Male infertility - how probable is natural conception

[charm2mama]

My SO's SA results were terrible. Pretty much low everything except the morphology was boarderline pass. The count at 17 mill, motility at 22%, morph 48% and volume was 0.5cc (normal is 2-5cc). They said it could be incomplete collection but I actually don't think it is (we collected at home and the volume is what I remember we usually saw when we used to use protection).

Is anyone going through male infertility? What are the chances of natural conception? Do you have any suggestions of things he can do at home? He is now on daily vitamins and macca. I've read about scrotum cooling patches (on amazon UK).

 

[hmommy219]

Sorry to hear your news. My hubby had a poor result as well. They reccommended a second look at a new sample, and he recently had that, and it came back low as well. So.... our FS has concluded that we will be doing IUI in the new year. However, my obgyn has a very positive outlook and said we could conceive naturally since let's face it, it only takes ONE sperm- not millions to make a baby. I had to ask myself, 'how long am I willing to try?" The answer was 'not long.' So, we're trying to be as agressive as possible. We're coming up to a year of trying now, and I'm baby mad, so that's why we've made the decision to get a little help from science to move things along. IUI is less expensive than IVF and always reccommended in the cases of Male factor infertility. How about you..? Is everything normal and healthy on your end? If so, that would make you an excellent candidate for IUI. Good luck to you and your SO.. it's not the end of the world. Hope you have a 'baby new year'!

 

[charm2mama]

Thanks. My cycles have been getting longer and I don't think I ovulate every cycle. When the FS got the SA results, she says IVF is the only option because they could not recover enough sperm after the wash (they did a IUI profile). The FS won't do anything until we get a second SA, and it basically sounds like IVF or nothing. I wanted to get HSG, but my OB thinks with SA being low it is not worthwhile to do one (something about insurance coverage and risk of pelvic inflammation). I don't know. For now it is starting to feel like all doors except IVF are being shut. We hope to visit the urologist beginning of next year. I would like to be aggressive as possible but I'm having a hard time emotionally to jump to IVF. I have SO on vitamins...hopefully that will do something. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Hoping4our1st]

my husband's 1st sperm analysis is less than 1 million. today the urologist said he thinks he felt varicoele (veins) and my husband got blood work done. i'm trying to find any success stories before we go to ivf in a few months when we get his blood work back. i'm so old now...

 

[charm2mama]

I think the surgery can help improve the semen quality. But for IVF I think 1 million is enough. I believe there are ways to collect sperm directly from the testicles even for men who do not have any sperm so it seems there are always ways. good luck!

 

[Briss]

I heard a lot of people say it takes ONE sperm not millions to make a baby but the truth is that out of millions only a handful reach the egg and of this small number only a few are able to penetrate it so it's just not very optimistic prospect. We have been TTC for over 2 years with low sperm count and I look at our prospects more like a miracle rather than a real possibility. However, depending on the reason for low sperm count there might be ways to improve it i.e lifestyle changes, supplements etc.

I think you need to have at least 5 million for IUi to work, we have less than that so IVF is our only option. Unfortunately my hubby is not yet ready to accept this.

I cant agree more with your FS with regards to HSG, I wish our Fs was as sensible. While knowing that we have a serious male issue she still insisted on taking me through the entire list of procedures i.e. HSG, lap&Dye/Hystersocpy. There did not seem to be much point. I mean I can still TTC naturally hoping for a miracle but if we moved to IVF I would have been pregnant by now I think.

Visit to urologist might be helpful. Again our FS did not refer us to urologist, I have no idea why. this seems the most sensible thing to do in order to understand the reason for this issue and whether there are ways to improve it.

 

[Jax41]

Briss, charm2mama I'm in the same boat as you....male factor subfertility (as my GP refers to it) and has also refused any further testing on me until DH is sorted, which I know prob won't go any further as he's very much an 'if it happens, it happens' kinda guy. However, suprisingly, she has reluctantly referred me to a gyne chap at our local hospital, I'm hopefully he will help me!

In the meantime we keep trying, although the odds are stacked against me, age, a DH that's def NTNP who won't take supplements, won't BD enough and won't kick the drink. Reading that back it makes me look an angel by comparison but I'm finding it so frustrating that I won't know if there is anything wrong with me that is compounding the problem

Good luck girls, lets hope we can buck the odds and one of us come up with a BFP

 

[Briss]

Briss, charm2mama I'm in the same boat as you....male factor subfertility (as my GP refers to it) and has also refused any further testing on me until DH is sorted, which I know prob won't go any further as he's very much an 'if it happens, it happens' kinda guy. However, suprisingly, she has reluctantly referred me to a gyne chap at our local hospital, I'm hopefully he will help me!

In the meantime we keep trying, although the odds are stacked against me, age, a DH that's def NTNP who won't take supplements, won't BD enough and won't kick the drink. Reading that back it makes me look an angel by comparison but I'm finding it so frustrating that I won't know if there is anything wrong with me that is compounding the problem

Good luck girls, lets hope we can buck the odds and one of us come up with a BFP

Hi Jax, sometimes I think it would have been easier if the problem was me rather than DH cos I am prepared to do whatever it takes to improve things while hubby is far more relaxed about it.

baby dust to us all and also hope to see some BFPs around here

 

[Jax41]

Briss, charm2mama I'm in the same boat as you....male factor subfertility (as my GP refers to it) and has also refused any further testing on me until DH is sorted, which I know prob won't go any further as he's very much an 'if it happens, it happens' kinda guy. However, suprisingly, she has reluctantly referred me to a gyne chap at our local hospital, I'm hopefully he will help me!

In the meantime we keep trying, although the odds are stacked against me, age, a DH that's def NTNP who won't take supplements, won't BD enough and won't kick the drink. Reading that back it makes me look an angel by comparison but I'm finding it so frustrating that I won't know if there is anything wrong with me that is compounding the problem

Good luck girls, lets hope we can buck the odds and one of us come up with a BFP

Hi Jax, sometimes I think it would have been easier if the problem was me rather than DH cos I am prepared to do whatever it takes to improve things while hubby is far more relaxed about it.

baby dust to us all and also hope to see some BFPs around here

With you on that one Briss

 

[Jax41]

Have to say though girls there are ladies on here I know who's SA results have been terrible to the point where it's IVF or no chance and they've got a natural BFP and without their DH's making any improvements, so you never know, keep trying

What really winds me up though is that my DH doesn't understand that he could so improve his general and health easily and quickly and give me a chance!!!

 

[charm2mama]

Briss, I feel exactly the same way. I wished the problem was just with me because now I feel like it is out of my control...SO is willing to do some things like take supplements and exercise, but is resistant to see the urologist. I don't think he would go for surgery if that is what it took, he would take oral medication (I'm hoping he has low testosterone!) but surgery on his boys...probably a no go. Oddly, I don't find that too upsetting. I feel it is his body so should be his choice.

Briss, charm2mama I'm in the same boat as you....male factor subfertility (as my GP refers to it) and has also refused any further testing on me until DH is sorted, which I know prob won't go any further as he's very much an 'if it happens, it happens' kinda guy. However, suprisingly, she has reluctantly referred me to a gyne chap at our local hospital, I'm hopefully he will help me!

In the meantime we keep trying, although the odds are stacked against me, age, a DH that's def NTNP who won't take supplements, won't BD enough and won't kick the drink. Reading that back it makes me look an angel by comparison but I'm finding it so frustrating that I won't know if there is anything wrong with me that is compounding the problem

Good luck girls, lets hope we can buck the odds and one of us come up with a BFP

Hi Jax, sometimes I think it would have been easier if the problem was me rather than DH cos I am prepared to do whatever it takes to improve things while hubby is far more relaxed about it.

baby dust to us all and also hope to see some BFPs around here

 

[charm2mama]

Jax, I've been scouring the internet to find these stories and I've found many women who says they conceived naturally with very bad SA profile. This made me feel better and super excited for a while. But I decided it is better to be realistic and not to bank on that. My OB sort of gave a kick in the butt the other day and I think we need to be as aggressive as we can.

Ladies, let's hope for a in 2013!! IT WILL HAPPEN!!

Have to say though girls there are ladies on here I know who's SA results have been terrible to the point where it's IVF or no chance and they've got a natural BFP and without their DH's making any improvements, so you never know, keep trying

What really winds me up though is that my DH doesn't understand that he could so improve his general and health easily and quickly and give me a chance!!!