I have never asked this of anyone else, even my doctor...but, I'm beginning to wonder if this may be contributing to DH and I having difficulty conceiving. Well, here goes. How common is it to "leak" some of partner's sperm after intercourse. I just about always, inspite of how long I lay still after BMS, will have some come back out when I get out of bed. It makes sense to me to have some leakage, but I worry if I'm losing too much preventing us from getting pregnant.
DH & I have been TTC ~16 months now. My OB/GYN has done lab tests with me taking Clomid to ensure I'm ovulating. My thyroid and other hormone levels were normal. DH has had an "excellent" SA per my OB/GYN. From what we've had checked so far there appears to be no reason why we shouldn't be conceiving. I've had a failed pregnancy @ 6 weeks in a previous relationship, but DH has never actively TTC.
Our next step will be an HSG if we don't get PG this month. BTW, I'm 34 and DH is 37. Please forgive me for asking about this as I realize it may be gross to some, but I'm really beginning to wonder if this could be our problem. If so, is it worth embarrassing myself in front of my doctor by bringing it up?
Totally normal.
Read the book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility. It is a great book to help you and can even help your dr with any other testing he/she might need to do.
__________________
Married 3/25/95
DS 13 yr
DS 8 yr (3+ yrs ttc)
TTC #3 since 01/02
It's not gross at all, it's totally normal. And funnily enough I've wondered the same thing myself sometimes. But to put it another way, what comes up, must come down! Just hopefully enough stays up!
You probably do do this already, but what I do is place a pillow under my hips at the start, so that you are slightly tilted back, then when we're finished I make DH leaves very gently and then I stay there for about half an hour. They do say it's not necessary, but I prefer to. But there is always leakage afterwards.
my first 2 months of trying, nothing... the 3rd mo. i decided to try something different. I got all ready for bed, made sure i peed, and then we dtd. I stayed lying down, and went to sleep. I think i got up around 2am to pee (i did this for 3 days in a row) and some still leaked. but i got pregnant that month!!
I appreciate all of your responses so much! I wanted to think it was totally normal that some has to leak back out, but with something as important as this why hold back asking questions...no matter how embarrassing they may be.
I'm going to try some of your suggestions, too. I've put a pillow up under my hips immediately after BMS, but never started out with it there. That's a good idea. I usually remain lying down 10-15 minutes afterward, but when its at night I will also try going on to bed.....can't hurt! I'm at the end of this month's fertile period and we had BMS pretty much every other day since 10/2! So, to be continued.....
Sad news....AF arrived today after my usual week of getting my hopes up due to "feeling" like this might be the month. This is so discouraging! I always cry when I see that AF has started. I've stopped crying, but still feeling disappointed. DH, of course, hugs me and comforts me. He even remembered before I did that we haven't done the HSG and that maybe it will help "flush" out anything that's hindering my egg from meeting his sperm. To anyone else out there whose 2WW has ended due to AF, I pray God will comfort you and your DH as He has us.
As far as "leakage" is concerned, have you heard of "instead cups"? I think they were initially created for use during menstruation, but I know a LOT of women who use them after insemination to make sure the "boys" stay where they need to!
Maybe a little internet research will reveal them as a possible option for you?
~Shannon
I would be worried about the cups because putting it in my disturb a natural process. While putting it in you may lose more sperm than you would if you just laid on your back with you behind propped up. It also my suffocate the sperm...I dont know....I just seems weird.
I'm so thankful for these boards...the kind thoughts and good advice are so much appreciated. Especially by someone like me who finds this topic a too little personal to just share over dinner w/family & friends. My DH thinks I'm a little too sensitive at times, but I just get tired of being asked "are ya pg, yet?" I told DH I think I take it harder b/c I'm the one who gets AF...the obvious sign we didn't conceive again. And that Day 1 of another cycle is always so hard for me. I get over it quick, b/c with every cycle comes another opportunity to conceive. But, still I cry whenever I see AF has arrived.
My HSG is Monday (11/3) afternoon and I'm excited to be doing something further to help us along in our journey to have a baby. I do believe this is ultimately all in God's hands, but I also feel God wouldn't have given us the knowledge/medicine we have to improve our chances if He didn't want us to use it.
Next weekend when my fertile window comes around I think DH & I will try having BMS w/pillow already positioned under my hips. Couldn't hurt, right?!?
As always, good luck and lots of baby dust to everyone!
"I was just doing some last minute reading about HSGs and read that its recommended not to have sex for 2 weeks after this exam d/t risk of infection. This isn't something I thought to ask the doctor and it hasn't been mentioned to me. I've been thinking DH & I would resume our BMS efforts this weekend when my fertile window rolls around again.
I was wondering what anyone hear was told re. this when they had an HSG. Did you have to wait till the month after your HSG to TTC?"
I'm not too well up on HSG's, but I do know of one lucky lady who was here on TTC boards that had hadn't been getting AF at all, then she had her HSG and was pregnant two weeks later!! So she didn't wait and got very lucky. I hope this happens for you, let us know how you get on xx
Whoa! I just got home from my HSG and I've not felt cramps like that in a long time. It was very tolerable at the beginning of the test. But, then the radiologist said my left tube was not filling well and she needed to advance the catheter more. That part didn't hurt, but when she got the catheter where she wanted then reinflated a balloon so it would stay in place that's when the terrible cramping, pressure started. Thankfully, the doctor and tech worked very well together and quickly got the pictures they needed.
Radiologist said everything looked fine. I asked if my left tube could have been blocked which is why dye had trouble going in to start with, but she said no. But, she did say could have been debris that hopefully the dye flushed out and that I should "have fun" since usually chances of conceiving go up after this test. I sure hope so!!!!
When I went in to change, I was surprised by the amount of blood when I wiped off. The doctor said I may spot a little more because of the amount of manipulation she did with my cervix. I'm going to keep an eye on it this afternoon and call my OB/GYN if it persists though.
All in all, not a terrible experience. I was done with the test ~ 210pm and my cramping is subsiding now.
Sorry that you're having so much difficulty littlebo! And I don't know why I haven't read this thread yet? But blame it on being overworked! We've been trying now for about 7 months I think.. and I can only imagine how it feels when you've been trying 16 months. It's not easy at all, though I'm glad that you're getting help!! I'm about to go to my docs today about all this and am a slight bit worried!
I wondered the same about your initial question, but have come to find it being normal. I don't get all that much that comes out unless I move around too much. As soon as we're done I toss a pillow under my bum and watch tv ... oh ya, sex and boob tube! No ice cream for me
As for your initial question, that's always been normal for me, too. We've been ttc for around 7 months now and this month we bd'd in the evening for 5 nights and I just remained in bed, fell asleep, and usually got up to pee many hours later. We'll see if it worked!???
Glad your procedure wasn't too bad. I really hope it opens things up for you and this will be your month!
Sorry that you're having so much difficulty littlebo! And I don't know why I haven't read this thread yet? But blame it on being overworked! We've been trying now for about 7 months I think.. and I can only imagine how it feels when you've been trying 16 months. It's not easy at all, though I'm glad that you're getting help!! I'm about to go to my docs today about all this and am a slight bit worried!
I wondered the same about your initial question, but have come to find it being normal. I don't get all that much that comes out unless I move around too much. As soon as we're done I toss a pillow under my bum and watch tv ... oh ya, sex and boob tube! No ice cream for me
Hey, thaele! I try to look at the boards everyday to read other posts for all the information I can find to help us in our efforts to conceive. But, it is hard to find that time some days! It's good you are visiting you doctor to let him know what efforts you've been making so he can help advise you. I had to go to a new OB/GYN this past year, but I went with my previous records and my charts where I've kept up with my cycles (which are irregular). He saw from my history question of whether I was really ovulating. So, first thing we did was try Clomid followed by Progesterone lab test on Day 21 to ensure I was ovulating. DH had a SA next which was excellent. All this time, we are not getting pg.
So, my OB/GYN recommended next less invasive step which was the HSG or hysterosalpingogram). It's a radiology test that involved radiologist inserting speculum (just like on a pap smear) through which she inserted a tiny catheter tube into my uterus. There was a balloon at the end she inflated with water to make it stay in place. Once that was done, she pushed a dye that flushed thru my uterus and fallopian tubes....and took xrays. Purpose is to look for abnormalities in uterus (polyps, adhesions) or blocked tube. With this "flushing" the dye sometimes clears debris from the tubes that although weren't blocking them completely could be hindering egg and sperm meeting up. I'm hoping that'll be the case with me!
I read in one article online that fertility has shown to increase by ~ 20-30% for the 3 months following an HSG.
This may have been more than you wanted to know.....but, I thought I'd share my experience with you.
As for your initial question, that's always been normal for me, too. We've been ttc for around 7 months now and this month we bd'd in the evening for 5 nights and I just remained in bed, fell asleep, and usually got up to pee many hours later. We'll see if it worked!???
Glad your procedure wasn't too bad. I really hope it opens things up for you and this will be your month!
Thank you, petunia74! I hope you get a BFP this month!! DH and I are going to try starting off with a pillow up under my hips when we have BMS this month.....to make me feel better that everything stays in place longer.
I didn't have any more problems Tuesday evening after my HSG. It was very uncomfortable, but thankfully my cramps didn't last long and the spotting was pretty much gone by the next morning.
I talked w/nurse @ doctor's office and he said if we don't have a BFP this month we can go ahead and get more aggressive next month. This means IUI. I talked w/DH about it a little bit just so we'd both be prepared and ready for that next step if it comes to that.
Thanks Littlebo, I did get a BFP!!! Am still amazed! I tested yesterday morning, then evening, and again this morning, and they all came back +++! WOW! It's crazy obsessing over getting the BFP cause once you get it, then all the other stuff starts to sink in...which is great, just never let myself think that far ahead. Best of luck to you!
BTW, the other thing I did differently this month, and I don't know if it had any affect at all, was I orderer FertiliTea and drank it 2X/day. Hmmm. We also BD'd a lot...
Sad news....AF arrived today after my usual week of getting my hopes up due to "feeling" like this might be the month. This is so discouraging! I always cry when I see that AF has started. I've stopped crying, but still feeling disappointed. DH, of course, hugs me and comforts me. He even remembered before I did that we haven't done the HSG and that maybe it will help "flush" out anything that's hindering my egg from meeting his sperm. To anyone else out there whose 2WW has ended due to AF, I pray God will comfort you and your DH as He has us. 
... oh ya, sex and boob tube! No ice cream for me 
