Low Sperm count. Thinking about donor.

[infertile_frog]

Hello,

My DH has a count of around 1 million after wash. I havent really been getting straight answers from my RE about using donor sperm or not. My DH and I dont want to spend oodles of money on IF procedures if it is not going to work. Has anyone here had a similar count and swiched to Donor, or am I jumping the gun? I need straight answers. DH and I are perfectly fine with DS.

[CTATigger]

Have you had your DH try taking Fertility Blend vitamins? My DH took them for 3 months before our cycle and his count went way up, we didn't end up having to do any ICSI. You can get them at most drugstores (Rite-Aid) or order them online.
I don't think you'll have to use a donor, as long as your DH has sperm they can always do ICSI.
Good luck!
Baby Blessings,
Christine
32w0d baby boy

[infertile_frog]

How much of an increase did you get? DH has been taking vitamins for over 2 months, and we have seen no improvement. ISCI is not an option for us because of how expensive it is. We have no insurance coverage for it.

[CTATigger]

Originally Posted by infertile_frog

How much of an increase did you get? DH has been taking vitamins for over 2 months, and we have seen no improvement. ISCI is not an option for us because of how expensive it is. We have no insurance coverage for it.

I am not sure exactly except the embryologist told DH he had "loads" of sperm and ICSI wasn't needed this time. Is DH taking Fertility Blend vitamins? They are specially formulated to help sperm. Regular vitamins won't do much.
ICSI is not that expensive--surely it costs less than donor sperm. Or are you not planning to do IVF and that is what you mean by the expense?
We had no insurance coverage either. Just saved up money for a long time for our cycle.
Good luck!
Christine

[infertile_frog]

RE has DH on L-carnatine, Fish oils, and multivitamin.

IF we used donor, we would be doing it with IUI. Currently we are doing IUI, but from what I have read, I am not sure if this is right route and wonder if it will ever work.

[jerik]

Infertile Frog:

If I were you, I would try 3 IUIs with medications using your dh's sperm and then move on to donor sperm, if you are comfortable with this choice. ICSI costs a lot of money. We just did two of them and paid more than $20,000 (BFN). ICSI has to be done with IVF -- this is what makes it so expensive. On the other hand, IUIs with donor sperm are less than $1,000 per try, so technically you can try that 20 times for the price of 2 IVFs with ICSI. Good luck to you!

[jerik]

Also, two of my former REs didn't recommend doing IUIs with husband's sperm if it were lower than 5 million (their recommendation was going straight for IVF/ICSI). Sorry to be so blunt. I went through 7 IUIs and 2 IVFs and wasted a lot of money. If you are both OK using donor sperm, go for it after 3 cycles!

[marya]

I would try at least a cycle or two of IUI before moving on to donor. My DH had three counts -- 10,000/ml post wash, 20,000/ml post wash and 250,000/ml prewash. We did do IVF/ICSI, but also got pg on our own (a surprise that was supposedly statistically less that a 1% chance our entire lifetime -- not just each month) with out any treatment or timing of my cycle. (I also got pg with IVF/ICSI and an FET).

I wouldn't spend a lot of money doing IUI with DH's sperm, but I think part of the process of using donor for most couples is some sort of closure with the idea of having biological children.

[infertile_frog]

thank you guys. And Jirek, dont feel that you were being too blunt. This is what I wanted. My RE tends to try and tell me what he figures I want to hear. He doesnt seem to understand that I just want to know the truth. I am begining to thing he is more out there for the money than helping the individual.

Today I found out that He wants to wash the donor sperm if that is what I choose. He charges $200 and the sperm bank only charges $40. When I questioned what the difference was, he said he finds that he gets better samples after he does it. I asked the sperm bank and they said there is no difference in Pregnancy rates. She basically told me in a round about way, that he wants to do it to make more money.

Last month we talked to RE about DS option. He basically tried to discourage us from it. I am beginning to see why. If the average person gets preg. in the first 3 months with DS and IUI, then he wouldnt be making much money. He would make more money doing double inseminations X god knows how many times until I couldnt take it no more or swiched to IVF which he would make even more money off of! I am just so frusterated and I need to vent! Thanks for listening and thanks for the advice.

If I decide to do donor this month, then I will probably mix DH's sperm with it. That way there is no "What if" factor.

Infertile Frog

[marya]

I'm not totally into all the ins and outs of IUI as I jumped right to IVF/ICSI -- but I don't think your sperm bank gave you correct information. If I'm understanding you correctly, the bank's sperm is unwashed. If that is the case you can't do IUI, but rather ICI. In order to place the sperm dirrectly in the uterus (IUI) it needs to be washed. If you are using unwashed sperm you are just placing the sperm by the cervix (ICI) (basically simulating BMS). There is generally a difference in pgcy rates between ICI and IUI, since IUI actually assures that the sperm get into the uterus.

There is generally a bias for REs to push for treatment that will result in a biological child for a couple, at least until those treatment options have been exhausted. If that isn't important to you, definately push back, but it doesn't sound like your RE is just trying to increase your bill.