Science.....Science.....Science.....

When you read the title, throw in some new-agey space sounds 'cause that's how it sounds in my head.....

On February 15th we had our appointment to discuss our test results from December.  On the advice of a friend who is also ttc, we switched doctors.  Totally happy with that decision!  The clinic we were at before was more of a baby making factory.  At the new office, the doctor came out to the waiting room to shake our hands as we filled out our paperwork.  *heavenly sounds*  We spent an hour talking in his office about all the things that can make conception not happen. 

Specifics in our case:
- All of our blood work came back fine.  Hormone levels are spot on, no stds.
- My uterus ultrasound revealed no abnormalities and the follicles they looked at at that time were of the proper size.
- Hubby's semen analysis - this one shocked us.  His first one revealed that he only had 6 million sperm (below 10 mil is considered bad).  The second one - 21 million!  The doctor said that the results could be so varied because of the way the samples were produced - the first one in a hospital bathroom by himself and the second, at home, with me (please hold your applause).  So, when we're having sex he could be producing even more because, well, I'm so damn hot and sexy!  Okay.....the doctor didn't say it like that but that's totally what he means.

All such good news.  Then why aren't we conceiving? 

Other factors:
- The motility of the sperm may still be poor.  They might not have the strength to move up the cervix, through the uterus into the fallopian tubes.
- The morphology may be poor.  Some might have two heads, some might not have tails, etc.
- If hubby had had some sort of physical injury to his groin area (just one knee to the balls, even), he might have a tear in the wall between where the sperm are made or travel and his pelvic cavity.  (The doctor did throw in a lot of terms here - epididymis, vas deferens, prostate, etc. I'm gonna keep it simple but feel free to study male anatomy on your own.)  His body might then send in white blood cells to destroy these cells they usually don't have contact with, the sperm.  His own body could be killing his sperm.
- Or, I might be killing his sperm.  When his sperm enter my body, my body might recognize them as foreign and send WBCs to kill them.

These are the things we don't yet know and what we're going to look at next.  More tests.  First up, the post-coital.  Hadn't heard of this one!  In our case, the doctor wants us to abstain for two days.  We had sex on Monday, none on Tuesday, none today, and tomorrow night we will have sex.  On Friday morning (my cycle day 11), I go in to the office and the doctor will use a catheter to enter my cervix and suck out some of my cervical mucus.  He will check to see if my cervical mucus is being hospitable to my guests and if the sperm are having a good time.  I will also have some blood drawn to check my hormone levels.

The following Friday I will go back in to have an ultrasound.  We'll take another look at my uterus to make sure it's building up an inviting lining, one that an embryo might like to hang out in.  We might also do a x-ray of my fallopian tubes, since no one has looked at those yet.  More blood will be taken to check hormone levels.  Hubby will also produce a sample that morning (with my help. *wink*) and I will bring that in.

After all these results are in, we hope to have a solid answer as to why we aren't conceiving. 

Oh, to be continued.....