Don’t ignore the problems of men; that is Emmanuelle’s message, who testifies of her journey to become a mother.
Still not being pregnant after 14 months off the pill, I went to see my family doctor. He advised me to keep a temperature chart and take it into account to determine “the good days”. Six months passed, and still no baby. After seeing my curves – I was like clockwork – my doctor referred me to a gynecologist and advised my husband to have a spermogram. He immediately agreed – I know not everyone does. His sperm count was meager. My family doctor, my gynecologist and my husband’s doctor advised us to go to an assisted reproduction service.
The only way out: IVF
One of the gynecologists in the department we went to said, “Given your husband’s results, your only chance of having a baby is to do IVF. There’s no way to do it with drugs or anything else. You were born this way, and there is nothing you can do about it.” I walked out of there, wholly destroyed, washed out like a steamroller went over me. But for us, it was unthinkable to stop there. I’ll skip the details of the IVF and all the physical and moral suffering that such a process entails, as well as the difficulties in organizing work time.
On the day the implantation was supposed to occur, I was told by phone that it didn’t work. At the next appointment, the gynecologist said to me that I would have to undergo ICSI, with all the questions that such an operation raises… It couldn’t be more natural than that! I asked for a period of reflection. I didn’t feel ready to start all over again. My mother’s doctor, who she had informed, finally saw us. And suddenly, in the middle of the consultation, he asked my husband if anyone had examined him. No, no one in any of the departments we had been to. So he proceeds to an immediate examination and discovers. A varicocele (a varicose vein in the testicle that increases the temperature of the testicle and consequently kills the spermatozoa). Unconvinced of the effectiveness of the treatment in terms of fertility, the urologist that my husband consulted afterwards agreed to operate on him anyway.
Pregnant a few months later
Happy ending: The surgery took place in early December, and by May, I was pregnant. A bit of a surprise, like everyone else, as I was waiting for my period to start hormone treatment for ICSI. The first thought that came to my husband’s and my mind was: “we won”. For us, this beautiful moment was the end of a fight. Marine was born on January 28.
Conclusion
Male infertility can be caused by low sperm production, abnormal sperm function, or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm.
Male infertility isn’t always preventable. However, you can try to avoid some known causes of male infertility. For example: Don’t smoke, Limit or abstain from alcohol, Steer clear of illicit drugs.