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Infertility

New to infertility

12 replies

Nehalsd · 11/04/2016 19:12

Hello
Ive been in the UK for two years and still trying to understand how to best deal with my Infertility

Its been two years my husband and i have been trying naturally to no result, we made appointments with the nhs to get blood tested. But since things are soo soo slow with the nhs im thinking of goinf private for the tests and then fly abroad for the ivf treatment should need be.

Where are the best clinics in london for treatment? There are so many but how does someone find the right one?

How do i deal with the nhs if i want to use that route? It takes three weeks to make an appointment to see a doctor and it another two weeks to get ur blood tested and from there i have to wait another three weeks to see the doctor again! And my husband only managed to get an appojntment two months from now!!

Im just so confused and overwhelmed, i feel my bloods been tested four times already but no one is able to tell me whats wrong with me.

I guess my questions are what are the next five steps i should be taking. Its a bit overwleming

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MillieLikesSketty · 11/04/2016 19:47

Hi, didn't want to read and run, I hope you find some answers soon! I'm not from the UK and find the nhs pretty slow but can't help on the private front, sorry.

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Amummyatlast · 11/04/2016 20:04

The thing is, there may be nothing wrong with you that they can find. You say you've had blood tests on the NHS. Which ones? Have you been referred to a consultant yet? Or has your DH not had his semen analysis yet? How old are you both? Would you qualify for NHS treatment?

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Nehalsd · 11/04/2016 22:59

We are both 31.
Im not sure what blood tests theyve done - but I think its just a reg check up.
I havent been referred to anyone! And no he hasnt been tested yet.
I think we should qualify..

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Amummyatlast · 12/04/2016 19:31

I would recommend getting much more proactive and 'bolshy' in your dealings with the doctors. Find out what blood tests you have had and what the results are. They should have done LH/FSH at the beginning of your cycle and progesterone roughly 7 days before your period starts.

They probably won't be able to refer you until your partner has done his sperm test anyway.

What will happen after that will depend on the results. You might have to have a HSG (like an X-ray of your Fallopian tubes).

You are both fairly young, so time is on your side. I did IVF/ICSI on the NHS the first time around. At the time my PCT allowed up to 3 goes (reduced to 1 now). It worked for me on the second go and I will be eternally grateful to the NHS for it. We are now thinking of doing ICSI privately and it is going to cost around £7k (in the UK).

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Amummyatlast · 12/04/2016 19:46

I was going to add that you should get a copy of your area's policy on IVF. Knowing whether you are eligible and how many rounds they offer will help you to make a decision on whether or not to go private.

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GrumpyMummy123 · 12/04/2016 20:04

Hi I'm fairly new to this TTC thing - been trying for DC2 about 2 years (since DS1).

I went to GP who referee me to hospital for tests. After a few months I got an appointment with fertility dept. They gave me a whole range of tests to get done and DH his sample tested. Eventually got them all done. Have now been prescribed Clomid to start next month. This will be about a year from first going to GP.

It's worth chasing your GP to know where you are in the process - if you've been referred, how long the wait is, what the NHS restrictions/ process is in your area.

I was told I'm not eligible for IVF as have have one child already. But they said there other options and don't start planning for IVF without getting all tests and 6 clear months trying once you know you are ovulating/ DTD at right time/ had all tests to identify if any problems first.

Good luck!!!

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scoobyloobyloo · 14/04/2016 05:00

There are more tests you can have privately which explore your immune system which many believe is often the source of infertility/repeat mc. These don't show on any NHS test and are often why infertility is 'unexplained'.

The top doc in
London is Dr Gorgy - you can google for his details.

Good luck :)

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scoobyloobyloo · 14/04/2016 05:04

Sorry - also meant to say that the NHS can leave you waiting for months/years and success rates don't come anywhere near those of top private London clinics - ARGC/Create etc. If you can afford it, I would very much recommend looking at the private route, it is far more personalised and better monitored. My NHS experience was appalling.

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Blueroses99 · 02/05/2016 11:57

Hi Nehalsd. The investigatory tests took about 6 months on the NHS in my case before being referred for IVF. But that included some repeat tests due to abnormal results for both of us.

Female tests have to be done at particular times in the menstrual cycle and the reason that there are so many blood tests is that they need to check that the different hormones are going up or down as expected at different points during a cycle. I think I had day 3, day 20 and day 27 blood tests.

These hormonal tests are the first that the NHS do and will only diagnose some types of fertility problems. If all is ok with hormones, they will probably move onto scans. So in my case my hormones were fine and proved that I was ovulating but the ultrasound showed fibroids and cysts. Another scan I had has to be between day 5 and day 25. So sometimes you have to wait for the next cycle before making an appointment. Infertility requires patience! As does IVF, as drugs need to start and be taken on certain days too.

It sounds like the delays on your side are more to do with the GP than the hospital? I found the hospital to be fairly timely to deal with once I was referred to them.

I wouldn't suggest having the more advanced tests, immunology etc until you have had basic blood tests, scans and sperm tests to identify the more common issues.

I suggest that you read something like Zita West's Guide to Fertility and Assisted Conception to understand the different tests and what they are testing for, as well as the options available. I read this after a failed NHS cycle of ICSI but before I selected a private clinic for the next cycle but wished I'd read it before I started IVF as it has a lot of information that NHS don't tell you.

I used the HFEA website to review private clinics and narrowed it down to Boston Place and Lister Clinic, but chose Boston Place due to more convenient location. Pleased that I did as I'm now 11wks pregnant Smile

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Blueroses99 · 02/05/2016 12:01

Also - private clinics accept NHS tests so that they don't need to be repeated if they are within a year or so. This saves a lot as investagatory tests are very expensive and rarely performed quicker than NHS (given the timing constraints I mentioned above).

If you have other questions, I'm happy to share from my own experience.

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cheapredwine · 02/05/2016 16:44

Second that you need to get a bit more assertive from the GP / NHS side of things. Also second that IVF (if you end up having it) on the NHS can be very one-size-fits-all. My experience was also, in hindsight, pretty crap. But I was relatively complicated and TBH they were out of their depth. Currently 30+4 with little boy from ARGC. It's not for the faint-hearted and is horribly expensive, but their results speak for themselves. You have time on your side which is brilliant - in your shoes I'd pursue NHS for now I think, then regroup a little further down the line. Happy to answer any questions etc. Good luck OP!

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Nehalsd · 05/05/2016 17:43

Thank you ladies for the information. Just going through and writing my notes. Thank u again, hopefully will start understanding whats going on soon.

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