How long did it take?

[LayneA]

Hi! I'm new to the boards. My partner and I are currently trying to get pregnant with our first child. As we go through the process one of the things I have wondered is how long has it taken other couples to get pregnant using DI.

Our clinic says the average is 6-8 attempts (for a 20-30 year old not using any medication). I know a couple who was successful on the first try and an another who weren't successful until try number 10.

So, if you used DI how long did it take? And what were the specifics of your process?

Thanks!!!

[chfriend]

Started at age 38 at home inseminations 2x per cycle for a little more than a year. No luck. Had some tests. Used a different donor b/c our "old donor" was bought up by somebody (we think). Second try on 50 mg Clomid when I had just turned 40. Conceived twins. One twin only made it one trimester. Our beautiful perfect now singleton was born 3 years ago.

DP has PCOS and doesn't ovulate at all on her own. She's 35 and was DES exposed. She conceived on the 3d cycle with a different donor than our dc. 150 mg Clomid and a mid-cycle shot of HcG. She's 9 weeks along. Because she's at high risk of first trimester miscarriage (the DES) we have our fingers crossed...and have not told dc she will be a sister in June.

It's so worth the effort, friends. Our child has brought untold joy to us.

[kelly]

Started at age 33 with DI (physician-done b/c home insem. is illegal in Georgia), no luck. Did 5 DI cycles on Clomid - no pregnancy. So that was a total of 12 DI cycles and no baby. Took a year off b/c RE recommended laparoscopy to rule out internal issues - my old insurance wouldn't cover it, so I just had it done last month. She didn't find anything wrong except mild endometriosis. Now I am on cycle #13, doing injectable hormones to the tune of $1500 a month and just had the DI 4 days ago.

I don't know if it's my age or some other factor - all of my medical/hormone/HSG tests have also been normal. I may be the unusual case, though I do know other people who took 12 DI tries to get pregnant. Hopefully you'll be on the other end of the spectrum. The place I use for the DI reports an average of 6-8 tries as well. Good luck!

Kelly

[lexbeach]

I got pregnant on the first try, but was also taking clomid (50 mg), at age 22. I don't ovulate very often, and it was immpossible to figure out the timing in regards to ordering sperm, etc. and my erratic cycle. We have nine-month-old twins now, and are planning to try for another baby in about two years. Next time I will NOT being taking clomid (one set of twins is lovely and enough for us), and I expect that it will take longer to get pregnant (but hopefully not longer than 8 cycles, since we only have 8 vials of sperm in storage!).

I don't know anyone who got pregnant using DI doing home inseminations (though I'm sure it happens!). I say IUI is the way to go. We do have some friends who got pregnant on the first try doing IUI w/out meds.

Also, there is mixed information out there about the number of inseminations to do per cycle. . . our doctor thought it was crazy to do more than one if we were doing IUI. But the clomid made me so crazy, that I was willing to try anything to increase my chances of getting pregnant sooner. So we did one insemination on the day of the positive OPK, and one the next day. I read somewhere (I think in the ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PREGNANCY FOR LESBIANS), that doing two inseminations drastically increases your chances.

HTH!

Good luck!

Lex

[Henry's Mom]

It is possible to get pregant at home!

We got pregnant at home with fresh sperm and no OPK after 10 tries, had a miscarraige, got pregant with 2 1/2 yo light of the universe ds after 5 post miscarraige cycles and light of the universe 8 month old ds after 2 cycles post resumption of cycles.

DP was 39 and 41 when she conceived and was nursing when she got pregnant with second ds! We did one insemination per cycle and because my dp has very regular cycles just picked the dates based on the calender.

Best fertile luck!

[Henry's Mom]

It is possible to get pregnant at home!

We got pregnant at home with fresh sperm, no drugs, and no OPK after 10 tries, had a miscarriage, got pregant with 2 1/2 yo light of the universe ds after 5 post miscarriage tries and light of the universe 8 month old ds after 2 tries post resumption of cycle.

DP was 39 and 41 when she conceived and was nursing when she got pregnant with second ds! We did one insemination per cycle and because my dp has very regular cycles just picked the dates based on the calendar.

Best fertile luck!

[megincl]

DP got pregnant on the first try, at home (donor's home!) with fresh sperm. She was on 100mg of Clomid as she didn't ovulate at all or regularly (we charted FOREVER beforehand). We highly recommend fresh sperm if possible as well as, no matter how you go about it, the Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth for Lesbians.

good luck!!!

[TLL]

DP, age 30 at the time, got pregnant on the 3rd try. We did IUI at the doctor's office with frozen, two insems per cycle (day of and day after ovulation), no meds.

We tried to chart her temps, but she wakes up frequently in the night, so her temps were all over the place. So she just used OPKs.

Good luck!

TLL, partner to KEB (edd 1/1/04)

[LayneA]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I find as I go through this process I'm more and more interested in other's stories.


My partner and I are about to have our third IUI. We are inseminating just once per cycle and my partner is in her late twenties. We're hopeful each cycle but so far we've been able to maintain our sanity and mostly go about our lives. I'll keep you all updated on our process.

Layne

[robynberkley]

Good luck to all of you pregnant and TTC...!!

[LayneA]

I've got good news!

Last week my partner and I found out that we're pregnant! Of course, I'm thrilled and excited but, also already feeling nervous.

So, I guess for us it took 3 tries with IUI's in a clinic.

Layne

[TurboClaudia]

**********************
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!
**********************

Such great news! Warmest wishes for a healthy pregnancy and empowering birth!

warmly,
claudia

[max_4477]

Congratulations!!!

(& FWIW, I did 2 at home insem's with frozen shipped sperm to get pg)

[chfriend]

Woohoo!!! Congrats to you and your partner! Parenthood is more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

[madison]

Hey there,

I was lucky enough to get pregnant on the first attempt.

I think I helped myself by being in reasonably good health, eating well, taking Vitex (a herb similar to ovulatory drugs), taking prenatal vitamins for 3 months, and the high (post-thaw) sperm count of the vials I used. I myself did the two home inseminations 12-hours apart, and was absolutely sure I was ovulating. I was! And my son is now 8 months old today

A great book is "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler.

Good luck!

[madison]

Oh, hehehe, I just saw that you're pregnant!!! Congratulations!

[stanya]

Hi.. We were successful first try, at home (actually in a hotel room in the city where our known donor was the weekedn I was ovulating, totally wacky).. I charted my temps only one month before, have a very regular cycle, no fertility drugs, just stayed healthy, no hot tubs, cut down on caffeine, etc.. Took Robitussin to help with spin, had partner bring me to a state of "arousal" each time to help the sperm swim, donor would bring the fresh stuff out of the bathroom and we'd get it in the needleless syringe and squirt it in. Then, as pre reccomendation of a book, partner brought me to orgasm, while tilted up on pillows. Supposedly this pushes sperm right into the open cervix (the pre-insem arousal opens the cervix more). THen I lay there with my rear end in the air (on pillow pile) for at least 1/2 hour or more. We did this five days in a row, covering my whole ovulation window (pre and one day post) just to have a good chance. It worked. I'm seven weeks 2 days! Good luck!!!!!

[Jentle]

My partner and her ex (BirthMom) tried 8 times with their first Donor, however BM was in a very stressful situation at the time.

They took off 3 months to sort out her various stressers and tried again (with a new Donor) and conceived on the 3rd try.

So, I suppose the moral is to make sure you're as calm and centered (in your life and your relationship) as possible?

ETA - Prior to their relationship beginning, BM had tried unsuccessfully for 6 years.

[maisydaze]

With our first daughter it took 10 tries IUI and with our current pregnancy it took 9 tries. 35 first pregnancy and 38 current pregnancy. No drugs.

[madison]

Congratulations, Layne & partner!!!! Wonderful news!

I got pregnant on the first attempt of my second round (first round was 4 months, then took several months off) using 2 vials of frozen donor sperm, did two home inseminations 12 hours apart. FWIW.

Congratulations again