first appointment at subfertility clinic - what to expect

[birchygoo]

as the title say I have my 1st appointment coming up. so far gp has done day 3 and day 21 test all normal. chlamydia antibodies, and thyroid normal. dh sa within normal ranges as well.
I temp and use cbfm - I'm pretty sure I'm ovulating.
cycles range from 29-39 days. LP is 13 days.

any ideas what I can expect from appointment or any experiences of your appointments

tia

[sparechange]

Private or NHS?
They will want to discuss your history - how long have you been trying, how often you DTD, any BFPs/miscarriages since you started, any other health issues etc
They may do more blood tests for thyroid function and possibly AMH (ovarian reserve)
A lot of private clinics will also do a transvaginal ultrasound scan, to look at your ovaries and womb lining, and check they look right for the cycle day that you are on.
They will then hopefully discuss next steps, and which treatment options could be suitable for you.

[gakay]

I'm going for my 1st appt tmw and have been wondering the same. Can update you after my appt. But then my GP has not done much inveatigations so will probably need quite a few of those things you've had done ready.

[birchygoo]

thanks both!

gayka it would still be helpful to hear what happened for you. fx it all goes well.

[birchygoo]

what I'm also not sure is if everything seems to be OK can they do much more? other than ivf and where I live you only have 1 cycle funded and it terrifies me to use that cycle and for it not to work

[mandy214]

I think it depends where you are. I had to have 6 months of Day 21 tests because one result is only a snapshot. I then had to have a test for fallopian tube issues (where they inject dye and then monitor it's journey) before anything else happened. I came away feeling quite disappointed actually. I realised it was going to be quite a long journey.

[birchygoo]

Mandy that's really helpful to know. now I won't go with my hopes up of getting anywhere fast.

[gakay]

Just came back from my appy. Doctor was really nice. She didn't seem to care about tests GP has done as she didn't even ask and ordered another set. Other than blood tests she has ordered a pelvic ultrasound and also HSG to look at the tubes. My follow up appt is in 2 months.
She said if some of the blood tests are abnormal they will need to be repeated. But if all normal she will apply for funding. I hope what I heard is right.

[birchygoo]

Gayka that sounds like you had a very productive appt. will you keep me updated with how you get on? Are you also allowed to keep trying naturally?

I can feel af coming on today I will let you know how I get on.

[gakay]

Sure birchy
Yes, I'm allowed to continue trying naturally at the moment apart from the cycle when I have the HSG because of radiation exposure. I dont like the idea of missing a cycle, it feels like throwing opportunities of having a baby away…

Good luck with your appt. Please let us know how you get on then we can compare notes