Went to fertility dr.-please help!!!

Goodmorning all,
So DH and I had our fertility appointment and you girls were right because of DH's low sperm count our best bet is IVF. I am soooooo scared. I know it sounds petty but I am deathly afraid of needles and shots(I almost and have fainted a few times when getting a shot or giving blood).

I was told yesterday that I would have to take progesterone shots in the tush for 10 wks if I was to get preggers. Have any of you gone through this and how awful was it? Be honest, dont sugar coat it, LOL, I need to know.
I want a baby bad enough to do it, but I tell you, I am so afraid.

Thanks in advance,
Brynn

[auntlugu]

If you don't mind me asking do you know how low your husbands counts are?  I am not on shots yet but the dr. said if the clomid does not work that is what i would have to do.  My husbands numbers are

Volume               6.0
Count                24 million
Motility             27%
Morphology           14%

They put him on therologix for men which is a fertility blend and the dr. doesn't seem concerned and thinks this will help.  DH drives for a living and is always sitting on his butt so they think that may be the problem.

[brynn03]

well, my Dh did a semen analysis. Normal count is around 20-25 million and my DH is around 10 million. So less than half. Your DH counts looks good!

[nanis]

you poor thing.I was affraid of needles two but after two kids you pretty much get used to it especially when preggo.good luck and sticky baby dust to you.lol nanis

[auntlugu]

But my DH count during the first test was only 12.  the dr. told him to abstain for 5 days before the test and h=in his words he said to get the greatest number of swimmers.  when DH went to the urologist he said no way.  No more than 2 days.  When he went back it doubled.  Now he is taking Thermologix for Men and I am hoping they go up even more.  The Dr did not think this was such a terrible number.

[brynn03]

Our dr. told him to obstain for 2-5 days before doing the semen test. Our dr. told us we could indeed get pregnant even with that low count but it could take a looooong time. I dont get it, when it only takes ONE sperm to fertilize the egg!!! Very frustrating.

[vsentz]

Sweetie! just close your eyes and think about your little bean!! that's what i do..... =)

[brynn03]

I agree! It is soooo expensive. Our dr. told us between 8-15 thousand. we dont have that kind of money sitting around. Good luck to you, I'll keep you all informed.

[vsentz]

>-=)-< (hugs)

[auntlugu]

Just so you know.  I called my insurance company in June to see what i was covered for.  They said IUI was unlimited as long as it was necessary.  When i called the Insurance co this month they said i was not covered.  i explained the story and they said they would call me back.  I live in NY and in 2002 there was a Mandate that said people must be covered.  IVF is excluded but IUI is included and that is what they told me.  So there are quite a few states where it is mandated that it has to be covered.  I have BC/BS and as long as the dr says i need it then there should be no problem.  I know someone taking the shots and it is $600 a shot.  Some months there are 3 and some months there are 4.  Thats $1800 - 2400 per month.  WHOLY COW!!  Totally unfair.  There is no way it costs that much to make it.

[Berko]

i'm right there with ya, darling!! i just started my cycle for ivf due to my dh's low sperm count (not sure what numbers are exactly, but each time doing iui kept getting lower). i'm  a nervous wreck about the needles, even though everyone says not to worry, it's worth it... i know all this, but i really, really hate needles. i'm not so worried about the smaller needles (the subcutaneous ones - to get the eggs ready for the retrieval..), but the progesterone ones...yikes!! i know i'm really doing a good job of making you feel better, huh? but like others have told me, don't worry, it'll be fine, you'll get through it, and it'll all be worth it.... so take those fine words of wisdom for you too. last night i kind of had a little crying fest - pity party-whatever you want to call it. i suddenly got so nervous about the progesterone, then i felt bad about doing ivf and worried what if it doesn't work....but now i'm on birth control for a few days and have been going to sleep late so i'll just blame the "breakdown" on the extra hormones and lack of sleep. i know it'll be okay, but i'm still worried. i figure if i make a big enough deal about it maybe it won't be so bad when i actually have to do it. i remember a few years ago when i had to give blood for something i freaked out and cried and cried - i had mascara running all down my face. needless to say i didn't even feel the needle go in or out so after this proven experiment i feel that the bigger deal you make prior the less it'll hurt... think it'll work? :) the truth is since starting with my dr. a few years back i've had so many needles in me i should be a pro. i've given so much blood. the truth is the nurse who draws the blood said once that she thinks i may have a permanent "hole" in my skin where blood gets drawn. but that progesterone needle.....yikes!! (again) and again don't worry, we'll be fine. maybe they can hypnotize us to get rid of our fear and we won't feel the pain. i know i'm going a little too far here, but doesn't that work for kicking a smoking habit or something or fear of flying...so why not here?  you think the little insurance pays (if anything)they'll include this hypnosis in their coverage...after all it could be considered treatment for "mental illness"... just kidding (well, sort of). anyhow now that i went off on a tangent do you even remember what you were so worried about? :) good, glad that's taken care of and no more worries...except those progesterone needles...yikes!! :) thinking of you and hoping all goes well.
by the way about the needing only one sperm...that's what i thought...till i got a little educated on this site...that one sperm that actually makes it in needs a whole lot of the little guys (or gals)to swim along with it and help it get there so in reality really do need quite a bunch of them to get pregnant. it's amazing how complicated this whole thing really is...who would've thunk it?

[vsentz]

Quick question, is there any type of shot that you know of that will boost dh's sperm count?
My mom and dad ttc'ed for 13 years....in that time, nobody was as aware as today about men fertility issues, so they kept testing my mother until one doc told them it might be my dad, he gave him a shot (which my mom forgot and carried it for several months in her purse!!!!) and the month after he took it, i was on the way!!!.....

[brynn03]

I know, I am probably just being a baby. I need to suck it up and just go for it! If I have a bundle in my arms at the end all the shots in the world will be worth it-right?
Thanks girl! Put it into perspective for me.

[auntlugu]

My only thing is the dr also told us IVF was our best option.  Well thats great if you have that kind of money.  I sent my DH  to the dr becuaes i thought just like you did.  We have millions and you are saying it is a slim chance?  so i am going to go to an RE after the end of this year trying ourselves with his fertility blend and clomid for me and will ask to start IUI.  i cannot see jumping right to IVF before starting out smaller.

[Berko]

i haven't heard about any shot, but i think there are things to help out with the count and everything, but i think that that also may take some time (a few months...) and i don't really want to have to wait any longer and this is according to my dr. the best way for us to go right now. i've also heard of herbal ways to help with sperm count...dh should eat almonds and dates. we did this once and did get pg. that time, but don't know for sure if from this (ended up m/c) then i got pregnant another time with letrazole and iui (sperm numbers were good then...but ended up m/c that one too). the sperm counts have only started going down in the past few months and even though dh went to urologist he couldn't find anything to be causing low numbers so basically we're in the unexplained category. they say sometimes this just happens and then things can go back on track, but since we don't want to wait to see if things will go back on track (it could take time) we're starting the ivf process.

[haileya]

my dh first semen analysis was 14mm but everything else was like 80% morpology, mobility,etc.  He started taking folic acid and it shot right up.  We had our first IUI on Aug 4th and his count came back at 92mm - Now the first time he tested he could have had a bad day but he seems to think the folic acid helped??  Good luck

[mslkpage]

The first time dh gave me an hcg shot, I was VERY nervous and my anxiety level was out the roof. Then, he dropped the syringe on the bathroom floor!!! It still had the cap on, but I freaked out anyway and started crying. He picked it up and said, "Calm down. It's not a bomb."

Once you get past the first shot, It really gets easier.

[Berko]

"calm down! it's not a bomb" , yeah let's see "them" take any shots from us -then we can talk about calming down!! :)

thanks for the encouragement!! i know it'll be okay, but you know how it is.

[Harley-girl]

How much is the average count of mens swimmers I wonder??? DH when tested came back at 73 million. I guess that was pretty dang good.

[ama67]

I am on my 8th week of progesterone shots.  As long as you ice your but real good you can't feel it and it's more in your head and the fact you know how long that needle is.  A few times we were in a rush to go somewhere and i didn't ice as long as usual and it makes a big difference.  Ice up and go for it.  It is scary but worth it. LOL

[Berko]

i don't remember what the numbers should be but 73 million sounds good and obviously worked for you!!

ama67: i'm going to have to buy more ice trays!! and make more room in my freezer. :)

[latina_love_goddess]

Hi there.  I went through one very successful IVF cycle.  27wk this Thurs!  Little boy.  Feeling him kick is the greatest feeling ever though his kicks are getting harder.  If I recall correctly I guess every clinic has their protocol.  I was on progestrone shot in the butt for the 2wk til after transfer.  Then they put me on progesterone suppositories til I was like 9wk about2-3 wks after I was found out to be preg.  I hated them...messy and such a pain.  Good luck.

[AnnieBrooke]

I was on progesterone shots daily for 12+ weeks, and estrogen twice a week for almost that long during the same time period, so twice a week I'd have two intramuscular shots.  The icing is a good idea, because (read this carefully!) there are only nerves in the skin, not the muscle.  So, though the needle is long and the whole thing seems creepy at first, once you are through the first eighth-inch of skin, you just don't feel the needle.  I always pointed the needle up (toward the sky) and let a little of the progesterone + oil run out of the tip and down the needle first, to coat it with the oil.  This way, plus ice, it really does glide through the skin.  I gave myself my own shots, since dh was more nervous than it was worth and would hit me with his best dart-throwing moves, and I found that if I took a big breath and then "breathed" the needle in through the skin by blowing out with a little force while I slid it in, it would usually glide right through without fuss.  The first time you do it is the only really hard one. :)  It has nothing to do with pain, but just with fear of the unknown.

Be sure you use a different needle to draw the oil into the syringe than you use to give yourself the shot -- it gets slightly dulled as it goes into the rubber stopper and you don't want a duller needle than you can help!  Keep your weight off the leg on the side you are doing, so the muscles are relaxed, ice the spot, and be sure the needle is lubricated with a little of the oil.  (Incidentally, they always have you "draw out" slightly on the syringe after you put the needle in to be sure you have not hit a blood vessel -- in 84 or more shots of progesterone and 24 or more of estrogen, I didn't once hit a blood vessel.)

You'll be surprised at how sweat-inducing it is at first and how quickly it gets routine.  (Once I had to give myself a shot when I was on the road with my dad, and I just had him pull off to the side so the car wouldn't be bumpy, and did it as we were talking.  And that was with one of those honkin progesterone needles!  I hope he was terribly impressed.)  My little guy is at just about 21 weeks gestation now, and he's wiggling as we speak, and all I can think of is that time has simply flown with this pregnancy.  Your butt does get sore after about the fiftieth shot, but man, it's nothing compared to the joy when you feel the baby move.    :)          

Incidentally, for everyone whose dh is having his sperm tested, at my clinic they did make a very, very strong point that sperm are extremely sensitive to scents and perfumes.  So if he's going in to give a sample, he should wear no after shave, cologne, or scented lotion of any sort, and be sure also not to use detergent on his clothes that has a strong scent.  

All the best, it really does get to be routine.  (Even if it didn't, for some of us it is the price of admission to the biggest and most fun club in the world.  So minor compared to the reward -- your own wonderful baby.)  

Annie

[AnnieBrooke]

By "twice a week I'd have two intramuscular shots" above, I meant that five days a week I would have one intramuscular shot, and two days a week I would have not just one but two.  So, more than 100 shots for sure.  But again, it got so routine.  You'd be amazed at how used to it you get.  After about 9 weeks your butt does feel a bit abused, but it's probably nothing compared to labor. :)