What the Heck is an Instead Cup?

I keep seeing on babycenter.com that people are using Instead Cups to get sperm closer to the cervix in the hopes of conceiving. I hadn't ever heard of an Instead Cup.

Turns out is is a feminine hygiene product (ala tampons and pads) but it looks more like a condom with a plastic rim on it. The intended use is to insert it during your period to collect blood. You can leave it in for 12 hours.

However, industrious conceivers have found a new use. After sex, you insert the Instead Cup by squeezing the ends together it pushing it back (versus up, like a tampon). Hours later, you remove the cup. Apparently it is ridged so there is something to grab on to when removing it. Taking it a step further, some TTCers fill it will Pre-Seed to help the sperm get where it needs to go. Also, I have read people use it when they have hostile CM, to help the sperm move more freely.

I have seen the costs range from $6.75 (see below) to $12.00 for 14 cups. You would seemingly need 4 cups per month, one a day during your fertile window.

Newbies tend to border on panic attack before using the Instead Cups, because of the fear of how to get it in and even more alarming, how to get it out. Veterans say it is so easy. It might be worth a practice run. I did a brief Internet search to find first hand experiences. Someone posted that they have used it for all three pregnancies, clearly worked. Another avid fan advises that after sex, lie with you feet up for 5 to 10 minutes, then grab the cup and insert it while still lying down. Then when you wake up in the morning take it out. If you are using during the day, some advise it is only necessary for 2 to 3 hours, but no harm in waiting the full 12 hours. Another veteran added that you should insert it while still lying in bed, get up and go to the bathroom (to avoid the dreaded UTI) and then get back in bed.

As with most products, there is a slew of people saying they tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant for many months, used the Instead Cups, and got pregnant their first shot. Just another weapon in our arsenal against a BFN.

Preseed: What you Need to Know

If you spend your days learning from other TTCers how to best up your chances for conception, you have probably come across a product called Pre-Seed . Pre-Seed is a lubricant that mimics your natural cervical fluids. Unlike most lubricants, it is sperm friendly (some lubes actually kill sperm or decrease their motility even though they aren't labeled as spermicides). Pre-Seed makes the sperm's journey to the egg and easier ride. It was actually formulated to aid in conception.

People swear by it. My friend used it and got pregnant the first time. Personally, I have never tried it. It is particularly helpful for people on clomid. Clomid changes the chemistry of your CM, making it thicker and harder for the sperm to travel.

Customer comments on Amazon are very favorable but some people caution it isn't a magic baby pill. People like that it is easy to use (comes with applicator) and doesn't feel sticky. There are a good number of people that say they got pregnant their first shot using Pre-Seed . One person wrote she had been trying to conceive for 5 years, even tried clomid in vain. She used Pre-Seed and fell pregnant. Another person wrote on drugstore.com that she tried for a year, and then used Pre-Seed and got pregnant. The majority of posters said they got pregnant with Pre-Seed.

In terms of price, I have seen it cost as much as $19.99 however, I found this link for just $16.50. This comes with 6 applicators. So it seems like a month's supply.

Based on the testimonials I have read, if you have been frustrated and are contemplating more invasive steps (clomid, IUI) then this might be an easy, cheap thing to try first. Also, if you tend to not have a good amount of fertile CM, this might be exactly what you need. Based on the testimonials, I am more inclined to use it than before.

Let me know if you have used it and did or didn't have success.