Sperm DNA has contributed to our struggle - this test may be relevant for you ?!

[KTgirl]

Hello my fellow fertility fighters!

I wanted to update from a previous post where we had a failed first IVF with ICSI round in November.

8 eggs all fertilised but left with nothing to freeze. We were obviously pretty shocked.

Getting the sperm DNA fragmentation test was then recommended by the clinic - but also already on my radar. Expensive, yes BUT it helped us understand that this has most likely been a significant contributing factor to our fertility struggles.

It’s not relevant to everyone, so wouldn’t advise to pay out unless you think there is a possible for male factor. But, for us it has most certainly helped shed more light.

A younger woman than me may well have been able to repair the damage with their youthful eggs 🙄 👵

But the reality is, this is what we are working with. It’s not ‘a show stopper’ according to the urologist👍🏼 He also said this issue is overlooked too often, he has been working with it for 20 years and says he sees it ‘all the time’ in his practice.

It has also helped inform the clinic with the sperm selection process next time and steered us to more specified help to try and improve sperm health ahead of the next round.

So I just wanted to share that incase it’s helpful or interesting- plus always curious (dare I say fascinated) to hear about other people’s experiences with this topic.

So here is to us staying curious and unapologetic about wanting all the facts.

Xx

[leo1980]

Did you see Dr Ramsay?

[KTgirl in reply to leo1980]

Spot on 🥳

[leo1980 in reply to KTgirl]

lol us too! We had 32% fragmentation. Meaning when they did ICSI they still had 68% chance of picking a normal sperm as opposed to a fragmented one. We found it useful. Did he tell you your husband wasn’t Ferrari? It’s what he told my husband. He is more like a Ford. Capable just not high performance... it was tickled for days... god knows if I had said it, all hell would have broke lose😉

[KTgirl in reply to leo1980]

Pahaha🤣 that’s brilliant.

We have 37%....and the ‘fertile range’ of icsi is below 29% etc etc.

He was amazing - he speaks so eloquently but with real underlying wit. We were like two wide eyed disciples round the phone!

He joked that he makes sure the female partner is there when he tells the men ‘more sex’ to help reduce fragmentation - otherwise they might not believe it was part of the plan of action.

How have to got on since then?

[leo1980 in reply to KTgirl]

Oh god - he told us that too. I am surprised how my husband latched on to that bit and sticks to the plan. We were told it had to be every day and a half. He used the animal analogy- he didn’t actually say fox but everytime I think of it. I think of a fox having to be ready when the female fox is ready! No good news yet. Maybe 4th cycle lucky? I am 40 and hubby is 43...IMSI was suggested for us we have 1% morphology. Is your hubby on the vitamin c- I am sure he says something about antioxidants prevention

[KTgirl in reply to leo1980]

Have just messaged you on the chat area 😊

[XOXO13 in reply to KTgirl]

I’m finding this conversation really interesting and insightful! What does every day and a half mean??

My husband has 1% morphology and we’ve had ICSI but also try each month naturally just incase! No idea about his sperm DNA though! Xx

[Nic_o_la_la in reply to XOXO13]

Me too XOXO13 to everything you just said! This is so interesting x

[leo1980 in reply to XOXO13]

So you know how they tell is toAbstain for 2-5 days before egg collection? Dr Ramsay told hubby to have an ejaculation every 24 hours instead. He said - in my hubby case-after running a series of tests. The fragmentation occurred in the testes. So the longer in there there higher the fragmentation. So we were told every 24 hours instead. Morphology can’t be changed though. So we can’t improve it. But it doesn’t matter if you have 57 million in a sample - only 1% of is normal in our case and at my age only one or two follicles so basically only need 1 normal, mildly fragmented sperm!