Uk Fertility Testing - what can I expect?

@Mseddy thank you - I’m West Yorkshire so really useful!

@Juno231 well I’m delayed two cycles now as on holiday next time I’m due AF 🙃
Honestly she was nice but seriously rude like ‘I’ve been a nurse a long time and never heard of doing those blood tests’ like so I’ve basically made a fake test up and demanding you do it?! :s soooo annoying. I just know GP is gonna make me have them after all this

@ls2020 that nurse sounds full of cack AND she's now delayed you by a full cycle?! Definitely ring your gp back and tell them what happened. Just because your progesterone was fine it doesn't mean that everything else is fine. The day 3 tests could show you anything from PCOS to thyroid problems to perimenopause. Gah I'm so angry for you - what a hag!

Hey. Thought id give what happened with us and timescales since i read one of you is west Yorkshire and I am too. We first went to the GP in late Dec 2018. I had day 3 and day 21 bloods. Husband was given an appt for sperm analysis which was in the Feb time I think. We didn't get results from that back until March 2019 (waiting for an appt with that specific gp as they wouldn't give us results over the phone). We got referred to seacroft in Leeds following a diagnosis of azoospermia. After the march referral from the gp our first appt with seacroft was in the may of 2019. They scanned my ovaries and checked DH sperm again. We saw them again in June and where told we would need icsi ivf. From that point we where told it would be about 12 weeks for a nurse consult to start treatment. We left it more like 16 as I wanted to loose some weight to meet NHS criteria. In the end for a few reasons we decided to go private and had more tests at this point (amh) and began our first cycle in Oct 2019 so almost 10 months after first visiting the gp. It's not a quick fix process and there are obviously delays now due to covid. Hope that timescale has helped

@Juno231 so when I went for my day 21s the nurse booked me in for my day 3s... gone in today for my day 3s and the other nurse looked at me like I was mad and said it wasn’t a thing and need to speak to my infertility doctor - I don’t have an infertility doctor?! She spoke to another nurse and then came back and said that I don’t need day 3s if my day 21s were ok (???)
What do I do now - do I ring GP and ask for next steps or wait for OH to do his SA tomorrow and wait for those results before ringing? Do they do any more tests on me before referring to fertility specialist?

@Juno231 yes very true, plus they never really bother to tell you either way so at least one of us should get the results!! Thanks, I flip flop between them wanting to find something so it can be treated but not because I’m awful taking pills or injections haha

@Ls2020 yes but you're entitled to the details, and those they'd usually mail or email to you depending on the gp. Fingers crossed it all works out for you!

Ah thanks @Juno231, I got verified ok but it says GP surgery doesn’t allow me to see them so think I might ring Friday to see if results in and then ask at that point. Though don’t think I’ve ever had results mailed, just a text to say normal or call to speak to a doctor

@Moominmiss ah yes you may wanna give them a call and prompt it - it should be a same day thing but for mine I had to call cause no one had bothered to OK it on their end...

@LS2020 same for you - you'll need to ask the gp reception to allow you to see your test results on the app. They're happy to do it as it saves them having to print stuff out and mail it to you.

@Mrsh176 I believe that’s what they’re testing for?
OH has been sent separately for his SA, it’s in next Friday. We’ve been dealt with separately by our GPs so far but nurse did say when our individual tests are done they will join refer us so not sure how that works for you.

@Juno231 thanks about the app - downloaded now and sent off verification of records so hopefully I get done soon.
That’s so annoying, I had to not roll my eyes when nurse said they’d call me. I was like no you will not so I’m glad I booked a follow up call while I was there. That’s what I really don’t want is a retest as it’s October for me now 🙃

@Juno231i did that after seeing you post somewhere else about getting your results on there, but all I can see is my basic record. It says for test results and immunisation history etc I have to request access from my gp surgery (which I’ve since done). But nothing showing as yet so no idea how long it’ll take!

Also @Mrsh176 my oh and I are also registered with different gp surgeries. It hasn’t made any difference. My gp was the one that referred us. When the paperwork came through from the fertility consultant, there was a section amongst the huge questionnaire/form that asked all about oh and his gp details etc.

@Moominmiss If you sign up for the NHS app it has all your medical records including your test results - that's how I see mine before I even get notified by the GP!

Also me and My husband have different GP's he just went to his GP surgery and said he needed a semen sample. He then brought his results to my GPs and it's better to be referred by the women's GP as they have to undergo all the investigations! Who would be a women eh?? Xx

After the initial testing of bloods (the bloods to check ovulation, thyroid etc) swabs to test for infections and STIs and semen results at the GP surgery. We were referred to a gynaecologist for further testing re infertility, I had to go for a HSG to check that my tubes were blocked. Everything came back fine and we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. By that time we had been ttc for 2 years (we didn't seek any help until 1.5 years). Then referred to the IVF clinic. Your BMI had to be under 30 before being referred.
We had one round of IVF that failed and then 1 month before round 2 I fell pregnant naturally and now she's one year old!
Sending baby dust your way OP xxx

Hey,
I’ve also had cd2 and day 21 bloods done.

The day 2 consisted of FSH, LH, Testosterone, Prolactin, Thyroxine and chlamidyia antibody.

We were referred to a fertility consultant by my gp as I keep having recurrent miscarriages. So getting pregnant isn’t the issue, but staying pregnant is. I suspect it’s my age (38) as I have 3 children already from a previous relationship.

But after my third loss I spoke to my gp who referred me. Within 2 weeks I’d had a letter from the clinic with a questionnaire to complete and a list of tests I needed to have done.

They sent all test paperwork through and a semen analysis form request thing for my oh.

I just went to the local hospital blood test walk in clinic to have my tests done as I know what my gp surgery is like for getting appointments etc, and I wanted to know I was being tested for the right things on the right day, so on cd2 I went with my cd2 test paperwork and had that done, then back in cd23 (my day 21) with that corresponding paperwork and had that done. My oh had made an appointment on that same day to drop his sample off (you had to book an appointment to drop off even though he didn’t have to see anyone).

Then all the test results get sent through to the fertility consultant and we’re waiting for an appointment for our next steps etc. Although I have received texts from the gp to say my results are all ‘normal’. I could phone them to ask for specifics and numbers etc but I figure the consultant will go through all that with us anyway so I’ll just wait as I’d likely only stress myself over it and google what really are ‘normal’ levels etc.

But the whole process has been done so far in just over a month. I don’t know how long it’ll be before we hear from the clinic but in the meantime we’re just carrying on as we were.

Hey :)

so i had my progesterone 21 day bloods to confirm ovulation, i also had my LSH hormone tested on CD3 (or when you're on your period)-this was through the GP.

I got referred to the Fertility clinic to rule out endometriosis and I had Cervical Swab, internal ultrasound, AMH bloods and they ordered more LSH bloods too. I have also been referred for a laparoscopy but you might only have a HyCoSY which is just checking your tubes etc but the Laparoscopy is more invasive and i am waiting to hear when i need to have that.

Hubby had a sperm test at the fertility clinic as it was easy to just do it all together rather than having to do a repeat one anyway. I have found that the clinic seems really disorganised and i have often had to chase results etc but its been fairly pain free other than that and the tests aren't painful at all so not too bad

@ls2020 Yeah I assume so, but my GP hasn't been in touch to talk about the tests results (I only know they're wrong cause I can see the test results on my NHS app) and it's so difficult to get through to them so will be a faff to chase and get an answer out of them. Will try and do it this week though!

@Juno231 yeah I’m a bit worried they’ll just do day 21 tests on the day 3 bloods as that’s all GP put me forward for I think. But I need day 3 doing this cycle as on holiday the next time AF is due and then it’ll be October. I might just try be clear to nurse and if she needs to call GP she can.

But yeah when I had mine yesterday the nurse had no clue what they were testing for.

Do you have to get retested now?

@ls2020 the GP will have made notes in the system so when you go for bloods the nurse will have printed the stickers out to put on your tubes.

Saying that I went in for day 21 bloods last week and just got test results back for day 3 tests so they clearly tested the wrong stuff! Trouble is the nurses don't have a clue what you're in for so it's up to the GP to get it right.

Receptionist at GP booked me in for bloods on Tuesday but hasn’t confirmed what I wanted them for - this may be a daft question but how do they know what to test for ?!

@Mrsh176 that’s what I’m having to work out because they only booked me in for day 21 bloods but I have short cycles and so I need day 3s done next week so I’m going to call GP and ask if they’ll book me in with a nurse.
The nurse yesterday said they’ll call if any issues so just going to book a normal GP week after and then if don’t hear anything, assume is ok n then they’ll send me for further testing ?

I am in the middle of tests at the moment. My GP sent me for 2 day and 21 day bloods plus an ultrasound and my DH had a SA. Then I had my first appointment with the fertility clinic and have been referred for an HSG - waiting to be able to book the appointment at the moment.

I spoke to the GP after both blood tests but there was quite a while between them due to Covid. There’s nothing to stop you ringing up a week after the blood test to get your results - I’d recommend asking for the numbers as otherwise the receptionist will probably just say if they were normal or not which doesn’t necessarily tell you all that much.

@Mrsh176

We were very fortunate, we were successful with our first round of IVF and my daughter is now two.

But I vividly remember how awful it is being stuck in limbo, I really hope you get speedy answers and a good outcome.