# IMPROVED MALE FACTOR-NOW NORMAL ttc naturally after failed IVF



## HannahLou (May 22, 2011)

Hi,

I just wanted to share my story as these boards have really helped me over the past few months. It is a bit long winded but worth reading i promise!!

Me and my partner were trying for two years to get pregnant after i came off the birth control pill, i didnt have periods until 18 MONTHS after i stopped it and i was beginning to get very worried about not ovulating. I had numerous scans on the NHS and eventually they told me i had PCOS but refused to do anymore blood tests etc. Slowly but surely my periods became normal again and we decided to go to a private clinic just to see if i could get a little help with clomid. Whilst there, they told me my ovaries were perfect and i didnt have PCOS, everything was fine. This is the point i lost all faith in my GP who told me this is the first place! Anyway, long story short my partner had a sperm test just to make sure he was fine and we were devastated when we were told he had a fantastic count, but miserable motility with 5 percent normal forms. Needless to say we were completely fast tracked to ICSI (which we had to pay for). But in the meantime my partner completely changed his life, he stopped drinking, stopped lifting weights, lost three stone, started taking pregnacare and took up jogging, he is now the picture of health. During the ICSI process we had a second sperm test as i changed from my origional clinic and low and behold, his sperm was completely normal in EVERY area. (The doctor told us we should try by ourselves for 6 months but we were already stuck as i had signed to be an egg donor so we had to continue.) The ICSI was converted to IVF and 5 of our 6 eggs fertilised. (My recipient had 5 eggs and i had 6). Unfortunatley it was a BFN but it was just one of those unexplainable things. 
So basically i wanted to say PLEASE dont give up hope when dianosed with MF, we were told ICSI was our only hope and now everything is normal with both of us just through simple life changes. The failed IVF was only 4 weeks ago so we are not naturally pregnant yet, but i am very hopeful. We take our doctors word as gospel when really we can help ourselves, and dont forget with private clinics, they make huge amounts more for IVF and ICSI than IUI and clomid cycles. We were completely rushed into IVF and never offered a second test with my first clinic, and in the NHS guidelines it states that a second test MUST be done as only 2 out of a 100 men will still have sperm abnormalities!!! TWO!!!! We were NEVER told this.

In short my partner did the following:

Pregnacare for men
eats walnuts, oats, veg and fruit everday (edam cheese is apparantly very good too!)
stopped drinking except for the odd occasion
stopped protein shakes and working out
lost 3 stone and is now a healthy BMI (even a slightly high BMI can decrease fertility by 10 percent or more)


Good luck and baby dust ladies

Hannah


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## hogmeister (Jan 14, 2008)

Well done to your partner for making all those lifestyle changes and it working!! The very best of luck to you, hope you get your BFP very soon xx


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## HannahLou (May 22, 2011)

Thank you


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