For women free of fertility issues, artificial insemination at home can be a reliable and affordable way to start a family. This method offers convenience and comfort since it can be done in your home on your schedule.
As with all fertility decisions, choosing at home insemination is a highly personal choice that should always be discussed with your doctor first. At Seattle Sperm Bank (SSB), we only offer at-home insemination shipments after you have discussed this procedure with your doctor and he or she has signed a consent form on your behalf acknowledging this procedure is medically safe for you.
While home insemination has worked for many families, it’s not a guarantee for conception, and it requires close preparation and proper timing to succeed. The current industry success rate is between 10 and 15 percent per menstrual cycle for those using the intracervical insemination method (ICI). This involves injecting semen vaginally close to the cervix (sometimes called the “turkey baster method”). Despite this relatively low success rate, its advantages can make at-home insemination a good starting point for many women looking to conceive.
How Does Artificial Insemination Work?
Artificial insemination involves placing sperm within a woman’s reproductive tract by means other than intercourse. It can be done at home and performed by yourself or with your partner with just limited preparation. It can also be done by a medical professional. It commonly takes several ovulation cycles to conceive, so patience is required. To help you make a decision, it’s best to learn more about how to inseminate at home including watching a demonstration video we’ve prepared.
An important part of insemination, whether at home or by a physician, is timing the insemination with your ovulation cycle so it’s during your peak fertility window. If you are planning on doing an at-home insemination, it is highly recommended that you start tracking your ovulation using a chart, fertility app, testing kit, or ovulation test strips. This can greatly increase your chances of conception.
For many reasons, at-home insemination is a preferred option for women looking to conceive using donor sperm. It can be a much less expensive method of conception, when contrasted with a medical IUI insemination, or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The Benefits of Artificial Insemination
Some of the main benefits of performing an insemination at home are the comfort, privacy, and flexibility it provides. If you’re working with a sperm bank, you can schedule delivery of your vials of donor sperm to arrive during your ovulation cycle, increasing your chance of conceiving.
Home insemination further reduces the stress, side effects, and costs associated with going to a clinic for the procedure. It only requires basic supplies easily found at a drug store. In addition, SSB provides a free basic at-home insemination kit with every home delivery.
At-home insemination is an excellent option for single women, lesbian couples, and straight couples due to this comfort, convenience, and low cost. But it’s only one option. If you try it and it doesn’t work for you, please remember there are many other options to starting a family. To learn about other methods available to you, or to discuss performing artificial insemination at home, call our clinic at (206) 588-1484 or contact us at cs@seattlespermbank.com.
