Help with fertility results

[BananaGak]

Can anyone advise what to make of this? My OH is now sitting back happy that he's in the clear and it's down to me that we can't conceive. I don't really know what it all means. My day 21 results came back as 79 which he said is super high as it only needs to be mid 20's to ovulate so surely I'm doing my bit. His morphology came back at 2% which sounds low but he said it's still possible. Photo of letter below xx

Letter we got from consultant at the hospital.

Your progesterone result is fine. The problem is that there are a lot more things which can go 'wrong' for a woman, so there are lots of tests they can do, looking at different aspects. Just from the wording on the letter it sounds like the semen analysis had a reasonable result (as in, not perfect but not bad enough to be the reason you haven't got pregnant). If you're husband is 'sitting back, happy that he's in the clear', though, then he's a dick. It's no more your fault than it is his, even if the tests did show a problem! You have been referred to the fertility clinic as a couple because it is both of you who are having difficulty conceiving. I hope your TTC journey is not drawn out too much longer, I know how frustrating it can be.

Thank you for replying. Im really hoping it's just a case of luck. Im doing everything I can in terms of exercise (as much as you can with a toddler so usually centres around running round the park and walking places instead of driving) and eating healthy for us both.

He said until all tests are complete and we see him again to stop ttc butnit could be 18mths till that all happens. I don't really want to stop ttc though so wondering if I can hold out that long.

I don't think he meant all the tests it wud be loopy to make u wait 18 months. So far you are all clear and your husband is borderline. Have you had a look into what could be affecting the morphology. For example I've read that the man smoking weed can effect morphology. I'm sure there are lots of other things too.

My DH had low-ish morphology when we started ttc. He was very dismissive of it too and defensive when I raised it with him. However, it improved massively once I got him taking wellman conception vitamins and to cut down on drinking. Also no hot baths. His next semen analysis 6 months after doing all that was excellent, so those things must have made a difference. I'd recommend suggesting similar to your DH.

Thank you for the advice. He doesn't smoke at all but does go out on weekends for a few pints or seven or nine and occasionally one on a night maybe twice a week. He's looking to do the GNR in September though and has said part of getting fitter is cutting down on drinking. Rather than hurt his manhood and pride I might push this. I'm not sure I could get him to take vitamins though... do you think I could smuggle them in his dinner like I used to do with DS when he had tonsillitis and wouldn't take his medicine 😂

My DH was reluctant to do vitamins too. If you have to go down the fertility investigations route, that means endless people poking around your fanjo, needles, possibly operations etc. if you're doing all that, then it seems a bit lame that he won't take a daily vitamin! I pointed this out and funnily enough there hasn't been much resistance since!

Thank you @tigerdog. You have a fair point about the fact I've had 8 blood tests, an internal ultrasound (they lost the results so have to repeat it), I take a multivitamin, cut out caffeine, drinking, plus stay awake on a night for DTD when I work all day and take care of a toddler the rest (I'm a teacher so technically can finish at 3pm) so all I want to do is get an early night!

Hi Banana. I really wish they would provide a version of these letters translated into regular English. What he is saying is:

• Your previous childbirth is unlikely to have caused any long term fertility problems, as the delivery was uncomplicated. This is good.
• You have regular cycles, so you are likely to be ovulating. Also good. Your CD21 progesterone levels were high - this means you did* ovulate. This is great!
• Your DP's sperm analysis was normal. He is an asshole to make you feel like this is your fault though.

There may be other reasons for fertility problems. So you will get some further tests:

• Blood tests for ovarian reserve, to see how many eggs you have left.
• Ultrasound of your ovaries, also to check how many eggs you have left.
• hysterosalpingogram (HSG) - an xray of your fallopian tubes to check if they are blocked. If so, your eggs cannot travel to the uterus, even if you are ovulating. It is a simple process to flush them out if they are blocked.
• swabs - to check for STDs, and whatever sort of irregularities they look for at smear tests. These are standard for anyone getting fertility treatment, as untreated STDs can make it difficult to conceive.

I have no idea why he said to stop TTC. I would phone back and ask for clarification. Once specific tests (like the fallopian tube xray) are booked, they may ask you not to TTC that cycle, because you may be pregnant without knowing it yet and obviously xrays are not great for embryos.