Seattle Sperm Bank is your trusted partner and resource when it comes to donor sperm. We are here every step of the way as your journey into parenthood. Explore our blog for topics from preconception to conception with donor sperm.
How to choose the right sperm donor
Using a sperm donor to conceive a child is an excellent choice for many people including same-sex couples, single women, and couples where the male has low sperm count, poor sperm mobility, or related infertility issues. But choosing this method of conception is only the first step. Another big decision is choosing the right donor. While prospective parents won’t meet their selected sperm donor in person, you can learn a great deal about the donor through our comprehensive donor...
The Benefits of At-Home Insemination
So you’ve decided to start a family. Wonderful! Next comes the decision about the best method of conception for you. Fortunately, there are several good insemination options for infertile or sub-fertile couples, lesbian couples, and single women to consider. This article focuses on the advantages and benefits of home insemination, along with the preferred process for doing it yourself. But please remember that this is only one option. For women who have already tried unsuccessfully to...
Two Women Get A Surprise When Dealing With Their Sperm Bank
You have probably seen in the news recently, "Black Donor Sperm Mistakenly Sent to White Mom", about an Ohio Caucasian woman who is suing a sperm bank for mistakenly sending her vials from an African-American donor, when she thought she was being inseminated with a white man’s sperm. This type of error is inexcusable, and can be prevented with good procedures and accurate systems. So how did this happen and what could have been done to prevent it? The error in this situation occurred when...
The Importance of Good Nutrition for Pregnancy
Good, healthy, solid nutrition is especially important while planning to get pregnant for both partners, especially when you're having trouble getting pregnant. A healthy diet and consistent, effective exercise has shown to improve fertility in both women and men. When embarking on pregnancy, a woman with a well-nourished body that is stocked with necessary nutrients is also getting her child-to-be off to a good start. A healthy lifestyle is necessary for normal organ development; normal...
Research indicates soft drinks may damage male fertility
A study has indicated that high consumption of soft drinks may be the cause of reduced sperm quality in men, one of the top criteria of the donor screening process. Young men who want to become fathers may want to cut their cola consumption, according to new Danish research results recently published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Doctors and scientists at Rigs hospital and at the University of Southern Denmark have found a probable correlation between high soft drink consumption and...
Sperm bank seeks red-haired donors in Seattle
September 29, 2011 The Seattle Sperm Bank (Seattle Sperm Bank), with a lab located in Seattle, Washington, and its partner cryobank, the European Sperm Bank (ESB), with labs located in Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark, is actively seeking red-haired sperm donors. Gary Olsem, Managing Director of Seattle Sperm Bank, said that "We cannot keep up with our demand for red-haired, and blond donors, particularly for families in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia. We hope that potential...
Sperm bike comes to Seattle
October 21, 2011 Seattle has become the second city to showcase a ‘sperm bike’ making sperm deliveries from a sperm bank to fertility clinics. The European Sperm Bank, one of the largest in Europe and located in Copenhagen, Denmark- perhaps the world’s most bike-friendly city- made news reports globally after it began deliveries in a custom-designed bike with a cooling system built inside the ‘sperm head’ for storing tanks with sperm specimens. The European Sperm Bank’s Seattle lab...
Demystifying IUI, ICI, IVI and IVF
Methods of Insemination IUI (Intrauterine): The most common form of artificial insemination. Your doctor (or licensed health care provider) will insert thawed sperm directly into the uterus using a speculum and catheter. Inseminations may be timed based on a woman’s natural cycle, or in conjunction with medications intended to induce ovulation. ICI (Intracervical): Most commonly performed at home, but can also be performed by a licensed care provider. Sperm is inserted into the vagina using a...
What you need to know about Open Identity Donors
Open Identity Donors A new trend is gaining popularity throughout the U.S. and abroad when it comes to choosing a sperm donor for artificial insemination. Whereas most sperm donation used to be completely anonymous, many sperm banks now require some or all of their sperm donors to consent to the release of their identity to children who have reached the age of 18. In fact, in some countries, anonymous donation is no longer permitted. The use of an open identity (or ID release) donor is an...
Sperm Banks, At a Glance
Sperm banks offer a unique level of reproductive freedom to single women and couples, by providing a tremendous amount of choice when it comes to decisions about having children. This brief article addresses some important facts about sperm banks and the role they play in modern reproductive technology. Sperm banking is a not a new technology. Although they are increasing in popularity in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world, sperm banks have been around for almost half a...
