This how to guide to get a sperm donor involves four main steps starting with selecting your donor. Sophisticated digital platforms now enable you to select a donor online based on any personal and social features you prioritise. Your journey will then take you towards meeting your sperm donor or using an anonymous donor through a clinic. If you are clear on your method of donation you can then start the exciting steps to getting pregnant using donor sperm.
Here is our guide on how to get a sperm donor:
STEP 1: Selecting your sperm donor
Using a digital platform to get a sperm donor enables you to prioritise the features that are important to you and search from the comfort of your own home. For many women personal looks and physical features are important and for others a donor’s personality and educational achievements are factors that would bear heavy weight.
It is easy to filter your search with just a few simple tick boxes. Donor search results will then be presented to you based on the requirements you are looking for. Not only will you be able to view sperm donor photographs but you will see a personal biography and every important donor feature from blood group to health status.
STEP 2: Meeting your sperm donor
When you have chosen a sperm donor or have a shortlist of donors you can then arrange to meet your donor in person to discuss what type of involvement you would prefer. Some women would like their donor to be known to the child, others want the donor to be completely anonymous and never meet the child. Some recipients are happy to have the donor involved in the child’s life from irregular visits and updates to part time co-parenting.
Meeting your donor can confirm the type of person and personality who will father your child. It can often be an eye opening experience to meet someone in person whom you may have had written correspondence with, who fits the look of your ideal donor however you then meet him only to discover he is not likable to you. You should always take the time to meet a number of donors in order to ask further questions beyond an online personal profile and get a sense of the commitment it can take to help you become pregnant.
STEP 3: Choose your method of insemination
So, you have met your donor, you have found the perfect man to help you become pregnant; now what method of insemination will you choose?
Your options are home insemination or artificial insemination at a clinic. Home insemination is very popular as it is so inexpensive and has very high success rates. It does however carry risks if you do not have your donor tested for sexaully transmitted diseases and fertility levels. In basic terms you need to ask yourself is your donor clean and can he achieve pregnancy?
Artificial insemination at a clinic will ensure that your donor is fully tested and they will tell you how fertile he is. However this does come at a heavy price and the success rates of procedures such as IVF and IUI are not great and do decrease in women over the age of 35.
STEP 4: Get pregnant using donor sperm
Once you have decided on your method of insemination you can then begin the very exciting step of trying for a baby. It is simple to pinpoint your ovulation using an at home ovulation kit. A positive test on your ovulation strip will tell you when the right time is to give you the best chance of conception. You can then perform home insemination or go for your artificial insemination treatment at a clinic.
It all starts with knowing how to get a sperm donor. Make sure you search at your own pace and go through all of the steps to have your donor tested. This process needs you to keep your feet on the ground and steady your excitement levels in order to pick your dream donor.