Hey everyone, it’s Maureen and I wanted to go over something we get a lot of questions about - How do you get pregnant with a syringe at home? How does that actually physically work? What do you do?
Some people call it the turkey baster method, some call it artificial or self-insemination, we call it making a Mosie baby.
Whatever you call it...technically it’s vaginal insemination. It’s the most common technique for pregnancy in the world...no different than traditional intercourse. Except for the penis part.
So what will you need to inseminate using this method? I’ll elaborate on each of these in a moment but for now, you’ll need…
- A healthy sperm specimen
- Collection cup
- A syringe
- A bed or a comfortable place to lay
- And about 30 minutes
Ok, so, number one and number two really go hand in hand. A healthy sperm specimen can be obtained from your partner, from a sperm bank or from anyone willing to give it to you - the key is that the sperm is healthy. If you’re not sure about the sperm, consider finding a test online, they’re easy to use at home and will give you peace of mind before trying to conceive.
As for the collection cup, size matters. Something too large will make absorption into the syringe more difficult than it needs to be, vice versa something too small will make the collection into the cup more difficult than it needs to be.
Ideally, you want something that has a fairly wide opening, making it an easy target for the donor (please aim for the center of the cup when collecting), but that is also not too deep to ensure absorption into the syringe goes smoothly. The Mosie Cup was designed specifically for use with the Moise syringe! Its curved bottom allows for maximum transfer.
The Mosie’s collection cup fits both of those criteria, and it also comes with a lid in case the specimen needs to travel. Side note - if you do need to transport your sperm sample, ideally that specimen should be inside its final destination within an hour.
Like the specimen cup, size also matters with the syringe. Usually, something around 5cc’s is where you want to be. Anything larger may result in an awkward experience and due to the longer barrel may retain a significant amount of your sample, reducing your odds for success. Click here to view our video on how much sperm to expect from an average ejaculation.
So you have your syringe and you have your sample, now it’s a matter of getting the sample into the syringe
To keep things simple and minimize room for error we recommend doing the transfer to the syringe in the same place the transfer to the vagina will take place.
Now...in this process air bubbles in the syringe are the enemy. Here’s how to prevent them.
Before transferring the sample to the syringe, pull the plunger of the empty syringe all the way up and push it fully back down to remove air.
Now to transfer the sperm into the syringe. First, you'll want to dip the end of the syringe in the sample cup directly in contact with the specimen. Keeping the sperm absorbed in the specimen slowly pull up the plunger to transfer the specimen to the syringe. This is pretty straight-forward and you should see the specimen entering the syringe.
Once the sample is in the syringe, slowly push the plunger forward while flicking the tip of the syringe with your other hand to eliminate the bubbles until the sample is as close to the tip as possible without expelling it.
Next, you'll want to get horizontal and comfortable. If possible, use pillows to raise your hips and legs slightly higher than your waist.
Insert the syringe into your vagina just like you would a tampon — for best results, insert up to the handles on the end. Then fully push the plunger to release the sample. Gently remove the syringe.
Kick back and relax. You’ll need to continue lying down for 15-30 minutes. We recommend listening to music or your favorite podcast, reading, napping, whatever works for you.
So there you have it, folks, that’s how easy it is to inseminate at home! You can find more helpful tips & tricks on our website and as always, feel free to email us at mosie@mosiebaby.com. We're here to help and support you as best we can! ❤️