Fertility Appointments and Male Factor

[rachelle1975]

Hey ladies

Just a quick one - been looking at Daisy's posts and the answers re first fertility appointments.

If you have had your day 3 and day 21 bloods done and DH has had his SA done - what would they do next?

My results came back fine but he has a very low count.

Just wondering what they would do for us in this situation??

 

[FJL]

We were in the same position as you guys (though with different sperm probs) and I had to have a pelvic u/s + a lap.

For really low count, they sometimes will do IUI, but generally IVF and sometimes ICSI.

It really depends on whether or not the FS wants to do further testing on you and what they want to try first.

Just be sure to ask success rates of other proposed treatments if they don't want to jump to IVF right away as if they're really low, may not be worth spending time and $ on.

Good luck x

 

[rachelle1975]

We were in the same position as you guys (though with different sperm probs) and I had to have a pelvic u/s + a lap.

For really low count, they sometimes will do IUI, but generally IVF and sometimes ICSI.

It really depends on whether or not the FS wants to do further testing on you and what they want to try first.

Just be sure to ask success rates of other proposed treatments if they don't want to jump to IVF right away as if they're really low, may not be worth spending time and $ on.

Good luck x

Ah thank you so much FJL, i know i'm a silly cow worrying about it!

MIL mentioned IUI and i did do some research regarding it but it only seemed to be used with higher counts than what DH has - bless him, he has 1.5 million quality swimmers!!! His GP said straight away ICSI IVF but then it's not his decision... It's not been 3 months either since since the first test which i did find odd?? He's had 2 tests done but both had the same results - i'm giving him Macca now!

Is it really expensive to have IVF in Oz?x

 

[aflight84]

i was told IVF was my only option as i wasn't ovulating either and as his sa was so poor they wouldn't help me. so i begged for more tests - got hubby on good diet and maca and hey presto - all sorted - now i'm on clomid and hope it's working!

 

[rachelle1975]

i was told IVF was my only option as i wasn't ovulating either and as his sa was so poor they wouldn't help me. so i begged for more tests - got hubby on good diet and maca and hey presto - all sorted - now i'm on clomid and hope it's working!

Hiya

So what have they said about IVF now? have they said to just crack on and then they will review it if nothing happens or will they up your dosage on clomid?xx

 

[maz]

You will need to have very good quantity of swimmers for IUI to be recommended. My DHs results were good and above the minimum requirement for concentration and we were still told that IUI isn't really worth the time and money spent on it, as the increase in success compared with natural conception is minimal. The FS I last spoke to said that the NHS was supposed to do four cycles of IUI before going to IVF but that most couples that went through the four cycles of IUI still had to have IVF at the end of it.

Hope that made sense.

Next step will probably be internal ultrasound, possibly HSG etc, then probably recommendation for IVF - with low concentration I believe they recommend ICSI as a single sperm is injected directly into the egg.

xx

 

[rachelle1975]

You will need to have very good quantity of swimmers for IUI to be recommended. My DHs results were good and above the minimum requirement for concentration and we were still told that IUI isn't really worth the time and money spent on it, as the increase in success compared with natural conception is minimal. The FS I last spoke to said that the NHS was supposed to do four cycles of IUI before going to IVF but that most couples that went through the four cycles of IUI still had to have IVF at the end of it.

Hope that made sense.

Next step will probably be internal ultrasound, possibly HSG etc, then probably recommendation for IVF - with low concentration I believe they recommend ICSI as a single sperm is injected directly into the egg.

xx

Hey Maz

Thanks for that - exactly what GP said re the IUI as his count is too low at the moment. Who knows what the future could bring!

Would i still need HSG/ultrasound etc. even though there are no probs with me?x

 

[DaisyDuke]

I think so, cos they wouldn't want to put u thro IVF without knowing for sure everything is ok. XXX

 

[rachelle1975]

yeah i know you are totally right - hopefully i'll have a nice quick first appt just so i can ask all my burning questions! i don't mind waiting months for IVF so long as my questions get answered!!!

Got no idea what is wrong with me today - can't stop bloody crying, same yesterday! We have double glazing fitters coming at 11 so they'll run a mile at this red faced snivelling woman! ha ha

 

[FJL]

IVF in Oz is cheaper than most countries.

Depending on the clinic, it varies from $5000-$10,000 per cycle. This doesn't include FS appointments, initial tests and down regging. It includes everything else though (excluding GA at EPU if you don't want just local and sedation).

We're with the most expensive clinic in Oz because the FS that we really wanted to treat us is with them. Last cycle (including SA's and everything) was just over $10,000 but we did get $6000 back on medicare so were out of pocket $4,000.

To get to IVF, doctors appts, surgeries, accupuncture etc (not to mention all the HPT's and OKP's!) left us out of pocket around $7,000.

 

[DaisyDuke]

Sorry u feel so emotional today your entitiled to feel like this your going thro so much. Hope u get a super speedy appointment. XXX

 

[Omi]

Sorry you're feeling a bit blue today hun...

 

[rachelle1975]

Ah thanks ladies - i had been fine since we were told it was gonna be IVF, just a wobble today though. Think it might be lack of chocolate you know!!

 

[maz]

Go get some chocolate woman!! It is a cure for most things - but unfortunately not a cure for difficulties in conceiving!!

 

[rachelle1975]

really? are you sure? medically prove? bum!!!
i'll have a couple of malteasers....... (not bags!)xx

 

[DaisyDuke]

I'll eat the rest for u, yum, remember i'm only doing this for u

 

[honey08]

MACA improves low sperm count...aflight83 (anna) go and ask her!! we both take it...3mth ago b4 we took it garys testostrone levels were low, 3mth later there fine...plus just had his sperm results bk fine aswell,wish we had cheacked this b4, its just me now with low estrogen but that cant be sorted...suprised they havent told u 2do the things that improve sperm...better diet/excercise ...MACA and lots of other thing uknow !?!?

 

[rachelle1975]

MACA improves low sperm count...aflight83 (anna) go and ask her!! we both take it...3mth ago b4 we took it garys testostrone levels were low, 3mth later there fine...plus just had his sperm results bk fine aswell,wish we had cheacked this b4, its just me now with low estrogen but that cant be sorted...suprised they havent told u 2do the things that improve sperm...better diet/excercise ...MACA and lots of other thing uknow !?!?

Hey honey

They did tell us what to do - he has stopped drinking (although he didn't drink much before), doesn't smoke, no hot baths, loose undies, exercises and he is also taking well man tablets with 1000mg of vit c and having organic only produce. Problem was DH was taking propecia for male baldness and although not shown as a side effect, GP thinks that the low count could be linked to the drugs. He has been off them but there has been no improvement at all which is why the doctor has said IVF is our only chance. Having said that i spoke to Anna and ordered Macca at the weekend, hoping it will arrive soon! Also ordered preseed and i'm sure that we can improve it ourselves - it's only been 2 months and i'm not giving up hope!!!!

 

[krissi]

I would recommend asking for a second count for your partner too as there can be factors that effect the count, just to be on the safe side hun x

 

[rachelle1975]

I would recommend asking for a second count for your partner too as there can be factors that effect the count, just to be on the safe side hun x

He's already had two counts so any future SA's will be done at the FS. No history of issues in his family but GP does think it could be down to the meds as side effects are loss of libido/impotence/motility/morphology and also deformed genitals in male feotus's to name but a few!! x