what to expect?

A big cheery hello to all ;)
I am new to this neck of the woods.

After some not so amazing test results for DH last week, I am anticipating that assisted conception is where DH and I are most likely headed, so thought I'd pop in here to say g'day.

I have read many of your stories / journal entries, and have to say how uplifted I am by the amazing strength and courage I have seen in so many of you. You are a phenomenal and inspiring bunch. Very informative too - so thanks for sharing.

DH and I have just set out on our ttc journey; - we have much to learn.

A little about us:
DH = 46 (previously married with no children. Had low motility issues back then)
me = 30 (accidental PG when 22, whilst on OCP, but no children)

married March '04, and started ttc Dec '06. Due to DH's prior history he was re-tested, and results received last week were not good:- low count, motility and poor morphology

It isn't the greatest news ofcourse. Actually, it really SUCKS! and we had a pretty awful couple of days, but we've managed to get it together now, and are keeping our chins up, and doing as much research as poss.
We're booked in to see FS in June (2 mths today, and counting).

Until we are better informed, we are not going to give up on ttc naturally, so will keep :bd: our little hearts out
(as our GP said, it only takes 1 little fella), and we are doing all we can to give DH's :sperm: factory a helping hand (dietary and lifestyle mods and accupunct /tcm too).

We would LOVE to hear from anyone who has been in a situation similar to ours or just anyone at all who has some helpful hints / info for us. We really don't know what to expect over the next few months. It's all a bit scarey really. Will we be left with no option but IVF? Will it be donor sperm too (not an option we're too keen on)? OR, is there still hope for a natural conception? It's all so up in the air. No doubt, most of our questions will be answered in June, but for now the unknown is doing my head in (:rolleyes: patience not my greatest virtue).

I need a new hobby I think to help keep my mind off it all! suggestions anyone?

Anyway, I will keep you updated.
Bestest wishes to all of you ttc'ing. I look forward to getting to know you. May the :bfp: you're praying for be just around the corner.
Love and light,
Arielle:heartbeat:

Hi Arielle

My suggestion would be to get your DH into an andrologist as well as seeing a FS. My other half had low count, low motiliy and morph problems as well. An andrologist can let you know if there is anything you can do to help things along ie if there is a treatable underlying cause.

With us we had DH's issues as well as me having a very long history of endometriosis and we ended up going down the IVF path, but we didn't need donor sperm and depending on your DH's results you might not need donor. Sometimes they can use ICSI if there are enough sperm there, or even plain old IVF.

Good luck to you. I remember being at the same point in our diagnosis as you are and it was just a shocking time, I was so upset it wasn't funny, so take care of yourself.

Jane

Hi Arielle

firstly - welcome!!! i really hope you're ttc journey isn't a long one!

secondly - NEVER give up hope of a natural conception. as you said, it only takes one determined little swimmer to get there and make a bubba! there are girls in these threads who've been in the lead up to IVF cos they thought it was the last resort, and they've gotten a BFP (admittedly it's not super common, but it definitely happens!)

given the results you've told us, i'm guessing the most likely thing that will be suggested is IVF - simply because they technology is there to use ICSI (can't remember exactly what it stands for but basically the sperm is injected into the egg rather than having to penetrate itself) which would overcome a lot of the issues that exist. ICSI is fairly common and has some great results - there are a lot of IVF/ICSI bubba's around here!

good luck with your journey - come on over and join us in the Long Term TTC and Assisted Conception thread here - there are a few of us that are staring down the barrell of IVF and i'm sure it would be as helpful for you as it has been me to share with others as you're going through all of this. it's not an easy thing to face and can set you on an emotional roller coaster - we're all great at supporting each other when it's needed.

good luck hun

Hi Arielle, Welcome.

My DH had always passed all his tests with flying colours and he loved to boast, however, at the most recent test we found he had morph problems. For this reason we are doing IVF with ICSI - as this should give us more chance than just plain IVF - :crossfingers:

As for a new hobby - mine became BB. I threw myself into finding out all that i could - either by asking questions here, or books or just googling everything! As a control freak i have found this is my way of coping with all this - finding out as much as i can makes me feel a little less apprehensive and more positive.

I hope nature intervenes before your FS visit. Good Luck.
Jo

Arielle, welcome.

My DH also has low count, low motility and poor morphology. We'd had one pretty bad semen analyis done by my gynecologist, and then had another repeated by a specialist semenologist where we were told his semen was "unsuitable for natural conception". When the IVF clinic tested, the found him to have absolutely no rapid progressive sperm - that is not a single one of them would ever find their way to an egg.

We were told that IVF+ICSI was the only way forward for us, which after a long year of tests, waiting, and just generally being frustrated, we went ahead with. And then you strike our other problem in that I have PCOS, and hyperstimulated pretty badly. We couldn't transfer (I was too sick), but we have 4 blastocyst embryos waiting in the freezer for us for when we're ready... Just goes to show that the triple defect doesn't leave you dead in the water - no donor sperm here, just DH's boys needed a bit of assistance to get where they needed to be.

The other thing we've been told - a triple defect in sperm (low count, motility, and morphology) often indicates that a varicocele may be present. This is the case with my DH, and we are going to have it repaired (even though our FS thinks we're wasting our time). Doctors tell us that we should get some improvement in sperm, but they can't say just how much just yet. Our hope is that we'll be able to use less intrusive methods to conceive subsequent children after our first.

Good luck with it all! As you can see, there are certainly a lot of people here who have dealt with similar issues and overcome them. We're still working on it here! :)

BW

Hi Arielle and Welcome!!! As BG said, come on in to our thread we are a friendly bunch and many are at various stages of the IVF and ICSI journey. (intracytoplasmic sperm injection , but I think BG said it better)
I am currently doing a round of ICSI because of DH triple defect. (He had undecended testes as a kid) Just want to let you know that the technology is fantastic now. We went through 3 stimulated and one frozen cycle about 7 years ago and are going for another round now and have found HEAPS of improvements in treatments within that time. Technology, the drugs, the procedures, even the human side of it with nursing staff etc being so much more informed and better PR procedures in place.
We all understand about the waiting game and how it can do your head in so come on in and ask anything you want!!! You might want to go onto the website for you clinic and have a good read up of everything there before you go to your appt so then you understand a lot more about what it will mean to you and what to ask. You might get them to post their information statement book out to read beforehand. I reckon the more you know the more confident you can be.
Good luck with your journey, you know where we are if you need us.
Hugs from Sazz

Thankyou SO much everyone :p
Your support and advice means a lot.
After your many super helpful suggestions, DH and I plan to see an andrologist as well as the FS. We're suspecting a varicocele - atleast all signs point to that (sorry 'bout the cold handed feel up DH). We're a little unsure whether to book in ourselves already or to ask to be referred to one by our FS (someone she knows and has professional raport with?). Would it matter much either way, I wonder? Jane, are you able to suggest a decent Melbourne based andrologist?

B/w now and our appts, however, we will do our best to be as researched / informed as poss (will contact FS clinic for more info - excellent idea Sazz). Is always better yes, to think of as many questions as poss b4 the appt, rather than after for sure.

Oh yes, DH is also hoping he may be able to come up with the answer to it all too: "Nano-flippers," for all the physically challenged :sperm: out there.
LOL !!! I'll be sure to let you know how he goes with that one - could solve so many of our probs, hey ladies :lol: (and boy would we be rich too).
Not sure if that's a better solution than suggested by my DB - "why not stand on your head after BD'ing." Men!! Gotta love 'em.

Anyway, thanks again lovely ladies for your warmth and support. I feel very re-assured to know many are in the same boat, and we can help each other through it. We WILL get our :bfp: 's soon. ALL of us! I just know it.

Keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for all of us :crossfingers:

Arielle:heartbeat:

hi and welcom arielle ,well my DH also has a very poor sperm count and we have joined the team in LTTTC and we are learning a lot about everything and have met some really strong and insperational couples.we are off to c our dr on monday to get our IVFstsrted but am feeling so lost at the moment as we really dont knoe what to expect with both tretments and costs so i wish you all the very best and hang in there:pray: :D

Thankyou Smithy.
The whole TTC journey is a very daunting (not to mention frustrating) one when there are complications, hey. I really hope you feel a lot less lost after seeing your doc on Monday. GOOD LUCK, and please let us know how it goes. :hug:
I will be thinking of you.
I have 2 months to wait for our FS appt. Thankfully, I have a holiday to Hawaii in May to help pass the time. Am SOOOOOO looking forward to that!!! Fingers crossed that the R&R, Mai Tai's, and hula dancin' will be the right prescription for a :bfp: ?? Can only hope!
Arielle:heartbeat: