First Fertility Clinic Appointment Tomorrow

@Juno231 that's super helpful thanks - I honestly wouldn't have thought to ask for the AMH number.

OH is onboard - wondering if he should ask for a breakdown of his SA - they just said it was fine!

Another question - has anyone asked NHS or gone private for DNA fragmentation on the male side? I've read some stories that the standard NHS SA comes back fine, but when they get an assisted conception method, they find out that there's issues with the DNA fragmentation? OH wondering if he should ask for one or just go private (although probably v expensive)?
I know it's early days, it just makes me feel a bit better to get the ball rolling because I hate not knowing!!

@Juno231 I'm happy to see you are moving forward. How do you feel about it?

I didn't think about that side and them asking questions like that lol

@JeanieJ hi and welcome to this sorry club! Make sure to know the actual AMH number and not be fobbed off with "fine".

There is a risk they'll say that as the other tube is good that you just need to give it time and that you won't be entitled to IVF until you hit the 2 year mark (check your local CCG policy as it could be 3 years if unlucky). I would push for a laparoscopy for them to see what's causing the blockage and if they could remove it. If they're hesitant you could also remind them that you could have endometriosis causing it and it could be on ovaries etc so they should really check as it could be an easy fix that's preventing you from conceiving.

I'd also try and get OH as up to date as possible so he could help advocate for you two. I find doctors are less likely to push back when men are speaking!

Heya,
Following as I've been ttc for a year and will have my 2nd fertility appointment in two weeks.
So far, we've had a blood test (normal), ultrasound (normal, semen analysis (normal) HSG (waiting on results, but right side looked slow/didn't have dye flowing through) and AMH (waiting on results).

Actually got the HSG and AMH blood test in mid May and have had to wait until 12th of July for results (I've asked so many times to have it pushed forward, but no success). The wait for results has driven me mad, especially because my right tube didn't show the dye flowing through.

I'm assuming (and hoping) that he'll want to do a further test to check the tube and that my AMH levels are fine, but I'm scared he'll just tell me to go away and keep trying.

Any advice on how I self advocate and stand my ground?

Thanks,
xxx

@Juno231 nhs! got that ball rolling in July last year so been sucked into "just the next step" mentality lol.

@thislittlebird no, I have only recently started getting EWCM, and I have only rarely caught a peak on an OPK. FF often only gives me the dotted crosshairs, so I knew something wasn't right. I thought I was ovulating though 🤷‍♀️

I have called the fertility clinic for my Metformin prescription... eek!

@dogmam, please keep us up to date with your progress today!

@juno231 is this private or NHS IVF for you?

@Juno231 i start on Thursday so will keep you posted. My forms were all online. I completed it before my nurses appointment as it said you have to on mine.

@thislittlebird yes they take your age and AMH into account so tend yo prioritise that way. The nurses are usually really helpful tbh.

@dogmam good thinking. I need to go back today to pick up the forms for some tests and screening he’s sending me for (at my request). I wonder if they’ll be able to say if he’s sent the letter yet.

Typical that it was the weekend! Fingers crossed🤞

@PurpleUnicorn01 I’m gonna be such a nuisance lol. We’ve had something like 6 months of delay due to being incorrectly told our results were fine, then another couple of months due to the gynaecologist telling us there was nothing wrong. I’m hoping my age helps too? I don’t know if they take that into account.

I’m very tempted to start a private round while I wait but I want to know the potential wait for the nhs first.

@Kay00 do you get ovulation signs each month or not? I seem to get them some months.

Did you ladies fill it out entirely on your own

Pardon the spelling mistakes!

@dogmam good luck with the call today!
@PurpleUnicorn01 woop for down regs! How are you feeling on them? Are they daily injections?

So I got my ivf paperwork through on Saturday... what a pile! I particularly enjoyed where they ask me if I have any convictions for harming children... Did you ladies fill out entirely on your or did you get an appointment to go through it before submission? I'm just conscious it's asking me for my AMH levels etc and it's just pure luck I remember mine!

@thislittlebird yes most definitely. Im just excited to get started. It's easier mentally once you have a start date.

@dogmam yay!! Im on downregs 1st 300 iu buserelin, then im not too sure after that. What about you?

@thislittlebird i used to call the clinic a lot just to chase them up for appointments and so they knew i was eager lol

@Kay00 the Dr doing the scan said it's the best time now to try. Fingers crossed I ovulate soon

She said she would be looking over the scans. I think I didn't ask enough questions but the main thing is she said no blockages and all looked normal

I didn't find the procedure overall too bad. Slight pain when they put the tube in

@thislittlebird I think you're right. I might ovulate or I might not, but I'm still going to give it a go and keep tracking.

On Monday I'm going to call the fertility clinic for a prescription of Metformin (I forgot on Friday). I'm excited but scared. I'm not keen on feeling sick for a few weeks, but if it helps me regulate my cycles, and helps reduce the risk of miscarriage then it will be worth it.

@tillybabs hmmm. Mine was private but I'm not sure it would have been any different through the NHS. I think the difference is that the consultant did my scan and I asked a lot of questions (I asked to see the screen and asked about all the shapes I could see, and she was very happy to explain it all too me). Maybe the doctor that did your scan didn't actually know that much, so they took pictures and measurements for the consultant to interpret? Hopefully ovulation is imminent, esp. If your doctor said 'it's the best time to try?

@PurpleUnicorn01 does it feel slow getting there?

@Kay00 @Tillybabs I think this best time to try thing is making it worse lol. I’m miserable. I have sore boobs for a change but they’re not that sore, just slightly. At the very least I think this means I might have ovulated this month, which makes a change.

I’d just carry on as normal if I were you @kay00 and don’t expect too much. It’s all such an inexact science imo when it comes to PCOS and predicting things. Sucks though. All feels so fruitless.

Mine was private too and they were very forthcoming with info which was good.

@Kay00 no she didn't and I wish I had asked more questions. I asked her if everything looks normal and she said yes but that she will be having a more in-depth look at the scans and will send a report to the consultant.

Your appointment was private wasn't it? Yours sounded more in-depth.

Thanks @thislittlebird

The bleeding has stopped now and tbh looked very much like old period blood. Although I am cd14 so wouldnt expect that

On the plus side, I haven't ovulated yet so we can still try this cycle so I'm happy about that. She did tell me it's the best time to try but don't want to get my hopes up

@tillybabs, I bled a little after, but I was still a little bit on my period. Sounds good that nothing was blocked, did the doctor say anything about your ovaries or ovulation? You are CD 14 ish??

@thislittlebird xx hugs xx im not sure how I am going to feel in this tww either, as I have been told I'm not ovulating. But I might pretend I still am, just to hold on to some hope, and I might even convince myself I have ovulated if I get a decent temp increase 🙃

@thislittlebird i feel your pain it is literally the longest 2 weeks of your life every month lol

I start my downregs this week hopefully.

@Tillybabs glad it went ok, I didn’t have anything afterwards but the doctor did say to me I could bleed after.

@PurpleUnicorn01 how are you? I’m feeling very down in the ttc dumps today. It’s the tww, can’t stand it that this is unlikely to work for us naturally but still have to suffer the tww.

How are you all?

Morning ladies. So today I had my Hycosy test.

It wasn't too uncomfortable and was fairly quick. The Dr said my tubes are not blocked and all looks ok but that she would look more in-depth at the scans and send the results to the consultant.

I've now got a far bit of what looks like old blood. Anyone else experience that?

@Juno231 yeah, he was very confused as to why we were dismissed. I hope so too, but I’m not sure it will be fast . My age has to be a factor???? I still have that formal complaint logged and I’m hoping I can use it to speed things along somehow. We shall see.

If it’s going to be 5 months I don’t know if I can wait that long, might get going on a private round in the meantime since that’s allowed in my ccg.

@thislittlebird what?! Just goes to show the other doctor was crazy! I hope it goes quickly for you!