To drink two or three cups of tea a day when TTC (I am a man)?

[StokieDad]

We have been TTC No2 for a couple of years.

We've had tests / investigations and everything appears to be 'normal' with both of us. My sperm is fine.

I have given up booze. I exercise intermittently (I'm going to the gym tomorrow - honest!).

However, I do like the odd cup of tea. I drink two or three cups a day.

When I put the kettle on my wife makes me feel guilty and says that I'm not taking all of this seriously.

AIBU? Should I give up my brews?

If this isn't a wind up, I would say that you should try and be understanding, find out some facts, I assume you and your wife are getting pretty desperate? That often makes the smallest of scenarios blow up.

Even if it is a wind up, you sound like you could do with finding out some more facts. 2 years is a long time to go without booze or tea.

Is there any evidence whatsoever to suggest that drinking tea affects a man's fertility? Any?

studies show caffine doesn't lower sperm count

I would suggest that, understandably, your wife is in a place right now where anything and everything is a 'reason'. It must be really hard on both of you.

Perhaps back to the doctor for more advice? Some support?

There are lots of things that are said to help - selinium (sp?) I have read is one. I don't know how true it is.

Heres a study low and moderate amounts of caffeine had no effect on sperm

Its sounds like your wife maybe needs for you to be seen to be trying as hard as she is to conceive. so it wouldn't do any harm to maybe have a couple of herbal teas instead. (you could always have a cuppa at work)

X posted with JustHecate, same study.

As long as your tests came back ok while you were drinking at that level, I don't see the problem.

It sounds more like your wife wants to know you are as invested in ttc as she is, and it does get to the point where you're so desperate you start clutching at straws :(

Good luck.

This isn't a wind up aldiwhore. And I haven't been off the booze for two years... I've been on and off (sometimes more on than off - to cope with the stress of it all). And you are so right about the desperation making small things blow up.

Thanks for the link Just and Switch. However - if one does a bit more googling you can find articles / research that contradict the one you posted. That's the trouble with the internet! You can find 'evidence' to back up almost any argument!

Thanks for the heads-up on the selinium Just... I will look into it, although I suspect I am already taking it (I take a daily male fertility pill).

Switch - I think you're right about my wife needing to see me as trying as hard as her. You're probably right about the herbal tea too! Problem is we both deal with this so differently.

Thank you all.

Tea? You're not allowed tea?

Heard it fucking all now! What earthly thing is wrong with tea?

There is no reason to give up tea, but I do feel for your wife - and you - because this is obviously causing her a lot of upset.

Perhaps in the interests of martial harmony you should drink green tea or something, as someone else pointed out you can have a cuppa at work.

Best of luck.

Fair point PopcornMouse. Come to think of it - when I had my last sperm test I had been going to the gym very regularly, been booze-free for a few months and I was also caffeine free! So perhaps my wife has a point after all!

Thanks.

Decaff?

Were you drinking tea when you had tests (not literally whilst you were having tests!) and were told your sperm is fine. If so, I doubt tea will be having any effect.

I would recommend this book, it's a real eye opener..

Taking Charge of Your Fertility

Good Luck

Yes, try decaff. It takes a week or so to get used to it, but it's all I've bought and used for about 10 years now and it's fine. I use either Tetley or Tesco own brand dependant on price/offers ect. I hear that Morrisons is Ok too.

Decaf tea definitley worth a try - I always thought it would be minging but it's actually fine, especially the earl grey one. I can't tell the difference these days.

Oh dear. Poor you, I fear a very rocky time ahead.

I googled "does tea affect fertility" so fairly neutral and all seeming to suggest it doesn't lower it - if you are taking in moderation. Some indication that green tea may be good for a woman's fertility. Some info about that selenium and lots and lots of other stuff.

I would imagine there isn't much on the entire www that you guys haven't read, though, so 'teaching your grandmother to suck eggs' springs to mind here.

Is some sort of - I don't know the term - direct fertilisation an option? Your sperm in a dish with her egg then implanted?

i doubt it does anything. if it is caffein then all i can say is i drink way too much coffee and it didnt stop my boys

Decaffe tea?

We had difficulty conceiving ds 1 with no apparent health issues. We gave up alcohol, got fit etc but the thing that seemed to work (almost immediately) was dh taking an amino acid supplement. When we conceived ds2 within 2 months of trying, 2 years later I wasn't surprised to find out dh was back on the supplement. Good luck hope you get your bfp soon!

i wonder if the fact that she is getting wound up by tea is probably where some of the problem lies. doesn't stress make these things less likely to happen?