We have MFI as in I have zero sperm to work with so we have to use donor sperm. And omg a tiny vial is so $#+@ expensive.
Five years ago at our first IVF our clinic just scrapped a little of the vial off and use it for our IVF. They don't do this anymore for good reason. It allows them to pick the best sperm Theoretically increasing the chance for better embryos. I can believe this makes a difference at least most of the time but it does mean that if we have to do another IVF that we have to buy another vial again. This makes getting only a few embryos more frustrating although we didn't want a lot begin with.
***Loss and success mentioned***
Me:34, Wife: 32
IF reasoning = MFI: Zero Sperm Count using FairFax donor bank
IUI #1 - #3: 2011 = BFN
IVF: 2011 = BFN, lost all 10 embryos (with C/Ps)
Jan 2014 - OBGYN (not RE) found and removed wife's "field of" uterine polyps after failed IVF
Moving on to surrogacy (actually a planned adoption)
Surrogate IUI#1: 7.17.12 = BFP!! 15dpiui = 256, 17dpiui = 346
Oliver Zane born - 3/29/2013 on Good Friday!
IUI #4 - #6: 2014-2015 = BFN (with C/Ps)
Switch sperm donors, start ketosis diet to reduce inflammation late 2015
IVF 2: Jan and Feb 2016, 3 great looking, 8 cell 3 day embryos. Two ET, one frozen
2.18.2016 (8dp3dt) = BFFP!
2.22.2016 (12dp3dt) = 649!!
Started foster care experience in 2012. Now waiting to adopt our foster daughter, 7, who has lived with us for 3 years.
"Wait for your God, and don't give up on Him - ever!" Hosea 12:6 (msg)


Re: Sperm vent
I wish you guys good luck!
RE DX for me: Anovulatory cycles/Mild PCOS RE DX for DW: Endometrioma on left Ovary.
Reciprocal Ivf Feb 2016. DW eggs and I am carrying. EDD: 10/27/16
We were also reviewing the possibility of donor sperm, I couldn't believe how much everything costs! Some of the sites I was on wanted a monthly subscription fee paid as well to get the photo matching...just insanely costly.
May I ask what kind of MFI your husband has?
My husband has a good testosterone level but an extremely high FSH (29) which is causing his body to fail producing sperm, he's done about 10 semen specimens with zero and actually on the last one last week they found 1 live and moving sperm and 1 dead one (craziest thing for us...) there aren't any treatments to lower the FSH. We found an urologist specializing in MFI and he is going to perform a TESE to pull sperm out that way. Not knowing the cause of your husbands, could that be an option at all?
5/2/16: 2 heartbeats
5/11/16: Baby A hb180, Baby B hb166
Due 12/22/16 with two!
We've used anonymous sperm for me, at just under $800 per vial, and have purchased 9 vials. I don't want to do the math, but it's not cheap.
But we will use a known donor for my wife. It will run about $2k, not including shipping, for as many vials as he can produce (at 6 deposits, we're hoping for more than we need).
At $2k, it's a whole lot cheaper than the over $7k we've spent on anonymous sperm. The six month wait is a pain, though. And to be honest, there will be another $750 for a lawyer to help with the legal side, so that should be considered.
@Cmartin6706, clearly, I feel you on the expense.
7 IUIs, 7 BFNs.
2 IVF attempts, both cancelled and converted to IUI, both BFNs.
Decided that my tired old ovaries are ready to retire.
Next step- reciprocal IVF, using my wife's eggs, my uterus!
fresh 5 day transfer (2 embryos) 4/17/17- BFP!
Identical twins "due" 1/2/17 (but anticipated arrival sometime December)
RE DX for me: Anovulatory cycles/Mild PCOS RE DX for DW: Endometrioma on left Ovary.
Reciprocal Ivf Feb 2016. DW eggs and I am carrying. EDD: 10/27/16
Me:34, Wife: 32
IF reasoning = MFI: Zero Sperm Count using FairFax donor bank
IVF: 2011 = BFN, lost all 10 embryos (with C/Ps)
Jan 2014 - OBGYN (not RE) found and removed wife's "field of" uterine polyps after failed IVF
Moving on to surrogacy (actually a planned adoption)
Surrogate IUI#1: 7.17.12 = BFP!! 15dpiui = 256, 17dpiui = 346
Oliver Zane born - 3/29/2013 on Good Friday!
IUI #4 - #6: 2014-2015 = BFN (with C/Ps)
Switch sperm donors, start ketosis diet to reduce inflammation late 2015
IVF 2: Jan and Feb 2016, 3 great looking, 8 cell 3 day embryos. Two ET, one frozen
2.18.2016 (8dp3dt) = BFFP!
2.22.2016 (12dp3dt) = 649!!
Started foster care experience in 2012. Now waiting to adopt our foster daughter, 7, who has lived with us for 3 years.
"Wait for your God, and don't give up on Him - ever!" Hosea 12:6 (msg)
7 IUIs, 7 BFNs.
2 IVF attempts, both cancelled and converted to IUI, both BFNs.
Decided that my tired old ovaries are ready to retire.
Next step- reciprocal IVF, using my wife's eggs, my uterus!
fresh 5 day transfer (2 embryos) 4/17/17- BFP!
Identical twins "due" 1/2/17 (but anticipated arrival sometime December)
@TheLabyrinth It's mostly a cost issue. We just didn't want to have to buy yet another vial. Although we have very very little to complain about since we have incredible fertility insurance coverage: $50K lifetime, no copays for b/w or US just the med copay.
Me:34, Wife: 32
IF reasoning = MFI: Zero Sperm Count using FairFax donor bank
IVF: 2011 = BFN, lost all 10 embryos (with C/Ps)
Jan 2014 - OBGYN (not RE) found and removed wife's "field of" uterine polyps after failed IVF
Moving on to surrogacy (actually a planned adoption)
Surrogate IUI#1: 7.17.12 = BFP!! 15dpiui = 256, 17dpiui = 346
Oliver Zane born - 3/29/2013 on Good Friday!
IUI #4 - #6: 2014-2015 = BFN (with C/Ps)
Switch sperm donors, start ketosis diet to reduce inflammation late 2015
IVF 2: Jan and Feb 2016, 3 great looking, 8 cell 3 day embryos. Two ET, one frozen
2.18.2016 (8dp3dt) = BFFP!
2.22.2016 (12dp3dt) = 649!!
Started foster care experience in 2012. Now waiting to adopt our foster daughter, 7, who has lived with us for 3 years.
"Wait for your God, and don't give up on Him - ever!" Hosea 12:6 (msg)
RE DX for me: Anovulatory cycles/Mild PCOS RE DX for DW: Endometrioma on left Ovary.
Reciprocal Ivf Feb 2016. DW eggs and I am carrying. EDD: 10/27/16
Best of luck to you both.
If I was, for example, in a lesbian relationship and needed to buy donor sperm, it wouldn't be covered but because our infertility issue is due to a medical condition (his previous cancer treatments), it's mostly covered.
I hope this is at all helpful. If HP isn't available near you, maybe there's another company that covers this kind of "medical supply" (which is what I have to check off on our reimbursement form).