So, where did we leave-off? Oh, right! You are addicted to peeing on sticks and you have run out of ideas. Clearly, at this stage, you've turned to the internet. At this point, for me, I was stumbling around website looking for stories that matched mine. I couldn't really find a perfect site because I wasn't actually sure what we were doing wrong or if we had another issue. So I took bits and pieces from all these different sites. Mostly I found that the modern mom-to-be is super into products.
One of the very first things I learned about (and the least scary) was Pre-seed.
Pre-seed is a lot like "personal lubricant" (insert middle school giggles here). However, it is so much more. Many personal lubricants create a "hostile environment" for sperm. Pre-seed is "fertility friendly" meaning that it brought beer and the game is on. Just kidding, but it does mean that the sperm isn't dying or swimming in circles looking for an exit. Pre-seed also mimics the natural fluids that are released by a woman during intercourse and ovulation. During certain times of your cycle these fluids change in consistency and texture. Some women will actually monitor the changes in their cervical fluid (and the amount of fluid) to determine their most fertile days. There are lots of chart and instructions for this on any of the major baby sites. All you really need to know is that wet and clear is good, and milky and thick is not. I won't get into any more details here....cause well...it's gross.
Anyway, Pre-seed creates a path for those feisty little swimmers so they can zip along a slip and slide right to their final destination. You know how men don't stop for directions? Sperm don't either. So this is a great way to insure that no one is getting lost (or killed) along the way. So here are my pros and cons of Pre-seed.
Pros:
1) Sperm stay alive (compared to other lubricants)
2) Sperm has a better chance of reaching their destination
3) Who doesn't love slip and slides?
4) A little goes a long long way. (read the instructions and use the applicator)
Cons:
1) A little goes and long long way, so you will need to adjust your amounts to avoid a big ol' mess. ( I would under estimate for your first use)
2) Did I mention mess?
3) No really, be careful, you are going to make a mess.
So now you have your pre-seed, you are slipping and sliding your way through life, but still no baby? May I now introduce to you ....The Softcup.
Ok, now some of you may know what this is. The Softcup is actually a very eco-friendly alternative to tampons or pads. It's actually kind of neat. It does exactly what you think it does. So, what the heck does this have to do with baby-making? Well some super awesome modern women found that if you insert a Softcup after intercourse that the cup will hold those happy, lazy, and stupid little swimmers right up to your cervix. For couples whose partners have low-motility or a low-count (which you may not know at this point... I know we didn't), it can yield some fantastic results. So this is one way to use Softcups to aid in fertility.
There is another way to use the Softcup for conception. This way is not for the squeamish, but is beloved by same-sex (female) couples looking to have babies without the high-cost of Artificial Insemination. It is also popular with couples who work opposite shifts or are just plum-tuckered-out from all the baby-making. Now....some of you are just putting it together...and cue the gagging noise. Yes, the male (partner or donor) must ...let's say...deposit...their "donation" into this cup. (It is recommended to actually prep the cup with Pre-seed first to help the swimmers find their way. ) Then the female inserts this cup and bam! magic!
Ok So Softcup Pros and Cons...
Pros:
1) Contains the mess
2) Easy to use
3) Comfortable ( I know you were wondering)
4) Cheap and multi-use
Cons:
1) Kind of gross
2) Not very sexy
So basically, I am a supporter of the Softcup. So what do you do when it's been 6 months and you have another 6 months to try before consulting with a specialist? Answer: some weird weird stuff!
So you may have notices that these 3 methods are really "male-focused". Male factors only make up a small percentage of the causes of infertility. Most often it is a combination of female and male. Truth is that these methods may not help if your issue is a solely female factor (like in my case). Next entry will be about hitting the one-year mark, fertility monitors, and beginning the those fertility tests.
Thanks for reading!
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