Pregnant after husbands vasectomy?How common?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everybody. I will try to keep this as short as possible. My husband and I have 2 boys- 4 years and 8 months old. With our 8 month old I had some major problems PTL, shortening cervix etc. and then had a terrible labor and delivery.:eek: Way harder than my first boy.

Anyway, that was it for us, my husband and I decided no more children EVER AGAIN! :redlight: So, I went on the pill right after our last baby was born back in August and my husband decided to get a vasectomy. So, the vas was done Dec. 17th. I told the urologist I was going to stay on the pill and he told me that was not necessary. I also told him that I heard that there could be viable sperm for up to another 4 months afterward. He told me that was an old wives tale and not to worry. So, I igored that inner voice that told me to stay on my pill and just let them run out. I took my last active pill Jan. 1st.

So, here we are now in April and I have yet to have a period. (Well,I should mention that I did take an HPT on Jan. 11th just out of being paranoid and it was negative. Then, about a week later I had some spotting.) So, this past Fri. I took an HPT and it was positive. We were in total shock so I took another one yesterday and got the same result, positive. I am calling my Dr. first thing in the morning.

Does it sound like the urologist messed up by not telling us more? If I had any idea that this could happen I would've stayed on the pill. This is going to basically ruin our lives. I hate to phrase it that way but that's how we feel.We did everything he told us to and were responsible and this still happened to us. We had really big dreams planned. I am so depressed and shocked right now I don't know what to do. I just cannot go through this again. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Is it common? Thanks for listening. Sorry so long. -Amy

Yes, he gave a semen sample around a week later and the urologist called a few days after that and even though I am a nurse, I didn't quite understand what he was telling me but all I understood was "So,You're good to go!" Exact words. To me, that was all I needed to hear.No "well, maybe you should stay on the pill, or use extra precaution, or there may be some active sperm". Nothing! We didn't have sex for about 2 weeks after the procedure and even after that we used condoms and excuse my slang but pulled out as well and I was still covered by my pills. We weren't taking any chances! All that and look where it got us! It just makes me mad to think that he had such little disregard for our lives. I thought you needed more than one follow up sperm count as well? Anyone know if that's true?

when my husband had his vasectomy he had to give 2 samples. one at 4 weeks and one at 8 weeks and only after they came back with no active sperm that is when the uroligist gave us the green light to have sex without any BC. i am sorry to hear about this happening to you. i will think of you often and hope weverything works out for you.

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Gosh, i'm sorry you are going through this. My husband had a vastectomy about 6 weeks ago. He has an appointment this week with his urologist. He said it takes 20-30 ejaculations and that my husband has to give 2 sperm free samples before we are given the green light.

This is what my husband's urologist said also.

Regarding getting pregnant and not intending to . .. . my husband and I got preggers with our last child when I was 43 and he was 47. Our youngest child at that time was 12, the next was 16 and the oldest was 18. Needless to say we had a mutual nervous breakdown. We were very upset, depressed and scared.

Kitty makes a good point - we look back at that time now and cannot believe that we were upset over having the wonderful little boy we have now.

I realize that where you are right now having everyone give you advice that you will end up ok is difficult. I had the same problem - it made me mad when people would tell me that this would end up being a blessing. But the truth is, it is a blessing. Just hang on . . .

steph

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Also, regarding your difficult pregnancy and labor - that was a concern for me too. I had three children without any pain relief, did the natural thing and hated labor pains.

I talked to my OB right away with my 4th and said I wanted an epidural :)

That was heaven.

steph

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I work with a nurse who just found out she is pregnant with baby #3. After the last one he had a vasectomy, and sperm count 3 months later was 0. 6 months later she is pregnant and the urologist insists that she must have been unfaithful. I believe her when she says she was not and so does her husband. She will probably have to have DNA testing after the birth just to prove to everyone that she is telling the truth!

So it does happen!

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My last child was unplanned, too, (conceived after too many margaritas at a Christmas party!) but he is my favorite. I can't imagine life without him.

It seems like everyone I know who had an unplanned child, particularly later in life, (well, I was 31, but my daughters were already 7 and 5) echoes my sentiments!

I agree with stevielynn. Things will all work out for the best. Not to sound trite or corny, but this child truly is your miracle baby--as was stevielynn's. He or she may be destined for great things--count on it.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It's more common than you think. I know of a few who went through this. Take it one day at a time and hang in there. I hope you can work through this and be able to embrace the situation at some point, if that is what you choose to do. HUGE HUGS.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Just an FYI it can go both ways. I have cared for ladies in the ER that have had tubal ligations and yet the egg and little critters still found each other- ie intra abdominal ectopic pregnancy.

SO i can extrapolate that after a Vas it could be theroeticly possible for the sperm that still get produced to find their way past the break in the plumbing.

Also some Vasectomies are more secure than others ie did the doctor just cut and tie, did he cut, tie, burn or did he cut, tie, burn and remove a section of the vas. Also a key point our urologist made was that things need to get flushed out ie dont excpect to be sterile in 6 months if its the first time you have sex after the procedure. He wanted specimins after a certain number of ejaculations and then a month after that before he called it sucessful- then he made the point in his consent that even then its never ever 100%.

rj:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Government.

I don't want anyone to read this thread and think that vasectomy is a poor choice for permanent birth control. DH had one for our first anniversary (we are child free by choice) and it was the best gift I've ever gotten! He was sperm free by 8 weeks after 2 samples. We've been married 20 years and no scares. It is very effective.

The urologist did give him a choice of simple severing or cautery of the vas. DH chose cauterization, never wanting the option of reversal. I don't know if they still give men the option.

2 of our neighbors had children post vasectomy but they both admitted they didn't get an all clear before going without protection. Johnny Carson also had his last kid after vasectomy.

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Ham, I am so sorry you have to go through this. and don't be sorry about not really being excited. I have witnessed first hand about unwanted pregs. I have a friend with two kids under the age of 4.5 she had her tubes tied after the delivery of the last. she just found out yesterday she is preggers again. she is scared to death. they can barely afford the 2 that they have and a third would be too much. they live in a tiny 2 bedroom house. 4 people overloads this house so 5 definetly would. She is like i didn't want anymore kids or i wouldn't have had my tubes tied. don't feel bad. this is what you are feeling and you know your own situation better than anyone.

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Specializes in Long-term care, wound care.

Well, my husband and I went and saw my Dr. this morning. I am pregnant. I have an ultrasound tomorrow to see how far I am. After reading all your posts I really feel like a fool! I just can't belive that Urologist told me my pills weren't neccessary and we were "good to go" after only a week! He also told us that residual sperm was a wives tale.Even the nurse this morning told us she used to work for a surgeon and when he did them he would do the semen samples at 6 weeks and then if needed he would do them until they were no longer needed.

I just wish he wouldn't have told me it was ok to go off my pills. We are both kicking ourselves for not doing more research. We had No idea this could even happen. My sister and her boyfriend of 11 years are both very fertile people and he had it done with no troubles. They waited 2 weeks to have sex and that was it. No more babies for them. That was about 2-3 years ago. Have you ever just felt like a huge idiot? That is how I feel right now. I am 30 years old and my husband is 24. I am getting too old to have another baby!(no offense to anyone-that is just directed at myself)

Plus - I really thought something was wrong when I delivered my last baby because my hands and my face were numb and it was horrible pain. I thought I was going to die. Nothing like my first. Plus the fact that I was high-risk. It's all just too much too take. Thanks for all your kind words though. -Amy

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Specializes in Long-term care, wound care.
Ham, I am so sorry you have to go through this. and don't be sorry about not really being excited. I have witnessed first hand about unwanted pregs. I have a friend with two kids under the age of 4.5 she had her tubes tied after the delivery of the last. she just found out yesterday she is preggers again. she is scared to death. they can barely afford the 2 that they have and a third would be too much. they live in a tiny 2 bedroom house. 4 people overloads this house so 5 definetly would. She is like i didn't want anymore kids or i wouldn't have had my tubes tied. don't feel bad. this is what you are feeling and you know your own situation better than anyone.

That sounds exactly like us! Tiny house, already overcowded. Which makes for a very stressful life and baby #3 will probably give both my husband and I a mental breakdown! I know what she's feeling and I will be thinking of her! Thanks. -Amy

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Specializes in Long-term care, wound care.
Can I ask what big dreams another baby will ruin? Usually once you already have children, you can slip another one in there without too much change.

Well it's kind of long but, my husband and I have been together 5 years. Baby #1 came along 3 months after we started dating. (2 weeks after I moved in!) Basically, we never had time to really enjoy each other and just be "in love". I was in nursing school while PG and went right to work when I was done. Anyway, on top of being a high-risk pregnancy last year, we ran into some other major marital difficulties and almost got divorced. We worked things out and found that love that was always there again and things have been going so great until now.

We were just going to work on us and take a road trip(my husband just bought a new mustang last month) to see some relatives and let our boys stay with their grandparents. Maybe be a little selfish for once. We are both the type of people that always put everyone else first. But, we also do not have room for a third child. Our house is tiny and my boys share a room and their beds practically touch. I am not back to work either so money's an issue as well- was planning on going back after our great summer. Mentally I am not ready for a third child either. I knew that -that's why we took the precautions we did. We put all our trust in this guy and he turned out to be a quack! But I hope things work out for the best. -Amy

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