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Original poster

Very (very) low sperm count. Anyone conceive despite it without intervention?

10 replies

Marmiteorvegemite6 · 14/11/2022 02:18

DH has just been told he had a very low sperm count (under 2 million). We’ve been told that our only real hope is ICSI.

But I was wondering - if this happened to you, did you conceive without intervention by surprise?

OP posts:
babynoname22 · 14/11/2022 03:29

Yes and no.

DH count similar. With low morphology and low motility

DS1 2.5. Three years of trying EVERYTHING and a round of ICSI.

DS2 10 weeks. Unprotected (planned) sex once last NYE! Go figure!

Magssss · 14/11/2022 05:23

Yes we were told this at age 25 (me) and 26 (him). Told we would need ICSI. Even told to freeze his sperm in case it dropped any lower.

Anyway I’m 33 now and here I sit feeding my 4th baby…all conceived naturally. I didn’t realise for ages that I was pregnant with my 1st because they had made it so clear that we would need all this intervention! To this day I do not understand how I have 4 kids. And the sperm test wasn’t even a dud because they did it twice!

best of luck!!

Original poster
Marmiteorvegemite6 · 14/11/2022 06:53

Oh wow thank you both! That’s really interesting. I guess there’s still a chance… they made it seem hopeless!

OP posts:
Snoopsnoggysnog · 14/11/2022 09:12

I guess it depends on the reason for the low sperm count?
my DH had an undescended testicle as a child. We were told he’d never father children and even Icsi wasn’t an option. However they managed to find some motile sperm in one test so went ahead, we were successful first time (I have no fertility issues myself), we have twins who are tweens now.

So things can vary between sperm samples I guess, but we’ve never used any contraception since and I haven’t got pregnant (although having small twins might be one reason for that!)

Hope you are ok OP - it’s a really traumatic and difficult thing to go through. Hope you have some support or keep posting on here.

curliegirlie · 14/11/2022 09:40

There can be huge differences between samples. When DH had SA when TTC our first, his first result was very low (I can't remember the exact figure), then the second one was even lower - in retrospect I put this down to the stress of the first results. We were convinced we'd need to go down the ICSI route, but then I got a BFP after 16 months/10 cycles a couple of months later. So, I think there must have been huge improvements from SA #2, which I think was similar to yours. And/or it only takes one in the end after all....
We went on to have #DD2 nearly 3 years later, then earlier this year a surprise pill mishap, which sadly turned into MC. But the point is I've had 3 natural pregnancies (4 if counting the CP whilst TTC DD2) despite pretty shoddy SA. Good luck!

alt22 · 04/01/2023 17:24

Marmiteorvegemite6 · 14/11/2022 02:18

DH has just been told he had a very low sperm count (under 2 million). We’ve been told that our only real hope is ICSI.

But I was wondering - if this happened to you, did you conceive without intervention by surprise?

Hi @Marmiteorvegemite6

My husband and I are in a very similar situation.
We have both gone into panic mode and are quite upset by the whole thing! I just wondered how you both are getting on and whether anything has helped? X

Original poster
Marmiteorvegemite6 · 05/01/2023 09:24

alt22 · 04/01/2023 17:24

Hi @Marmiteorvegemite6

My husband and I are in a very similar situation.
We have both gone into panic mode and are quite upset by the whole thing! I just wondered how you both are getting on and whether anything has helped? X

Show quote history

I’m so sorry this has happened to you as well.

We haven’t gotten any further with it since I posted. We did look into ICSI and had an appointment with a fertility clinic (before I posted). The doctors seemed to think this was the best - if not only - way for us.

ICSI might be something worth looking into? Did your GP suggest anything?

At one point, I considered a private appointment with an expert male fertility expert, Jonathan Ramsay, but we had a quick conversation beforehand where he told us that, with numbers like DH’s, we really were looking at ICSI so there didn’t seem much point in going ahead and making an appointment. I really appreciated that though - he didn’t want to waste our money!

Might be worth looking into? I came across his name on mumsnet actually!

OP posts:
WinterFoxes · 05/01/2023 09:33

OP, while it is lovely to hear these stories, don't rule out ICSII given your ages (If you are the person who started the other thread yesterday.)

DH and I have been together for thirty years and never once used protection as he was told he couldn't have children. We had two by ICSII but not once has our very healthy sex life resulted in a pregnancy. In thirty years.

JuniperandI · 05/01/2023 12:13

Hello everyone

I'm beginning to get concerned about DH's sperm count, although we've not had any tests done yet. I know you can buy tests yourself for about £30, has anyone used one of those? I'm talking about these ones -
www.conceiveplus.co.uk/product/male-fertility-sperm-test/

Coffeeandcrocs · 05/01/2023 12:15

We had ICSI for DS1 for this issue after 3 years of trying.

Fell pregnant naturally without trying when he was 16 months old without having had a period and still breastfeeding 24/7

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