First trip to doctors with dh - any advice on what to say and what to expect gratefully received...

Hi

I had been trying 6 months when i saw my gp, he had told me that if i did not have a period within 6 months of finishing my pill then i should see him. I was having periods but they were irregular and over 45 days sometimes up to 70.

Straight away he got blood tests sorted for me, when we got the results back it should a low progestrone test which confirmed i was not ovulating. We had to get DP sperm tested before he could do the referral letter. That was Feb last year, i then had a few letters from hospital asking a few more questions etc and got an appointment for July, i was put on clomid and started that in Sep.

No BFP yet for me, but i would say start the ball rolling as if you do choose to use the nhs it can take a while to get appointments etc.

I am 24 so was suprised to be reffered after only 6 months of trying however it was a year by time i have first appointment with consultant.

Let us know how you get on and try not to worry about it too much( i know easier said than done)

x

I would ask your GP to refer you to a subfertility unit and tell him you've been trying for almost 12 months. The GP may well do some initial tests (blood test for you, semen analysis for DH), on the other hand he may not. I never had any tests done beforehand, I was referred immediately to the unit and got seen six months later.

I would stress to the GP your long cycles. These problems are often due to hormonal imbalances which can be treated.

The GP and cons (when you see him) probably won't take any notice of the temp charts primarily because they are so unreliable. If you have a long cycle as well they can be particularly hard to decipher.

You need a diagnosis of the problem first and foremost. Do not let the GP give you clomid either especially without a proper formal diagnosis of the problem/s. You need to be monitored whilst on it, a GP cannot monitor you properly.

In the initial stages at least you are safer going under the NHS. Not all private treatment is better especially in the early stages. Some private treatment offered is poor as well as expensive.

you will definitely have to tell your gp that you've been ttc for a year if you want some investigations done now. alternatively, keep ttc for another six months as it is not uncommon to take up to a year to conceive.

I would also be very careful about self diagnosing off the back of charts and info you have perhaps obtained from books/the internet. While there are a lot of people who believe that charting etc gves you a good understanding of your body, none of these methods are 100% accurate as there are many things that can affect your temp - a drink the night before/sex/what you eat/a cold etc, and a lot of gyneys actually discourage charting and will do their own investigations rather than relying on the info you've obtained at home.

good luck

HI there. I am also 31. Me and DH were trying for a while and went to the doctor. They said to we needed to try for a year prior to being referred to the reproductive clinic for tests. After the year was up, we went back to the doctors. We were then referred to the Clinic. I think the waiting list is normally around 3 months. On our first appointment at the clinic they looked at the information they ask you to collect prior to your appointment (Cycle lengths and medical history) They complete a sperm test and they completed a internal scan. We were then told to book in after another 3 months and were sent for blood tests to measure hormone levels. Everything was normal. At the next appointment we were booked in for a Lap and dye. Again everything was normal. We then after all of this got pregnant naturally. Unfortunately the pregnancy ended early so we have been going back to the clinic... but they have said that everything is normal and sometimes it takes couples 6-12 months to conceive. He has said that we should conceive within the next 18 months.

But I have seen on here that some doctors complete some of the tests prior to sending you to the clinic. I suppose it depends on if you have any gynie issues etc..

Good luck. But agree with Janus that you will need to tell the GP you have been ttcing for a year before any tests will be done.
My personal experience is that taking your charts along, rather than just volunteering the info that you have been charting, may well mark your card. Not necessarily in a good way.
But, once you have made it past the GP, the consultant you will be referred to will be interested to see them, and appreciative of the fact that you have been doing them.

cityangel, I really do think the GP may say you have to have been trying for a year, up to you if you want to say that! However, I think if you can point out the short luteal phase they may well decide to proceed with treatment (is it clomid??). We are in the middle of lots of tests with the assisted conception unit but I had to force this issue with my GP after about 8 months of trying but being over 35. I suppose each GP is different. Good luck.