MFI Weekly Check-in

MissEm15 · April 2014

Welcome! It's time to check-in for those of use dealing with MFI on our TTC journey. I'm new to posting, so any advice through this process is helpful!

We welcome everyone but mostly we are dealing with low count, motility, morphology or all three.Male infertility is a mysterious world filled with questions no one, including REs, urologists, acupuncturists or anyone else seem to have the answers to.Any treatment suggested is a coin toss for success and a 3 month wait for a fresh batch of swimmers. Most of us are told the only answer is IUI or IVF w/ICSI.The purpose of this group is to support each other through shared experiences and to share any info we can because the more informed we are the better. We will have a check in every Thursday/Friday. Welcome and baby dust to all!

Anyone new, please intro w/name (if you want), MFI issues and where you are in your curent cycle! Thanks!

HUGS TO ALL THAT NEED THEM FX TO ALL IN TWW!!

QOTW: It seems like there are a lot of new ladies. New ladies, do you have any questions/concerns? Do be afraid to ask!!

MFI check-in status update:
Ky29 - low morph/motility - natural cycle
Kushie77 - low count/morph - IVF prep
Sha259 - low count/morph - IUI #3 cycle
KT416 - low motility - natural cycle
TLooney17 - low count/motility/morph - natural cycle
Tifga - low motility - IUI #5 cycle
chicory - low motility/testosterone ratio - IUI #2
Cindal - low count/motility/morph - IVF prep
dotbaby - high viscosity/low count/low motility - IUI #4 TWW
melisconizzle - low count/motility/morph - natural cycle
finedoubleline - low count - natural cycle
dharmachick - borderline low count/motility - IUI #3 TWW
sigh202 - low/no count - IVF prep
sweetieshellieh - low motility/possible low count - IUI #2 TWW
erollis - low count/morph - IUI prep
katieb77 - low count/motility - IVF #2 prep
bunnyberry - borderline low count/motility - IUI prep
mommalawyer - low count/motility - IUI #1 TWW
MissEm15 - borderline low count/motility, low morph - IUI #3
Amazing817 - low count/motility/morphology - natural cycle
lillovebug09 - low motility - IUI #8

**If I need to update any of the above, please let me know & I will correct.

erollis · April 2014

Hs consultation was yesterday. Found out his initial numbers (except for morph) are great! But.... After wash his numbers are horrible lower then what they want to see in a wash. With the wash his morph goes up but still not good.

There are a lot of I think dr said white blood cells in his sample (wasn't noted on paper). This isn't good. One of the reasons this happens is from male UTI. H is on meds twice a day for 3 weeks. Then in May he goes back for another SA to compare. After that the Dr will decide if lifestyle changes are needed and possibly more SAs (or even something else).

He did want to know my medical history too. He also requested to see my HSG results. I like how involved he is in both of us.

Amazing817 · April 2014

Hi All, my name is Megan and we have been TTC since October 2012, the month before our wedding. For 5 years prior to our wedding we were so paranoid about getting pregnant that not only was I using the ring for birth control he also used condoms, might be a bit extreme to some but we had a "plan" and boy has it backfired on us!!

August 2013 I went to see my OBGYN for my annual and she stated that she would run bloodwork for me and have my husband do a SA after getting incredibly low number she immediately recommended that we see a RE.

So our journey started last October with our RE, it was pretty quick that they diagnosed us with MFI. They had my husband see a fertility urologist and he basically told us in December that nothing is "wrong" with my husband except his numbers are all exceptionally low which could be genetic.

Our RE said that we have less than a 5% chance naturally conceiving and that we can look into IUI but IVF will be our best chances. They receommended that my husband take some vitamins and supplements which he is currently taking now.

After all my blood work, SIS, HSG, etc all checked out perfect for me we did our first IUI back in Feb and it was a BFN. We (really me) have decided to take a break and really focus on eating really healthy and hopefully getting both of our BMI's down a bit. I want to make sure that we are putting our best effort into everything that we do before we go the IVF route which inevitably might be where we head but I want to know we have done everything that we can do.

It will be four months soon that my husband has been on all the supplements/vitamins and I do have hope that they have helped a bit with his numbers, we have talked about him going for a SA next month just to see if there has been any change which our RE supports.

I don't have his numbers in front of me (I'm at work, shhh don't tell anyone LOL) but in general his numbers are very low, his volume is about half of what they would like it to be for IUI and we are dealing with his swimmers either not having tails or then the ones that do have tails just aren't mobile.

Thanks so much for starting this thread, it's really greatly appreciated!

kushie77 · April 2014

We got terrible SA results back yesterday. Count was 400, 48 were alive and 8 were motile. We're doing a panel of labs this weekend and it's off to Fert Urology. H has a large varicocele which may be a contributing factor. We're not quite sure where to go right now, we've decided to see what the Urologist has to say and we may be heading back to adoption. It's kind of a wait and see game at the moment.

BunnyBerry · April 2014

@missem15 thanks for starting this thread, reading the list of so many others in various stages of the process but struggling with something similar just felt like a relief that we are not alone.

MissEm15 · April 2014

Our third IUI will probably be next Saturday or Sunday. It will be the last bf IVF w/ ICSI. My husband has been doing good taking the supplements I got him & we have been trying to drink less and eat better & get a little more exercise. I'm trying to stay positive! I was really scared of doing IVF but now I'm just so ready for it.

QOTD: My question is bc I wonder why some men are getting prescribed Clomid when my RE hasn't even mentioned it. She basically said there is nothing we can do. Those of you, who's DH is taking Clomid, was it for low count, low motility, low morph? All three? Was it prescrbed by a Urologist or by the RE?

MissEm15 · April 2014

@BunnyBerry thanks! I just wish I could solve all our problems & nobody had to go through this!!

dotbaby · April 2014

IUI #4 was a BFN. We thought about taking a break this month so I could let my body take a break from all the medicine, but we decided to go forward with IUI #5. Insurance covers IUI, so we figure we might and as well try it a couple times with our new RE. Yesterday I had my baseline ultrasound and my RE said that if we don't conceive this cycle we're going to have "the talk" AKA the IVF talk. I can honestly say I'm terrified.

MissEm15 · April 2014

@dotbaby we can do IVF together (hopefully our next IUI's work though)! We are in the exact same boat as far as timing. I was so terrified of IVF... I don't know what happened but I'm so ready for it. We have insurance too, so it makes my decision a lot easier. But, our chances of success are so much higher & I'm so ready to be done w/ all this crap.

TLooney17 · April 2014

MissEm15 said:

Our third IUI will probably be next Saturday or Sunday. It will be the last bf IVF w/ ICSI. My husband has been doing good taking the supplements I got him & we have been trying to drink less and eat better & get a little more exercise. I'm trying to stay positive! I was really scared of doing IVF but now I'm just so ready for it.
QOTD: My question is bc I wonder why some men are getting prescribed Clomid when my RE hasn't even mentioned it. She basically said there is nothing we can do. Those of you, who's DH is taking Clomid, was it for low count, low motility, low morph? All three? Was it prescrbed by a Urologist or by the RE?

My husband has low count, motility and morphology. The clomid was prescribed by a uro who specializes in MFI. Our RE did bloodwork for DH and thought everything looked ok, but the uro said that his testosterone is low for his age. He said the table that the RE looks at was for an older age range of men, so his testosterone was ok but not good for his age. The clomid is supposed to help his testosterone level which in turn should help sperm production. There was a good improvement in the first SA, so we are hoping to move into iui range with our next SA. RE's specialize in female infertility not male. Our RE refers anyone with MFI to a uro in our area who specializes in MFI.

Cindal · April 2014

RE appt was yesterday. The dr. decided to table the IVF discussion. He wants to test and rule out retrograde ejaculation since diabetes apparently raises the risk for it. And although its uncommon its highly treatable.
The testing plan includes a regiment of sodium bicarbonate tablets to alkanalize his urine to an environment that's hospitable to sperm. I find it mildly funny DH gets his turn at peeing in a cup,

. Then a special two part SA where they count the numbers in the semen and then the numbers in 'washed' urine.If there's more in the urine than the semen then he has the condition. I'm also supposed to go back near the end of the month to redo all my testing since it's been over a year.
@MissEm15 our urologist presribed the clomid for DH. It hasn't improved Dh's numbers at all, I think it only works well in men with low T.

SweetieShellieH · April 2014

Hi girls.

Still in the 2ww, so really nothing new to report. Beta will be on the 14th. In my mind it's already a BFN. Haven't tested or anything, I didnt even bother testing out my trigger. I'm assuming because of how bad the IUI went. I'd be beyond shocked if it worked. I feel like we're in limbo land right now, because if this doesn't work, we won't know for sure what the next step will be for 3 months. If his meds don't work, it'll be IVF. If it does work, I'm assuming we'll try IUI again, but the RE never discussed that scenario and I didn't even think to ask.

In other, but very much related news, the province of Ontario, Canada (where I live) announced they are planning to expand IVF funding next year, so I believe a couple with any fertility issues can apply for a currently unknown amount of coverage for 1 IVF cycle (one is better then none) as long as only 1 embryo is transferred. Meds not included of course. Right now they only partially cover if the female has BOTH tubes blocked, and will not fund any amount for any other fertility conditions. I'm glad to hear this, since DH's insurance through work doesn't cover it, I have no insurance being part-time, and we've already spent a lot of our money to pay for these two IUI's (We just bought a house in October, so we don't have a lot of money either :P). We are extremely, extremely fortunate that DH's mother says she will pay for any IVF treatment we may need, regardless of the cost. She had briefly mentioned helping us before, but it wasn't until last week when we told her IVF may become our only option, that she told us she'd help with every cost with IVF. She and her late husband went through infertility for years too, so if anyone understands what we are going through, it's her. When IUI's didn't work, and since IVF wasn't an option at the time, they chose to adopt. I am soo thankful everyday for her both adopting my husband and giving him as much love as any mother would, and for her offer to help us through our own journey to having a family. IVF wouldn't financially be an option for us otherwise, even with the province funding one cycle.

tifga · April 2014

@S weetieShellieH

You sound like I do, I was excited to hear about Ontario doing coverage for IVF, I don't know if I would ever use it but I do believe they should cover it for more then just blocked tubes.

I also am fairly convinced this cycle is a bust, Stupid clinic and their stupid inablilty to return a phone call.

Lillovebug79 · April 2014

Hello everyone! Our issue is MFI as well. My DH has had widely varying SA but our main issue seems to be motility. His count is low normal most of the time, volume is good, morphology is 'abnormal' but we haven't ever received a specific percentage.
He started seeing a Urologist that specializes in MFI in late November. He recommended starting Anastrozole, CoQ10, and L-Carnitine daily which DH started on 12/9. Because my insurance has good coverage for IUIs and US we continued to do them while waiting to see if the meds worked. After the 3 month mark on meds, his SA improved and we had 12.5 million post wash which is a huge improvement! But it still gave us a BFN. So now we are on our last IUI before starting the IVF with ICSI process. I have been taking clomid 100mg and go in for a follie scan on Monday. We have completed our pre-IVF testing and paperwork so if this cycle turns out to be another BFN (and chances are it will) we plan to start BCP next cycle in prep for IVF. We are extremely fortunate to have about 50% coverage for IVF (although there is a lifetime max of 2 cycles) and 30% coverage for meds. They estimated that we would still have to pay around $8000 which is a lot but much better than without any coverage.
Good luck to everyone!

MissEm15 · April 2014

@kushie77 I'm so sorry for the news.. hopefully a Urologist will shed some light & help in some way. ((Hugs))

@TLooney17 @cindal are there symptoms of low T? Now I'm wondering if we should of had DH go to a Urologist to check that...

Sigh202 · April 2014

We are finally coming off the bench although this will be a really long protocol. I'll be testing for a surge, then medicating, waiting for AF, and finally starting a routine protocol. This next month is supposed to get my body ready for the actual IVF. Good luck everyone!

TLooney17 · April 2014

My DH did not have any symptoms of low T. I think low sex drive can be a symptom, but my DH has never had that issue. It's worth checking out.....

Cindal · April 2014

@MissEm15, I agree with Tlooney I think low sex drive is a symptom. I also seem to recall that hair loss, low energy levels, and mood swings might be as well. Dh didn't have low T or any of the symptoms. Clomid was kinda a shot in the dark for us.
For what it's worth Dh got his T level tested by his primary care doctor, not the Uro.

Mommalawyer · April 2014

Still in the second half of the TWW. It's been hell, but I'm trying to remain hopeful. I've tested out my trigger, so any second line would be a real BFP, rather than my trigger, so I'm hopeful!

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MFI Weekly Check-in

Re: MFI Weekly Check-in

March 2014 - RE appt.
April 2014- Saline sono all's good, terrible SA results - 8 sperm found all abnormal
May 2014- Fert Urology- Bilateral varicoceles, recommend Donor Sperm

12/2014- Surprise natural BFP EDD 7/31/15 Plan: Starting foster to adoption, natural cycles

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**MFI Weekly Check-in**

Re: **MFI Weekly Check-in**

March 2014 - RE appt. April 2014- Saline sono all's good, terrible SA results - 8 sperm found all abnormalMay 2014- Fert Urology- Bilateral varicoceles, recommend Donor Sperm

12/2014- Surprise natural BFP EDD 7/31/15 Plan: Starting foster to adoption, natural cycles

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MFI Weekly Check-in

Re: MFI Weekly Check-in

March 2014 - RE appt.
April 2014- Saline sono all's good, terrible SA results - 8 sperm found all abnormal
May 2014- Fert Urology- Bilateral varicoceles, recommend Donor Sperm