To try and conceive naturally and put IVF on hold?

[AnnaSteen]

Short version. My DH & I were having no luck conceiving. Went to fertility specialist who said DH sperm count was 1 million and to take wellman & come back 3 months later - it went up to 5 million and they said it’s unlikely it’d improve any more and IVF ICSI was our only option. All my tests came back normal but in our 1st round I responded badly to drugs, few eggs and no decent embryos so consultant said it implies poor egg quality / that DH sperm and my eggs don’t go well together but she can’t be sure!

In the meantime DH made some substantial overhaul to his life to prepare for IVF and give us the best chance - it turns out his count is now 18 million with good motility and classed as normal.

Given now my tests say I’m ok and DH is now normal WIBU to say forget about IVF and try naturally again for 6 months then go back if nothing happens - or am I just deluding myself?

IVF is such an age game and if we wait then we will be older doing it and if it is an egg quality issue older again if we have to do multiple rounds.

I don’t know what to do! Any advice greatly appreciate! (I am 33)

How long have you been ttc? Personally I'd try naturally for six months and then go for other options. Have a read on the infertility page, IVF sounds really hard so if OH has improved his swimmers that much I'd give it a go naturally first 👍🏻

Also, do you know how long the IVF waiting list is in your area?

In your position I'd give it 6 months and see how you go.

Good luck!

We were trying for a Year but we never tried naturally with anything other than the 1 million count as we were then in the system with tests etc and had to use protection. We are doing it privately so can go again whenever we want. Worried about losing 6 months if it’s pointless - clinic closes over Christmas too so you’re talking only getting one more done this year but then I suppose it could work naturally - I posted on infertility too thanks!

We were in almost the same position. We decided to go for IUI and fell pregnant immediately on the first try. We also thought about trying naturally but at that point we were trying for so long and just didnt want to waste any more time.

If you can wait it out and try naturally for another 6 months or so it’s probably worth it now that his sperm is considered normal.

33 is not old in IVF terms, I was 36 seeing consultants who would bat away my “I’m advanced maternal age” comments. Yes the chances are better when you are on the younger side but realistically 6/12 months is unlikely to make a huge difference.
Can you ask them to keep you on the wait list but not at the top? That’s what we did when we wanted a few months break.
Good luck either way (I conceived naturally in the end but with a different partner so I can’t give you any advice in that area )

Ah sorry didn’t see that you are private. In which case you could give yourself a deadline - 4/6 months of naturally trying whilst getting yourself “ivf ready”?
It really depends on whether you mentally can wait any longer. Only you know that, if you can’t then just go for it!

You are only 33, I personally would try naturally for a year or so.

Yeah, I'd give it another year with the, ahem, inflated sperm count.

If your egg quality is also suspect are you taking measures to try to improve it (just incase)? I hear great things about taking ubiquinol and it's often recommended to take before ivf. Maybe try it for a few months to see if it helps naturally and if it doesn't you will have given yourself the best shot you can at ivf working! Good luck x

Your next round of IVF will hopefully be more successful egg wise now that they have seen how you respond to the drugs. I have had IVF and often heard others describe the first round as a rehearsal.

If it was me, I would do IVF now rather than tie myself in knots every month after waiting for AF to arrive/not arrive. Sperm count/quality does and can vary hugely over a small amount of time. But if you are self funded, it is entirely up to you, you may be successful!

Another vote for putting off IVF and possibly avoiding all the physical and mental stress of it. Take the year off and see what happens (speaking as someone who did 4 lots of IUI, 7 rounds of IVF with increasingly rubbish response. I eventually gave up on the idea of ever having children and then...yup...got pregnant thqe old-fashioned way). Good luck

At 33 you've got time - deffo give it 6 months. Track ovulation and go for it. Good luck!

I would try for a year before going back to IVF. Being 33 or 34 isn't really going to make any difference.

I would also vote for leaving it a year...and combine it with weekends away/holidays etc and spice up your sex life so it isn't all about trying for a baby. It s said women having affairs are far more likely to get pregnant so maybe feeling naughty and enjoying yourselves might work?

Thanks all! Lots of great advice. And at least it seems I’m not being totally silly postponing the IVF! @mrflibbles I’ve started taking zita west IVF pack this past month in prep for what we thought was the next one!!! @anewdawn we never even thought about IUI!! I’ll ask the consultant!

I would wait myself but that's partly because I found our one cycle of IVF really traumatic but mainly because I'm one of those incredibly irritating people who did end up conceiving naturally after many years of trying. You do have plenty of time though which would definitely sway my decision. Wishing you the best of luck!

33 is not old. I had DS via ICSI at 34 and am undergoing ICSI again just now which is successful will make me 37 when any new DCs are born.

Thanks all. @ginger1982 I guess it is more that it didn’t go well at all first time so I worry we’re going to need all of those years to hopefully get it to work. Did it work first time for you both times?

My sister decided to try Ubiquinol after her IVF cycle produced zero follicles. She actually went on the egg doner waiting lists as the doctor told her she had no chance otherwise.

She read about ubiquinol and decided to try it just with clomid. She conceived on the third cycle of trying it and gave birth aged 43.

She got the clomid prescribed privately by an overseas doctor and without any monitoring.

Hiya,
What's your amh?

@alice I don’t remember exactly and our consultant is a bit scary so I’m afraid to ask her again! She acts like we’re idiots!! From memory I think it’s around 24-26? And my AFC was 16.

Age really isn't the most important factor. As posted above. It's your amh result that is key, ideally resultS. Some women are still very fertile at 34, others are not. You really need to understand why you didn't produce enough good quality eggs. Also, the fs t that yhor oh now falls under the 'normal' sperm category doesn't mean that it is great. 18 million means that natural pregnancy is possible but it is still on the low side and if your eggs are not at best quality, it might just be a waste of one year.

Do you want to wait a year because you think your chances of being pregnant are now good or because you can't financially or mentally contemplate doing another round at this time? If the latter, do wait, if the former, don't, especially if your amh result is low/fhs high.

@swingifthings - I guess we were both so delighted we were now ‘normal’ that we could maybe have a baby without having to go through IVF. But your post has brought me back down to earth a bit as you are right we’re at the lower end of the sperm rang and although my AMH etc are good for my age the poor response indicates something more might be happening. I think we might try naturally for the summer and if nothing happens go again end September... I have around a stone to lose so might treat it as IVF prep time. Thanks

Read 'it starts with the egg' by Rebecca Fett and enjoy the next 6 months of shagging OP 🤞