It's my sperm!

Pics or it didn't happen.

I have to admit, it was kind of weird gazing upon my little swimmers. I debated getting the proper equipment to do a formal semen analysis, but decided it would expand my budget too much.

So my experimental technique consists of:

1. Collect specimen in paper cup
2. Allow 10 minutes for semen to liquefy
3. Draw with disposable plastic pipette
4. Mount on glass slide without staining or preparation
5. Observe at 40x

The slides below will be my baseline.   Most of the sperm in the high-power-fields below are out of focus. I think actual semen analysis is supposed to use a special slide to give a uniform depth.

In the 3 days before obtaining this specimen, I had taken 2 long baths. I don't know if this would have much effect on my sperm count.

Again, this is not a formal analysis, and I have no specific training. But it appeared to me that less than half of my sperm were motile. I saw several with abnormal morphology. Near the bottom of the second slide, you can see a sperm with two tails.

Conception was not particularly easy for my wife and me. We didn't require any medical interventions, but we did track cycles and time our intercourse to maximize our chances. We have been able to conceive, but it took at least 4 cycles. Obviously I am fertile, but I maybe not ideally so.