TBM + low sperm count

 this month we tested TBM. My DH PH was 6.5 - is this a little low, he was taking loads of pure cranberry juice and getting headaches. we BD using a condom (non spermicide) and tested his PH, then added 4 drops of lime juice to get it to 4.5. then inserted 8mls of semen.

I notice a few of you on here wanting to do a condom with holes, and you have said this is good as it lowers sperm count. Only a smaller amount of sperm actually gets through the condom favoring girls.

we abstained from BD for 7 days and ended up with 8mls of semen to insert. If the advantage is a lower sperm count, does this mean when doing TBM, we should possibly only insert back half the sperm from condom?

 does anyone know roughly how many mls of sperm is considered low? or doesn't it work like that

any advise greatly appreciated.

thank you

threelittlemen:

does anyone know roughly how many mls of sperm is considered low? or doesn't it work like that

Interesting! I didnt think that qty of the sample was an issue? I look forward to the replies that you get!

I'll be following this post as I would like to know the answer to this also...

Chasing Dreams:

threelittlemen:

does anyone know roughly how many mls of sperm is considered low? or doesn't it work like that

 

Interesting! I didnt think that qty of the sample was an issue? I look forward to the replies that you get!

 Ditto. I thought "low sperm count" refers to the amount of viable sperm within the sample... not the size of the sample itself.  Maybe some other ladies will chime in... 

well my DH only deliever about 2½ ml semen and I get pregnant just by looking at him   But I do have to say that he had delievered 4 and 5 ml 2 times... but every other time it is 2½ ml.

So it it not about how many ml there is, but how many sperm there are inside the semen

threelittlemen:

My DH PH was 6.5 - is this a little low,

This is to low!  Anything under 7 for dh will make dead or almost dead sperm.  Once out of the body you can lower it past 7 but dh can not be below 7

 thanks tamara again for this response. we will check his PH this cycle. can you please clarify what low sperm count is? is the amount of semen a good indication? or does that have nothing to do with it. what is teh advantage of putting holes in a condom? if that means only a small amount seaps through, then with TBM, does it mean we should only use a portion of semen?

thanks

 one more question, if a PH in sperm of 6.5 would kill all sperm, I don't understand how adding lime and taking it down to 4.5 doesn't also kill it. How come once it's in the vagina it does NOT die and keep alive able to make it's way up to the uterus?confused

Brygger:

well my DH only deliever about 2½ ml semen and I get pregnant just by looking at him

 thanks tamara again for this response. we will check his PH this cycle. can you please clarify what low sperm count is?

low sperm count is only diagosed by a doctor  

 is the amount of semen a good indication?

nope not at all.  one drop of semen can have a mellion sperm 

 or does that have nothing to do with it.

nothing to do with it 

what is teh advantage of putting holes in a condom? if that means only a small amount seaps through, then with TBM, does it mean we should only use a portion of semen?

I dont understand why you are doing tbm and the condom method

threelittlemen:

 one more question, if a PH in sperm of 6.5 would kill all sperm, I don't understand how adding lime and taking it down to 4.5 doesn't also kill it. How come once it's in the vagina it does NOT die and keep alive able to make it's way up to the uterus?confused

as stated in faq, to make sperm pH needs to be 7 before it is out of the body.  once out of the body the sperm is already made so you can lower the ph down to 4.

The creation of sperm in done inside of dh and NEEDS a pH of 7+; its like making playdoe, if you don't following the recipe right while making it, it wont matter what you do with it when its been made, if it was made wrong you cant play with it

I can't remember for sure, so check into it for yourself, but seems to me that when dh was giving samples after his reversal the dr said that "normal" sperm count was considered to be 20 million sperm per 1 ml of semen.

So if I'm remembering that correctly, and your dh has a normal sperm count, it would seem that the larger the semen volume, the more sperm likely present. My dh had teeny-tiny samples, just over 1 ml, but if he had had larger ones and had had a normal sperm count (he was nowhere even close) I would probably have cut the sample size down to 1 or 2 ml in hopes of reducing the count.

alligus:

it would seem that the larger the semen volume, the more sperm likely present.

nope not true.  sperm and semen come from 2 different areas.  They mix then leave.  semen amount has nothing to do with sperm amount

How do they check for normal sperm count then? I just double-checked and "20 million per 1ml" is the standard. Normal amounts are considered to be at least 2 ml of semen with at least 40 million sperm, which is double.........?

they use a mathematical equation.  Then they use a standard.  However, they find lots of semen with very little have lots of sperm

I'll try to explain this way..  semen amount has nothing to do with sperm amount.  However let says your dh only makes one ml of semen.  Then most likely his sperm count will be much higher than 20 mil, compaired to a dh who made 3 ml of sperm.. does that make since?