I'm new here 😊

[Drives]

So pleased to have stumbled across this community. Already read lots of really useful posts and the support you provide each other is amazing!

We are just starting out on our fertility journey. We've been trying to conceive for 3 yrs and it seems to be that my husband has a very low sperm count ...but waiting for a repeat test & the rest of my results to come back to confirm.

Quick question - My husband has given up smoking now and we've been told he needs to be smoke free for 6 months before we can be referred for ICSI on the NHS. Hopefully this will be in July if he stays strong 😊 Once we are referred roughly what timescales are we looking at? I have no idea apart from my consultant telling me "months"...

Thank you

[Hidden]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you've found it useful and have decided to join in! Well done to your husband for quitting smoking- I hope he stays strong! I think timescales vary from clinic to clinic but for me it was quite quick once all the tests had been completed. We had our consultation on 13th Febuary and I was injecting by 18th March. There was a lull after we had IUI while waiting for our follow up appointment, but if you're going straight for ICSI I can't see why it would be delayed but, as I say, it does depend on your clinic. Good luck with the journey x

[Drives in reply to Hidden]

My husband is doing brilliantly! It's been really tough on us both though - he is finding quitting difficult enough and that's without the added pressure of waiting to be smoke free so we can start our treatment.

It's great to hear your treatment started pretty quickly after your consultation. Our tests started back in August 17 so hoping once hubby has been smoke free we can start treatment soon too. Thanks for sharing x

[shanny3]

Welcome!

[Drives in reply to shanny3]

Thank you 😊

[staceymac83]

Welcome 😀

I believe the waiting list is different depending on the clinic and funding. I am nhs funded and was told 12 months unfortunately other factors played a part and mine was delayed further but eventually started now.

Well done to your husband for stopping smoking and good luck to you both on your journey xx

[Drives in reply to staceymac83]

Wow 12 months 🙄 we are also hoping to receive NHS funding for our first cycle of treatment....fingers crossed it's not that long. All this waiting around is really difficult. Especially when there are so many friends and close family members having babies. Such a strange mixture of emotions every time someone announces their pregnant!

So pleased you've finally started your treatment and I hope it goes well.

Thank you x

[staceymac83 in reply to Drives]

To be fair I got a phone call about 8 months in (last July) but as I said a few factors have delayed it. The time actually goes quite quick try and enjoy some quality time with your OH in the meantime.

Xx

[Drives in reply to staceymac83]

Great advice. We've booked a couple of weekends away to take our minds off things and get some quality time in 😉

[staceymac83 in reply to Drives]

Enjoy 😉

[NDE1987]

Welcome to the forum!! Timelines for me were that we got approved for ivf in June 2016 and had our first ivf attempt in November 2016. But it all depends on your clinic and if your having extra tests etc done. I didn't take into account the months waiting around etc! It can be a very slow journey but be there for each other happy to answer any other questions you may have x

[Drives in reply to NDE1987]

Thank you 😊 that's really helpful.

The waiting around is really frustrating - I just want to get started! My husband has been really supportive, especially when close friends and family have announced their pregnancies.

I very sure I will be taking up your offer of asking questions 😉 thank you x

[Gow1998]

Hi,

I have read your story and I really empathize with you. Low sperm count is becoming a big issue in fertility circles. Many young men have found themselves facing this problem and so it is important that we focus our attention on how they can be helped. Of course, it is true that smoking is one of the leading causes of the problem and so the earlier you quit the vice the better. Now about how long it takes after a referral is debatable and depends on the results submitted by your doctor. However, six months is considered ideal. Now away from that, for the benefit of readers who will come across this post and have a low sperm count, I would like to state that low sperm count can be improved by changing your lifestyle. Eating the right foods, supplements and nutrients associated with improving fertility in Men can really help. Men who eat aphrodisiacs have managed to greatly improve their sperm count. The foods improve the concentration of sperm and make men become sexually active.

D-Aspartic Acid Supplements – it is a type of amino acid sold as a dietary supplement and is present in glands semen and sperm cells. Higher levels of D-AA are associated with increased sperm count. Increased levels of D-AA supplements increase the level of testosterone which is a male hormone that increases male fertility. By taking 3 grams of D-AA supplements every day, it increases testosterone levels by 42%. Notice that exercises too play a role in improving your confidence and raises testosterone levels.

[Drives in reply to Gow1998]

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide so much information. I've already shared it with my husband 😁

[Wishfully]

Hi! So great that your Hubbie is quitting - it’s so hard to do, but it’s amazing how much easier it is when the motivation is so compelling! Hopefully he’ll stay quit & never look back 😎. I think the timelines really depend on the clinic - I’m based up north & for me it was fairly quick once we had the funding confirmation. We were applying for IVF rather than ICSI and we got our first consultation in about 4 weeks & started during the next clean cycle, so about 2 months wait in total. I really do think this varies depending on how packed the clinic is though. Good luck & keep us posted!! Xx

[Drives in reply to Wishfully]

I will do and thanks for letting me know roughly the timescales for starting your treatment so I can manage my expectations x