I have pcos and my husband has low sperm count. We have been trying for 4 years with no success!! Its so depressing! We have been referred for icsi but i have a high bmi of 35! Im finding it so so hard to lose weight and i feel like i dont have very long then i stress myself out more! Ive been thinking of giving up but i want nothing more than a baby! Is the any advise of what we should or shouldn't be doing? I am on slimming world and the weight is coming of pound by pound but not quick enough when i have 2 stone to lose xx
Written by
Gailmx
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi I feel your pain. Me and my husband have been trying for 5years. I had all the tests done at the doctors then got referred to the local hospital where they did all the tests again and then finally looked at my husband. Very low sperm count. Which we knew from the beginning but no one would listen, have to do tests. But they would refer us to St Mary’s reproductive centre because my BMI was 33.5. I got a personal trainer, worth the money when your in this situation and I counted my calories and excerpted once a week. Final 1year ago they transferred me (after delayed paperwork) and I’ve had my first round of ICSI. Fingers crossed just on the dreaded 2week wait now. Keep going with your weight, it’s so worth it. My keeps going up and down but I know what I need to do just need. It’s just finding the will power and wanting a family is the biggest will power you have.
The one thing I would recommend for your husband is “wellman” conception fertility & reproduction. My husbands went up 40% then even more on the day of egg collection they were shocked. Hope this helps.
We have been taking loads of things like l-arginine, zinc, inositol, vitex, fish oils, folic acid everyday because i heard its supposed to be good for fertility but id believe anything at this point! Did you get it done with your bmi being over 30? Xx
Hi I'm only taking what they have given me at the moment. But I have some flick acids I can take, just been ill with theis cold/cough being sick from coughing that much, will defo get back on them now. Throughout I've been fine just my weight. To answer your question they wouldn't start anything until my BMI was 30 or below. I got it to 29.5 but it was hard work. Defo calorie count 1,000 to 1,200 a day to start with. Start a good diary it so helps. Write what you eat and how you are feeling and get your husband on those tablets.x
We are taking a lot of the things that are in inofolic and wellman but all seperate tablets. I wonder is it having the same effect? We have a follow up appointment on 22feb so i have 3 weeks to lose as much as i can and we will ask him then if what we are taking are ok. Or if there's anything else we could be doing. Xx
Hey Gailmx! No need to stress out there are a lot of things that you could take into account. ICIS is a good option as it is a specialised form of IVF. However, since its a procedure itself, it is important that you are able to conceive. Woman with PCOS do usually have a high BMI. Therefore it is extremely important that you exercise. Sometimes people think that by "starving" there self they would be able to lose weight but that is not true! It is extremely important that you exercise and eat healthy food. Go to a nutritionist and ask him/her for a diet plan.Lastly, make sure you're not stressing out! The more positive the better it is. Other than that if you really want to have a baby and your body is not ready yet well then surrogacy is a great option. As that will allow you and your partner both to be genetically linked with a baby. Best of luck! Do keep us updated.
Thank you so much. Its so nice to know im not alone be ause i really do feel like im the only person who cant have a baby. Im new to this forum thing and i do think its helping me become more positive xx
Hi lovely!! Weight loss is so hard and when you have an extra pressure on it is even harder! Be kind to yourself- try to turn that goal into an aim rather than a pressure. Calorie restriction is the only way to lose weight in the majority of people but exercise will help with your wellbeing. Try to take it step by step and not think about the total amount that you have to lose as it is so overwhelming. Adding a time pressure makes it feel too hard (i know that is easier said than done when we are all desperate to get pregnant). Do you go to SW meetings? Plug into the support there- i am on weight watchers and the app has a little social network which is super supportive and has ideas and inspiring stories. Lots of people on there for IVF. Good luck xxxx don’t give up
Thank you very much. I do yes and ive lost half a stone in a few weeks but its just coming off so slow! We go for a 30 minute walk every night so ita not like im lazy lol! Xx
Well done on the weight you have lost so far. It will add up! On WW they talk about drinking lots of water and something called the “whoosh effect” so there will be times it will be slow but other times better. I know there is a stigma with high BMI- waist circumference is better. Trying to get past the judgement is part of the struggle xx
Hi , Gailmx
we were in the same position I also have my BMI of 33 cake down from 35 I have PCOS and have struggled for over a year to get the weight off so we have opted to go private as I don’t want to waste any more time the IVF journey will be stressful enough without all the weight loss worry (we have a healthy lifestyle , eat great , go to the gym ) so for me the NHS just weren’t interested until the BMI was down unless I wanted to use the private side of things which allow ur BMI to be 35 but I thought if I’m paying for it i would choose my clinic and that’s wot we have done !
Stick with slimming world if it’s coming off the NHS clinic recommended a powder called Inofolic it’s for PCOS have a wee read on it and see if it’s for u as u have to buy it ! But when we came to private clinic they advertise the same stuff and recommend it highly so maybe worth looking into apparently helps with ovulation , regulates periods (which it has done for me ) and helps loose weight but I haven’t noticed that myself lol as for ur hubby the only thing we were recommended was wellman vitamins . Good luck I’m sure u will get there in the end x
Sorry for all the questions! Do you have the inofolic? Does it have pink writing and where did you buy it if you dont mind me asking? Seems i can only buy it online x
Yeah u can only buy it online I think it is a pink box , it comes within about 2 days by courier . They told me I wasn’t ovulating regularly and since taking this my period comes every four weeks and the last 2 months I’ve been having a pinky blood when I wipe around day 14 so I’m not sure if that’s me ovulating or what but it’s just been last 2 months !! I wasn’t going to buy it at 1st but we ended up trying it and it’s definitely regulated me !! X
No they are they same thing if u are taking it seperate I just went for the easy option lol although I was told to take folic acid extra aswel on top and vitamin D . X
It’s a money pit when u start lol well that’s all I’ve been advised by the doctor and the clinic but we were already taking it and just added an extra folic acid everyday ! Just keep at ur slimming world u will get there and will be worth the wait x
Weight loss is realllyyy tough! I lost a stone before ivf by going on a diet recommended by a nutritionist at a fertility group i attended. It had alot of fats but good fats, avocado, olive oil, brazil nuts,mackerel etc. I dont rly agree with BMI but i guess they have to use some measuring tool, just feels unfair.
The most weight ive ever lost is through a personal trainer so i would agree with above it's worth the money; great motivaton. I would just be mindful of some of the diets they suggest such as no carb days, cheat day etc. Whilst it gets weight loss the nutritionist told me its important to keep insulin levels balanced for fertility. Depriving yourself then having a mental cheat meal isnt the healthiest. Everything in moderation, she said to eat well 80% of the time. In saying that do whatever works for u! It sounds like slimming world is working well for u! My fitness pal is good for tracking calories if u wanted to do that. There's some great ladies on instagram for inspiration!! You sound like ur doing well on slimming world though!! Slow and steady weightloss is frustrating when u want it off but you're doing great 😘
Exactly lol its always when you want something its so slow! Maybe im just being impatient! I totally disagree sith bmi i no i carry a bit of fat but im no where near obese lol! But hey what am i to know. Im thinking of going private or eaiting a few months to see if the inofolic works🙈 xx
I agree, ive a friend who is slim, toned and super fit, she is seriously stunning but she is technically obese according to her BMI. Im sure ul make whatever decision is best for u! Xx
Hey there, I can’t really offer you any more advice but just wanted to wish you loads of luck with your weight loss. Sounds like you’ve made a great start with SW and there’s some brilliant recommendations in the responses from these wonderful ladies. Good luck 🍀x
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Experiences with ICSI and severe low sperm count 
Success with icsi - low sperm count/morph/motility?
low Sperm Morphology/ count 
Low sperm count advice...
low Ahm and sperm count
