Eeek, need quick insemination timing advice!

[BunnyLullabye]

Hi, I'm so glad I found this forum! I'm about to start TTC with known donor sperm and I'm trying to figure out the right timing and I really hope with all your expertise here someone can give me some advice

The problem is our donor lives two states away. He was planning to come here but his work obligations are keeping him there so I have to decide at the last minute what days I should be there.

I'm on cycle day 11 now. I usually ovulate anywhere between cycle day 12 and 15. My cervix is lowish, hard and closed, mostly dry, a little creamy cm at the most. My clearblue easy fertility monitor shows Low and my ovulation predictor kits are negative.

I was thinking Wednesday (cycle day 12) through Sunday (cycle day 16) might be the best coverage. But now I'm wondering if I might O slightly late and maybe I should try Thursday through possibly Monday? Or wait till the fertility monitor shows Medium?

Also should I try every day or every other day, or every day or something else? I'm used to using ovulation predictor kits and am kind of new to the fertility monitor.

I plan to have him use the Instead cup, then us use a syringe to spray near my cervix and after a few minutes on my back slip the cup in to hold everything there.

I'm just nervous about arranging time off work and booking hotels before they're all filled up (especially since it's over Fathers Day). Also, does anyone have any good lines to use on work as far as why we'd need emergency time off? We can't tell them it's to TTC.

Looking forward to your advice, and please keep your fingers crossed for us!!

[quasar]

I would try to space out the insems every other day. I think that's generally what is recommended for fresh samples.

How many months have you used the fertility monitor? Sometimes it can take a few months before it 'figures out' your cycle, so I wouldn't necessarily go by that. I would probably go more by what your body is actually doing than waiting for it to say medium. Sometimes you can go from a low to a peak even. Trying Thursday through Monday sounds like a good plan to me, since right now your body isn't giving off a lot fertile signs.

As for excuses... I'm not sure. We pretty much told people what we were doing and that we were going to be late for work or whatever. We're probably in the minority though.

Good luck!!!

[mayari]

I would think earlier is better than later since the fresh sperm will survive 3-7 days inside of you while the egg is only viable for 24 hours.

[BunnyLullabye]

Thanks for the advice!!

The fertility monitor went to Medium today. I haven't checked my cervix yet this morning. Last night it was still closed and hard but had moved up a teeny bit.

I'm really hoping we'll be there by tomorrow afternoon or evening.

I've been turning the fertility monitor off and on every day for a long time and mapping when my cycles start and end, but I haven't been using the test strips for a long while. I did for a few cycles a long time back.

But I've been tracking other signs for years. So I think I know my cervix fairly well. I use the ovulation predictor sticks usually around twice a day. My midwife looked at them and wondered if I might ovulate more than once because I get faint positives for several days before the strong positive.

Do you know why they say to do every other day instead of every day? I've head it both ways. I'd think the little swimmers would be the same amount either way. Maybe it's replenishing the other fluids to get them out? I'm just afraid we'll miss the right time. If he lived locally I wouldn't worry as much.

Also I just realized I may be ovulating a day later than I think I have. I was thinking it's generally the same day as LH surge and I just realized it's usually around the next day maybe? In that case this timing might work out even better, though we might need to stay a day or two later than I thought.

[Lyndzies]

After many months of charting, we usually tried to time our fresh tries as follows: O-3, O-1, and O.

For what it's worth, though, the try that "worked" was times as follows: O-5, O-4, O-3, and O. I'm 25 weeks with a girl (not sure if the early tries are what made her a "she" but just sharing what we did).

The rest of my process was the same as you; syringe, instead cup, etc.

Good luck! I agree better to do earlier (as long as you've got a little fertile fluid) than late, since the sperm live longer than the egg!

Here's my successful chart showing my fertility signs, OPKs, and timing, if it's any help!

[danjelle]

the cycle that i got my positive i was using those OPK dip sticks. my inseminations were on the day before i got a positive, the day of my positive, and the day after my positive. im 18 weeks pregnant now. i imagine i ovulated either 1 or two days after my positive OPK.

good luck!

[joyrises]

Originally Posted by mayari

I would think earlier is better than later since the fresh sperm will survive 3-7 days inside of you while the egg is only viable for 24 hours.

I agree on earlier being (much!) better than later. More typically, though, I'd expect the swimmers to be lively for only up to 5 days... seven is pretty olympic!

M

[BunnyLullabye]

Thanks everyone! Our first insemination was last night (late day 13)

Today is day 14, and my third day of "medium" on the fertility monitor. The OPK still has a faint positive.

We used the Instead cup and a syringe, 3ml I think. It held almost but not all of it. I also used a little PreSeed because my CM is still creamy. Then after a bit I put the Instead cup in, with the last of the swimmers. I still have it in this morning.

I'm sort of thinking next time I may skip the syringe. I feel like what's gained in the spraying motion may be lost in how much spillage there is. Between the guys and the preseed it was just everywhere.

I think we're going to wait for Saturday for the next one. Then maybe Sunday and Monday, especially if I get a + OPK or peak on the fertility monitor on Saturday or Sunday.