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[asexualpregnancy]

pls rb if you think cuddling doesn't have to be s3xual

im tryna prove a point to my bf's mother help me out

[asexualpregnancy]

We did it (twice)! 😏

According to my tracking app and LH test results, I am supposed to ovulate today. We did an at-home insemination yesterday and today with a good ol’ fashioned syringe + specimen container, so now we wait to see if anything takes.

I had some questions/concerns ahead of time about how this would go, so I’ll do a little Q&A here, which may be interesting and/or helpful to others in this situation.

How will the collection aspect work?

Without sharing TMI, my partner and I talked about it and decided we would try being together for the collection, as it is as close to the “real” experience of conceiving as we can get considering our situation. He went about his business, I held the cup, and after a few minutes, we had what we needed.

Will it be awkward?

Yes! But we’ve been together 9 years, so we were able to laugh it off in moments where it felt a little weird. I’d say it went about as well as it possibly could have gone.

Will you do the actual insemination alone?

We also decided that we’d try him staying with me, and see how it went. He sat beside me and played games on his iPad because I felt uncomfortable with the idea of him watching (it was giving ‘trip to the gynecologist’s office’ vibes). It didn’t take long, and there was no weirdness other than the yucky wet sensation while waiting a few minutes to get up and pee/clean up. But that can’t be helped, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What happens afterwards?

We just laid next to each other and chatted. DH didn’t receive a particularly comprehensive education on reproductive health — and that’s me being generous about it — so to answer some of his questions, we watched a couple videos on YouTube about the process of fertilization and implantation, and how a fetus looks at different points of the pregnancy.

The one other thing I was a little worried about was whether or not he understood that it’s not a guaranteed thing that it’ll happen this time around. He’s a sensitive guy and tends to get his hopes up about things and then feel really sad if they don’t work out, so I explained that we may have to try again a few more months.

The question he had that threw me off was, “So like, will you know tomorrow if you’re pregnant or not?” (Damn you, Christian school system for doing a bad job at explaining how life works to students.) He was quite surprised to learn that we will have to wait about 2.5 weeks to see if I miss my period before I can take a test and get an accurate result.

In case anyone is interested in what the test strips look like and how to read them, the Premom app has a little camera that detects the test strips and interprets the results by comparing the control line to the result line. When the result line starts getting lighter again, your LH levels have peaked. I’ve not done a great job of testing at the same time every day, but I know I have a rapid LH peak onset, so I’ve been testing twice a day so I won’t miss it. (See image below for this cycle’s results.)

That’s all I’ve got for today. I may post something between now and the first week of August, but I then again I might not. If you have any questions about the process or about what it’s like to be an ace person in a relationship with an allo, hit up my inbox and let’s chat!

[asexualpregnancy]

Getting pregnant as sex-averse ace — how does it work?

DH and I talked, and we’ve decided that we’ll start trying to conceive (TTC) this month (like, in 2 days or so). Feeling a bit nervous about the process, but at least we’re prepared.

We’re on a wait list at our local fertility clinic, so in the meantime, we’ve decided to try at-home intracervical insemination, which is fairly simple and inexpensive compared to IUI or IVF. The process is as follows:

WASH YOUR FREAKING HANDS

Acquire a semen sample in a sterile container. (🍆 + 👋🏼 = 💦)

Wait ~20min while holding sample cup in hand (to keep warm), allowing the semen to completely liquify.

Aspirate sample from specimen cup using slip-tip syringe, maintaining sterility.

Elevate hips with a pillow; place towel underneath to prevent mess on sheets.

Insert syringe into vagina so the sample can be deposited as close to the cervix as possible.

Depress the plunger of the syringe slowly, stopping to reposition if there is any pain or increased pressure

Lie in bed with your hips elevated for at least 30 minutes, ideally longer if possible

Optional — achieve orgasm using whatever external means necessary, as orgasms cause uterine contractions that move sperm closer to the egg, improving chances of fertilization (and thus, pregnancy)

**Lubricant is optional, but be sure to choose a water-based lube advertised as ‘conception friendly’, as some lubes are intentionally spermicidal (acts as a back-up contraceptive)

The products I’ve purchased for this purpose are in the images below, but I’ll also list them here. All prices are in Canadian dollars.

60cc sterile specimen containers x 5 = $10.75

20cc sterile slip tip syringes x 5 = $4.95

Easy @ Home ovulation + pregnancy test kit — 50 ovulation (LH) test strips, 20 pregnancy (hCG) test strips = $26.99

Basal temperature thermometer (temperature readings to two decimal places) = $12.99

I ordered the syringes and specimen containers from Birth Supplies Canada, the test strips from Amazon.ca, and then I went to a Rexall PharmaPlus for the thermometer. I’ve also been using the free version of the Premom iOS app to track my cycle, temps, and LH test results.

The one thing I’m still debating is whether or not we should be trying twice this cycle or just once. Obviously the supplies will last longer if we just give it one go, but there’s a better chance of success if we do two inseminations.

Anyone else tried this at-home (aka ‘turkey baster’) method for getting pregnant? Please tell me about your experience in the comments, or submit your story so I can post it to the blog!

[asexualpregnancy]

This pissing on a stick every day thing is pretty annoying tbh

[asexualpregnancy]

About me and this blog:

I’m in my late 20s

I identify as a queer-asexual nonbinary person, and use they/them pronouns

My partner and I are at the point in our lives and careers where we are beginning to make serious plans to have kids

As I’m a sex-repulsed ace and the very idea of participating in penetrative sex makes me want to hurl, my partner and I are unable to conceive ‘naturally’, thus we are seeking the assistance of a reproductive health clinic for intrauterine insemination

This blog is not a how-to or an attempt to provide advice to others, but rather to talk about this experience, because I gotta put my thoughts somewhere and obviously the internet where it’s publicly available is the best choice for that 🙃

I might reblog other things related to pregnancy, asexuality, reproductive health, etc.

If you somehow found yourself here and are interested in knowing more about acquiring a baby as an ace person, thanks for checking my blog out

Xoxo,

Nikki