Skip to content
Welcome to our new forum! All existing NW Cryobank forum users will need to reset their passwords. Click forgot password and enter your email address to receive the link. Email us at info@nwcryobank.com with any questions.
NW Cryobank community boards and sibling connect groups will no longer be available after December 20th, 2023.
Options

44 yr old single mom ttc by at home ici- advice please!

angels11rwangels11rw Posts: 217
edited November -1 in Trying to Conceive
Hi I am a 44 yr old single mom of 3 children, ages 24 (will be 25 this July), 21, and 10 (will be 11 this April). My 2 older sons are adults, one living in New Jersey and the other in Virginia. My youngest son and I moved from New Jersey to Minnesota this past May and while in Minnesota we have moved 3 times, so it has been hectic. Now that we are more settled I am TTC by AI using frozen donor sperm. I have been single for over 11 years, with the way things have been for me I'll be 80 before I meet my Mr. Right lol, and I don't want to miss my chance of having a baby due to my age, plus my youngest son keeps asking me for a baby brother or sister lol! :)

When I was in New Jersey I was a therapeutic foster parent- I took care of children who were special needs, hard to place, with emotional/behavioral challenges. I loved having a houseful of children, and I know for my youngest son ( who also has special needs) it was nice for him to have "siblings" since his older brothers were off living their own lives as adults. I am hoping to be successful in TTC, and maybe be lucky to conceive this cycle this month!

Any advice for success to conceive by AI at home is greatly appreciated! I go to a regular ob/gyn since I don't have any known fertility issues other than my age. My hormone levels are normal, as are my 25-26 day cycles. I am mostly concerned with timing because I don't want to "waste" the sperm by doing AI too early or too late. Also my doctor is going to be away on vacation this cycle so this cycle I will be doing the ICI at my home- I've never done this before so I'm a bit nervous and have been reading all I can about it!

I am doing this all by myself; I don't have anyone who could help me, so any help/suggestions/advice is really appreciated.

I'm on CD2 today (March 19) and ordering the frozen sperm tomorrow for delivery on Monday March 26, the first "fertile" day. (will be ordering ICI sperm).

I will be testing LH surge starting on CD8 Sunday March 25. I am going to use OPK Clearblue digital with the smiley faces. There is 20 tests in the box I bought.

I also bought a speculum and if I can figure out how to use it properly then I'll be checking my cervix daily as well.

I bought preseed, but I don't know if I need to use it or not.

So, my question is when to inseminate? Since I'm 44 I've been reading that I would O shorter after my my surge. I will be buying 3 vials. What is the best timing for best possible results?

My cycles are regular and are 25-26 days long. My hormone levels are normal (had blood work) and I have no known fertility issues other than my age. I am not using any fertility aids and my doctor is a regular ob/gyn, Not a RE. I can usually feel pain around the time I ovulate, but don't know if it is before, during, or after so it is just a sign that it is/has happened.

So... best way/how to inseminate ICI using frozen sperm? Best timing using 3 vials?

Any older moms who have successfully conceived using frozen sperm and ICI at home with no fertility aids?

Thanks for any suggestions :)
age 45,Minnesota,TTC frozen sperm donor,#1 at home 3 ICIs, BFN.
#2 fertility specialist, Clomid&trigger, IUI BFN, good response, timing off.
#3plan b2bIUIs Clomid&trigger-cycle cancelled poor Clomid response.
#4 used Gonal F &trigger, b2b IUIs, BFN.
Was skipping July cycle due to cysts, was going to TTC later in August, but due to irregular cycles and age issues, decided to stop TTC :(
Tagged:

Comments

  • Options
    teacherin200829teacherin200829 Posts: 324
    edited November -1
    We are doing ICI with frozen. So I can only tell you what we're going to do. We bought 1cc needless syringes and catheters for the ends. We suck up the sperm from the vials with the syringe. You can use either the syringe on its own, or use the catheter if you want to go further towards the cervix. Try to coat the cervix with sperm. If you need extra lube or you don't have enough ewcm, use preseed (found ours on Amazon). As far as how to time 3 vials, I would say use one right before ovulation, then 12 hours after positive OPK, then 24. We have two vials and do 12 and 24. Or you could try 6 hours after, 16, 28... I guess the point is to try to have the sperm waiting for the egg before you actually ovulate. Hope that helps!
    Me (36) married to S (31)
    Try #1-3 at home, 3-6 IUI with Clomid, 7 IVF- BFP, mc 12/12, FET 3/12 - BFN, IVF #2 4/13 - BFP TWINS! Born 12/30/1413!
  • Options
    JayJayJayJay Posts: 1,192
    edited November -1
    Hi angels!! Welcome! You are right, for the most part, women in their forties tend to ovulate closer to their surge, but of course every woman is different. What day do you usually feel oculation pain? Personally if you have that, I would go off of that more than anything. The goal is to have sperm waiting there ready to pounce as soon as the egg pops. With that in mind. You're in a great position with three vials. In a perfect world, I would say you would want to.insem about 12 hours before the pain, right when it is happening, and 12 hours after. If you're not sure exactly when to expect it, and considering you are 44, I would probably say to insem shortly after your surge (maybe 6-8 hours?) , and then 12 hours after that, and another 12 hours after that. Good luck to you!
  • Options
    single31single31 Posts: 95
    edited November -1
    Hey there, welcome, it looks like we'll be in the two week wait together, i'll be doing mine around the 27th, timing really is the tricky part, some ladies will do 1 insem as soon as they get there positive OPK, and then again 24 hours later, since you feel that you might ovulate earlier than that you might try doing one at your positive OPK, and then at 12, and 24 hours past OPK, since the lifespan of frozen sperm is estimated somewhere between 12 and 24 hours after its thawed (although its rumored to somtimes live longer) you should be covered for up to 48 hours after positive OPK. The most sound advice I can give you is to pay close attention to the signs your body gives you, cramping, CM, body temp, position of cervix, as well as OPK's, and then the hardest thing of all, try to relax. LOL Wishing you lots and lots of luck, and baby dust!!
  • Options
    BooAnn2011BooAnn2011 Posts: 894
    edited November -1
    I'll be 40 in July. The month I got my previous bfp I did all 3 insems before, yes before, any +opk. I had been telling and realized opks don't work for me. By the time I got the smiley I had already O'd. My advice is to go by your body signs. When and how long do you get ewcm (egg white cervical mucus)? When you're wet, cervix is soft high & open you should insem.

    Good luck :)
  • Options
    JayJayJayJay Posts: 1,192
    edited November -1
    Oh and I forgot to tell you, I highly recommend using the instead cups rather than the syringe. For me it took away so much of the stress of wondering if I aimed in the right direction! Lol. And it keeps the swimmers right up next to your cervix so if you insem in the morning you can get up and go about your day without worrying about it.
  • Options
    angels11rwangels11rw Posts: 217
    edited November -1
    Thank you everyone! I will be using the speculum to see cervix, as well as OPK, plus I also have a saliva ovulation predictor that shows when I'm ovulating by ferning pattern, so with all these "tools" and 3 vials to use, I'm hoping my egg is a good one and will end up with a BFP...

    I have the dewar arriving Monday, March 26th, and will start testing with OPK on Sunday 25th which will be my CD 8. I'm only hoping my timing is good... too bad the dewar doesn't last several weeks so that I could have had it a few days earlier just in case I'm earlier...

    Anyway, wishing you all BFP and thank you for all suggestions!
    age 45,Minnesota,TTC frozen sperm donor,#1 at home 3 ICIs, BFN.
    #2 fertility specialist, Clomid&trigger, IUI BFN, good response, timing off.
    #3plan b2bIUIs Clomid&trigger-cycle cancelled poor Clomid response.
    #4 used Gonal F &trigger, b2b IUIs, BFN.
    Was skipping July cycle due to cysts, was going to TTC later in August, but due to irregular cycles and age issues, decided to stop TTC :(
  • Options
    angels11rwangels11rw Posts: 217
    edited November -1
    angels11rw wrote:
    Thank you everyone! I will be using the speculum to see cervix, as well as OPK, plus I also have a saliva ovulation predictor that shows when I'm ovulating by ferning pattern, so with all these "tools" and 3 vials to use, I'm hoping my egg is a good one and will end up with a BFP...

    I have the dewar arriving Monday, March 26th, and will start testing with OPK on Sunday 25th which will be my CD 8. I'm only hoping my timing is good... too bad the dewar doesn't last several weeks so that I could have had it a few days earlier just in case I'm earlier...

    Anyway, wishing you all BFP and thank you for all suggestions!


    oh, and i have no idea if my ovulation pain is before or after I actually O so I can't really use it as a tool, other than it letting me that it is happening around that time, but not precise enough to count on it for insemination.
    age 45,Minnesota,TTC frozen sperm donor,#1 at home 3 ICIs, BFN.
    #2 fertility specialist, Clomid&trigger, IUI BFN, good response, timing off.
    #3plan b2bIUIs Clomid&trigger-cycle cancelled poor Clomid response.
    #4 used Gonal F &trigger, b2b IUIs, BFN.
    Was skipping July cycle due to cysts, was going to TTC later in August, but due to irregular cycles and age issues, decided to stop TTC :(
  • Options
    BooAnn2011BooAnn2011 Posts: 894
    edited November -1
    Maybe try temping? ;) You'd be able to tell more about when you get your O pain ... before or after the temp rise. You O the day before your temp rise.

    Hope you have beginners luck! :)
  • Options
    angels11rwangels11rw Posts: 217
    edited November -1
    BooAnn2011 wrote:
    Maybe try temping? ;) You'd be able to tell more about when you get your O pain ... before or after the temp rise. You O the day before your temp rise.

    Hope you have beginners luck! :)

    I tend to be a light sleeper and get out of bed often, so doing temp may not be as accurate for me... but maybe I should give it a try anyway...
    age 45,Minnesota,TTC frozen sperm donor,#1 at home 3 ICIs, BFN.
    #2 fertility specialist, Clomid&trigger, IUI BFN, good response, timing off.
    #3plan b2bIUIs Clomid&trigger-cycle cancelled poor Clomid response.
    #4 used Gonal F &trigger, b2b IUIs, BFN.
    Was skipping July cycle due to cysts, was going to TTC later in August, but due to irregular cycles and age issues, decided to stop TTC :(
Sign In or Register to comment.