the better, also chart fertility closely and try 2 or 3 times a cycle if she can

Thanks - will pass that on. Think they only get the chance to try once a cycle but have never heard about keeping it warm for 20 mins. Appreciate your answer.

Hey

I'm not pregnant yet and we are mid cycle 2 but are also doing home insems. If she hasnt already got it there is a great book called "The new essential guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy and birth"

Top tips:

• Leave swimmers for 20 mins as makes it easier to suck up into a syringe
• Try and have an orgasm after the insem
• Lay with bum raised for at least 30 mins
• Purchase some OPK's and although a bit pricey a fertility monitor is brilliant for pinpointing ovulation
• If you have a lack of cervical mucas purchase some pre-seed
• Leave the syringe on after the insems, keeps the swimmers in there

Good luck to your friend, hope this helps

Thanks for your advice - will pass all this on to her - should suggest she gets on this site too I think. Good luck with your pregnancy when it happens!

Hi Mrs

Also mention to her www.gingerbeer.co.uk

There is a Rainbow Families message board with some great threads from TTC to parenting teenagers. If she does join, please tell her to come and say hi on the First time TTC'ers thread, its a great thread

mrsbates - would echo makingafamily's advice except to say ten minutes is probably long enough and don't let them cool down, definitely use preseed and don't take the syringe out until after you've come. possibly tmi, but i made sure that i had an insemination on the day which it seemed i was generally horniest on my cycle, which was without fail two days before ovulation - your friend might want to check whether she has any regular patterns like this. i am 25 weeks pregnant now.

Thankyou - have passed on the link to this page and all your advice. My friend asked why the wait - 10 or 20 mins - she said is it to do with fluidity?

Just my two cents - make sure that the semen doesn't touch the black rubber stopper in the syringe. It is made from latex and kills off the sperm. We're 5 weeks now!!

It's very heartening to hear the success stories - thanks very much everyone and good luck to all.

After 18 months of trying we bought a clear blue fertility machine pee on a stick every day for first month then when the machine tells you to the next and subsequent months gets less each time.
Tells you peak very high and high fertile days very simple to use just follow instructions.
We were pregnant in four months.
Agree with other more you can do it the better. Our poor donor was helping us up to five time a month!
try to relax for as long as possible post insemination.
Good luck to them