Low sperm count?

[gymwidow]

We just received the results of my DH's SA and they were not good - only 12 million when "normal" is 60-150 million.

Has anyone had experience with this? DH has an appointment with a urologist next Friday to get checked out, and we know that there are a number of reasons why this could have happened and treatments for it, and of course the possibility of IUI, but I'd really love to hear how any of you dealt with it and any info you might be able to share.

TIA ladies!

[flygirl]

gymwidow, no advice, but I am soooo sorry :(. Your post brought tears to my eyes. I know it isn't the problem you were 'hoping' for, but at least you have a name to it & it is overcome-able. :). (((hugs)))

[Suzlywoozly]

gymwidow- I'm sorry! I know how bad it sucks to get this kind of news!

My DH had/has the same problem. His count was only in the 5-8 million range. They never sent us to a urologist since I have IF issues as well. We did 5 IUI's without success, but they did not think it was due to low sperm count. The IUI's are a piece of cake. They never gave us a reason for the low count, but from the research I did, sometimes this can be easily corrected if there is an infection which is causing the low count. They did give DH antibiotics before the IUI's, which did help his count. I also started him on lots of vitamins. There is something called Fertility Blend that is suppose to help. I'm not sure how long you have been TTC, but these were some of the things we tried without getting a referral to see a urologist. Good luck!

[jennylou]

BIL had a low sperm count and ended up having surgery...they were pregnant the next month (and sil had issues too).

MF won't rule out a pregnancy, it'll just point you in a path on your journey. Good luck to you, I hope you have happy news to share soon.

[BTB]

My DH's sperm count is in your DH's range, but I was having issues too with ovulation. His urologist had DH switch to boxers, take daily vitamin E, and a couple other things I don't remember right now. Although DH has a varicocele, surgery was not recommended, but IUI was. It was almost midcycle already so we planned to start IUI the next cycle, but I had an hCG trigger and we conceived that same month DH was diagnosed - we just got lucky, with low sperm counts it's still possible it's just not very likely.

[gymwidow]

flygirl,thanks. Hugs always help. :)

Suzlywoozly,thanks for the info. My OB/GYN immediately referred DH to a urologist when she called him with the test results yesterday, so we're going to go ahead with that and see if we can learn anything more. I've been reading a little and found a few reasons for why his count might be low, but I hadn't read about infection being a cause. Thanks, I'll be sure to have DH ask about that!

jennylou, thanks, that made me feel a lot better! I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a "death sentence" to our TTC hopes. It's just one more step to overcome. I told DH that the harder we have to work to have a baby, the more it will mean to us and the more special it will be.

BTB, thanks. I'm holding out a little teensy bit of hope that we might be able to do things naturally this month, since I think I might've actually O'd on my own, but I know that chances are very slim, so I'm not getting my hopes too high. If we get the go ahead from the urologist on Friday and my doc, we're hoping to do IUI next month. Congrats to you, BTW!!!

[DallasLady]

My DH also has a low sperm count due to an undescended testicle (which is not correctable). His numbers are between 11-14 million/milliliter. There is more to sperm than just how many. What was your DH's motility and morphology? You can still get pg with a low count depending on the quality of the sperm.

We are in the process of doing IUI. I suggest you find a urologist who specializes in fertility to find out the cause of his low count. It might be something that can be treated.

There is not a lot of info out there on male infertility, even though it accounts for 40% of infertility cases. I have done a lot of research since his diagnosis. Please feel free to ask me anything!

((((HUGS))))

[la_bride_2004]

Hi! This is was our issue as well.

We hooked up with a reproductive urologist who did an SCSA along with all the other routine testing. My DH was also sent for ultrasound testing, and they found 3 varicoceles.

Our counts on the SA were much lower than yours, which completely ruled out IUIs- many times they are not recommended for those with male factor. The SCSA testing revealed extensive genetic damage, but our RE recommended IVF. We did a fresh and frozen cycle, and both times I had a chemical pregnancy/miscarriage. Genetically damaged sperm will cause miscarriages. (only the SCSA can determine genetic damage right now, it's not dtectable through the SA.)

The RU recommended varicocele repair, so we went for it, and it turned out he had 13, not three varicocles. Waiting time is 6 months to see if it worked, but we're hopeful.

[Happy1]

Hi there. My DH has a sperm count in the 8 million but there is no physical reason for it (he saw the specialist and everything). His brother on the other hand had a low sperm count that was corrected with surgery. Their little girl just celebrated her 1st birthday this month. I really hope and pray that in your case, something can be done about it and they find a reason (though a minor one). It's amazing how common it is!

Nikki :D

[Sidsou]

The urologist should be able to give your DH a lot of good information. We have had sperm counts as low as 800,000 and managed to get pregnant once on our own (although it ended in miscarriage). But we now have a healthy happy DS from IVF (invitro). I had some fertility issues too. With your counts being higher - depending on the other sperm factors, motility, morphology, and if the urologist can identify anything that might be lowering the count, you certainly can get pregnant, it just might take a little longer or require an IUI.

[DallasLady]

Male infertility is more common than most people think.

Maybe we should start a group for male factor infertility (MFI)?

[gymwidow]

DallasLady, la bride, Happy1, Sidsou, thanks for sharing your stories. It feels good in a weird way to know there are others out there dealing with this as well and also to know that we have a lot to be hopeful about.

We're waiting to get paper copies of the results, but from what DH tells me, the doctor said that his motility and morphology were fine, so that makes me feel good. It was just the number. I read somewhere that most of the little guys are actually in the very first part of the ejaculate, has anyone else read that? Not that I'm getting my hopes up or anything, but we, ummmm, ahhhhh, missed the cup at the very beginning and didn't get all of it in there (sorry if TMI), so part of me actually hopes that maybe a few million of them escaped..... :rolleyes: I know, I'm grasping at straws.......

Dallaslady, where have you gotten a lot of your info from? I just googled "low sperm count" and started reading links, but so far haven't found anything really in depth. DH is going to the urologist recommended by my OB/GYN, but I'm not sure if he's a reproductive specialist. I'm going to look him up on our insurance website now. I definitely think a group for MFI is a good idea. I'm sure there are more of us out there. I know how much I've benefitted from all of your support already.

la bride I'm so sorry to hear about everything you've had to go through. I hope that it all worked. How much longer do you have to wait?

Nikki, I imagine it must be so frustrating to not have a reason for it. I need concrete reasons for things or I go nuts. Good luck!

Sidsou, congrats on your DS! That's wonderful and definitely made me smile.

Believe it or not, ladies, I think I might actually have O'd this month. Our BD timing was pretty good, so even though DH's numbers weren't great, with everything else looking okay, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope that maybe maybe maybe we're one of the lucky few. But I'm not getting my hopes up. The less disappointment, the better!

[c'est la vie]

~BUMP~

Just wanted to bump this up in case anyone else has a low sperm count story to share. It will be greatly appreciated. :)

[DallasLady]

Wow, what a blast from the past. When I last posted in this thread, we were still dealing with MFI. Now, we have our daughter :D

We ended up getting pregnant naturally. We did 2 IUIs, neither worked, we decided to take a break for the holidays and I got a BFP on January 13, 2006 (Friday the 13th, LOL).

DH's count was up pretty high on both the IUIs. When he was first tested in summer 2005, he had 11 & 14 mil/mL. When we did the IUIs that fall, he had 100 & 34 mil/mL, but neither worked. That's when we decided to re-evaulate and to take a break.

[KrissyCat7]

DH just received his results from his SA and it's not looking too good. It is good to read all of your stories and know that there is some hope for us. I really appreciate you all sharing your stories and really would love anymore that you can share.

I get the written report on Monday so I will have a better idea of what the numbers really mean.

[mcgwigan]

Krissy My DH had low count/motility/horrible morphology. I can't remember the exact numbers, think count was around 3-4 million and I remember specifically my RE saying mostly abnormal and 2% motility I think. He cut out Caffeine on advise of urologist and tried quitting smoking on & off (never really succeeded) and started taking multi-vitamin w/lycopene and Zinc. His count and other numbers slowly started to improve and we finally had success on IUI#5. By the time we finished with IUI's his count had improved to 12-14 mill and our post wash numbers for IUI's were between 2 million for the first one in Feb to 9 million (out last IUI post count was 5million.) Sorry I can't remember our exact numbers and I don't know how to find the SAI thread that I joined originally where they might be (although I don't remember if I posted the actual numbers).

We initially found out there was MF in May 2006 and got our BFP June 2007. So it takes a little while if they determine that there are "lifestyle" issues. My DH also has an undecended testicle which doesn't help!

[HGMorgann]

My Dh also has a low count due to a testicular torsion (ouch!) he had in December. His numbers are 1 mil but the morphology and motility are good. My LJ friend shared her Dh's vitamin supplements with me and we are going to start trying them. I went out today and bought all of them. They were also 75% off at Brooks as they are switching out all Brooks to RiteAids. Hopefully that brand is okay:-)
This is what he will be taking. Lucky guy! His biggest vice is coffee, which hopefuly he will be able to cut down on as well.

multivitamin
400 i.u vitamin E
400 mcg Folic Acid
2 pills of 1000 mg Omega 3 Fish Oil
500 mg L-arginine
1000 Vitamin C
60 milligrams of zinc
15 milligrams of beta-carotene

[alootikki]

Here's what "The Infertility Cure" recommends:

- Vitamins C, E, B12
- Beta-carotene
- Folic acid
- Zinc
- L-arginine
- L-carnitine

I think that most of these can be found in the supplement "FertilityBlend" or something like that...

[DallasLady]

My DH loaded up on Zinc, and whenever he was on it his volume was, shall we say, noticeably higher ;)

[ABirney]

Hi,
My DH had his SA a couple weeks ago and had low count and morphology. (count 36mil and 22% morph, said normal count is at least 60 mill and normal morph 30-90%.) The lady that reported the results (I think she was just a receptionist, not a nurse) said his motility was good, but gave me a result of 36%, everything I've found online said low end of normal is 50%. I do have an appt set up with my new dr for a consult in a couple weeks (I have fertility issues as well) and will be going over his results in more detail. In the meantime, he's started taking the One-a-day Men's Health Formula and switched from briefs to boxerbriefs. I was just looking at the ingredients on the vitamin and saw that the amts of zinc, vit E, and such are alot less than what a PP posted a few posts above saying what they should have. Should I get him supplemental pills in those things seperately? The vit E is 45IU, the zinc is 15mg, vit C is 90mg. Folic acid is ok at 400mcg and there is no beta carotene, l-carnitine or l-arginine.

[marlenanyc]

Had the same issue with my DH. If at all possible I would head straight for IUI treatments and not waste time with anything else. That takes care of any issues with low counts. Good luck!

[heather1029]

Bump

We just got DH's results yesterday and they're very low. Count was 2 million / ml and morphology was very very bad.

He does have a (very large/visible) varicocele, but I've heard so many conflicting reports on whether that is actually a cause of low counts or not. I don't want him to have the surgery if it is unnecessary, you know.

Any comfort, advice, etc. is highly appreciated. We're both pretty depressed about it right now.

[jeanine]

((HUGS))

We're going through this right now too. We'd been trying for a year, and finally started having some tests done. Early last week we got the SA results, and they were pretty bad. Low count, very poor morphology and avg motility (he doesn't have varioceles though). When I showed his results to my OB, she gave me the name of a respected Reproductive Urologist for him to go see. She said her experience has been that urologists who aren't specialized in male fertility haven't been much help with her other patients. So definitely try to find a specialist in your area.

FWIW, my DH had been to two other urologists in the past 5 years, for constant testicular pain; both of who said he had to deal with it, and completely brushed off his questions about whether this undiagnosed pain could somehow affect or be related to his fertility. :mad:

We had our pity party, cried, etc, and now we are looking forward. His appointment is next month, and we will see what the specialist says, and then move forward to an RE if necessary. I am cringing at the cost of IVF, but am willing to accept it, if that's the only way. In the meantime, my OB ordered all the bloodwork for me, so if by chance there is a problem with me too, we'll have some info to take to an RE.

I've read that surgery is very helpful in treating varioceles, so don't give up hope!!! And know that you're not alone.

[heather1029]

Thank you for your response, Jeanine.

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this too. How terrible that you've dealt with IF for over a year.

It's weird--I've been searching and searching for an urologist that is a specialist in infertility/reproductive care and I can't find a single one. We've seen one urologist and he wasn't too pleasant (neither was his entire staff), so we've made an appointment at another practice.

I balk at the notion of varicocele surgery, but the idea of IVF puts me into a state of utter despair. I can't imagine dealing with the payments, or the possibility of multiples....

Do you chart?

[mcgwigan]

I'm sure I've posted here in the past. My Dh's numbers sound like heather's, but he didn't have a varicocele issue. We didn't do IUI right off the bat because my RE said that for the IUI to have a chance, he liked to see a count of at least 5 million post wash. So, DH went to the RU and they found nothing - no infection or anything. She suggested that he cut out all caffeine, take a mulitvitamin with lycopene, keep hydrated, and we also had him taking zinc and of course the big one was to quit smoking (which he was never able to do). I gave it about 4 or 5 months of that then proceeded with IUIs. The first IUI we only had 2 million post wash and we never had a month where his count was higher than 10 million post wash & it was only in that area for a couple of months. Our successfull IUI was #5 and his count was 5 million post wash.

Definately try to get in to see a good urologist - preferable one that deals with reproductive issues - do you go to an RE, can they refer one? I've also read that increasing fruit/vegetable consumption can help and also zinc would help his numbers go up too. You may as well try the lifestyle stuff while you are waiting for appointements. Oh, another thing, I had no issues - my gyn automatically gave me the boot out of her office when DH's SA results came in and sent me to the RE, where they proceeded to do all the testing on me. Also, DH does have a child from his previous marriage that they weren't even trying for ~ go figure!!

[heather1029]

mcwigan: your story is encouraging. I'm glad to hear his numbers went up! And that they were willing to do IUI with you, even with his low numbers. Gives me hope! DH had 2 million/ ml, but 8 million total. Motility was good.

Right now, I'm guessing our numbers would be incredibly low post-wash. I mean, he had 0% normal morphology:(

[mcgwigan]

Right now, I'm guessing our numbers would be incredibly low post-wash. I mean, he had 0% normal morphology

Right, I would try to get him to start taking vitamins & stuff while you're waiting for appointments, you may be able to get a head start on improvement! We never had really high numbers...I guess the key is finding an RE that will see IUI as a shot even if numbers are low. We had insurance coverage for them, I'm not sure I would have done them as quickly as we did if we hadn't had the coverage. We didn't have coverage for IVF which would have been our next step if IUI 6 didn't work.

[KK812]

Hey, heather, I sent you a PM. LMK if you didn't get it and I'll send it again. Just my experience with a similar situation. :)

[KrissyCat7]

DH's varicocele was confirmed by ultrasound today. The urologist recommended surgery. According to our urologist surgery is our best bet. Count is too low for IUI (although my RE was willing to give IUI "a shot"). He said that he has very good success rates with the surgery, so I really hope he can help us.

Heather- definetely try to find a good urologist. They should be able to tell you if surgery is needed.

[heather1029]

DH's varicocele was confirmed by ultrasound today. The urologist recommended surgery. According to our urologist surgery is our best bet. Count is too low for IUI (although my RE was willing to give IUI "a shot"). He said that he has very good success rates with the surgery, so I really hope he can help us.

Heather- definetely try to find a good urologist. They should be able to tell you if surgery is needed.

Krissy: How long have you been trying, if you don' t mind me asking? Because, we just saw a second urologist today, and he seemed to think that although DH's varicocele is very large (and visible by the naked eye), we should try for at least 9 months and have at least three SAs before thinking about surgery. I feel really conflicted about the whole thing.

[KrissyCat7]

Heather....we have been trying for 13 months.

[beetle]

We're just at the front-end of dealing with MFI, in addition to PCOS for me. DH's SA results were very low: 4.2 million count (0.6 mil/mL concentration), 1% normal morphology, 12% progressive motility (0% rapid linear).

He's currently scheduled to see a urologist that specializes in IF. I am praying this ends up being fairly simple to correct, but I know we probably have a bit of a journey ahead of us. At least we've identified the problem! I hold to the thought that every bit of new information moves us that much closer to success.

I'd like to look into IUI, but I'd at least like to have the initial consult with the urologist first (which is also recommended by our RE). In the meantime, I'd like him to add some extra supplements to the men's multivitamin he already takes. Thank you to the ladies who posted info on that!

[jeanine]

Just thought I would update. We finally got to see a reproductive urologist last Thursday. He reviewed DH's semen analysis, found a variocele, scheduled a bunch of hormone blood tests, an ultrasound and a repeat semen analysis. He also said not to be too discouraged, he had seen couples with numbers similar to his get pregnant naturally.

In the month and a half that we were waiting for our consult, DH and I decided to have him try the Fertility Blend supplement, and also a GNC Mega Men daily multi-vitamin. I'm not sure if it was luck or the vitamins, but we got a BFP Friday night! I'm still in a state of shock - after a year of trying it was pretty unbelievable to see those two lines. Anyway I'm definately a believer in the vitamins!!!

[heather1029]

Just thought I would update. We finally got to see a reproductive urologist last Thursday. He reviewed DH's semen analysis, found a variocele, scheduled a bunch of hormone blood tests, an ultrasound and a repeat semen analysis. He also said not to be too discouraged, he had seen couples with numbers similar to his get pregnant naturally.

In the month and a half that we were waiting for our consult, DH and I decided to have him try the Fertility Blend supplement, and also a GNC Mega Men daily multi-vitamin. I'm not sure if it was luck or the vitamins, but we got a BFP Friday night! I'm still in a state of shock - after a year of trying it was pretty unbelievable to see those two lines. Anyway I'm definately a believer in the vitamins!!!

Wow, Jeanine! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!:D:D:D

Our second urologist actually said the same thing--that couples with low numbers often get pregnant naturally. I have hope! My DH is on massive quantities of vitamins, so let's pray our situation turns into a BFP too!!!

[jeanine]

Thanks Heather! I'm hoping the vitamins work for you guys too!

[heather1029]

Thanks Heather! I'm hoping the vitamins work for you guys too!

BTW, do you remember how low your DH's counts were originally?

[sea74]

Congrats jeanine!
DH and I decided to have him try the Fertility Blend supplement, and also a GNC Mega Men daily multi-vitamin.
SHUT UP! I started my DH on the Fertility Blend two weeks ago and before that I had been giving him the Mega Men as well. I stopped the Mega Men once he started taking the Fertility Blend. Do you think I should give him both?
My DH has counts that are all over the place. Sometimes they've been awesome some times they have been very low. Although his counts are only 1/2 our issue :rolleyes: but I'm hoping this helps us!!!

[HGMorgann]

Congrats Jeanne! We will try that FB too!

[jeanine]

Thanks everyone :D

Heather - His count was around 8.3 million,2% morphology and 35% progressive motility. The volume of the sample was low too ~ 1.2 mL.

sea - I'm not sure. I figured the multivitamin and the supplement together couldn't hurt (I don't think they share too many common ingredients). He didn't seem to have any side effects taking both of them. We mentioned that we were trying the Fertility Blend supplements and the vitamins to the RU. I was expecting him to knock them and say they were a waste, but he didn't and was completely okay with it.

DH goes in for a repeat SA on Thursday. We had the appointment already scheduled, so we decided to keep it. I'll repost his new results when we get them. I'm really curious to see if there is a difference.

[heather1029]

I just wanted to update here. We have wonderful news!!!

As you remember, DH's count was terrible the first time -- only 2mil/ml. He went in again four months later (and he'd been on his intense vitamin regimen since the first one) and his count improved to 5 mil/ml. His motility had gone up too, but morph stayed the same. So, we decided to go ahead with the surgery. Well, a week before the surgery was scheduled, I got a BFP! We were shell shocked, since we thought getting pregnant naturally was going to be near impossible. Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended a week later in miscarriage. He went ahead with the surgery.

However, a few weeks ago (the very next cycle), we got another BFP! Now, the sperm counts don't improve from the surgery until three months after, so we got pregnant again with his old numbers! Crazy, huh? So, it is totally possible! We've been praying for this miracle for months and God has truly blessed us!

[HGMorgann]

Congratulations Heather! What wonderful news:-) Can I ask what vitamins/ect your Dh took? I lost my old research after a computer crash.

[heather1029]

He was taking :
Fertility Blend Vitamins (2 a day)
L-Carnitine
an extra zinc vitamin (Whole Foods brand)
Cod Liver Oil (Garden of Life brand (http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/FoundationalNutrition/OldeWorldIceland/tabid/653/Default.aspx)) -- every couple days, not every day

I also had him eating 2-3 organic omega-3 eggs every day. They're packed full of vitamins! And he was abstaining from alcohol.

There is hope!!

[beetle]

Due to DH's extremely low numbers (count, motility and morphology) with no improvement after 3 months of Clomid, it looks like IVF is probably going to be our best option for a biological child. I do have a question, though... His bloodwork showed FSH and LH both on the low end. As I said, he'd already unsuccessfully tried Clomid, but does anyone know if there are other options to treat low FSH and LH?

I've tried to find out if there are other treatments besides Clomid or if there might be anything he could do with diet, supplements, etc., but I'm having trouble finding good information on this. (He's already taking a multivitamin, limiting caffeine and alcohol, losing weight, getting more exercise...) We have a consult with a new RE, so maybe he'll be able to lay this out more clearly for us, but would love to hear if any of you have dealt with this.

[jh124]

I had no idea men were prescribed Clomid. What does it do?

[beetle]

jh124, my understanding is that theoretically, Clomid does pretty much the same thing for men as for women: triggers the production of more of the hormones that in men are responsible for sperm production (and in women are related to ovulation). For men, though, it's taken at a lower, continuous dosage. I understand there is some question as to how effective it is, and in my DH's case, it didn't seem to help at all.

[numberlady]

Beetle - We are in the same situation. After all the reading I have done online there are very mixed messages. Some sites will say that there is no treatment and that is why there are so many options, that if there was a true fix, there would be one thing and not all of the options. Other sites say that vitamins, environment, etc. can be used to improve it. DH has low volume, motility and morphology and our doc has recommended IVF as our only option, but DH wants to try a couple things and then retest to see if anything improves to allow us to do IUI.

I like hearing the success stories, at least it gives me hope. Sorry you are going through this.

[beetle]

numberlady, it is frustrating how little they really know about all this, isn't it? I find that there is so little good information, even from the medical professionals. Talked to DH more over the weekend, and for now, we're sticking with the plan of giving ourselves some time to relax, and he'll focus on losing more weight, taking vitamin supplements, and just being as healthy as possible. We'll see if the RE has any other ideas, but that's the plan for now.

Good luck to us both!

[Heather719]

Hi Ladies-

I just got a call from one of my dearest friends. She and her DH have been TTC for over a year. Her blood work came back fine, so they had her DH's SA done. They don't have all the stats, but the dr did tell them he wants to both my friend and her DH next week b/c his SA showed a "lower" sperm count of 20 million. Didn't share the morph/mobility stats.

My friend isn't a huge internet person, so I told her I'd try to find out what types of questions they should ask her Ob/gyn when they meet next week. Any insights you have is greatly appreciated- I know my friend wants to make the most of this appointment.

TIA and best of luck to all TTC!
-Heather

[beetle]

Heather, nice of you to help your friend. Are they seeing a reproductive endocrinologist (RE)? If not, I'd suggest they get a referral to one rather than see an ob/gyn. They definitely need to find out the motility and morphology numbers, since that will heavily influence how serious the problem is. (A count of 20 mil with good motility and morphology isn't too bad, but it becomes a bigger problem if the motility and morphology are also abnormal.)

The RE will likely want to refer the husband to a urologist with experience in reproductive issues to have him checked for any physical causes for the low count. A varicocele - which is like varicose veins in the testes - is a common cause and can be treated surgically. The RE or the urologist will probably also want to do bloodwork on the husband to check for any hormonal issues (low testosterone, FSH and LH outside normal parameters, thyroid issues, etc.). They'll also want to ask about any recommendations on lifestyle changes that might help (diet, alcohol, supplements, possible toxin exposure, etc.). They should also ask about doing a second SA. Having a second test will help give a more complete picture of the situation.

That's a lot of info, but hopefully it will help your friends. I wish them lots of luck. This is not an easy thing to deal with.

[Scooter]

Heather, they could also ask about the possibility of infection--the SA should show if there is an elevated number of white blood cells present (sometimes listed on the SA as round cells). The question there would be if he should go on a round of antibiotics just in case. And on a related note, have her DH think of whether he was sick or fighting anything off when he got it done, since that can affect results. A 2nd SA would help them figure out if it was just a bad month, but if the 2nd one comes back low they can also ask about supplements for him, like Fertility Blend for Men, in case that could help. And on a positive note, my DH did 1 SA and then we had 7 IUIs total--most of the time his results were great but there were a couple times that the numbers were really low. So one bad time doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad situation.

[NotDesperate]

Bumping this up, DH just got his SA results and they were not good :(

I don't have it in front of me, but I know the morphology and mobility were good but his count was only 1.4 million. We are going to start him on some of the diet/vitamin stuff and also things like less caffeine, no more biking, etc. I read some stuff about low body fat (and high) being an issue in the count. DH is ALL muscle. He isn't skinny or puny, but he has no fat on him and his BMI is actually on the low side, he is so super strong as he works hard and he has a high metabolism. I wonder if that could be an issue. I wish I could get him to slow down and take it easy but he is always on the go, he can't stand to sit still and even has a physically demanding PT evening job 3 nights a week to keep himself busy.

Well we haven't sat down with the RE yet as he want me to complete all my tests, which are all this week. Our next consult is next Friday and I wonder what he will say about DH's numbers. I wasn't prepared for this, I either thought it was me or that we would be in the "unexplained infertility" category. We have only been trying 10 months (all with good timing/charting) so I worried about us jumping the gun with testing but now I am glad we did.

Thanks for listening!

[NotDesperate]

P.S. DH doesn't wear tighty whities but he wears boxer briefs, can he continue to wear those or do I have to get him boxers? TIA

[KrissyCat7]

Not Desperate: Sorry to hear that the news didnt come back good. It's good to hear that the morp and motility are good. Is your DH going to go see a urologist? I would have your DH switch to boxers. My DH's urologist told him that was best.

Good luck!

[NotDesperate]

Ok, I will buy him boxers. He won't be happy about that, lol.

I don't know if he is going to see a urologist, the RE still hasn't had the consult with us (we just called to get the results) but he may recommend that. Our consult is next Friday so we will see then.

[katiems118]

Not Desperate, I would find a urologist that takes your insurance and make an appt now, when my DH had to go to one they were booked out like 6 weeks.....

[numberlady]

NotDesperate, sorry about the dx of your DH. You should have him start on the vitamins, my DH took Fertility Blend. They do take time to start working though, because a males cycle is like 90 days, so it will take that long to see a difference.

If you are charting and using an O test and you know what your cycle is like, I recommend not bd the day before O to let DH's semen build up. The cycle I got pg, we bd'd the morning that I ovulated and not the 2 days prior. It is kind of counterintuitive to not dtd leading up to O, but it can help.

Oh, and be sure that you get DH retested in 6-8 weeks. Sometimes males numbers can fluctuate.

Since his motility and morphology are both good you should ask the RE about IUI. DH had low count, motility and morphology, so we were told that IUI was not an option, but he told us if our motility and morphology were better he would try IUI, instead we were told that IVF was our only option.

[NotDesperate]

Thanks Numberlady and Katie. I will go ahead and call the urologist and schedule him anyway and then if the RE doesn't suggest it, I can always cancel it. I still have to get a referral from our family doc (I hate that!!) so why not at least start that ball rolling (no pun intended, lol!)

I am glad to hear that maybe IUI can be an option for us, I was worried about that. I will have him test again in a month or so.

I am so glad we went ahead and tested, it is nice to know what the problem was all this time. Plus now I can keep my hopes from getting up to high and be a little bit more realistic :) I just hope we can fix this.