Does anyone do ICIs? I ask because I have been browsing the CCB website (call it window-shopping) with some very specific criteria (open donor, preferrably Korean or half-Korean, with proven ability to impregnate) which really narrows the choices. The get a little broader if it's ICI and not IUI. Thoughts?
Also: ovulation charting? After my laparoscopy & D&C it's going to be a while to get back on track. How long do you track? What symptoms are most useful? Or do you just take a wild stab and pee on a bunch of sticks?
Ah, food for my planning little head...
Well, I'm all for charting as much info as possible just to get an idea of the patterns of your body. For me, the OPKs were a very good indicator of things but they tended to match up with other symptoms. And also for me it was great when we decided to trust our instincts and do IUI 12 nours after a +OPK despite the RE swearing that 24 hours was right. That's the cycle that got me pregnant.
ReplyDeleteICI sperm has been frozen exactly as it is after the donation. It can only be used vaginally or placed at the entrance to the cervix. It CANNOT be used in the uterus. Thus, it has to "swim" further to get to your egg and you have to consider that in your timing.
IUI sperm has been washed of all the extra stuff that is present in semen leaving only the sperm, and then placed in a buffer solution. It can be used vaginally, at the cervix, or in the uterus. By placing it in the uterus you are putting it as close to the egg as you can, thus allowing you a slightly larger window of oppurtunity for fertilization that ICI sperm with has to travel.
Happy shopping!
Hey, I think I might have ordered all of the information for that donor. It's yours if you want it and I'd be happy to discuss.
ReplyDeleteEmail me!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete[cue singing: "It's a small world aaaafter all..."]
ReplyDeleteActually, Travelher I would love that-- you can also email me directly (I don't know your email) at (no spaces) k g savoie at g mail. Thanks!
ok, I will fully admit that the charting never really worked for me (I feel like someone is going to take away my lesbian ttc badge for admiting that, but there it is). I tried, but it just never really helped. I used OPKs and the Clearblue monitor (which I really liked and I think is well worth the money). If your cycle is pretty regular, you will start to know which days you should start peeing on the sticks, so you won't have to buy quite as many (unless you are as obsessive as I am and you use multiple brands at different times of day).
ReplyDeleteWe never did the frozen sperm at home thing-- it just seemed like a lot of money to thaw out in our armpits. However, if you need to buy ICI to get the donor you want, many clinics wash the stuff themselves (thus making it IUI ready), so it is worth asking yours. Our clinic actually advised us to save our money (a bit at least) and get the ICI vials instead b/c they washed.
Eggdance,
ReplyDeleteThat's cool that your clinic offered to wash ICI sperm and save you money. Our RE was the complete opposite. Their price to wash sperm was FAR greater than the difference in price between IUI and ICI vials.
Oooh, eggdance- having ICI sperm washed and prepped at my clinic is a great idea! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI mean we were already planning on "spinning" for a girl. (uh-oh-- is this a can of worms?)