Sperm under 'scope

 Hi Annika~ I'm kinda going back and forth.  I tried swim up initiallly and EW sank.  Then I tried SD and of course the layers were much better and stayed seperated but I couldn't tell if the sort was very good.  Then I tried the SU with mesh.  I think it worked better.  Most of the EW was still at the top (though it almost seemed stuck in the mesh) cuz when I pulled the tube w/ mesh out (after the incubator), a glob of EW was ontop of the semen. I quickly sucked up that portion and a bit extra and had my sample.  I'm still kind of not sure... I keep going back and forth, my dh is probably getting so sick of it but he's a trooper.  

Have u tried it with mesh yet?  I still feel SD is better than TBM.  My attempt won't be until late July so I'm trying to do both many times to see what is successful, most predictable and gives a better sort.

I'm so interested in how you're doing it.  What are you using for mesh?  I asked Tamara about successful SD's and it doesn't seem like we have any people out there yet which makes me nervous.  It just seems like it has to be better than TBM with the heat to the semen alone even without the sort.

I couldn't tell about the sort with SD either.  Looked like I almost cooked em, I think I saw black specs so dead and in the semen a lot of vibrating ones (dieing) so that time it must've gotten too hot.  I almost feel like the live ones still in the semen were going a little too straight for my liking but theoretically that doesn't make sense.  It should've been the X's that survived right?!  So thanks for keeping me posted, I feel like your attempts are helping me as well just by learning about the process.  Another dilemma, I feel like I'd rather have what looks like good layers wtih SD than iffy with SU but I don't know if that's the right way to think about it.  What do you think?  Thanks!!!! Annika

 I totally hear ya'!!  I go back and forth between SD and SU so much I think I'm gonna go insane.  I tried the sugar water method last night and about 1/2 way thru the incubation time, the EW sank again.  I had a hard time finding actual fishnetting and the fishnet pantyhose I found out walmart had holes that I think are way too big.  I actually used the mesh that is inside swimming trunks (it seemed about the right size holes).  Do u know how EW is stringy and kinda all globs together? Like it stretches but is hard to separate?  Well, the EW seemed to go partway thru the mesh but it was so gloppy that it still stayed on top of the semen because the bulk of the EW was inside the mesh (wow, this sounds confusing even to me and I'm the one explaining).  Well, thats what happened when i used the mesh.  Just in case, I sucked up the top layer of semen after pulling out the mesh. I considered the bottom-most portion my "girl" sample.  

I try to keep reminding myself that even if I don't get a great sort, we're still doing TBM, supps, etc.  The funny thing is ever since we started using the scope, my dh is absolutely fascinated by the swaying thing. He's always been uber-supportive but now he's like "hey, want another "sample" tonight... wink wink". 

 Hi Ladies

 I just thought I would jump in here. My dh and I have tried every night for over a week, I am so paranoid and hopefully going to ov tomorrow. The only way that I can get the ew to float is with mesh - I cut out the middle of a plastic tea strainer, I originally thought that the holes would be too big and that the ew would just fall straight through but it works like a dream, the holes are big enough to allow the little swimmers to pass and just enough to hold the ew up. Also I found that one side sits up higher then the other so the higher side I angle down when placing at the 45 degree angle in the incubator (hope that makes sense). Last nights practice attempt the mesh actually ended up sliding into the test tube during the incubation time, however for some unknown reason the ew didn't mix.  But I would say give it a go, after so many attempts the mesh seriously works everytime.

How do you get the mesh inside the testtube ?

I cut it out, so it is larger then the test tube, then with one of the syringes I slowly push it into the test tube, make sure that it is actually sitting slightly into the sperm otherwise they wont be able to swim up at all. I would practice pushing the mesh into an empty test tube before so you can get the hang of it. 

dgf and Kelchay, the mesh idea is brilliant.  If I get another chance I'll definitely do that.  I also like the fact that you're not having to mix a bunch of stuff into the semen.  Kelchay that's funny about your husband.  Oh and I did follow the EW description.  I've had that happen too where you go to put it in words and it's really hard.  I have to say our husbands have something in common.  I thought when I first tried SU he would think it was weird or something, but he says pH, supplements, and SU make the most sense to him out of all of it.  He is still going back and forth about the diet.  He feels like I'm torturing myself by doing it and with all these other steps that I really don't need to do it as much as I think I do.  Anywho.  Thank you SOOO much for the mesh idea.

 Hopefull~ The mesh wasn't my idea... someone else suggested it to me awhile back so I can't credit for it.  Yeah, I feel very fortunate that hubby is so supportive.  Let us know how your next attempt goes. 

dgf~the tea strainer is a great idea!! Do u have a picture... i'm trying to get a visual of how u have the mesh in there.  I looked all over the store the other day for ANYTHING I could use.  All I came up with was the mesh from inside boy's swimming trunks!

The plastic tea strainer is a great idea!  The plastice sieve part would be easy to shove into the test tube!!!  Here is a picture of one, you cannot really see the platice sieve part that well.

What about the mesh from a coffee filter, that might work if you cannot find a tea sieve..

NikiLyn:

I wondered what those were too.  All I could think was that they seemed a little spastic and I don't want spastic kids so I hope they aren't the ones that get me PG .

Tamara... Is it possible to get pregnant with damaged sperms and end up having spastic child? This is my biggest fear which is keeping me away from MSU I will never be able to forgive myself for compromising with the health of my future child, just because of gender.

Please advice...

KSN:

NikiLyn:

I wondered what those were too.  All I could think was that they seemed a little spastic and I don't want spastic kids so I hope they aren't the ones that get me PG .

Tamara... Is it possible to get pregnant with damaged sperms and end up having spastic child? This is my biggest fear which is keeping me away from MSU I will never be able to forgive myself for compromising with the health of my future child, just because of gender.

Please advice...

you CAN NOT damage DNA of sperm.  Sperm with there tails broke off can not get you pg and even if they did there dna is fine

BabyBobadoo:

The plastic tea strainer is a great idea!  The plastice sieve part would be easy to shove into the test tube!!!  Here is a picture of one, you cannot really see the platice sieve part that well.

What about the mesh from a coffee filter, that might work if you cannot find a tea sieve..

 So, I'm not sure I'm understanding how u would get the mesh part into the tube. (Now when I use mesh, I wrap it around the end of a cut-off medicine dropper then I push the medicine dropper into the test tube.  The tea strainer sounds like it would work better but I can't imagine how u get the sieve into the testtube without the use of another tube.  Maybe I should just go buy a tea strainer....

dgf:

 Hi Ladies

 I just thought I would jump in here. My dh and I have tried every night for over a week, I am so paranoid and hopefully going to ov tomorrow.

 Good luck on your attempt!!!!  Keep us posted! 

 I think we had our best sort to date last night, though I'm still just practising.  I did SU with a different mesh (it was a type of pantyhose but with a bigger-than-typical weave and it was stretche as far as possible to make the holes even bigger).  I was concerned that not enough sperm would get thru the weave but there were a lot of them in the EW when I checked.  Everything went well, temp of incubator never jumped over 100 degrees. I could see plenty of circle swimmers in the sperm.  Just for good measure I added the lime at the end to get an idea of how many  drops the TBM will take.  After 5 drops got the pH to 4.4.  I'm really feeling good about our chances now.  Oh and we just found out a couple-friend is preggo.   If she has a girl and I have another boy I'm gonna be so jealous.   I'm soooo excited now for the end of the month to come so we can finally have a real attempt.  I'm trying to keep in mind that it could take many months of ttc but I'm just so blasted excited!!

I have had great success with the SMP but I just thought that I would try out the mesh last night and I had no luck at all.  The EW all soaked into the mesh and there was just a tiny glob left.  Not too sure what I did wrong, I did not see any swimmers in the EW at all, but I know that there was not enough of it left to get a true sample.

kelchay:

I'm soooo excited now for the end of the month to come so we can finally have a real attempt.

I agree!  No matter how many times that you do it you will still feel the excitement, along with the exhaustion!!