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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Partner won’t stop drinking even though his sperm analysis is bad and I’ve had 3 miscarriages

126 replies

Jackie8787 · 26/11/2024 19:17

My partner and I have been trying to conceive for the last year. In that time, I’ve had 3 miscarriages. All of my tests so far have come back ok, although I am still very much aware that the issue could lie with me as there can be so many possible causes.
My partner has now had 2 sperm analysis a few months apart. The first one was after my 2nd miscarriage and the most recent analysis was after my 3rd miscarriage. Both results have come back with low morphology (< 1%) and the count/motility aren’t great either.
He’s always liked a drink and regularly has beers or wine on week nights and weekend. I asked him to cut down before we started trying as we are late thirties and I was aware that alcohol can affect fertility. He never did.
After my second miscarriage and his sperm analysis, I gently broached the subject again and asked if he would be willing to cut out alcohol completely and I would do the same (even though I hardly drink). He agreed but it lasted less than a week.
After my 3rd miscarriage and his second SA, I said we really need to try cutting out alcohol. I’ve always been careful never to blame him as we don’t know that his sperm is causing the miscarriages, but as we know sperm regenerates over 3 months, surely it has to be worth a try. Again, he said he would.
We’ve just had a huge argument because he’s still drinking most nights and asked me if he could have some wine tonight. I told him he knows my thoughts but he’s an adult so he needs to make that decision and he’s gone off at me saying that I’m not a dr and that I’m blaming him ‘fine, it’s all my fault etc’.
I don’t know what to do next, am I being unreasonable? I feel like if he cared about having a child as much as he makes out, then it wouldn’t be that hard to cut out alcohol just for a few months, especially after how traumatic the last miscarriage was.

OP posts:
Moonpye · 27/11/2024 20:39

So sorry for your losses, it must have been a very difficult year for you both. I've had a fair amount of issues with fertility and miscarriages over the years and similar frustrations with husbands occasionally unhealthy habits. In particular I remember him smoking socially and being so hurt that he would do anything to even fractionally increase the risk of putting me through another miscarriage. When I spelled it out like that he got it and stopped. It was a crutch for him at a very difficult time though so it's not all as straightforward or black and white as it seems. The fact that he's struggling with this doesn't on it's own mean that he'll be a terrible dad. I'm pleased to report that we have ended up with three lovely children and my husband is an amazing dad who still has his flaws as we all do. We both took a supplement called impryl for a few months before latest pregnancy on the advice of a fertility consultant to improve egg/sperm quality. Can't say for sure that it made the difference but you never know. Good luck x

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