Can you really make babies using a turkey baster?
This question has probably come up many times at boozy dinner parties and girls' nights out. Of course, it's no wonder that the answer is not.
However, looking at the number of atypical pregnancies that are occurring across the United States, it seems that such a method is not incomprehensible.
DailyMail.com found a number of online companies offering $99 pregnancy kits. A collection of devices, including pipette-like tubes, that claim to help distribute sperm into the vagina in a way that is more likely to lead to pregnancy.
And judging by some couples' accounts on social media, it worked.
Hannah Riwertz and her wife, Carla, of Tampa, Florida, credit the birth of their children, now ages 3 and 1, to a DIY kit they bought online.
Amazingly, both the ready-made kit and the one we assembled for Hannah worked the first time.
Hannah Lewertz (right) and her wife, Carla (left), of Tampa, Florida, credit the birth of their sons Hudson, 3, and Hulton, 1, to a DIY kit they bought online.
Amazingly, both the ready-made kit for Hannah and the one we assembled ourselves for Kara (pictured pregnant) worked well the first time.
Like many couples who choose this option, they were reluctant to go through the extensive appointments and tests that come with traditional fertility treatments.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common method for non-sexual pregnancies, including for same-sex couples. For that, Eggs are collected, fertilized with sperm in a laboratory, and then the embryo is inserted into the uterus. The average IVF cycle costs between $15,000 and $30,000.
Then there is intrauterine insemination (IUI), which is an easier and cheaper type of artificial insemination. During IUI, sperm are placed directly into the uterus using a small catheter.
But DIY IUI doesn't require a doctor's appointment at all.
It's as simple as tracking ovulation and purchasing over-the-counter tools like semen containers and needleless syringes.
Around the time the ovaries are scheduled to release one or more eggs, semen is injected into the vagina and an instrument is used to bring the semen as close as possible to the eggs.
“I didn't have to take any medication or have any hormones injected,” Hannah told DailyMail.com.
“I wish it was more natural, because it's not supposed to come naturally to us.”
“I was so happy to be able to say, 'I got pregnant at home,' rather than at the hospital,” she added.
They found a sperm bank and decided on a tall, slim, college-educated white donor. The couple wanted to prevent the donor from donating to other couples, so they bought all of his sperm (9 vials at $900 each).
The vials are transported to a cold bank near the couple for storage in suitable conditions, at a cost of $50 per month.
When they decided to start the experiment, the first vial was sent home in a small nitrogen tank with dry ice to maintain sperm quality.
Once the couple opened the box, they were given 30 minutes to use the sample.
They had been tracking Carla's ovulation for about four months, but when they received the sample, Carla, a business development manager, wasn't ovulating on time.
Since they were about to embark on a trip, they continued with the insemination, hoping for the best.
They used a syringe to draw out half a teaspoon of semen, which Carla inserted, followed by a disposable menstrual disc, similar to a menstrual cup.
The menstrual disk keeps sperm close to the cervix for a longer period of time, increasing the chances that the sperm will travel through the cervix and uterus to the fallopian tubes and fertilize the egg, while also preventing semen leakage.
“The cup is probably the most uncomfortable thing because it's awkward and weird. But once you get in there, it's there,” she added.
Mosie Baby is a $99 home insemination kit that first received FDA clearance last December
“It was very lucky and I'm very grateful that it worked out,” Hannah told DailyMail.com.
Kara lay on her back for 10 minutes with her legs in the air and let gravity take over, then left the menstrual disc in place for 12 hours.
Hannah said: “I think the biggest thing that helped us was that menstrual cup, because the sperm had nowhere else to go.'' I didn't ovulate that day, but the next day. But it looks like it's still there. ”
Ten days later, Carla's pregnancy test came back positive.
“We were so surprised. 'Did it really work?'” Hannah said.
“It was very lucky and I'm very grateful that it worked out the way it did.” It was Hannah who became pregnant with her second child.
They performed the exact same procedure, but this time they used a Mosie Baby syringe. It's part of a $99 home insemination kit that was first approved by the FDA last December.
Hannah continued to wear her menstrual disc for eight hours after insemination and received a positive pregnancy test just five days later.
Their friends and family were “excited.” “Everyone loves hearing how it happened,” Hannah said.
“For us, it wasn't a money factor. We just wanted it to be a more intimate situation. But money is also a big part of it. It's still cheaper than IVF.”
A New Jersey couple also became pregnant on their third try using Mosie Baby. After spending more than $5,000 on several IUI treatments, “we began to accept the fact that it wasn't meant to be,” they said.
These kits range from $50 to $100 and are available online from sites like Amazon.
But are they really that certain?
The success rate per cycle of IVF is approximately 24% for all age groups. That means women often need multiple attempts.
Experts agree that artificial insemination and intercourse tend to have similar success rates, about 30% per menstrual cycle.
Dr. Laura Chahine, a reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility in Seattle, told DailyMail.com that the chances of getting pregnant with artificial insemination are “no different” than intercourse.
However, intrauterine insemination performed at a fertility clinic is more likely to be successful than home insemination or intercourse because the time and distance sperm travel is reduced, she said. This is because the clinic uses a catheter to get the sample deeper into the vagina.
In general, experts say that IVF has a higher success rate than IVF.
The success rate per cycle of IVF is approximately 24% for all age groups. That means women often need multiple attempts. On the other hand, experts agree that artificial insemination and intercourse tend to have similar success rates, about 30% per menstrual cycle.
DIY IUI may be helpful for couples experiencing difficulties with sexual intercourse, such as painful intercourse in women or erectile dysfunction in men, Dr. Chahine said.
“Many people have difficulty with the 'trying part' of having a baby, but home insemination kits allow couples to try a different method of insemination in the privacy of their own home. ” she said.
Another motivation for adopting a DIY approach is the broader issue of lack of access to care.
“The location of a fertility clinic, the cost of fertility treatment, and the wait time to see a fertility doctor can all pose barriers. While you wait, you can try insemination at home,” Dr Chahine said.
But there are drawbacks, Dr. Chahine explains.
For example, if you do it completely DIY without consulting your doctor, you risk ignoring serious infertility issues that need treatment.
“I worry that people will delay fertility testing or consult a fertility clinic because they are spending time on home insemination,” she added.
Then there's the issue of finding a sperm donor. Cells are often obtained from friends, but sometimes from strangers through online forums such as sperm donation Facebook groups.
But experts say unregulated sperm donation increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and can make women infertile or unable to conceive.
Mosie Baby was founded by Maureen and Mark Brown after they struggled to conceive for over two years.
Two and a half years later, they visited a fertility doctor who told them everything was fine and suggested they try artificial insemination.
After undergoing in vitro fertilization at a doctor's surgery to conceive their first child, the couple conceived their second child in one cycle with Mozzie. Frank is a healthy baby boy born in August 2016.
A New Jersey couple also became pregnant on their third try using Mosie Baby.
After spending more than $5,000 on several IUI treatments, “we began to accept the fact that it wasn't meant to be,” they said.