Banks OTHER than CA Cryo

[frog]

Anyone lovelovelove their bank? Our criteria have changed and if we pursue insems again, we're going to need to change, uh, providers.

Cost is a factor for us.

Go!

[Lingmom]

I was happy with TSBC until they upped their sperm storage fees. Actually, I'm still pretty happy with them - I'm just not willing to pay 350$/yr (or whatever it jumped to) to store my one vial of sperm.

[CynicalStar]

Northwest Andrology & Cryobank
http://www.nwcryobank.com/

MUCH cheaper than CA Cryo - we paid the same for two shipped vials at NW as we had paid for one from CA. And they will ship to your home without a doctor's sign off (if your state allows, of course). Their catalog is smaller, so you do have less to choose from.

[frog]

Great suggestions--anyone else?

The reasons I'd like to avoid CA Cryo are in part because their rates are higher than I'd like, but mostly because EVERY lesbian I know around here who's used donor sperm has gone through them. I know that they have plenty of donors and odds are long that things could get weird, but I'm still worried about it.

It's what I do. I worry!

[gamitzer]

We used Fairfax Cryobank, but it's expensive. We live near the bank, so I was able to pick up and drop off the goods for free. Location and the fact that they have open donors was the reason we chose them.
Here is a list of all facilities used by people on Donor Sibling Registry. It's the most extensive list I've ever seen online. You'll have to look up any places you find in a search engine, but that should be easy.

[frog]

Oh, gamitzer, that's awesome. Thank you so much for that link!

[gamitzer]

No problem! It seems that the list is primarily doctors or offices that have performed insems, but there are a bunch of banks within the list. You just have to search a bit to find them. Good luck! Meredith

[megincl]

We spent a while last summer researching banks and were going to go with New England Cryogenic Center. Partly because they are local and that cut down on transportation costs. But I did want to let you know that we had two preliminary donor choices (both ID release, which they definitely have if you want) and we talked to them a bit about the process, those donors specifically, etc. They were super nice and helpful, which definitely makes a difference in this process. So, that's not much help, but perhaps just a tiny tidbit about NECC.

Good luck!!!! And hugs, as I know this is/has been quite a process for you and Turtle.

megin

[frog]

Thanks for the hugs, megincl. It's been--and continues to be--an interesting journey, for sure.

[Elowyn]

One note about NW Cryo. I used them, and they required a deposit, which, when I decided to try adoption instead of TTC, they would only refund on the condition that I never be their client again. Never. Lifetime. This after paying my bills on time, being a generally model client. So...caveat emptor. The sperm didn't get me pg, but the counts were generally good, so that wasn't NW's fault.

[mamimapster]

Midwest Sperm Bank- very small very reasonable, very personal service.

[CynicalStar]

Originally Posted by Elowyn

One note about NW Cryo. I used them, and they required a deposit...

Was this recently? Most definitely NOT the case when we used them in September 2004.

[max_4477]

I had a pretty good experience with Pacific Repro (PRS).

[egarcia76]

We had a great experience w/New England Cryogenic! The fact that they have ID release donors was a big plus for us. Their costs don't seem to vary a whole lot when compared w/other banks (at least according to my research, but this was in '04). Their annual storage fee increased last year to $300.00 or $350.00, though, and dp has already informed me in no uncertain terms that we will either use the two remaining vials & ttc or sell them by the time the next billing cycle arrives in February!

Everyone I've met around here IRL uses CA Cryobank, too. It's what my fertility dr. recommended, too. I think we were actually the first people to use NECC in their office.

[Milvudeeshna]

Originally Posted by CynicalStar

Northwest Andrology & Cryobank
http://www.nwcryobank.com/

MUCH cheaper than CA Cryo - we paid the same for two shipped vials at NW as we had paid for one from CA. And they will ship to your home without a doctor's sign off (if your state allows, of course). Their catalog is smaller, so you do have less to choose from.

My ears just perked up -- how do I find out if my state allows this??

[westchestermom]

We are using the San Francisco office of Pacific Reproductive Servies to store the specimen from our known donor. They've been super nice to deal with so far. Haven't gone through and withdrawals or anything with them yet-- only deposits-- but they seem to be quite reasonable.

[Elowyn]

Originally Posted by CynicalStar

Was this recently? Most definitely NOT the case when we used them in September 2004.

Relatively recently. I bought sperm in June 2005, and was advised of the above when I asked for my deposit back in April or May of 2006.

[mamimapster]

Originally Posted by westchestermom

We are using the San Francisco office of Pacific Reproductive Servies to store the specimen from our known donor. They've been super nice to deal with so far. Haven't gone through and withdrawals or anything with them yet-- only deposits-- but they seem to be quite reasonable.

We had a wonderful experience with Pacific the first time around. They were are small woman owned bank, especially postitve towards single women/two mama families. We had a horrible experience with them the second time around. I have been told by my clinic that they were experiencing 'growing pains" at the time-as of now many of these errors have been cleared up. They shipped us leaky tanks/dead vials two months in a row. The first month our insems were supposed to be on a weekend, the cycle was bust because there were no live goods. They double charged us for six vials of sperm, causing a bank account to be overdrawn by hundreds of dollars, causing many checks to bounce and refused to take responsibility for it until the bank stepped in- they were not apologetic about this at all until our clinic director got on the phone with them and raised holy He@@!

[jentina]

Another vote here for Midwest Sperm Bank. It's small and local (for us) and superfriendly. It's also well-priced. They do have a small-ish catalog and only offer annonymous donors. But we really like them and feel really comfortable with the director.

[Grettal]

We used Follis or at least that is what they were called at the time that DS was conceived. Now all the sperm that used to be held by Follis is sold by Genome. Same donor numbers and all. They are out of IN. It was the bank that our RE worked with the most and we were able to find a donor that we liked from their catalog. We will be using the same donor next year when we start TTC #2. Resonalby priced but they do not ship to your home.