Like many couples who have tried to conceive (TTC) for a long time, Emily and her husband came to view sex as a chore rather than a pleasurable act.
Timing sex during her fertile window meant added pressure on herself and her partner to perform in bed. Not only did sex become routine, but it also became stressful, and unsurprisingly, took a toll on their relationship.
Besides scheduled sex for conception, Emily, 36, and her husband, 38, also tried ovulation tracking, fertility supplements, medications, alternative therapies, and counseling to aid their TTC efforts. But it was only when they added the twoplus Applicator Extra to their fertility arsenal that they finally got the BFP they wanted.
Find out how this sperm syringe helped the US-based couple get pregnant in their late 30s, and why Emily firmly recommends fertility screening for anyone trying to conceive.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not intended as medical advice.
Emily Talks About Her Experience With the twoplus Applicator Extra
Interview responses were edited for clarity.
Q: Hi Emily! How did you find out about twoplus Fertility?
A: I found out about twoplus Fertility through an ad on Instagram, which made me very curious about it!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and your partner! How long have you tried to conceive (TTC) before using twoplus?
A: My husband and I met online in 2018 and married just before the COVID-19 pandemic started. So our family planning was somewhat delayed because of how unknown/unsure everything going on in the world felt for us.
Regardless, we enjoyed our first couple of years of marriage with just each other, traveled when we could, and knew that eventually we'd become parents. We took a belated honeymoon (since ours was cancelled due to COVID-19) and started trying to conceive end of November 2021.
Due to our age (late 30s) and some health obstacles, we knew it could take some time, but we never expected it will take a full year for us to successfully conceive. We finally got pregnant in December 2022.
Q: What were some of your fertility struggles before the pregnancy?
A: Although I tracked my cycles using ovulation strips, we were just not falling pregnant despite timed intercourse. It became a very stressful process for the both of us month after month.
I was concerned something was genuinely wrong, and my husband was concerned by how stressful sex was starting to feel.
Q: Were you diagnosed with any medical conditions related to fertility by a licensed healthcare professional, and what tests did you do?
A: We are both in our late 30s, and I have PCOS [polycystic ovarian syndrome] and Hashimoto's Thyroid (an autoimmune condition). These factors were said by our physicians to likely cause pregnancy to be more difficult for us.
I also had low progesterone, so I supplemented with progesterone hormone pills after ovulation each month. My husband also went through testing to determine if he was having any issues that could contribute to our fertility process. But thankfully, he is/was healthy.
Q: We understand you’ve been trying for 12 months. In that time, what have you tried in your TTC journey before using the Applicator Extra?
A: I’ve tried:
- Ovulation strips
- Timed intercourse
- Ultrasounds before and after ovulation
- Various supplements for fertility, such as CoQ10, vitamin B complex, maca root, selenium, and vitamin C
- Various fertility prescription medication, like progesterone and letrozole
- Monthly fertility blood labs before and after ovulation
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic
- Mental health counseling
- Abdominal massages
My experience with fertility drugs was accompanied by side effects, such as:
- Mood swings
- Weight gain
- An overall feeling of lethargy and heaviness
[My] husband [also] did sperm testing. [We also kept] "trying to relax!" as everyone recommended.
Q: What led you to try the Applicator Extra? How did you feel about it?
A: Our relationship was starting to suffer around sex for procreation vs. sex for fun/intimacy…we ended up only having relations around the time of ovulation. And then we'd both be so exhausted the rest of the month that we could not be in the mood for sexual relations.
It became a source of stress for us, and not enjoyment and connection like it had been previously in our relationship.
I saw the Instagram ad [for the twoplus Applicator Extra], read the testimonials on the website, [and] asked my husband if he'd be interested in trying it. He answered that he would since it would take the pressure off of him to be "ready to go" constantly during my fertile window.
I was excited to try it, and figured why not? We had tried so many other things!
We had planned to take December 2022 off as a break from using any fertility medications/fertility supplements/other treatments in preparation for starting the next step of fertility treatment in January 2023.
I figured it was a good time to try the twoplus Applicator Extra! And this was the month we fell pregnant :)
Q: Congratulations, Emily! Is this your first successful pregnancy? Would you use the Applicator Extra again for future pregnancies?
A: Yes, this is our first pregnancy! I would definitely use the Applicator Extra again for future pregnancies!
Q: What did you like/dislike about the Applicator Extra? What made you decide to get the 3-pack?
A: I thought the Applicator Extra was extremely easy to use! The instructions were clear and the materials used were really nice.
My husband said it did not feel weird to do it this way, especially since my ovulation window was during the work week and we did not have as much time for intimacy.
The Applicator itself was easy to use, comfortable, and fast. The Soft Tip did fall out once I got up after an hour to use the restroom, but by then it had done its job. I got the 3-pack so we could use it throughout my ovulation window to say we gave it a fair try.
Q: You’ve used the Applicator Extra once and successfully got pregnant! What are your thoughts on that?
A: Even though we only used it once, I absolutely think that the twoplus Applicator Extra helped us conceive!
It took the pressure off my husband [and] made me feel more relaxed, knowing I did not have to worry about whether he was in the mood for sex or not.
It also meant that we had a chance at getting pregnant, no matter what. Previously, if [my husband] was not in the mood, it became a stressful interaction, and he could not finish during sex, which meant we would have one less chance at conceiving.
Overall, I am grateful. While it's hard to pin down the exact moment we conceived, I do think the twoplus [Applicator] played a role and helped us deposit sperm as close to my cervix as possible to give us a better chance at conception!
Q: Did you adopt any lifestyle changes to improve your odds of conceiving?
A: Prior to trying to conceive, we both worked on our overall health.
I think the stress of trying [for a baby] contributed to us having a longer journey than we anticipated. But overall, we were very healthy during the year prior and during the actual year we tried to conceive.
Q: Would you recommend the Applicator Extra to other people who may have difficulties with natural conception?
A: Absolutely! ESPECIALLY if sex has become a chore around your ovulation time.
Sex can be tiring, especially when you’re expected to try so often within your fertile window! I think it's absolutely worth trying it, and I've recommended it to several friends.
Q: If you could go back to the beginning of your TTC journey, is there anything you would have done differently? Also, do you have any suggestions or words of encouragement for other couples who are TTC?
A: If I could go back, I wish that I had known and understood that it can take time to conceive, without it meaning anything is wrong.
There are so many factors that have to align for someone to get pregnant. For some reason, I thought it would happen in the first few months of trying because that was the case for many of my friends.
However, I think for other couples who are TTC, pre-conception testing with your OB-GYN and your partner's primary doctor is important! It can give you so much information about your baseline health and help you determine if there is anything you need to know before moving forward.
For us, booking a trip (even a small overnight or day trip) once per month helped us take our mind off of things and gave us something to look forward to. We also tried to plan date nights or other fun activities for ourselves.
If my fertile window was during the work week, we tried to set ourselves up to not have other plans or obligations that week so it felt less stressful. We also talked to a therapist a couple of times and that was super helpful for us to learn more about communication!
I also took up some hobbies, including cooking and gardening. My husband joined a pickleball league. We found it to be really important to continue to live our lives while TTC; this was really tough for us the first nine months of trying but we worked hard at it!
There’s Light at the End of Your Conception Journey
Trying for many months on end can make you feel close to giving up, as many couples like Emily and her husband can attest to. The worst is when your conception efforts start to strain your marriage and relationship with your S.O., which is the very last thing both of you wanted.
But here’s the thing: It takes about a year to get pregnant if you have been actively trying. And if you want to boost your odds of conceiving, why not give the twoplus Applicator Extra a shot, like Emily did?
This sperm syringe works well with ejaculated and donated semen for self-insemination any time, anywhere — no medical audience needed! It deposits semen deep in the vagina because more sperm near the cervix equals more chances of conceiving.