Hey ladies ❤️

I have my first consult with an endocrinologist on Monday to start HRT! I’m so excited to begin this part of the journey but have one snag that I’m having trouble getting past.

My wife and I are trying to store some of my sperm in case we want a second child in a few years. Obviously I need to do this before I can start E, but am having issues finding a bank near me and figuring out how much to store, how to prep and all that.

So a couple questions for those that went through the banking process before starting their journeys:

How much should I bank for IUI to “effectively guarantee” there will be enough stored to get a positive pregnancy? I’ve heard that IUI has a really low success rate, but I have no idea how much sperm is used per session and exactly how much I should store to make sure we don’t run out?

Any one have experience using a mail in service? And if so, what was the process like? And are their labs out there that accept insurance?

What do I need to do in order to prep for deposit? I’ve read that abstinence for 5-7 days is ideal. What about medical tests or referrals?

Generally, any recommendations on mail in labs would be really helpful. Preferably with a lower up front cost for the mail kit, washing and prep, and maybe a year of storage to start off?

Thank you for any insights ❤️ this is my last step before I can dive into HRT and want to get to my biHRTday so bad 😭