TTC First Baby Thread 22

Thanks @Kiza for the advice.

@MIW01 at least we have some kind of plan. I was dubious on the progesterone because my levels were always good.

How is everyone? If I ovulated from the left this month, we have a slim chance. Got me some the day after the positive opk.

AF due next week. Cycle 17, I think. I've actually lost count!

@Absa 11 months as I knew it would take a month to get a GP appointment. In my area you can get initial bloods, SA and referral to fertility clinic after a year of trying.
I think because I'm 39 and had 2 MC also the GP was quite keen to get a move on. Luckily his wife is the fertility consultant at our local clinic so he had a little bit better knowledge than the usual GP

@Kiza how long were you trying before you first sought advice / started the ball with SA / bloods etc?

@Absa totally with you on that one, you feel that you are doing everything right and it still doesn't happen. I'm trying hard not to count down the days until our fertility appointment so DP can have a second SA to see if things have improved

Yeh very gutting. Just so annoying not knowing what the reason is for it not happening each month. Was so positive this month, now feel deflated and in a cba mood to try again!

@Absa it's gutting isn't it, I try not to get down thinking it's been over a year now. I'm popping supplements like they're going out of fashion, sticking myself with needles for Accupuncture, having marathon sex session in the fertile window, not drinking.. DP is the same.
If I didn't have an upcoming holiday to focus on I think I'd be going insane!

@Kiza literally exactly the same. Tiny bit of pink and now tiny bit of brown. Grrrrr!

FFS, looks like my usual spotting today that I get a couple of days before AF. 4 days early after after 2 weeks of relaxed holiday sex. Urrrrggghhhh!

AF due Thursday and had a teeny tinge of pink on the toilet paper this afternoon... think I'm out again this month. @Absa how are you getting on? Have you been tempted to test?

@MIW01 my mum and dad had campylobacter years ago. They caught it from cleaning up after our poorly puppy. Glad you feeling better now.

@orangeloo 3 years is ludicrous! We've been told nice states 2 but in our are you have to have had your 1st app after referral BEFORE the woman is 35 and I turned 34 in September so our GP has assured us that due to this, my family history of early menopause and low progesterone and DPs sperm motility issues we will be referred in good time if not pregnant by the new year!

@ValidUser lol at the shag comment but so sorry to hear about your results.

@larrydavid @lozzlepop turns out we had campylobacter! Received this message from GP on Thursday.

"Your stool sample has come back with a bacteria called Campylobacter in it. This normally gets better on it's own, but is something we need to notify the health protection agency about. They might contact you to try and work out where the infection came from. Any problems, please let us know. "

No wonder we didn't feel up to DTD! Luckily back on form now and will try SMEP again for November. AF due on Monday!

Innohep, I mean. Low molecular weight heparin.

Realised my last message was just repeating myself. 😂

Heparin injections next time I'm pregnant!

Thanks @Lozzlepop. Feeling a little calmer today! ❤️

@orangeloo that's a disgrace! There's not really much public fertility stuff in Ireland, so I went private straight away. Is that an option for you? (It shouldn't have to be, by the way.)

@orangeloo yes I agree and I can think of some other ways myself! I don't think most people understand how devastating it is until there is a possibility it may affect them.
3 years is just such a long time to wait to try and get some answers. My GP told me it's 1 year before they will start to investigate, I never told him how long we had been trying though. I know I'm early days yet but if I need to I will go earlier than the 1 year mark just because of how long the waiting times are.

@Makeafamily19 I'm in Surrey which seems to be one of the worst areas. completely understand the need for the nhs to come up with cost savings but I don't think IVF cuts is a good way to go about it. I have other ideas for them but won't bore ppl with that on here lol. Infertility is devastating and a disease and shouldn't be cut in my eyes.

@Jooloo12 yes its 3 years of trying before referral. Luckily despite guidelines doc seems to be on my side and is referring me to gynaecologist for spotting anyway in hope of getting more tests and sort of getting around the 3year factor. And totally as you say I'm still hoping to conceive naturally and fingers crossed for that. I just think it it devastating for people who are desperate and think it's terrible how much it varies area to area. I won't give up, and as you say once they add testing and wait times that's probably a year in itself. Fx for our natural BFP's soon. X

Hi @orangeloo - are they saying that it's 3 years to wait for IVF or 3 years to wait for appointment at fertility clinic?? 2 or 3 years trying before they grant IVF is normal, but definitely not to wait for a fertility clinic appointment. You should get that after 1 year. I was lucky and my drs referred me after 10 months, but due to the wait times (4 months) it will be over a year by the time I have the appointment anyway.

There are things the fertility clinic will test for before IVF anyway, AMH levels, ultrasound, HyCoSy etc.... They might also have a different take on the spotting issue.

I really wouldn't accept that you have to wait for 3 years before a referral. Because then they'd want to do all those tests above, repeat your bloods and the semen analysis (which will all take months), then even if they do put you forward for IVF I've read that in many places there's this an additional 6 - 9 month wait on top. So getting in the queue early is good!

Hopefully you will get pregnant naturally (you still have a good chance if you're tests so far have been ok) but in case it might be worth pressing your Dr on this, and if they won't budge, maybe changing to another Dr locally to see if they interpret the guidelines differently.

Or otherwise, think about seeing someone privately at the year mark if you can afford it, but of course that is expensive :(

I'm at the 11 month mark myself and still hope to conceive naturally so of course don't give up on that too! X

@orangeloo 3 years is insane. In my area (Kent) it's 2 years, they also tried to reduce it to 1 cycle and got so much backlash they scraped it and stuck to 2, but they could still try to reduce it again. I work in the NHS and we are always being pressured to come up with savings.

@orangeloo I looked at the Scotland tab on that link you sent through and it said you should be offered upto 3 rounds of IVF- doesn’t sound very concrete to me. I’ve heard really good things about acupuncture 🤞🏻

Thanks @Lozzlepop it is terrible. I think Scotland is good for ivf from what I read yesterday. I'm going to start acupuncture next month to help to. Even if it's just as relaxing as everyone says it will help me.

@orangeloo 3 years- that’s terrible and seems so unfair that they can go against the guidelines. Not sure it’s the same up here in Scotland? Things just seen to be super slow!

@ValidUser glad you got your shag 🙈 sorry to hear your test came back positive it must be a lot to take in but hopefully it’s an answer and next time you will get that nice strong line ☺️

Hello all! @Lozzlepop I got my shag.

My thrombophilia screen came back positive. On heparin next time my test is positive.

I'm ok, but a tad overwhelmed!

@orangeloo that's awful!? So unfair too, 3-4 years is incredibly long!

@Absa me too! AF due Friday next week, trying my hardest not to symptom spot!