Your Partner's Regimen

[URMySunshine77]

If your partner is contributing the sperm, I was wondering if you could share any lifestyle changes that your partner has made for TTC? Is he abstaining from alcohol?

[zombiesquad]

My husband has low count and low motility, but we never really changed our routine. He drinks socially, doesn't smoke, and eats crap. He does take vitamins. Wears boxers and doesn't soak in hot baths. When we were TTC #1, I did make him stop putting the laptop on his lap.

Oh, and he has one testicle. So there's that.

[callmeKD]

my DH stopped drinking caffeine when we were TTC #1. (I think he stopped for about a year)

[wannabmama]

I'm following this...my DH has made no changes (yet) but an SA is in his future...so he might get much more interested. He eats well but does the steam room, hot tub, laptop on lap, drinks alcohol and coffee, etc.

[agpjt413]

MH doesn't drink or smoke but my OB says it helps to eliminate smoking and cutting down on alcohol for men who do. MH can throw down on an entire 12-cup pot of coffee on his own and he asked my OB yesterday whether he should cut down. She said it wouldn't matter if he did or didn't. But for his BP's sake, I've been buying 1/2 caff As far as vitamins go, he takes GNC Mega Men's, Saw Palmetto, Red Yeast Rice, CoQ10 (with ubiquinol and not ubiquinone), Vit C.

ETA: I got him to break the laptop on lap habit recently too. I got him a tablet for his birthday.

[wirt2cute]

Since H's first SA was so low and morphology was shit he has started eating better. He is also taking a vitamin C and D. He is working on smoking less, but he is really bull headed about that. He has dropped down to a couple of cig a day. He is really excited about eating healthy. If I make it a competition he is always on board, he is so competitive.

[wannabmama]

wirt2cute the competition might be the way to go with my DH...he's uber competitive, too...great idea!

[wirt2cute]

Apr 14, 2015 12:46:10 GMT -5 wannabmama said:

wirt2cute the competition might be the way to go with my DH...he's uber competitive, too...great idea!

Yes! H played football in high school so all he thinks about is winning, so it super easy for me to get him to do want I want. Lol

[rnmommy]

Insert penis. Let loose swimmers. Remove penis. That pretty much sums up his contribution.

[momtex]

Nothing. We/he follows rnmommy's method! He also did not change any habits to conceive #1.

[tiresiastheblond]

Apr 14, 2015 13:04:37 GMT -5 rnmommy said:

Insert penis. Let loose swimmers. Remove penis. That pretty much sums up his contribution.

When we were TTC the old-fashioned way, DH took a multivitamin, zinc, and maca root. In theory we both tried to eat well, drink more water, etc, etc, but in practice--eh. Now that it's pretty clear that the problem is me (and we're doing IVF anyway), his contribution is more along these lines (but with more porn and test tubes).

[teenybenoit]

My hubby's SA was really good, but he doesn't smoke, drink, eat bad, he exercises and where's boxers.

[Deleted]

My dh has thankfully lost about 25-30 lbs. He has not made any changes for ttc efforts alone, just bc he needs to for his own health (and my sanity!). He did quit smoking but recently started back. He did not quit smoking for ttc efforts (alone) he (AS all smokers know) needs to for his health regardless of ttc.

He is a diabetic and on hbp medication so keeping his A1C level down is the single biggest thing he can do for his ongoing health. He really needs to loose a little more weight but honestly as long as he stays where he is I am ok with it.

Neither one of us drink alcohol, but we do both consume caffeine and I am not nor is he planning on changing that at all.

[vh2014]

rnmommy, love that. Definitely my DHs approach.

He's trying to get healthy but until we get me figured out we aren't worrying about him much. He drinks socially but not much, takes a multivitamin and vitamin C because he's sure everyone's germs are stalking him and after him, and doesn't smoke. He mentioned last night about wanting to get in shape. Laptop is not usually on his lap and I take hotter showers than he does so he should be ok.

[URMySunshine77]

I forgot to mention that my DH doesn't have a regimen. He eats pretty healthily and just took up running. His weight is fine. Vegetarianism could be strike against him. That naturally reduces sperm. He drinks an average of one beer couple of nights a week, but I'm not sure that I should stress out about that.

It makes me feel better that other partners aren't that proactive. I need to send him an e-mail about the benefits of vitamins. He is a skeptic about natural treatments.

[luvmyponies]

MH actually did do some research into improving sperm count and quality, but since he doesn't smoke, drink, or eat all that bad, RE told him there's really not much he can do. My acupuncturist recommended herbs, but MH is totally skeptical or anything herbal. I think if we were younger and had more time, I'd convince him to try something... but we're doing IVF anyway and his count/morphology are good enough for that.

[happyktmom]

URMySunshine77, great question!
MH is nowhere near as healthy as all of yours. He is 42 with a BMI to match. He is not active but eats healthy and only drinks socially. He is on BP medication but trying to come off, as it causes the occasional ED. I have also mentioned before that he has issues with ejaculation - meaning he cannot ejaculate during intercourse. This obviously causes problems with TTC so I searched for another solution and found people had success with Gingko Biloba. I have asked Dr's and they have no idea. Anyway, if he takes 120mg in the morning and another 120mg 30 min before BDing - he is able to ejaculate. I made sure he took it prior to his SA and his counts came out above average. All other factors were normal as well.
Sorry this may have been too much for what you were asking - I told you all I'm a talker!

[lickwed]

URMySunshine77 With your husband being vegetarian, I am suprised he is against vitamins and suppliments. I thought the two usually went hand in hand.

[URMySunshine77]

Apr 16, 2015 20:52:55 GMT -5 lickwed said:

URMySunshine77 With your husband being vegetarian, I am suprised he is against vitamins and suppliments. I thought the two usually went hand in hand.

lickwed: I have no idea.  So frustrating.

I did send an e-mail tonight with a couple of articles. FX he reads them.

[Deleted]

happyktmom, your dh sounds similar to mine with regards to health issues. As I've stated before my dh has not had a SA and I'm pretty doubtfull that he will. I know how frustrating the ED, etc can be! best wishes!

[happyktmom]

@kellbell,I didn't think MH would go give his 'deposit' for SA in a million years but he did and has been there front and center every time. I think the room was fun

[URMySunshine77]

Apr 16, 2015 20:52:55 GMT -5 lickwed said:

URMySunshine77 With your husband being vegetarian, I am suprised he is against vitamins and suppliments. I thought the two usually went hand in hand.

lickwed, he agreed to start taking vitamins "only to stop my nagging." Mind you, I dropped the subject for 12 months after the first time.

[jess9802]

When we were TTC DS, DH started taking some sort of vitamin supplement that was supposed to help sperm health. At the time he was 31, was a smoker and drank fairly regularly. Since then he has quit smoking and drinking, and has started exercising more regularly. When we start trying in earnest I'll be curious whether he adds any supplements.

[lickwed]

URMySunshine77 so glad he is doing the vitamins. Maybe the whole nagging comment is his macho way of not having to admit you may be right. KWIM? I may not be using the right verbiage here, but hopefully my point makes sense.

[tat2mami]

My DH has not made any changes. He drinks a shit load of coffee and smokes! He is going to be submitting a "sample" for SA as soon as I get AF. That's the only way he can obtain for 3 days!

[URMySunshine77]

I wish that DH drank more water, but I have to choose carefully what I ask him to do these days. I drink water like it's my business.