"Are Hot Tubs safe for TTC?" and other heat related questions

[sisi]

@ahcadvocacy Oh man, such a missed pun opportunity in the title - heated questions, heated debates, hotly-contested issues??

But really, thanks for this! I have mentioned this before but I followed a couple on YouTube that was TTC with no luck for a year and were starting to see an RE for preliminary testing when they figured out that hot baths were bad for sperm - apparently the husband had been taking super hot, super long baths pretty much on the daily. He had a bad SA, stopped the baths, and then 3 months later they conceived (but ended up being a CP) and then the next month conceived an ultimately successful pregnancy. Obviously n=1 but it did make me think that they should do a study on baths as birth control (and, again, why even the most basic stuff about male fertility is so often overlooked while the female partners, temp, track, POAS, eat grapefruit, drink teas, and take jars of dubious supplements)!

 

[ahcadvocacy]

@sisi

Oh man, such a missed pun opportunity in the title - heated questions, heated debates, hotly-contested issues??

I guess I shoulda sent it to you for proofreading! coughdevbiowastoobusycough

There is not enough time in the day for me to become a wikipedia person, but apparently there were people looking into heat-based contraception? I feel like I've been waiting for a decade for an update on long-term, reversible male contraception.

Hm, sex education. I get why people are so "wait, what?" when they make it to TTC, but I also get why it doesn't make the educational cut. Because there are so many unintentional pregnancies, it feels counterproductive to teach "there are only 3-5 days you can get pregnant each cycle". Other things, like smoking or heavy drinking, have so many other ill-effects that their effect on fertility is a footnote. Anyways. Ranty rant. I'm glad for the internet and all of the informational stuffs at my fingertips.

 

[sisi]

@ahcadvocacy In this case it wasn't really about sex ed, it was more that the wife had been seriously obsessing over her (pretty normal) cycles, reading everything she could Google about fertility and TCOYF, temping and taking OPKs, taking zillions of supplements and teas, and every week she and her husband did these videos together weekly about TTC and their sadness about not being successful, and he was very involved in the process - but somehow neither of them thought to Google basic stuff he could do to contribute in ways other than just supporting her, like not take hour long boiling baths nightly?? I just get annoyed when fertility is clearly assumed to be a female thing. And about the lack of investigation into male BC methods beyond condoms because long, hot baths would pretty much be a super-pleasant one.

 

[amandabroken]

@sisi Well obviously fertility is solely a female problem, so why would we bother putting the burden on men? Their testing is just so difficult!

 

[soldout30]

@ahcadvocacy Thank you so much for this! I’ve been trying to convince my husband to give up his regular, scalding hot baths. It just feels more fair if everyone gives something up for the greater good.

 

[ahcadvocacy]

@soldout30 I think fairness is not super possible in these things, but I get the feeling. My husband did not abstain from alcohol in solidarity with me through IVF, and it did suck. If you can offer up a solid alternative (like a big heat pack for sore shoulders), the conversation might go better. Good luck!

 

[soldout30]

@ahcadvocacy He’s a pretty good sport. He just uses the baths for relaxation so I’ve offered to set him up with some aromatherapy. I feel like it’s the one thing he can do since he’s not a smoker or much of a drinker.

 

[gatorluk]

@ahcadvocacy Thank you for pulling this together!! I need to share with my husband as he is a big lover in the steaming hot bath for an hour or so!

 

[jm914]

@ahcadvocacy Thank you for posting this. I was worried about being too hot in the shower yesterday.

 

[dylan4512]

@ahcadvocacy Thanks for this! I would very much like not to stress about the occasional hot bath.

 

[easyoked]

@ahcadvocacy OMG, I love you! This is funny and informative and I’m saving it.

 

[isrod]

@ahcadvocacy But like... we’re you in my google history this morning?!

 

[s3anreilly]

@ahcadvocacy @ahcadvocacy I summon you from the depth of reddit, because I need your wisdom and opinion!

I am thinking about going to a spa tomorrow, this is 2 days after IVF retrieval, 1 day before transfer. I feel pretty okay right now, no signs of OHSS. The only reason I can think of not going is, that a sauna could mess with my fluid balance, which could be bad in terms of potential OHSS. But I haven't gained much weight yet (like 900gr since trigger) and feeling generally fine. But if I just drink even more, it probably should be fine...

Edit: nevermind, I did book it, even if I had some doubts because covid as well. Sorry for bothering you.

 

[ahcadvocacy]

@s3anreilly /me climbs out of the bog

Def not an OHSS expert or a physician. I don't think it should be a problem - you can still monitor yourself for bad signs while at the spa and stay hydrated. If you were showing OHSS symptoms then the larger concern would be getting pregnant from a fresh transfer. Again, sanity is no small factor in these things - may you find the spa a deep respite.

 

[s3anreilly]

@ahcadvocacy I'm so looking forward to it! But thanks for confirming my logic. Probably covid is a bigger concern, but it's still allowed and they take all kind of precautions.

 

[kevintristan]

@ahcadvocacy Wait... cats? Could our cat be the cause of my husband’s sperm challenges?

 

[briannas]

@kevintristan I don’t think your cat can heat your husband’s testes to these temps

 

[kevintristan]

@briannas Okay phew! Because he would be so sad if he couldn’t snuggle her. She is obsessed with him and snuggles him every day.

 

[ahcadvocacy]

@kevintristan It's a concern I've seen other people voice - the testicles already hang out a temperature slightly above 'ideal', and most people don't have issues conceiving. I think cats sitting on a lap is kind of like .. a uterine polyp. If you're having issues conceiving, it might ease your mind to cut it out - but it is unlikely to be the whole story.

In terms of causes, it might be much more mundane. And unsatisfying. And frustrating. I'm sorry you're dealing with it.

 

[darrellgc]

@kevintristan Do they curl up on his bits for extended periods?