Trying to Get Pregnant - Part 2 - Hubby's Turn

Somehow, we fumbled our way through the process of collecting a semen sample.

The paperwork we had received indicated masturbation was the preferred method, and once the sample was obtained, it needed to be delivered to the hospital within 60 minutes. To preserve the semen, it also needed to stay warm. So, I tucked the bottle safely inside my purse and took it with our completed paperwork to the hospital laboratory.

Prior to this, my husband and I had to abstain from intercourse for five days. We were told this would provide the most accurate analysis of his semen. On the paperwork, we logged this information as well as the collection method (masturbation) and time of collection (around 9:00 in the morning).

We received the results in just two days from the office of my OB/GYN.

Over the phone, the nurse informed me that sperm concentration, also called sperm density, is measured in millions of sperm per milliliter (mL) of semen.

Normal concentration is 20 million or more sperm per mL with a total of 80 million or more sperm in one ejaculation. Fewer sperm and/or a lower sperm concentration may impair fertility.

The results from my husband’s semen sample revealed he had fewer than 10,000 live sperm per mL, which is severely abnormal. This, then, was the cause of our pregnancy woes.

Such news was a shock, and it quickly shed a different light on our situation. I learned my husband would need to see a urologist, who could advise us how to proceed if we still wanted children. We saw little choice in the matter and promptly scheduled an appointment with the provider suggested by my OB/GYN.

At that visit, the urologist conducted a physical exam of my husband to rule out a varicocele. This condition is an enlargement of the internal veins that drain blood from the testicle to the abdomen and back to the heart. Forty percent of male infertility cases are caused by a varicocele, which is usually treated with corrective surgery. Upon his exam, however, the urologist determined this was not a factor in my husband’s case.

An ultrasound to reveal any blockages in my husband’s sperm ducts was also ordered. Finally, at the end of the appointment, the urologist wrote a slip for another sperm analysis and prescribed clomid for my husband for three months. Research shows this fertility pill, often prescribed for women who fail to ovulate, mildly stimulates the male pituitary gland to produce hormones that stimulate sperm production. In other words, it can help increase sperm count.

My husband’s second sperm analysis revealed the same information as the first, and his ultrasound came out normal. So we filled the clomid prescription and proceeded to follow a strict monthly schedule for intercourse:

• We could do what we wanted on the first eleven days after my period.
• Then abstain for five days
• And finally engage in sex every other day after that for four days, the time when I was most fertile.

The urologist said this schedule would help my husband’s body collect as many living sperm as possible, thereby increasing the chances I would become pregnant.

At the end of 90 days, I was still not pregnant.

My husband underwent yet another sperm analysis to see if the clomid had proven effective so the doctor would know whether or not to continue the prescription. His sperm count was still the same, and the urologist told us he couldn’t offer anymore guidance.

It was now time to see a fertility specialist to learn our options.

Trying to Get Pregnant Part 1 -  My Story

Trying to Get Pregnant Part 3 - An Insider's Look at Fertility Treatments

Trying to Get Pregnant Part 4 - My A.I. (Artificial Insemination) Experience

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