Help analyzing sperm analysis

[marius97]

I posted this on the over 35 board, but no one jumped in. DW is going to take these results with her to her yearly ob/gyn visit next week, but we're not good on waiting.

DW and I have been trying unsuccessfully for the last ten months to get pregnant. Our youngest is nine yrs old and we wanted one more. She is 37, I am 38. Just as a first step in attempting to figure out why nothing is happening, I went in for a sperm analysis this morning...not good. The number that jumped out as abnormal was motility of 20-30A% when 50% or greater is normal. Most of the others were on the low side of normal:

Volume 2.0 2.0-5.0 normal
Semen Concentration 25,000 >20,000 normal
Total Count 50,000 >40,000 normal

Can any of you amateur doctors help interpret these for us? I did the test now so that she could take it to her OB visit next week where she was going to discuss why things weren't working out. Like probably most people on this forum, I'm not big on waiting. Any insight on what these numbers mean or clarification on the possibility of a natural pregnancy would be appreciated. We decided going into this that we would let things be if there was a problem. We aren't interested in high tech methods of getting pregnant. We figure that it just wasn't meant to be. Is time to throw in the towel?

 

[faith2015]

I am not a doctor, but my DH is doing this testing next week. He is really nervous about this, because he thinks he is the issue, since I have a DD who is 5.

So I have been researching semen analysis on webmd.com and here is what I found.....

What does a semen analysis tell?
Semen analysis is a test that can help health care providers determine the cause of infertility. Performed on semen ejaculated into a cup, the test provides information about sperm and semen. Here are some of the things the doctor looks for:

Amount and thickness of semen. The typical ejaculate is 2-6 milliliters (mL) of semen, or around a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon. Less semen than that may not contain enough sperm to achieve a pregnancy. More semen than that could dilute the concentration of sperm. Semen should be thick to start with and become thinner 10 to 15 minutes after ejaculation. Semen that stays thick may make it difficult for sperm to move.

Sperm concentration. Also called sperm density, this is the number of sperm in millions per milliliter (mL) of semen. Twenty million or more sperm per mL is considered normal.

Sperm motility. This is the percentage of sperm in a sample that are moving as well as an assessment of their movement. One hour after ejaculation, at least 50% of sperm should be moving forward in a straight line.

Morphology. This is an analysis of the sperm size, shape, and appearance. The test analyzes 200 sperm, noting any defects.

Semen analysis is also used to check for the presence of sperm following vasectomy.


I know this really isnt what you are looking for, but I am interested in hearing how her appointment went since it was Jan 2015.

 

[marius97]

She took the results to her OB who didn't think they looked very good. She is more an expert on keeping women pregnant than getting women pregnant. She suggested we see a fertility specialist which we did last month. The doctor there kind of blew my results off as not being a big deal. That put me off a bit. We are going to do a test this next cycle of my wife's to see if she has any structural issues. If that is fine, we will probably do a few months of the method where they "wash" the semen before putting it inside of her. I did find a test that I took fifteen years ago. The things that were low-normal now, were super high then. The things that are pretty low now were low-normal then. So obviously someone isn't aging well.

 

[faith2015]

She took the results to her OB who didn't think they looked very good. She is more an expert on keeping women pregnant than getting women pregnant. She suggested we see a fertility specialist which we did last month. The doctor there kind of blew my results off as not being a big deal. That put me off a bit. We are going to do a test this next cycle of my wife's to see if she has any structural issues. If that is fine, we will probably do a few months of the method where they "wash" the semen before putting it inside of her. I did find a test that I took fifteen years ago. The things that were low-normal now, were super high then. The things that are pretty low now were low-normal then. So obviously someone isn't aging well.

Oh I'm sorry! I know all about the disappointment!!! My fingers are crossed for you and your wife!

I am doing a dye test to see if i have any blockages and he is doing the semen analysis, so we are just getting our toes wet with the process

 

[marius97]

Oh I'm sorry! I know all about the disappointment!!! My fingers are crossed for you and your wife!

I am doing a dye test to see if i have any blockages and he is doing the semen analysis, so we are just getting our toes wet with the process[/QUOTE]

Sounds like we are right about where you are then. The die test is what she'll be doing in a week or two. We're also trying some drugs with an ultrasound to time exactly when she ovulates. At least for us, we have three kids already (two adopted) and this was to be our mid-life crisis baby (in a good way ) so if it doesn't happen, we're okay

Best of luck to you and yours.

 

[faith2015]

I don't ovulate so I've been on clomid the past 3 cycles, just finding out yesterday i didn't ovulate, so we are going to up my dose next cycle after dye test. If your wife has to go on clomid i am warning you, you will see a different side of her. Clomid in my words suck! Horrible mood swings, hot flashes and cramps. The mood swings are the worst! So hang in there! And best of luck to you both!

My husband is 30 and im 27, when i hear mid life crisis i think of an expensive car i want babies and theni want to travel the world since i had my daughter when i was 21, i haven't been able to do that

 

[LeezaNDave]

Anyone looking for help on their sperm analysis, Google Sara from dontcookyourballs. She's extremely helpful and has helped SO many.....it's all on the site...thousands of questions and responses from her.

Good luck!