My 19 hour Refrigerator / Jar Method Experiment **updated in OP**

 Sunshine-

I have no idea why (to warm the EW and let the semen liquefy), but it worked for me, so I thought "why not", LOL.  In my mind, most people are adding the room temp EW to the body temp semen, so whatever is cooler sinks (the EW). No scientific proof though, LOL, it just worked for me

NikeChic-

I am doing a MSU without EW today, just using the floating seminal fluid as EW, so I'll post my results.  I am just sticking a sample in a shot glass in the fridge for an hour and incubator for an hour. Skimming off the top super X's, then testing the top 25% after that. See which one has more active Y swimmers, over 3 hours after "stressing" (fridge or inc).

btw: I love the shoes on your icon 

 Very interesting results. Thankyou for testing this MissysLair!  

MissysLair:

just using the floating seminal fluid as EW

if the pH of the fluid is not right it wont attract the y sperm

Tamara:

MissysLair:

just using the floating seminal fluid as EW

if the pH of the fluid is not right it wont attract the y sperm

MissysLair:

Agreed. Last time I checked his pH it was 8.5 to 9

thats great for su!

MissysLair:

Tamara:

MissysLair:

just using the floating seminal fluid as EW

if the pH of the fluid is not right it wont attract the y sperm

Agreed. Last time I checked his pH it was 8.5 to 9

Even if it wasn't that high to start, the pH of semen goes up with time, right or no?

If my dh's pH is 7.5 range then, would it follow that there will be no segregation of Xs and Ys during 3 hours in frig.?  They would just all be subject to gravity and sink to the bottom? WDYT?   If dh's pH is 7.5 is there still a benefit in doing refrig. stress and taking off top layers?  Or just take whole amount of sample after 3 hours in fridge and pray that a lot of Ys die off?

Thanks!

JJ

jjepper4XX:

If my dh's pH is 7.5 range then, would it follow that there will be no segregation of Xs and Ys during 3 hours in frig.?  They would just all be subject to gravity and sink to the bottom? WDYT?   If dh's pH is 7.5 is there still a benefit in doing refrig. stress and taking off top layers?  Or just take whole amount of sample after 3 hours in fridge and pray that a lot of Ys die off?

Thanks!

JJ

So, if you don't want to take any layers off, I would do 3 hr fridge, then 3 hr counter, then lime. (At 2 hrs, I saw the Y's moving around, but at 3 hr they were gone again)

And if you do take layers off, be sure to do it at 1 hr in the fridge, if you wait til 3 hrs in the fridge, X's will have had time to make it there, too. But then put it back in the fridge for another 2 hrs.

Hope that makes sense.

I think that makes sense....I wasn't thinking about extreme gender swaying but now that i am starting to learn about some of it...sounds interesting.....thinking maybe I might try it.....but I need to learn more....but i wrote that part down for future reference

1 hour in fridge take off the top, 2 more in fridge then counter for 3 hrs and then lime.

MissysLair:

NikeChic-

I am doing a MSU without EW today, just using the floating seminal fluid as EW, so I'll post my results.  I am just sticking a sample in a shot glass in the fridge for an hour and incubator for an hour. Skimming off the top super X's, then testing the top 25% after that. See which one has more active Y swimmers, over 3 hours after "stressing" (fridge or inc).

btw: I love the shoes on your icon 

Thanks, Missy, I love those shoes too.  I am kind of a shoe junkie...don't tell my hubby!!  Okay, so the refridgerator method will only work if their pH is in the higher ranges, which it should be anyway for ttc BOY, but I am still a little confused.

SO after one hour in the fridge, you skim off the top, which is semen only, no EW, correct??  Then you just continue until there are only Y's??  Okay, then you put the sample on the counter for an hour, or how long do you recommmend for those boys to wake up again??  THEN, do you recommend still doing MSU with EW in the incubator for an hour, or do you think the fridge and the counter time are all you need to weed out and have the most Y's??  I am so sorry to ask all of these questions, I just love the fact that you are doing all of this experimenting...and with a new baby on top of that.  You deserve a great big giant thank you, so THANK YOU!!!

 Okay...so I put a sample in last night in the fridge and I never saw a noticeble difference in "layers".  It was just all swirled together still after 1 hr and I did the take a little off top anyways and then left in for another 2 hrs and still didnt notice a difference in layers and then still took a little off top anyways and then looked at it under a microscope (I looked at sperm under microscope 2 nights ago just normal and WHOA...kinda fun to see all those tons of sperm swimming around.  Dh thought I was nuts but he looked too!  ) and when I looked at them under the microscope I had a really hard time telling if any were moving or not and I let them hang out for 30-45 mins and looked again and I was still having a hard time seeing them...am I doing some thing wrong?  I also have a really hard time spotting the x's...the y's are quite obvious but I search and search and have a hard time spotting the x's.  There are so many (non fridge) that it was kind of hard t ofind one and just focus on it for a minute.  I am using my son's microscope he got for Christmas 2 yrs ago and he has 300, 600 and 900 zoom and I can't seem to find anything on the 900 but can on the 300 and 600.  They still seem so small and that makes it hard to watch how they are swimming too.  Dh thinks I'm nuts but he seems to be okay with me doing tbm this time so I think I'm going to try it since his ph has never dropped below 8-8.5. 

 FIRST... Tamara is finding studies that the RM maybe flawed because it causes cold shock (anything under 41*F) and may cause the sperm to not be able to fertilize.  It's hard to tell.  But I just wanted to warn everyone, in case they are trying this method and not getting pg, that may be why.  I am still researching it

So, if someone doesn't want to get pg quite yet, maybe just try it?  I'm still not Ovulating due to BFing or I'd do it on myself, LOL

But to answer the questions:

In the sample, the seminal fluid will float to the top, which I think has a higher pH than just the sperm alone and is like the man version of our EWCM.  So, if you leave it out (fridge, counter, incubator), the boys will swim to the top (just like with MSU).But I can't "SEE" any really noticable difference in layers.

So, depending on how big of a sample you have to work with, I would go for the normal MSU with added EW after you take off the top seminal fluid Y's off.  I think, the more sorting you can do, the better, but also the more sperm count you loose and your pregnancy chances lessen.   So, it helps if you are starting with a sample of at 3 to 4 mL, at least. 

And for microscope help:

My eyepiece turns from 10x to 20x (that is mutiplied by whatever "main setting I have it on"). I won't touch this piece, just move the "stage" up and down and I can get a pretty good focus. 

So, I usually can  see what they are doing on the 150-300x's main setting, with they eye piece set at 10x's.  And the"stage" will be really close to the eye piece.  So, just start the stage really low,and while looking through, just slowly raise the stage.  In my view, they are about the size of a ball point pen "ball". 

It may also be your light.  If it is too bright, it's hard to see, so try to aim the light not directly on the sample, that helps alot.  But honestly, it just takes practice. 

turtles..I laughed when I read your post as I could have wrote that exact same thing.....in fact i am also using my son's microscope he got for x-mas a few years ago! heheheh

My hubby thought i was mental making him "spit in a cup" in the name of science...heheheheheh I am interested in ths whole refridgeration theory...it's interesting..but would really suck if it rendered the sperm unable to fertilize the egg....hhhmmmmm guess we will see in time if it works for anyone!

Mulva Delores:

ML~ i posted a question for you on my couch/sperm jar thread. can you check it out when you get a chance? thanks!!!!