Atomic, can you help me understand this a little better (sperm question)

[Hobbermittens]

You already helped me with this question a while back, but I am still confused...

DH was in the hot springs back in July, which you said I shouldn't worry about... but I can't help it. :oops: I mean, we went camping there, it was super hot, and he was in the water 2 days in a row for HOURS each day. I bet it killed everything! Or at least screwed up what was being made at that time.

So: This is what confuses me. If new sperm start forming every day, and each batch takes 72 days to form, are the hot springs sperm gone exactly 72 days after that, as long as DH releases them? Are the sperm on day 73 safe? Or are there all different days of sperm mixed in together? Or what?

So, Day 72 after the hot springs is Oct 3. I will most probably O around Oct. 4 or 5 (AF just showed up today). I had wanted to DTD a every 48 hrs leading up to O, but that would mean using those hot springs sperm, right? I am just terrified of doing that. (BTW, the hot springs were NOT my idea; we had to meet my FIL there. Not our choice!)

Sorry to bring this up again, but I want to make a really informed decision about this. We only get one more kid, and I need to make sure we do this right! Thanks for putting up with me!

[Hobbermittens]

bump?

[Zivic-Bubac]

Are the sperm on day 73 safe?[/I] Or are there all different days of sperm mixed in together? Or what?
Well I think sperm are mixed in together, at least those which were produced close , few days for instant. I mean there are not diff compartments for every day, so sperm goes exlusively to its compartment kwim?

But by the day 73, there will be probably no or very, very small amount of hot springs sperm lol! Since he releases regularly ( as I understand0 you should be on the safe side by your O date. Also the supps he is taking will do their part of the job :agree:

This is how I see it, Idk if I'm right, I hope Atomic chimes in.

[Hobbermittens]

Hey ZB, thanks for your input. I guess I knew there wasn't a compartment for each day... but I still don't reallyget it? I don't know how much is mixed. ? And yes, DH releases almost daily, the horny guy! :)

[TTC5]

I'm guessing also that those most healthy sperm will make it out first or at least make it to the Fallopian tubes?

[skrimpy]

Hobber from what I understand the sperm that will be making their way out nowish are the ones that began development at the hotsprings time. They develop inside the tubes in him then when development is complete they swim up to wait for release. So at this point sperm that formed just before the hot springs is what he's releasing. The hot spring sperm will finish development at the first of Oct then swim up to wait for release by mid-Oct... The swim takes about 12 days according to this article: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/543999_2

[TTC5]

That is so handy to know Skrimpy!

[Hobbermittens]

Holy crap! So I guess I SHOULD try this cycle? Because the hot springs sperm won't be out until after I ovulate?

Thanks for the article, Skrimpy!! I think that means I should be safe to DTD around the 1st of Oct? Right??

[atomic sagebrush]

Holy crap! So I guess I SHOULD try this cycle? Because the hot springs sperm won't be out until after I ovulate?

Thanks for the article, Skrimpy!! I think that means I should be safe to DTD around the 1st of Oct? Right??

Well first off just let me say I do think you're 100% totally safe to try this cycle. But, I don't think that means that the sperm that are coming out now (as opposed to, three days later) are fine and dandy because they weren't exposed to the heat when they were forming, actually the opposite. ALL the sperm that were forming at any point in formation, were exposed to the heat. There are probably periods of time during formation when the sperm are more susceptible to damage than at other times and it was the ones that have already been released that were the most effected.

The sperm that only just began to form 72 days ago (and 72 days is just an estimate, it can happen quicker or slower) were hardly anything at that stage, KWIM?? They were still the germ cells that DH makes all his sperm from - the ones that formed 10 years ago and the ones that are going to be forming the day after the 72 days is up are all made from those same germ cells. They had to grow and develop and divide for 3 months before they really become sperm, during which he wasn't in any hot springs or anything. Think of all the sperm that have been released in the meantime, that were all further along in various stages of development. I suspect that the ones that were the most ill-effected by the heat were the ones that were almost mature (prob. a lot of them or all, died off) or were at some critical period in development, like crossing over/dividing. That doesn't happen until later on in development.

Whatever was happening 72 days ago, the process was just barely beginning. Just like how babies are not susceptible to birth defects until later on, I suspect the sperm are not that susceptible to damage at that stage. If something did damage them, they would have just quit dividing and died off, quickly to be replaced by "fresh" germ cells. It seems very likely to me that the ones that were damaged by the heat, were either immediately killed off or have already been ejaculated by this point, and the sperm that are coming out now are from fresh germ cells that were only just starting their journey or even the replacements of those germ cells, if in fact they were damaged by the heat at that point and killed. The sperm that are emerging now, had ALL that time to do all the "dangerous" stuff like divide, cross over, grow their little tails, etc. and were not exposed to the heat during any of those stages of development.

Zivic is totally right and there are not little compartments where sperm formed on diff days are kept. They are all kinda lumped in together, so you'll be getting sperm from before the hot springs and after the hot springs at the 72 day mark.

[Hobbermittens]

Thank you, Atomic! It makes more sense now. The reproductive cycle is so amazing and complicated, isn't it?

[atomic sagebrush]

It really, really is. It amazes me how much I still have to learn about it all!!!