Infertility

[Gemc144]

I posted a few weeks ago me an my partner have been trying to conceive for several year we decided to go doctors and get it looked into. I had bloods scans ect and the doctor said things seem okay, my husband then did a semen sample which was sent to the lab his results came back yesterday that unfortunately none of it was live I really don’t know what to do 😓

[genten]

I'm sorry to hear this, I can only imagine how you are both feeling.

I've not got any experience but I'm sure people here will have some advice. And the clinic will hopefully come up with the next cause of action for you and your partner.

Always here if you need to chat/rant. xx

[Gemc144 in reply to genten]

Thankyou the doctor said she is going to re run the sample to make sure but the 1st one is normally correct. She said she will transfer us to a ivf clinic now x

[DisneyJL]

That’s awful for you both, I hope your partner is ok - it’s not nice for anyone to have fertility issues, but quite often men are hit very hard with it being them.

I don’t know anything about semen, did they say that there’s nothing they can do with regards to his semen, or is there any way of ‘reviving’ it? i.e. Diet, exercise, cutting out alcohol & cigarettes (if relevant). I know all of this helps when there are other problems with the sample, such as low morphology/motility, but if there are no live cells I’m unsure whether that’s changeable for future samples? Might be worth looking into, but if you’re googling just use official health/education websites (NHS, WHO, Universities...)

The IVF clinic will be able to advise you also, but not sure how long appointments take? Anyway, good luck with everything. Hope you get some answers soon. xx

[Billywhizz10]

This basically was our story. We had been trying for a couple of years, got tested and my wife in perfect health, I had very low count. We wasted a lot of time me getting all sorts of tests to why my count was low and sperm quality - genetic testing of the sperm, scans of my testes, taking vitamins and pills to improve quality , the works.

Looking back we should have just gone ahead with IVF with ICSI straight away.

My advice, from our experience, would be for him to just go private and get a TESA procedure, even if his count is zero, there's a chance they can find sperm directly from his testes. They can get enough for 3 cycles from one procedure. The doctors try and push you through all these investigations, but to us what was the point when you end up with IVF and ICSI?

You're under 35, so you've got an excellent chance of success with IVF and ICSI , so I'd go for the TESA now. Even in the worst case, there is sperm donation. When it was first suggested as an option by our IVF doctor, I was horrified, but faced with no baby or having a baby with donor sperm, I came round to the idea, especially with fertility couple counselling (which I'd recommend )

Best of luck to you, don't give up hope whatever you do xx

[Gemc144 in reply to Billywhizz10]

Thanks for your reply

My husband hasn’t mentioned to much about it I think he’s really upset I cried on my own I didn’t wanna show him how upset I was as I didn’t want to upset him too much I will show him this message and let him have a read see what he thinks Your right we’re both young and have a good chance as what ever we decide I think the next best thing would be to book an appointment with the doctor to discuss in more detail the outcome.

Thankyou xx

[Billywhizz10 in reply to Gemc144]

Also remember different samples can show very different results, but you do need a chance for the initial news to sink in. I was completely gutted when we got the results back that it was all my fault- guilt, I'm around 6 foot,broad shouldered, into football, lads holidays the lot, so I felt ashamed and not a real man, it hit me really hard. To this day, over 4 years later from getting the news, I only told 1 close old school friend. Us blokes find it hard to talk about things like this, which is why fertility counselling helped us deal with it, I was able to talk about it to someone I didn't know.

The worst is when mates at football or down the pub would ask, how come you and the mrs haven't got any sprogs yet? You're not firing blanks are you!' All said as a joke, and I'd have to lie and say we're enjoying the child free life for a bit more, and they'd offer their pearls of wisdom.

Eventually male pride takes a back seat, and you realize you want to start a family with your wife, and all that male pride stuff is rubbish.

My wife is 32 weeks now, and we don't care where she came from, she's ours and we love her already. Telling parents and friends, buying prams and baby clothes, we're just like any other new family now.

Best of luck xx

[Cinderella5]

Im so sorry to hear this, it must be devastating. My hubby had a very low sperm count which he found hard to take. I dont want to ask too much but have you considered when the last time he released sperm, they say it should be done regularly to keep everything moving and to keep him producing fresh sperm regularly. Have the clinic not suggested repeating the test? Sperm can improve, by doing things like stopping smoking, no alcohol, showers instead of baths, keeping everything cool downstairs....loose boxers etc. Oh and the other thing to consider was his sample produced and handed into the lab within an hour.....this is a big factor too and they dont last long outside of the body! Big hugs to you both.xx

[Gemc144 in reply to Cinderella5]

Hi thanks for your reply.

The doctor said she is going to repeat to test yes I’m unsure if anything can be changed or get better if there is currently nothing there at all we need to ideally book an appointment to go back and discuss options that will maybe give us a better understanding off what can or will happen xx

[Cinderella5 in reply to Gemc144]

Well so long as your hubby is living a healthy lifestyle and handing in a really fresh sample as in done within the hour and kept warm having ejaculated regularly but stopped 3 days before your sample date - those are the main things. They usually say that any improvements to lifestyle can take 3 months to show.xx

[bec90]

Hi are going through something very similar atm, my husband has got to go for an operation in London to have a look if there is any in little pockets in his testicles where some sperm could be hiding as when he produces a sample there isn’t any in there, have they told you what the next step are?? X

[Gemc144 in reply to bec90]

Hi no they haven’t told me anything else yet I need to book an appointment to go in and see have they arranged this appointment for you x

[bec90]

We are just waiting for the appointment to come through we were told December/January, hopefully they can get you in soon to see someone!! Xx

[TRYING2016]

Hello i don’t have any advice to give you, but i just wanted to say my oh had severe low sperm count, low motility, the lot. He was absolutely shocked and upset and really hurt. Obviously i was too but i said to him having a child is still possible thanks to science. Obviously your case is different but I completely agree with BillyWhizz10 get a TESA procedure once you find out second lot of results and don’t feel sad, i know its hard but you can do it otherwise you both wouldn’t go for the tests. The way i see it is he is not the first man and he will not be last, it’s something that exists (male infertility). It doesn’t make men less of a man, if anything makes them more of a man to be able to confront them selves and still be able to stick with there partners and continue to walk on this journey. Thats love 💕 i wish you all the luck xxxx

[Gemc144 in reply to TRYING2016]

Thankyou thats is really nice of you I really like this group just for the positivity we have a lot of options open to us I hope and 1 day it will happen 💖

[TRYING2016 in reply to Gemc144]

It definitely will, why shall we give up? Is there anything more important? 😘