Natural Chances or IVF/ICSI Hope

[Lantern1862]

I really need some reassurances or further opinions please as I'm currently in a huge dip and really upset.

I'm only 28 and my OH is 30 but we had some private fertility tests done and the results aren't brilliant to say the least.

My partner's sperm count is 4 million with motility at just 10% whilst for my age I was told I have the reserve of a good 38 year old. Considering I'm 28 that's not the news I was hoping for - my natural follicles are at 10 and ANH 11.8. Physically my womb and other areas are fine but this coupled with my partners score makes baby unlikely.

We're at the very start of this with follow up tests on my partner yet to come. Please tell me someone else has been in this situation and has any advice?

I'm also ovulating fine and partners sperm shape is ok thank goodness

Any updates OP? Xx

It's been a long journey for us!

I actually must have got pregnant the month of posting this. Unfortunately that pregnancy ended up in a miscarriage at around 7 weeks. The month after the miscarriage we got pregnant again and that resulted in my miraculous little boy.

He's now 2.5years old and we tried naturally again for a year for a sibling. After the year we went straight to IVF/ICSI and so far have had 2 failed rounds.

We're having a bit of a break before our final round in Dec/Jan. It's been a rollercoaster to say the least but we have our son, I'd just love to give him a brother or sister.

Oh wow! Congrats on your first baby, but so sorry to hear about your struggles this time round! I’m sure it doesn’t make going through this any easier the second time round 🩵

Could I ask how long you were trying before falling pregnant naturally?

My OH has a low count too, I also have a small adenomyoma and borderline PCOS so a mixed picture. We’re planning ICSI in the new year and I’m just panicked about the inevitable fears we all have.

How have you found IVF/ICSI? Any advice? Xx

Thank you, we are very lucky really. I think the troubles we're having now are just a very different kind of rubbish really. I'm not perhaps as desperate as I was previously.

We were trying for about 6 months before the first failed pregnancy I think. So 8/9 months in total.

My husband's count has fallen dramatically again to about 0.2million now so we'd be hard pushed for a natural pregnancy again - the drs still don't know how we managed it the first time (twice!).

The IVF process has been overwhelming but the physical aspects of it aren't half as bad as I thought they would be - you weirdly get into the swing of things quite quickly. I think you have to just give yourself a break and lean on your partner - and don't plan anything.

If you're a reader, I would recommend reading It Starts With the Egg - it has some really good info in there to help you prepare your body for it. And there's another one called Get a Life which is from the male and female perspective but is actually quite funny (or as funny as you can be with the topic).

If you have any questions at all just pop them over, happy to answer anything xxx