Surrogate Mothers Online Q & A: What exactly is the process for AI surrogacy (when done through a physician, not home insemination)? How do the parties know when to do inseminations? If they're not in the same location, how is sperm transported? Also, how long would the surrogate and her husband have to abstain from intercourse themselves before and after inseminations (this is my husband's big question!)?

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Surrogate Mothers Online Q & A

Q & A: Medical Issues - Traditional Surrogacy

Topics may include the risks involved in surrogacy, side effects from meds, questions about protocol, etc.

2. What exactly is the process for AI surrogacy (when done through a physician, not home insemination)? How do the parties know when to do inseminations? If they're not in the same location, how is sperm transported? Also, how long would the surrogate and her husband have to abstain from intercourse themselves before and after inseminations (this is my husband's big question!)? - Anonymous - Top

Anonymous,

The exact procedure for AI when done through a physician vary depending on the physician. For the most part they follow a procedure something similar to this:

***The doctor will screen the surrogate to determine she is healthy and appears able to conceive and maintain a pregnancy. Then the doctor and/or the surrogate will monitor her cycle using ultrasound, tempertures, cervical mucus, and/or ovulation predictor kits. (The doctor may have the surrogate take clomid to increase the number of eggs released each cycle.) Approximately 24 to 48 hours before ovulation the doctor will do inseminations either vaginal or IUI (Inter Uterine Inseminations). Then you wait for the surrogate's period to "not" start. The doctor may prescribe progesterone. As for the transporting of the sperm, I'm not too sure about that You would need to talk to the doctor doing your insems for more info on that. You will also need to find out if your doctor or the state you are working with has any requirements such as sperm washing or 6 month quarentine (freezing) for sperm. Some states do and that is one reason many people do home insems. As for the surrogate and her husband abstaining, unless your surrogate's husband has had a vasectomy they should abstain from sex two weeks prior to insems and 2 weeks after. Basically they shouldn't have sex unless they use 2 kinds of protection such as a condom and a spermicide. Tell your husband our surrogate and her husband found "other ways" to take care of the urge during the 3 months we were doing insems.

Hope this helps.
Lynn

Hello! When done through a physician, you will
monitor LH levels at home with a OV kit. And then
when you get a positive you will go to the DR and he will do an U/S and look at your ovaries, then you will get an HSG shot. The man will give is deposit to the DR and it will be washed and spun. You will then have a small catheter inserted into the Uterus, and then the sperm will be deposited there.

Sperm is usually transported via bio-tranz, and Dr. Zavos in Lexington KY is the man to contact. His number is 606-254-8108. All contracts vary for this. But after you have watched your cycle for awhile, I would suggest only have sex (if you were on a 28 day cycle), from day 1-7 and 21-28. There is an excellent book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Please go to the library and get it.

Good Luck,
Jennifer
TS Scarlett 6/11/98 - Updated: January 17, 2000
Topics may include the risks involved in surrogacy, side effects from meds, questions about protocol, etc.

2. What exactly is the process for AI surrogacy (when done through a physician, not home insemination)? How do the parties know when to do inseminations? If they're not in the same location, how is sperm transported? Also, how long would the surrogate and her husband have to abstain from intercourse themselves before and after inseminations (this is my husband's big question!)? - Anonymous - Top: Anonymous,

The exact procedure for AI when done through a physician vary depending on the physician. For the most part they follow a procedure something similar to this:

***The doctor will screen the surrogate to determine she is healthy and appears able to conceive and maintain a pregnancy. Then the doctor and/or the surrogate will monitor her cycle using ultrasound, tempertures, cervical mucus, and/or ovulation predictor kits. (The doctor may have the surrogate take clomid to increase the number of eggs released each cycle.) Approximately 24 to 48 hours before ovulation the doctor will do inseminations either vaginal or IUI (Inter Uterine Inseminations). Then you wait for the surrogate's period to "not" start. The doctor may prescribe progesterone. As for the transporting of the sperm, I'm not too sure about that You would need to talk to the doctor doing your insems for more info on that. You will also need to find out if your doctor or the state you are working with has any requirements such as sperm washing or 6 month quarentine (freezing) for sperm. Some states do and that is one reason many people do home insems. As for the surrogate and her husband abstaining, unless your surrogate's husband has had a vasectomy they should abstain from sex two weeks prior to insems and 2 weeks after. Basically they shouldn't have sex unless they use 2 kinds of protection such as a condom and a spermicide. Tell your husband our surrogate and her husband found "other ways" to take care of the urge during the 3 months we were doing insems.

Hope this helps.
Lynn

Hello! When done through a physician, you will
monitor LH levels at home with a OV kit. And then
when you get a positive you will go to the DR and he will do an U/S and look at your ovaries, then you will get an HSG shot. The man will give is deposit to the DR and it will be washed and spun. You will then have a small catheter inserted into the Uterus, and then the sperm will be deposited there.

Sperm is usually transported via bio-tranz, and Dr. Zavos in Lexington KY is the man to contact. His number is 606-254-8108. All contracts vary for this. But after you have watched your cycle for awhile, I would suggest only have sex (if you were on a 28 day cycle), from day 1-7 and 21-28. There is an excellent book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Please go to the library and get it.

Good Luck,
Jennifer
TS Scarlett 6/11/98 - Updated: January 17, 2000

Unless stated otherwise, all responses in the SMO Q&A are courtesy of one or more of the following hosts:

Sherry - Experienced gestational surrogate currently working on her 2nd surrogacy arrangement

Linda - New Mommy to twins born via gestational surrogacy and egg donation

Jennifer S. - Experienced AI surrogate

Lynn - New Mommy to a daughter born via traditional surrogacy

Tracie - 5 time egg donor (triplets, 2 sets of twins and 2 singletons) and 3 time surrogate (2-AI, 1-IVF).

Lisa - Experienced egg donor and previous gestational surrogate currently working on her 2nd surrogacy arrangement (Lisa was our former ED host, prior to July 1999.)
Disclaimer: Responses from SMO Q&A Hosts do not necessarily represent the opinions and ideas of SMO. Neither the Q&A hosts nor SMO guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the responses given here. As such, neither SMO nor the Q&A hosts are responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. Neither SMO nor the Q&A hosts shall be liable or responsible to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas contained, suggested, or referenced in these responses.

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