First Fertility Clinic Appointment Tomorrow

This has been a really interesting read, thanks for updating so thoroughly @dogmam
I was referred at the very start of October as I have PCOS and we’ve been trying a year now, and I’m still waiting for my initial appointment so a bit pissed off but have made the decision to go private now to hurry it along. Good to know what to expect tho.

@Juno231 good luck for your appointment on Monday, let us know how you get on!

@Flutterby8 the doctor only asked me if I was taking folic acid. We said we both take other vitamins as well (oh takes wellman conception and I take quite a long list!) but she didn't seem that interested in what they were, just said to make sure they were the ones suitable for pregnant women. I don't know much about low progesterone unfortunately. Have you seen the Fertility Homeopath videos on YouTube? She's got one on how to boost progesterone.

@dogmam DH started taking the Wellman conception tablets a couple of months ago so thats good too.
I've read about vitamin B6 helping with progesterone but dont want to go crazy and take something I shouldnt although I think it is in the pregnacare tablets?

@dogmam I'm still lurking - got my first appointment on Monday though so will definitely update you ladies then.

Hi everyone, all been a bit quiet my end.
DH wanted to wait until the end of this cycle before I booked our consultation. Currently on CD29. AF hasnt arrived yet but i have cramps. Not AF cramps though, theyre weird. Clear Blue was negative this morning. Not officially late but guess AF will be here in a few days.
Im going to book the appointment today though as I have a rare day off of work!

Random question, for those of you who have already had appointments. Did any doctors recommend specific supplements?
I take folic acid, vitamin C and D. Theyre just supermarket branded ones.
I never tried any of the multi vitamins specifically for conception as I read they can mess with your cycles.
I dont know how true this is though?
Would this be a better benefit to me? Would it help in anyway with low progesterone?
Im clutching at straws here!

Ah that's good to know, thanks @theotherfossilsister. I think we will pay for an initial consultation after I've had the HyCoSy and the AMH test, and hopefully get some advice about what our next steps should be. Thanks for saying you don't think 39 is too old - we actually joined a GCRM info webinar today and there were other people on the call who were 42 and 44, so it's definitely not unusual to be in the upper age group and starting this journey!

Thank you. I went to GCRM in September just after they reopened nfor investigation and I think they were trying to fit as many people in as possible. We didn't know about the polyp before then but it's getting taken out on the NHS in February.

Apparently they have some of the same doctors as Edinburgh, including the consultant I saw in the fourteenth, Dr Tay, who was lovely. I really don't think 39 is that old.

@theotherfossilsister yes I'm in Edinburgh too. Oh I'm so sorry you had a bad experience with the HyCoSy at grcm, that's where we are going for ours. Was the polyp a new discovery at the HyCoSy, they didn't see it when they did the transvaginal scan? So sorry it sounds like you've had a lot to deal with and worry about already. Glad at least that it sounds like you are getting lots of help, I have everything crossed for you. Good to hear that your neighbours are happy, I hope it all goes smoothly for them now 🤞

They're also testing him to see if he has the CF gene which is scary

@Kitekat81 I had my private Hycosy with GCRM and didn't have a great experience, however I have been told by people both in real life and on here that this was very unusual. They did find a polyp which I'm having out on the NHS so that sped things up, but the Gynae at Edinburgh said that we definitely have male factor. My partner's actually having a lot of tests before we start because the forward motility is so low.

Neighbours are really happy, but also cautious and they've not announced it as she's eleven weeks, and scared. She has endo and apparently the NHS wouldn't give her IVF, I still don't fully understand why. They've had a horrible time of it so I'm glad they're successful.

Are you in Edinburgh too?

@theotherfossilsister oh cool you're up here too! That's great you are getting NHS treatment :) Yes gcrm is our only option I think, so I really hope we like them! That's wonderful that your neighbours had a good outcome with them 😊

@Kitekat81 we're in Scotland too and do few options so really grateful that we are getting NHS, even with a nine month wait.

Gcrm would have been our other option. Our neighbours went there and they had success on the second transfer.

@theotherfossilsister I'm in Scotland and no there aren't a lot of private options! Our local NHS fertility clinic usually does 'self-funded' so that would have been ideal, but they've stopped offering self-funded treatments due to Covid 😣 so I think the only private option is a bit over an hour away, which is manageable. That's where we're going for the private HyCoSy and AMH test, so it will be a good opportunity to see if we like them as a clinic in case we decide to go down the ivf route. I really hope they will say something a little optimistic about our chances, and that they don't also write me off as old with probably only rubbish eggs left! I don't blame the NHS fertility doctor we saw at all, I know it's their job to be realistic with us. I was just a bit in shock as although of course I knew there would be more likely to be difficulties at our age, I've seen loads of 39 year olds and women in their 40s both irl and on here who manage to get pregnant just fine, so I didn't think I was completely over the hill just yet 😔

@Flutterby8 I did assume it would all be done at the clinic also. Seems silly not really, because surely they are paying either way? So they could? Areas maybe differ though too? But that's how ours works. I'm just hoping they aren't useless!

@kitkat what a horrible experience. I'm sorry.

I had my Hycosy done privately bas knee something was wrong and referral has just come through for Laparascopy (needed.)

We're thirty six this year, and the Gynaecologist seemed genuinely unconcerned about our age and actually said he'd be worried if we were forty three.

Where in the UK are you? Do you have good private options? Our only private option would have been in neighbouring city.

@Dogmam if you get IVF you'll be on similar dates to us, I think. We just got referred to ICSI after two years of trying.

We both have problems. I have polyps which are coming out next month and dp has bad normal motility, as in they're swimming the wrong way.

We're starting in September all being well.

@paintfairy thanks for the info about the referral. I dont know why I was shocked that it was a local hospital to be honest. In my mind because we have had bloods, semen tests and ultrasound scans I figured we would be referred somewhere different! Its such a learning curve but Im glad youve pointed that out to me! I feel better about it now and a bit silly for thinking it would be to a specific fertility clinic!

@Kitekat81 I'm sorry to hear your appointment wasn't that positive. Yes we are old. We know. But we still want help? I do hope you manage to get sorted.

I've actually got my appointment date through now. 9th Feb. It'll be by phone. I've had to complete a load of forms and send them back. It is a lady dr though. I know my tsh is OK. My progesterone is OK also. I've seen those. I've not seen the day 2 results though - I was just told they were normal. I also had a generic blood test in 2019 for my spotting so I'm not expecting that to show much if I need one again, and I had a pelvic scan then also (2 actually). SA showed slight motility issues but it wasn't dire. So I'm not really expecting them to find anything thrilling this time. We shall see i guess? But I'm 38. So.......

@Flutterby8 the way it works here is you are referred to the hospital (only 1 that is logical, so no choice). They start the investigations. But on reading, they don't do ivf there. They refer you to a clinic (think you get a choice) if it gets to that point. So it could be similar where you are? The hospital just does all the investigation work.

@Juno231 I can't advise on this unfortunately, as I had to confirm I'd done an std test before I got my referral to the fertility clinic, and I actually did mine nearly a year ago! I was having some irregular bleeding at the time so had an std test as part of looking into that, they haven't asked me to do another one since then x

@Kitekat81 haha all the more reason for me to hope it's a phone appointment then 🤣

Ladies I've got my appointment in 2 weeks but am sort of thinking I could get the chlamydia test out of the way before then - reckon that's a good shout or that they'll make me redo it for the hycosy anyway?

Thanks @Kitekat81 ☺️ good luck to you too!

@Juno231 lol yes they did sorry! I went first, but the result didn't mean anything to me as they did it kg and I only know stones. Then my OH, to be honest he didn't seem remotely interested in my weight, he was only interested in his own! 😄 Maybe your OH will be the same? Or you could ask him to respectfully cover his ears at that moment 🙉 🤣

@itssquidstella it sounds like you have had a rough journey so far 😢 I have everything crossed for you that this one will be your happy ending, you deserve it! ❤

Thanks @Kitekat81 ☺️ I'm a nervous wreck, to be honest. First baby and we've been trying just over a year but have had two MCs in that time.