Next steps

[LondonBornLad]

Hi all

Secondary to my last post and just out of interest:

At what point did you decide to look into your next steps away from naturally conceiving?

My partner and I have been trying for the last 12 months, I have had a low sperm count result which has added untold amounts of guilt and self deprecating behaviour that I'm sure isn't healthy, however, my partner is a lot more relaxed about our situation and would rather continue trying naturally, whereas I'm a realist, I'm aware it will be difficult for me but we don't seem to be on the same page.

Any advice or insights?

[Eloquentia]

My husband and I decided to move to IVF after trying for two years. In hindsight, it was very much the right thing to do for us. There are things I wish we knew or had done whilst trying, i.e. taken specialised fertility supplements such as Proxeed (they have a version for both partners) or Zita West. I also wish I had read the book 'It starts with the egg', which has a number of good suggestions for lifestyle and dietary changes for both partners. Good luck!

[Habibi87]

Hi LondonBornLad, I am so sorry that you are having issues conceiving and I understand how scary this can be, but there are a lot of options and the key thing is to maintain a honest and open dialogue with your partner. You said that your results showed low sperm count and a few other minor issues. Have you had these results interpreted and explained to you in detail? I suppose your next steps with your partner really depend on how severe they are. You can ask your gp for help and they can do a referral to a specialist for further advice? Low sperm count can sometimes be improved via lifestyle changes and good supplements (for at least 3 months). Sometimes there could also be an underlying issue that can be treated. The decision making also depends on both partner’s age. We had male factor infertility and originally we were planning to try IUI. However as my partner’s values didn’t improve and I had low AMH we opted for IVF (ICSI to be exact). Sending you strength x

[McQueeny]

I think it depends a lot on your age, how many kids you think you might want and other personal factors. My husband and I waited less than a year, even though all tests were normal, because I was already 35 and he was 48 - if we were younger we might have waited longer. As it happens I’m glad we went for IVF when we did as even with treatment it took about 18 months to get pregnant….

[Nenad]

hi there, sorry you’re going through this. The guidance is to seek advice if you’ve been actively trying for 12 months for those aged >35. Whereas for couples aged 35+ it’s after 6 months. A low sperm count can be improved with supplements or treatments such as varicocele removal if indicated. A doctor can do a full check up and advise next steps. My husband’s sperm count drastically improved after taking supplements religiously. Wishing you all the best

[Rain415]

Hi,

Sorry to hear this, your situation sounds similar to ours. After 12 months we went to GP. Found out my husband had low sperm count and morphology. He was referred to urologist who found a varicocele and he had this removed. This did take 18 months due to covid delays. We had ivf about a year after the first gp appointment and referral to fertility clinic. I understand wanting to wait but to have ivf (on nhs) there's blood tests and dye tests etc. And takes time with waiting lists. If trying to conceive naturally for a bit longer my husband took procieve max and did a Mediterranean diet plus cut out drinking his count more than doubled in 6 months. X

[Positivechangeplease]

if you have had a low sperm count diagnosed and you’ve done all you can to increase it, e.g taking all the multi vitamins and doing regular exercise then you would be probably eligible for ivf. I recommend you go to your GP for referral. It all depends how low your sperm count is whether you can conceive naturally and it will definitely be a hindrance to it happening easily. So I recommend getting help at this point. We were told couples naturally get pregnant after 1 year but after that the chances plateau (that said, my partner had borderline sperm on differing qualities) and we did manage to conceive after 2 years unexpectedly.

[Twiglet2]

Hi 👋🏼 I would suggest you do it now, especially as you have had something identified as an influencing factor that lowers your chances naturally. there can be quite a bit of a waiting and paperwork so there is no harm getting the ball rolling on IVF (I found IUI a waste of time but you may have that option too). Whilst all the waiting and paperwork is going on there’s nothing to stop tou continuing to try naturally so it’s a win win situation and can also take some of the pressure off of trying as you know your are progressing other things in the background too 🤗

[happypupp]

Sorry to hear about your recent result and the frustration. As a couple who tried naturally for 6 years before deciding to go down the IVF route, if we could go back in time and start all over again from 6 years ago we would move to IVF much earlier. Because the more we read about this topic, the clearer it's becoming to us that the single most important factor in successful conception is the age of eggs. Sure you can try to improve your sperm count and quality with supplements and life style change, which could take time and result in a longer time to conceive, but all the while the eggs are only getting older and the reserve dwindling. She's youngest and most fertile now.

Also it may be a good idea to first seek counsel from a registered nutritional therapist specialised in fertility while speaking to NHS and private clinics. We've just started a 4 month program with one in our town, and we wish we had started earlier. The biggest benefit is that you have a specialist helping you navigate the journey with a personalised programme. PM me if you would like to know who ours is though it would mean she could get busier and will have less availability for us

[Systema23]

Hi LondonBornLad

My partner and I also had male factor infertility and decided right away to start IVF proceedings. I was 35 when we met so knew we had to make a decision right away. Our thinking was we can keep trying naturally whilst we are on the waiting list and if we don't need the IVF option when it comes up great, but at least then we had put the wheels in motion for the second option.

Hope that helps