Hi everyone. I've not posted on here before. My dh and I have been ttc for 18 months and had our first Gyn appt today. DH's motility is low - 7%. Dr advised us that if his next analysis comes back similar that we have to assume that conception will not occurr natuarally and that we will be referred for IVF. I'm just doing a bit of research and would love to hear from anyone who's experienced similar.

Thanks xxx

Hi just replied to your other post we are in the same both and have under gone ICSI and am now just waiting to see if my beautiful babies are going to stick xx

Hiya Kayecee,

My husband was told he had no sperm (azoospermia) but he had a SA done at a fertility clinic last week and they found some sperm!!! That was without a MERC test (using several SA and centrifuging to concentrate numbers) The fact your husband has sperm and our moving/alive is very positive news but I can understand how gutted and responsible he feels. Yes it could happen naturally but after 18 months and if you have a regular cycle and ovulate it seems unlikely.

You might find that your advised to have ICSI and not just IVF if the sperm are a bit on the lazy side! (more research for you)

There's a league table J Jenko posted on this forum that lists all the success rates for IVF/ICSI. I'll try and find it! Someone I met from work's daughter also specialises in male infertility and on her reccommendation, a local GP who's had good success rates with his patients and the clinics statistics helped us decide where we wanted to go (and location!)

Good luck with the research.

xxxx

PS I'm sure zinc and selenium have helped my husband he is now convinced he has super sperm and it will happen naturally!!!

Found it!!

http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/

hi chick my man had low sperm motility and we had icsi and have now got 2 lovely twin girls. it was our second attempt and a rollercoaster ride on both goes but soooooooo worth it.

Thank you so, so very much girls. I know it's not catastrophic but it was a real shock to the system! Mrssmith very, very best of luck! MrsP thanks for all the info - will get researching now. Need to find out what the difference is between IVF and ICSI first! And nicola, that's just the kind of story I was hoping for! Huge congrats on the twins - I so hope we have some of your luck. Thanks again all xxx

Morning!

My post made it sound like you had home work to do!!! Sorry!!!

With ICSI they select a specific sperm and using a fine needle perforate the egg to introduce sperm direct. If your hubby's sperm are going to take their time getting there they'll probably advise ICSI. Hopefully fertilization will then occur...

It must be quite fun for the embryologist selecting the best sperm. maybe a sexy looking one with nice tail action!!!

I've found it all quite fascinating.

No idea whre you're based but if you're going to be referred somewhere I'd look at going to a clinic that specialises in male infertility,good success rates and not too far away.

Good luck :)
xxxx

PS Congratulation Nicola on your 2 girls. Was wondering if you had 2 embryo's implanted or blastocyst stage and how many embryo's did you get from your cycle?

So Mrs P, we get to choose? I've been looking on the webiste you suggested but am still amazed that we get to make that decision. Also, do you know how many 'tries' we get? It's all a little confusing. We are in Essex, early thirties, neither of us have any kids. I get the impression that it's three. Does that sound about right?

Thanks for the help so far - you're a star!

XXX

Hi!

Funny enough one of the GP's at our practice phoned me last night and read out the criteria for NHS funding.This was for Bedfordshire we were previously told Beds PCT does not cover male infertility but guidelines have changed since 1st May 2009.

From what I can remember:-

1. Woman had to be under 40
2. BMI less than 30 (possibly 35)
3 No children from either side from previous relationship
4. FSH level less than 15 for that cycle.
5. Partner not to have had a previous vasectomy
He also read out something to do if any other medical conditions you or your hubby might have may be a factor.
6 Have been together for 3 years or have an underlying fertility factor. I've only been with hubby for 2 years but his SA confirms oligoasthenozoospermia!!!

I'm sure he said if you're accepted you are entitled to 3 cycles but we'd probably have to go for an interview first...

I did an advanced search for East of England and it brought up this page:-

http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/Default.aspx?searchtype=advanced

Because you're young, if your cycles are regular and you know you ovulate and it would be your first ICSI attempt your success rate percentage would be even higher than what they give for your age bracket. Any fertility clinic should be keen to have you both!!!

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you further!!

xxxx

Sorry link didn't take to the next page. I just ticked ICSI, under 35 and selected East of England

MrsP I can't thank you enough for all this info. I am now armed with two clinics that we'd ideally like to be referred to xxx

Hiya KayeCee,

More than happy to help. Makes you feel you have control over something you have no control over....

I learnt a lot from J-Jenko. On one of her previous topics
http://www.babyexpert.com/chatroom/topic/99838
She mentioned Essex was one of the best county's for NHS fertility funding. Not seen any posts from her for a while so hope she's ok....

Looking forward to hearing about your acupuncture experience, is your hubby having it done to?

xxxx

I'll take a look at that thread - thanks. Yes, both of us are doing the acupuncture. To be honest, I'm lucky that my cycles are regular and that I ov but I'm thinking it can't do any harm xxx

not only is selenium renound for increasing motility but also increasing quantity! zinc is really good as is la arganine, which you can get in health shops, like julian graves, and ofcourse multi-viamins, a,c and e. loose underwear always good to keep that area cool!!!

Thanks maplegirl. Just bought him some Zita West Vitamen as per Manalo Girl. Let's hope they do the trick! x

I had 4 cycles of ICSI due to male infertility. My partner also took selenium & zinc (along with other multi vits) and over the course of 10 years his count increased from 6 sperm found in a sample to over 100 000! The fact that he has 100% ASAB (anti-sperm anti-bodies) probably caused by the exploratory surgery, this still isn't hopeful that it will work naturally!
We were successful with a frozen cycle (our 5th cycle altogether) and we have 4 more embryos left so maybe we'll get lucky again.
Good luck. hope it all works out.

hi, i am new to this, my husband and have known for about a year that we will have to ivf and ICSI due to low sperm count. he has a sperm count of around 3million sperm, mobility is low but they are moving. hence the reason we know we will need ICSI.
Due to my age, im 21 and we have been married for 18 months, the nhs wont offer us treatment yet. i have been to a private clinic to discuss the option of egg donation in return for "discount" treatment - i am still in the process of research and we have not given up hope of conceiving naturaly, trying every month, every month filled with dissapointment but the small glimor of hope that it may happen eventually.

We have our first appointment at the infertility/gynae clinic at our local hospital (Colchester) on Thursday .. I've had the blood tests and I know I ovulate but hubbies sperm had a 10% motility .. he has been so upset since he got the results and I've been so upset for him. We haven't had any other tests yet (for me) but we will probably get referred for them on Thursday (I guess) unless they decide hubby's motility is what is holding us back. I read on their website that they allow one "attempt" on the NHS, but hopefully that will be enough. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for sharing your stories girls. Lougla - I'm in a similar area (live in Braintree but am currently being dealt with at St John's in Chelmsford). The next step for us was me having an HSG (I had a couple of weeks ago and got the all clear) and hubby is having another SA (actually doing it today). We go back two weeks on Monday to find out what happens next. Only one attempt?! We are really hoping to get referred to Bourn Hall in Cambridge (and if you see what Mrs Pootle wrote it seems you do get some say in it) and you get six tries! Like you say though, we're all hoping we're only going to need one. Fingers crossed indeed xxx

our doctor at colchester general advised us you get 3 tries now on the nhs, 6 embryo transfers in total. we are looking to go private on an egg donation scheme, i have been advised that they would only put one embryo back in me due to age and the likely hood of them taking. we would then still be allowed to have ivf/icsi on the nhs when we fitted the criteria but they would take the cycle we are hoping to have privatly and count it as 1 of the 3. does that make sense? x

KayeCee, I also found out that only 5 hospitals do IVF in the South East now - Oxford, Cambridge, Leicester, Hammersmith and St. Bart's so eventually you'd be referred to one of those I guess. I'm pretty gutted as Colchester had a really good reputation but apparently they lost their NHS IVF contract earlier this year.

lolsieG, we are also at Colchester General.