Hi so my husband has an extremely low sperm count and although we have already undergone our first round of IVF and had
6 frozen embryos we have already miscarried 2. we never did any PGS testing, My RE never brought it up and we are OOP so if he wasnt going to recommend it we wanted to save money. We meet with our RE in a couple weeks and i will ask if we can still have
our remaining 4 embryos tested before going through another transfer and depending on how that pans out we may undergo another full round of IVF. in preparation for that i want to get my husband and me started on some vitamins to improve egg and sperm quality and i was just wondering what any of you have tried and found to help!
Me (28) DH (32)
Married: Dec 2011
TTC#1 May 2014
Dx: MFI (low count)
FET#1 May 2016 BFP
EDD 2/4/17 - TWINS- MC July
FET#2- 11/9/16 BFP- MC
FET#3- 2/8/17 BFP- MC
Re: how to improve male fertility
Me: 1, possibly 2, blocked tubes
DH: severe MFI
Married and TTC since 2/15
Started stims 7/21/16, ER 8/2 --> 17 eggs, 5 blasts after PGS testing.
Fresh transfer 8/8/16: Chemical Pregnancy
FET #1 9/13: PGS tested 5AA, BFN
Endometrial biopsy 10/18/16: normal result
ERA test 10/18/16: "receptive" result
FET #2 1/3/17: natural cycle, BFP!!! TWINS!! EDD: 9/21 (8/31 with twin adjustment)
Me: DOR, poor egg quality, MTHFR
DH: MFI
TTC since 3/2014
2015: 3 IUI's-BFN
12/2015: 1st IVF cycle-(9 follicles retrieved, 5 mature, 3 fertilized w/ICSI, transferred 1 excellent and 1 good embryo on day 3)-chemical pregnancy
3/2016: 2nd IVF cycle- canceled (3 follicles retrieved, 3 mature, all fertilized w/ICSI, 1 fragmented, 2 arrested)
3/2016: RE suggested donor eggs- taking an ivf break and to supplement
9/2016: 3rd ivf cycle-cancelled due to early ovulation
Oct./Nov 2016: 4th ivf cycle- EPP-AFC:5, retrieved 10, 10 mature, 8 fertilized with ICSI, 6 blastocysts biopsied and frozen. 3 CCS normal embryos
1/18/17: beta #1-104
1/20/17: beta #2-174
2/2/17: first u/s, heartbeat of 107 at 6w1d
7/20/17: baby boy born at 30+3 via emergency c-section
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
- A daily vitamin called Fertil ProMen (https://www.yadtech.com/product/fertil-promd-pour-hommes-l-carnitine-2/)
- 'Releasing' at least every 48-72 hours (i think this was the key)
- A few smaller lifestyle changes, more exercise, less alcohol
- No more car seat heaters, saunas, etc. (also important)
His count's improved from 15M to over 100M in the most recent sample!
Best of luck!
Me - all clear, DH - initially low SA, with 1% morph. Now A+ SA (increase from 10M to 60M).
Sep/Oct 2016 - IUI #1 + 2 - Femara + Ovidrel + Estrace - BFN
Nov 2016 - IUI #3 - Femara + Puregon +Ovidrel + Prometrium - BFN
Dec 2016 - IUI #4 - Femara + Puregon +Ovidrel + Prometrium - TBD
DX Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Factor V Leiden Mutation, Secondary Infertility
MFI (SA #1Count 11mill, Motility: 18%, Morphology: 1%)
AMH .328 | FSH 13.2
Me: 40 DH: 38
TTC since November 2012
Elias (Eli) born 9/2/17 at 7:07pm weight 8lbs 10oz and 20.5 inches long!!
awesome thanks i will look into that supplement, my DH count was only 2,000 and improved just between tests with no change except removing one of his BP medications. he has never been one to drink much caffeine or alcohol so thats not much of a lifestyle change for him. i am hoping we dont have to do another round of IVF i would hope of my 4 frosties that they will all be viable if we do get them tested. however on the off chance they dont come back normal i want to already have him on something since i know a full cycle for sperm according to our acupuncturist is 3 months.
EDD 2/4/17 - TWINS- MC July
FET#2- 11/9/16 BFP- MC
FET#3- 2/8/17 BFP- MC
I'm personally convinced that keeping him on a 'regular release' schedule was probably what helped for us. It's what our doctor stressed was the most important.
Now his count/motility is improving, but I'm not sure the effect on morphology which was the biggest issue (he was at 1%).
Question, did you do ICSI with your IVF round?
Me - all clear, DH - initially low SA, with 1% morph. Now A+ SA (increase from 10M to 60M).
Sep/Oct 2016 - IUI #1 + 2 - Femara + Ovidrel + Estrace - BFN
Nov 2016 - IUI #3 - Femara + Puregon +Ovidrel + Prometrium - BFN
Dec 2016 - IUI #4 - Femara + Puregon +Ovidrel + Prometrium - TBD
Me: 31, DH:33
TTC since October 2015: MFI
Summer 2016: 3 IUI's: BFN
October 2016: Switched RE's and began IVF cycle
December 2016: Retrieved 13 eggs, 12 mature, 9 fertilized with ICSI. 5 day ET of 2 blasts with 4 frosites left. BFP!!!! EDD: 8/30/2017
August 25, 2017: It's a Girl!!
April 12, 2019: FET, BFP!!! Baby BOY EDD: 12/29/2019
Has anyone had issues with the count lowering though? I have been told it can have the opposite effect after a while and decrease counts.
Diagnoses: RPL, Endometriosis, MFI (count, morph, DNI, DNAS, multiple bilateral subclinical varicoceles), low progesterone
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BFP: 15 August 2015, loss confirmed 23 August 2015
BFP: 16 November 2015, loss confirmed 22 November 2015
BFP: 18 July 2016, loss confirmed same day
BFP: 04 March 2018, loss confirmed 23 March 2018
BFP: 12 June 2018, TWINS; D&C 06 July 2018
Met with OBGYN in January 2016
Me: all clear, H: OAT
November 2016: HSG = All Clear!
January 2017: H tested again, High DNA fragmentation and stainability
February 2017: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
March 2017: Clomid + HCG + IUI + Progesterone = SA/wash: zero count on attempt #1, <1,000 on attempt #2= BFN
Varicocele Embolization- 5 May 17
December 2017 SA: Zero improvement after embolization
January IVF- 25 retrieved, 11 mature, 8 fertilized, 3 frozen day fives (3AA, 3AA, 3AA), 1 frozen day 6 (5BB), 1 frozen day 7 (3CC)
Three PGS normal (3AA, 3AA, 5BB), one inconclusive (3AA)
FET #1: 27 February 2018, 3AA & 5BB, one stuck! BFP 04 March 2018.... Loss confirmed 23 March 2018
May 2018: SHG/SIS = all clear "beautiful uterus"
FET #2: 04 June 2018, 3AA PGS normal embryo, 3AA PGS hatching inconclusive embryo.
BFP: 12 June 2018, EDD 20 February 2019
Ultrasound, 25 June 2018: There are two!
Lost Baby A 02 July 2018
Baby B not growing, D&C 06 July 2018
Laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, chromotubation: 23 July 2018: blocked right tube, heavily inflamed, covered in endo. Removed right tube. Removed more endo from uterus, tubes, ovaries. Endo remains on bladder and bowel.
ER#2 ~Jan 2019
Me: 31, DH:33
TTC since October 2015: MFI
Summer 2016: 3 IUI's: BFN
October 2016: Switched RE's and began IVF cycle
December 2016: Retrieved 13 eggs, 12 mature, 9 fertilized with ICSI. 5 day ET of 2 blasts with 4 frosites left. BFP!!!! EDD: 8/30/2017
August 25, 2017: It's a Girl!!
April 12, 2019: FET, BFP!!! Baby BOY EDD: 12/29/2019
EDD 2/4/17 - TWINS- MC July
FET#2- 11/9/16 BFP- MC
FET#3- 2/8/17 BFP- MC
Me: 31, DH:33
TTC since October 2015: MFI
Summer 2016: 3 IUI's: BFN
October 2016: Switched RE's and began IVF cycle
December 2016: Retrieved 13 eggs, 12 mature, 9 fertilized with ICSI. 5 day ET of 2 blasts with 4 frosites left. BFP!!!! EDD: 8/30/2017
August 25, 2017: It's a Girl!!
April 12, 2019: FET, BFP!!! Baby BOY EDD: 12/29/2019
My DH started taking clomid in December 2015. In November 2015 his SA showed a count of 10 million total. In July 2016 (for our IVF cycle), his count was 87 million. I misspoke earlier when I said that the clomid tripled his counts since it was actually way more than that!
Also want to mention that prior to clomid was DH was taking androgel for low T, which can also make sperm count lower. When he stopped the androgel his count did improve a little bit... from 10 million to about 18 million. But clomid is what really did the trick. Unfortunately the clomid didn't help with motility, which is why we still ended up doing IVF.
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
Age: Me: 27, Husband: 29
Married: March 2012
3 dogs: Minnie, Merlin, Gus
TTC: July 2012
Diagnosis: Male Factor/Unexplained
March 2016- Laproscopy- found uterine septum and endo
April 2016- Healing from laproscopy
May 2016- Healing from laproscopy
June 2016- Follistim, Ovidrel, IUI, Progesterone- BFN (1 follicle)
July 2016- Ovarian Cyst from follistim, no IUI
August 2016- Ovarian Cyst from follistim, no IUI
September 2016- Ovarian Cyst from follistim, no IUI
October 2016- Doctor on vacation