Azoospermia - no sperm

[littlesunflowers]

We've just found out - two hours ago - that DP's first semen analysis shows no sperm. (My first blood test results haven't even been completely processed by the testing lab).

We haven't quite worked out how to deal with this news. Support, stories, advice would be very welcome...

[nicole83]

Hi littlesunflowers. I am sorry to hear your news. But please don't give up hope. We were in the exact same position as you. I will never forget that day. But long story short, we have out beautiful 18 month old DD.

Your hubby needs to start taking some supplements. Which state are you in? Who is your fs?

I am in qld and see Wazza. His list of male meds are:

Zinc tablets
Berocca
Fish oil
Handful of goji berries
20ml aloe Vera juice

My DH takes a men's multi and menevit instead of plain zinc.

We had 2 samples with zero sperm. Yes zero! After taking the above for 3 months & loose underwear and regular DTD, we had 100,000 sperm come EPU day! First cycle and we got our baby. Please PM me if you ever need a shoulder to cry on. Don't give up hope, you will get there xo

[littlesunflowers]

Thank you so much for your story - I am so glad for you! DP has been taking menevit regularly for about 3 months, sporadically before that (now I remind him more often!). We haven't yet been referred to a specialist, we are in QLD though. We've opted to do some more tests and find out the cause if we can - it seems that even though the causes can be many, the outcome is either that DP is infertile, or can produce some sperm that can be retrieved for ICSI. We hope that it is the second, and will pursue what we can on that path first.

I can't believe that in the space of a few hours our conception plans could change from "romantic weekends away" to "needles and petri dishes". It's going to be a long few weeks to find out if a baby belonging to both of us will be possible at all - the GP said to expect a 3 week or more turnaround for test results. :s

[RunningWithScissors]

Firstly

Its such crap news to deal with Its certainly amazing how your dreams can be ripped right out of your heart with one silly test result!
DH is azoospermic..caused by a chromosome issue. We (well HE!) did a bilateral testicular biopsy to see if we could find any for ICSI, unfortunately there was nothing at all.
Took a long while but we decided to go with a donor and are now 19+3 pregnant Couldn't be happier!

[littlesunflowers]

That's great RunningWithScissors. I imagine it was a hard decision. I've always been more open to the idea of adoption than DP is because he's more concerned about bonding than I am, but he's also one of the most caring people I have ever met and I think we could use a donor if it came down to it and we were prepared. Right now of course we aren't - I'd always thought I would definitely use a donor if needed but faced with it now the idea of anyone's sperm other than DP's is just not appealing. Early stages though - and thank goodness we know, now, we aren't just poking around the dark (so to speak!).

Do your family and friends know you used donor sperm - if so how did they react?

[nicole83]

If you are in Brisbane I highly recommend dr warren de Ambrosis. Google his name, I made a thread here a while ago about him. He is the number one ivf dr in Brisbane - hands down! But yeah I totally agree with finding out the cause first. Understand the issue can certainly help you deal with accepting the solution. For us, it was unexplained. It does often cross my mind if my husband being a significantly premmie baby himself has anything to do with it. I know how you feel about romantic weekends turned into Petrie dishes....and needles! It's not easy that's for sure. But you will get there, just stay strong and take one day at a time.

[nicole83]

Also I just want to add that you should get referred to a specialist ASAP because their equipment for analysing sperm is so much better than qml or the standard pathology places. Snp did our first two samples and said zero. Wazza looked at our third sample under his own microscope and said zero. Then told us to take it up to the scientists lab at Qfg. They "spun" it down and found sperm but they were dead. So that gave us hope knowing there actually was some, we just had to do everything we could to get the next lot healthy.

[littlesunflowers]

Oh thanks for that tip - I assumed labs were labs but perhaps not. DP's next tests will be blood tests to check for any illnesses and genetic stuff before we do any more SAs, and we'll go from there. Our GP already mentioned a FS that she has liaised with who is based really near us and who gets praise on forum threads - finding the praise made me feel better. Gah, long slow road of one-day-at-a-times coming up!

[RunningWithScissors]

Hey again,

It took us a VERY long time to come to terms with it, I won'r deny there were several times where I just wanted to throw in the towel, I wanted OUR baby, not some strangers. What you said about using someone other than DHs sperms really struck a cord with me... I remember having a HUGE breakdown one night over it.. I was so upset I almost vomitted. I could not fathom the thought of having someone elses sperm 'leak' from me. It was the closest we came to never going ahead. Thankfully, I brought it up with the counsellor and was assured that the sperm is 'washed' and separated into small amounts. I'd never see or feel it. And it was true! We did have to ID our donor number on the vial..but it was a tiny little grey straw. I won't deny that not having to see/feel it didn't make it SO much easier!
I'd encourage you to try every avenue you wish before deciding on a donor ..(We thought about adoption but the process is absolutely ridiculous in this country, and we couldn't afford $30,000 plus for ICA) I know for us it was a matter of exhausting every single option we had, supplements, the biopsy, searching online for trials etc, before we made peace with the fact that it was donor or no baby.
Theres a lot of stigma attached to sperm donation..people think its weird, wrong etc..its a real shame that its not the same as egg donation where its seen as a wonderful gift.

All my family know, all my friends know and most acquaintances know. We won't be hiding the fact from bub. It was decided very early on that there would be no concealing the fact from anyone..if we seemed reluctant to share the truth, I feel like the baby/child would pick up on it quickly and feel as if there was something weird or wrong with the way it was conceived, and we certainly didn't want that. I made it pretty clear that anyone who had a problem with it would be out of our lives quick smart.
Luckily no one gives a stuff No one has even asked us anything aside from if we are telling bubs.
We have been open about our whole journey though..so people are just over the moon to finally have a bubs on the way

[RunningWithScissors]

Oh and just wanted to add, Nicole is spot on about getting the referral to a specialist! Their labs are better equipped and their staff are trained to find even one little swimmer that a basic lab would easily miss!