Success stories with Male Factor Infertility

[CaliDreaming]

After DH's last SA I'm not so confident anymore. Turns out his count is super low - infact everything is super low! The only thing that makes me have some hope is the fact that his sperm has probably always been like that and we have a beautiful DS so I know it can happen.....

His count is 4 mill. Motility went down from 44% - 19% but his morphology went from 0% normal - 2%. He's now taking Fertilaid - but just the main one - we didn't get the additional supplements. Now I think I should order the count boost and motility ones but only problem is I don't know if he will take them all! As it is I think he is only taking 2 a day as difficult for him to remember the lunchtime one due to work etc......

Still I am keeping my FX! I'm really hoping that Fertilaid is going to be a miracle worker for us!

WhiteOrchid, Sorry the numbers weren't better, but I still think there's a good chance the supplements will work for your hubby too. Of course there are no guarantees when it comes to TTC, but I remember reading that for male infertility issues, one big predictor of whether any treatment is going to be a success is whether the man has ever previously fathered a child. It worked for you three years ago and so there's a good chance that it will work again since nothing has really changed since then.

On the Fertilaid, I definitely think you should have dh take all three at once. The main Fertilaid tablets are just kind of a general male fertility vitamin, but the Countboost and MotilityBoost are for those men who have documented problems and contain ingredients specifically targeted for those problems. The way I understand it men who have normal sperm can get by with just taking FertilAid alone to ensure optimal functioning, but if there's a problem you really need one or both of the other two. Some men with low counts have success with just the Fertilaid, but you may as well give yourself the best chances of success, particularly since you're probably not going to go the IVF route.

Also, there is no need for your hubby to divide up the doses three times a day. I read that the only reason that is done is to prevent stomach upset. If he's forgetting doses it's fine for him to take them all at once, preferably with a meal to prevent the upset stomach. My hubby took Fertilaid, CountBoost, and MotilityBoost, which came out to 8 tablets a day. I had him take the 2 tablets with lunch and 5 with dinner just to split them up somewhat so he wouldn't complain as much about all the pills. He never had tummy issues that way either and he's usually pretty sensitive about stuff like that.

I am giving up TTC naturally, just seems so hopeless after 3.5 years. We had our first natural cycle IVF and my only egg was fertilised via ICSI. DH's SA on the day of EC was quite bad 5.5, mil, 35% motility and 1% morphology so we were told ICSI our only option but even if his SA was better on the day they would still recommend ICSI because his previous SA were always below norm. the IVF ended in chemical but at least there was some kind of action for the first time since we started TTC. I now think that we probably never even get to creating an embryo while TTC naturally. sorry I am not very optimistic but that's just how things are for us. I cant wait to start our second IVF. I now think we should have moved to IVF earlier as even with vitamins his count was never good enough, not even borderline always low.

Briss, Sorry to hear about the chemical but I am very optimistic about your chances in your future attempts. That is such good news that with only one egg, that that egg was able to be fertilized and implant. Now you know it can be done and I will keep my fingers crossed that you get a good egg the next cycle.

 

[moni77]

Met with the fertility specialist yesterday. I am starting clomid tonight and we are doing our first IUI attempt next week!

 

[pushmug7]

fingers crossed for u

 

[WhiteOrchid24]

Good luck Moni!

 

[BBbliss]

Good luck moni! We have an SA test on Friday and if it looks ok I'm trying clomid again for next cycle

 

[moni77]

Good luck moni! We have an SA test on Friday and if it looks ok I'm trying clomid again for next cycle

Fingers crossed for you!

 

[pushmug7]

i was wondering did anyone try lookingat dhs sperm with a microscope at home??? thinking of buying one and trying since getting a s/a is so expensive, but hes been on clomid for about 3 weeks now and he will get one around next week.
i hope things got better .

 

[goldfishy]

I am giving up TTC naturally, just seems so hopeless after 3.5 years. We had our first natural cycle IVF and my only egg was fertilised via ICSI. DH's SA on the day of EC was quite bad 5.5, mil, 35% motility and 1% morphology so we were told ICSI our only option but even if his SA was better on the day they would still recommend ICSI because his previous SA were always below norm. the IVF ended in chemical but at least there was some kind of action for the first time since we started TTC. I now think that we probably never even get to creating an embryo while TTC naturally. sorry I am not very optimistic but that's just how things are for us. I cant wait to start our second IVF. I now think we should have moved to IVF earlier as even with vitamins his count was never good enough, not even borderline always low.

Ah briss, sorry it didn't work out but like the comment further up, the one egg did fertilize so looking a lot more hopeful. Will you try a mild ivf cycle the second time?

 

[melly2]

i was wondering did anyone try lookingat dhs sperm with a microscope at home??? thinking of buying one and trying since getting a s/a is so expensive, but hes been on clomid for about 3 weeks now and he will get one around next week.
i hope things got better .

We have not, but thought about it as well, especially since my husband is a microbiologist so scopes are his thing. ;-)

My husband has been on Clomid for probably about 6 months now. We need to do an updated SA to see where he's at these days. We've sorta been on somewhat of a break. I'm very torn about how to proceed. I have new insurance which kicks in the beginning of the year and will cover IVF, which is amazing. That said, I'm still very hesitant to do IVF. As I read the "assisted conception" forums rather than being inspirational, it's rather demoralizing. I realized that many of these women try numerous cycles of IVF before it finally sticks. Ugh! I just don't know if I have that in me to go through all that. My husband would love for me to jump aboard and start IVF come January 1st, but I'm very reluctant so I guess I've been dragging my feet on all this lately. I. Don't. Know.

 

[Briss]

goldfishy,thank you! I do not know yet what our options are I really do not want to go medicated IVF, we have our follow up app with the clinic on 12 nov and I hope they can tell us what we should do next.

melly, I cant wait for your update following the chlomid. if your DH SA is considerably improved you may not even need IVF. It took me 2 years to accept IVF, very hard decision but I am at piece with it now and look forward to our second cycle. (natural IVF is not nearly as bad as medicated so it was not really that hard tbh)

 

[melly2]

goldfishy,thank you! I do not know yet what our options are I really do not want to go medicated IVF, we have our follow up app with the clinic on 12 nov and I hope they can tell us what we should do next.

melly, I cant wait for your update following the chlomid. if your DH SA is considerably improved you may not even need IVF. It took me 2 years to accept IVF, very hard decision but I am at piece with it now and look forward to our second cycle. (natural IVF is not nearly as bad as medicated so it was not really that hard tbh)

Yeah, I think the natural route is probably best and the least harsh on your body. I think I have to make a decision soon due to my age, otherwise I would probably just try for a couple more years. I think beginning in January we need to do something more proactive, because I have a feeling that his count hasn't went up dramatically, only incrementally.

 

[DSemcho]

Hey I was wondering if ya'll might be able to help me understand this. Got DH's Spermiogram results. Some of it I don't understand... I'm translating the words from Turkish to English that I don't know, but even then I'm lost, I can't wait for Monday. Does anyone have a clue? I don't think it's good....

Spoiler

View attachment 693193

 

[CaliDreaming]

Hey I was wondering if ya'll might be able to help me understand this. Got DH's Spermiogram results. Some of it I don't understand... I'm translating the words from Turkish to English that I don't know, but even then I'm lost, I can't wait for Monday. Does anyone have a clue? I don't think it's good....

Spoiler

View attachment 693193

DSemcho, your dh has problems in the motility and morphology areas, but they aren't necessarily insurmountable problems. The good news is that your dh has an adequate count and good volume. The motility is low but not alarmingly low.

The morphology is the biggest problem, but the significance of this factor is highly debated. Some men with low morphology are able to conceive with no problems and others are not even with extensive treatment. Doctors differ in their approaches when encountering men with low morphology. Some will recommend you go straight to IVF with ICSI. I think the majority will try some intermediate options, like doing surgery for any varicoceles (controversial) or supplements.

My hubby's numbers were worse than hubby's in everything except the motility and even there his numbers were only marginally better than your dh's at 30%. His morphology was 0.5%. We had been trying for almost two years when we had him start on supplements and we conceived the very next month. I'm pretty sure it was the supplements because I had been through all the testing and even had exploratory surgery and nothing was found that was hindering my fertility. So I think supplements are always worth a try even if you decide to pursue IVF or IUI. In our case we could not afford IVF so natural methods were our only option.

In my dh's case, his diet was extremely poor, so I think his poor results were a result of a nutritional deficiency and maybe antioxidant damage. I think that is the reason why we saw such dramatic results. I've read that some deficiencies and high toxicity affect sperm in the later stages of its development, so correcting that immediately brought about the changes we needed. So if your hubby has a poor diet, or smokes or drinks, then supplements and lifestyle changes may have a good chance of fixing the problem.

Good luck.

 

[DSemcho]

Thank you! He actually is only a social drinker and only smokes when he is REALLY drunk. He does have a good diet because he is a weight lifter, but he does drink a lot of coffee. I've had him on FertilAid for a month and a half, and I just got him to take MotilityBoost about two weeks ago. I don't know what else to do because he doesn't want to go IVF here (even though the procedure plus meds is only $3600) and the same day he did his SA I had a HSG and found my right tube was blocked and it was hard to get the due through the left tube. I had had a HSG done back in Feb and my right tube had been blocked then to but they had unblocked it so I feel with our combined issues IVF may be our only choice. Especially since I don't want to do another HSG here. The first one was on base and didn't hurt so bad, but the second one was really bad and I feel the doctor was rushing.

 

[CaliDreaming]

Dsemcho, it seems you are doing all the right things. I would have done IVF a long time ago if I had had that option so you are really lucky to have that option available to you! It really beats month after month of getting AF and wondering if it will ever happen for you.

As for hubby, maybe he will come around soon if the supplements don't help his sperm improve or if it seem like the tubal issues are going to be a barrier. Even though IVF is the best option for most people when money is no object, some people are still resistant to the idea. I'm sure his desire to be a father will win out in the end. Hang in there.

 

[WhiteOrchid24]

Just wanted to say good luck Dsemcho. I was going to respond about the results but Cali got there first and I agree with everything she said!
We're struggling with low count, motility and morphology and DH not keen to go the IVF route either since it's just so expensive and I don't think we can afford it so he's just started taking Fertilaid this month and I'm about to order the Count and Motility Boosts as well - can't hurt!

Anyway hope your appt with the Dr goes well and he is able to help out and give you some proper advice.

 

[DSemcho]

If we were still in the states it'd be out of the question. But here in Turkey the procedure plus meds run between $3100 - $3600 a round. And DH just talked to his mom about what was going on and she got him to agree to one round of IVF so I'm super stoked right now lol

 

[WhiteOrchid24]

Great news!! Good luck to you

 

[Briss]

Surely this is not true?? -" Professor Jardine said. "The scientists who advocate it already know that a boy born through ICSI is likely to have a low sperm count. " This is truly depressing

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...e-used-too-widely-watchdog-warns-8919258.html

 

[WhiteOrchid24]

Thanks for posting that link Briss - it is certainly an interesting read but I agree - super depressing