I need a reality check - has anyone managed to conceive with very poor sperm count?

[ElsaElsewhere]

My DH has now had 3 poor semen anaylsis results. He has v low count and motility.

We've been TTC for 2 years and beginning to realise it may never happen and wondering whether there's any point continuing to try. I don't want to kid myself every month that I'm in with a chance if there really is none, it's just too upsetting

We don't qualify for IVF or any other treatment on the NHS as we have one DD already.

Has anyone else been in this position? I'm interested in your stories - did you manage to conceive naturally? Or not?

There's always a chance - it's low quality but has some motility, it's not zero.

There are things you can do to increase count and quality of sperm, a good friends DH had this prob and they have 2 DC now, but had to take suplements and lifestyle measures each time and after about 3 or 4 months, count and quality were lowish but much better, and they did concieve.

Firstly, if DH smokes, or is exposed to other peoples smoking, he has to STOP - smoking has a very bad effect on sperm count and quality.

If DH is exposed to chemicals at work (for example, paints, or motor oil etc), this can also have an effect - can he change his work practices to reduce exposure?

DH should wear boxer shorts, not tight underwear.

Regular exercise increases sperm quality - but not if you are cycling! Bike seats put pressure on all the wrong places.

Diet is really important, cut the crap, or at least make sure DH has supplements of minerals (Zinc or a multimineral with zinc in it, or eat lots of seeds), fish oil (for Omega 3, 6, and 9), and Folic acid (good for men trying to concieve, not just women).

And the same goes for you (but not the boxer shorts!)

This won't help everyone, but if you can put your chances up from "very low" to "just a bit low" each month - it would be worth a go.

Good luck!

did you concieve your first child together? if so then its not impossible because you two already managed to concieve a child together.

lots of small things you can do to ever so slightly increase the chances of a slightly higher sperm count.

end of the day - your DH has a low sperm count, not 0 sperm count, so whatever its not impossible, just very hard

good luck

I have been trying for 14 months and DH has really low count - we were just about to be referred for IVF - but we got lucky in Feb - I am 10 weeks now... He totally quit booze for 3 months and bob's your uncle... I heard that Zoe Ball said the same thing - it took her and her husband 4 years, but they both quit booze and got lucky... Booze is evil for sperm..

Best of luck xxx

I do know of a couple with very poor sperm count who managed to get pregnant without intervention, so it can be done. Do you not even qualify for an IUI on the NHS? I know that there are many things that can be done to help a poor sperm count and have an incredible effect in jacking it up - ask your GP.

Apparently Gordon Ramsay has a low sperm count and his wife Tana had her own fertility problems so they conceived their first through IVF and then their twins through IVF and then they conceived their last child naturally. Neither thought it was possibly - so there you go!

Hi, I don't personally have any experience of this but I just wanted to say that a very good friend of mines DH had cancer when he was a teenager and as a result of the treatment was left with a very low sperm count. They now have a beautiful 14 month old daughter conceived naturally.

It only takes one sperm to do the job!!!

Good luck.

It's definately worth considering diet and lifestyle as it can make a huge difference to sperm count, although it only takes 1 anyway.

There is a programme called "Foresight", they have a website, it might be "Foresight preconception", I can't remember. They focus on diet and lifestyle and have had amazing results in helping couples with allsorts of fertility problems. It might be worth having a look there.

it took us 3 years. had one no problem, had trouble getting the next one, DH had his sperm tested and it was a very poor result similar to your DH.

it happened when i gave up! i went and got a full time job and decided one was enough, then bingo!

it can happen. dont lose hope

My dh was told he had absolutely no sperm at all (after a vasectomy reversal) yet we had no trouble producing 2 children in quick succession. I would take the test results with a grain of salt. Also, as others have said, make sure you go online, find all the reasonable possibilities for low sperm and make sure you are addressing them. Diet and lifestyle are really important.
Good luck!

Yes we have one DD together already - she was conceived very easily. So either we were incredibly lucky that time, or DH's sperm problems only started since then, I guess we'll never know which.

We'll get no funding for any treatment such as IVF, IUI as we already have DD.

DH has been on a massive health kick for about 6 months now. He doesn't smoke anyway, and has given up drinking altogether. He's also exercising more and taking a load of vitamins, including zinc and folic acid.

He's also had more tests, including an ultrasound on his balls (!) and blood tests.

BUT on the day of our appointment with the Consultant to get the results and discuss what to do next the clinic was cancelled (I think the Consultant was off and they had no-one to cover) and we were given an appointment in August instead . We're both really frustrated by this obviously.

Thank you for all your stories, it's good to hear people have been successful in similar circumstances And also encouraging to know that DH is doing all the right things healthwise too.

Another possible cause - (though you say you had several sperm counts done?) is maybe illness, I have heard that some viral illnesses can knock out sperm production for a few months (sorry, can't remember where I read that).

you're doing everything you can at the moment, so fingers crossed, maybe you'll get lucky BEFORE you see the consultant in August.....

1. Phone up and ask for a cancellation appointment. If you make it clear that you can come at short notice, then they may well phone you with an appointment before August.

We managed it. After trying for 2 and a half years, we were one month away from IVF/ICSI when I conceived naturally. Dd is 5 years old.

Neither of us smoked anyway
We gave up alcohol
We gave up aspartame
We gave up red meat
We gave up cow dairy (moved onto goat dairy instead)
We started taking loads of vitamins and minerals
We both had acupuncture
DH took chinese herbs
I had reflexology and did yoga.

We followed a book called "natural solutions to infertility" by Dr Marilyn Glenville.

Something worked!!!!!

However we haven't managed to conceive again since. I have come to terms with dd being our wonderful blessing.

Thanks for your advice once again.

oldmum yes we've had 4 sperm counts done over a period of 8 months so unlikely to be an illness.

I wish I could know if everything we're doing healthwise is having some effect.

Ironically when we conceived DD we both drank more than we do now, DH had a bath everyday (he loves baths, I think he misses them more than alcohol) and DH cycled a lot too.

littlefish thanks for that - I'm going to ring the hospital tomorrow to ask about an cancellation appointment.

Have you ever thought of using preseed or conceive plus, one of the fertility friendly lubricants? I have heard several success stories of people in your situation conceiving, as the lubricant makes an ideal environment and a great conduit for the sperm.. It might be worth a chance.

Kerry

How low is very low?

Ultimately, it does only take one sperm to make a baby, and while there will always be the stories of those who conceived against the odds, you do IMO also need to be realistic, because for the few who do, there are many more who don't.

There are things you can do that may improve sperm quality, but sperm is still a very little understood science, and many of these methods don't work for everyone - in fact there is very little evidence that they work for long-term sperm issues as opposed to low sperm counts that have been affected temporarily by things such as illness and long-hall travel.

You need to consider all your options. Obviously take the supplements and cut down on the alcohol etc, but at the same time I'd be looking to seek professional advice and explore your options in terms of assisted conception should you choose to go down that route. The level of your dh's sperms count will depend on the kind of treatment you'll require, i.e. IUI, IVF or ICSI. I know that you're not eligible for funding so if you think you would consider assisted conception then this is something you could save for while hoping you conceive naturally.

I too have a ds conceived naturally after thirteen months of trying, it was the month we went for tests that I conceived, and dh was told then his count was deamed to be on the low side.

However three years later we started ttc no two and were unsuccessful. Dh went for another analysis and was told that his count was very low. The assisted conception route was one I personally chose not to go down, but we never got pregnant naturally, despite trying all the methods listed above.

We didn;t have poor count but had poor motility and lower end of avergae count. Then we did another test at fertility clinic and all okay - the doc said maybe my dh had an infection or something when first one was done. Conceived after two and a half years just before doing fertility treatment. Now ten weeks (so everything crossed it works). x

I don't want to give anyone false hope, but when I met my OH he had been told by 2 clinics and a hospital that his sperm was swimming round in circles and that he had a very low chance of impregnating someone naturally. This coupled with my age (40) and my polycystic ovaries led us to abandon contraception and get on with lots of joyous lovemaking- 10 weeks later BINGO. Our little one is due in the next few weeks, it can and does happen. I hope you are lucky- keep up the lovemaking , it's the best recipe for a baby

If they have done an ultrasound it is possible that they suspect he has a varicocele. Have they mentioned that to you?

DH had one and was operated on and his count and morphology improved greatly after that.