Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the journey continues

@Kay00 thank you Kay. I did pay privately for endocrinologist & internal ovarian scan. But felt for what I paid the process and timings were still long, roughly about 4 months for results and to see my endo for follow up. I got my follow up in December after originally going private in the summer and my nhs referral was January anyway. I will look into private again though and ask for wait times, is it right that it will be a gynaecologist that I am referred too from the doctor for fertility referral?

@peaches02 sorry I can't help, I got impatient and paid for private consultations/scans/tests. My clinic didn't charge me for the Clomid treatment/scans though and I'm applying for NHS funded IVF atm, so it hasn't been a very expensive endeavour!

@thislittlebird Hmm, how do I feel about the Clomid? I think that it has clearly worked in so much that I am ovulating regularly, and strongly. My OH had decent enough SA results, so it should have worked, but it didn't. I suspect my issue is either just very bad luck, my egg quality is rubbish, or I have repeated implantation failure. I was crushed after the first time it didn't work, and by the third month I knew that it wouldn't work for me at all. I'm CD13 on my 6th Clomid cycle and I have zero hope for success. I have a horrible feeling the IVF won't work for me either...

Thank you everyone 🤍 best of luck to all of you. This is a bumpy ride!

@gracie2021 p.s. it is a bag of (insert chosen expletive here) that the counselling people didnt call you back. I know everyone is busy but come on! Even if its a call to say 'we'll call you next week'... i dont know about you but I find it takes a lot of energy to build yourself up to talking about all of this, and thats without being 'honest' about how I feel, which I dont say to many people (a lot of my chat is 'oh yes its a positive step, yes I'm excited' etc but we all here know thats only 20% of the feelings) x x

@gracie2021 stims on Monday! Crikey thats come quick! We can be injection buddies (if you believe in balance, my downreg should balance your stims in the universe!) 🥰

And glad that you can start your meds again so soon, but I'm still crossing my fingers for a positive result in a few days - you're not out until you get your period!

@Gracie2021 not a substitute for counselling (hope they call back!) but in the meantime, I've found the podcast Big Fat Negative really good. It's hosted by two journalists who both had long struggles with infertility and conceived via IVF. They interview a lot of fertility specialists and people who have been through IVF, and I've found it a very pragmatic but still uplifting listen!
I'll follow doctor's orders and test on day 14, just trying to focus on eating well, yoga and keeping warm until then. Although of course I did google what the due date would be if we did conceive lol

The page changed so I can't see previous messages and missing out replies!

@Gracie2021 yeah, I get that. The comparisons are so hard. We started trying before two friends and their children will be 1 before I even get to a transfer. It's hard to deal with, I fully expect them to announce a second before I get anywhere near a first. Sounds like your work are being supportive which is good. You're starting stims again so soon, crazy how that's flown by and it sounds like you have a good plan in place! We said we'd try this month but part of me can't be arsed. Probably will though.

@dogmam forgot to ask in my previous reply, did you ever do any extra tests on DH? I feel like we chatted about it a while back. What doses were you on first time vs the next cycle? It's interesting because I was worried about how I'd pushed back on the young doc who weirded me out with her high doses suggestion. All the way through stims I though I've cocked up my own cycle by asking for lower doses but they weren't awful for me in the end, 13/15 eggs collected being mature was pretty good. No idea if our embyros will be any good but 4 chances is probably more than I've had to date.

Sorry, that should say had IVF in Jan/Feb 2022! Didn't travel back in time for it, but wish I could have :/

Hi @peaches02, as others have said, it's totally variable. Like @magnoliasinbloom I'm in SE London and it's been a complete shitshow. Referral from GP to Gynaecologist in Feb 21, waited three months only for gynaecologist to tell us to do one despite both having problems in May 21, changed GP and saw private fertility docs in June 21 and new GP referred us directly to ACU, saw ACU in August 21 for consultation, had IVF in Jan/Feb 21.

@Kay00 glad to hear the ball is rolling! How do you feel about clomid at this point? I was a bit dejected the letrozole didn't work but not shocked with DH's motility.

@magnoliasinbloom glad that it's done and you're feeling more relaxed.

@Gracie2021 totally understandable that you're struggling and that's fine, try not to beat yourself up for finding this hard. I couldn't breathe properly for a week and think anxiety was a big part of it, I don't think we realise how this impacts us because we're constantly driving forward towards a goal without an end point. How long is your wait for the fertility counsellor? Hopefully it's quick there because it's private. One day at a time is the best we can all do under the circumstances.

I'm not sure that I'll be on any injections afaik, maybe oestrogen? Need to ask them. AF started today which was earlier than expected, and I'm pleased about that as I'm now on the countdown to calling the clinic again, just need to get through this cycle.

@beckyCarlos don't get me started on them, they're pretending covid has gone away when it will impact so many people whether they acknowledge that or not. Makes it harder to justify time off to work etc too. Just realised @dogmam said basically the same thing!

@dogmam omg what a long road! I told our in laws how long we'd been waiting and how our first investigations were July 2020 the other day and it dawned on me all over again. I definitely didn't intend to have a child at 39/40+ (if I ever do) and I really felt like we deserved some good luck tbh, it had been such a slog to get here and this is the only funded round so I'm relieved it's not wasted. Similar to you I'd like to get a bit healthier in the next six weeks. Right now I'm sat at my home desk avoiding the decorator lol. Considering joining the work gym, it's very cheap and they'll expect me to start going into the office again soon. Wrt FET, what meds were you on and what scans did they do beforehand? We're away 29/3-5/4 and my next period is due 24/3 (in theory...)

@Kay00 exciting that everything is starting up!!

@dogmam thanks! Motility was 73% so fingers crossed it works out. If I don't get pregnant this month I am having a HyCoSy in early March. Hope the AMH goes well today and so exciting it all kicks off for you soon!

@peaches02 agree that it is really dependant on where you are. I'm in SE London and was told a 3 month wait when I was referred but in reality I was called out of the blue for a consultation after 2.5 weeks!

Hi @peaches02 😊 I think it depends where you are (and sometimes it feels like what day of the week 🤣) but we were referred March last year and had our consultant appt in June. So, about 12 weeks, we were originally told the waiting list was 16-18 weeks x

Hey girls. Been trying to conceive just over two years. Discovered my prolactin is high and I’m currently on medication to reduce this. I’m 27 years old and had miscarriage when I was 18. I have had all the usual test done for high prolactin to rule out tumour, pcos, thyroid problems ect. So hoping the levels go down the longer I am on medication. I am being referred to fertility clinic mid March doctor promised. I know times will vary but how long usually does an the referral process take? I would really appreciate to hear some of your timings. Thank you

@gracie2021 xx sending my love. You're dealing with a huge amount right now, I hope you're taking lots of time to do nice things for yourself xx

@dogmam that sounds really positive and exciting that it could start happening within the next few weeks!

I have booked in the BMI check for my OH and I for Thursday next week. This will kick-start our IVF journey and the paperwork will be in the post.

Just catching up..

@thislittlebird fab news on your 4 embryos!!! So pleased for you!! What a long road you've had to get hear but finally some good news for you. Any questions on the FET feel free to ask! Hopefully you can take this time to just switch off a little and have a bit of fun knowing you have your 4 embryos x

@Gracie2021 how did your chat go with the counseller? I hope you were able to have a good talk with them and it was of some benefit to you. Take care and I hope you see two lines on your next test. Everything crossed for you.

@magnoliasinbloom I bet that was amazing to watch it all happen on the scan.. and 65mil sperm sounds really good, how was the motility? I hope you continue to feel relaxed and chilled all the to test date.

@beckyCarlos @JeanieJ exciting times ahead ladies!

Had my follow up appointment to discuss our second cycle. I asked lots of questions but feel like I've forgotten all the answers and information the consultant gave me! She was lovely though and it lasted about an hour! Slight change of protocol, although same drugs but a smaller dose to reduce the number of follicles so that hopefully a better quality of eggs collected. She's booked me in tomorrow to do my AMH as it was last done a year ago (another reminder of how long this journey has been!) and then I'm good to start treatment again on my next period which is due next week!! Thinking about waiting another month though to get the diet back on track as wasn't expecting to start again so soon so have been having far too many treats!

@Gracie2021 I'm sorry you're feeling so rough. Fertility challenges are incredibly stressful and lonely and it's unfair that we all have to go through it :( Especially back to back egg banking, that will be a lot :( Counselling sounds like a great idea, does your clinic include it as part of their package or is this separate? We are always here to talk to as well xx

@thislittlebird roughly 17th march, I think, if everything is shutting down as it should 😊

@magnoliasinbloom those numbers sound amazing! It is so cool that you can watch!

@gracie2021 sorry you're feeling overwhelmed, it IS overwhelming though, and talking to someone will hopefully help 😊 Im anxious about trying to isolate too, work are amazing so I can wfh, but the uk govts approach of 'just drop everything' makes me SO nervous because I know if I test positive everything is off :/

@thislittlebird @beckyCarlos thank you! IUI went well on Saturday, 65 million sperm went in and morphology was 8% so hoping one of them gets to the right place. The ultrasound was on my stomach the whole time and we could see what was happening with the doctor pointing things out on the scan which was quite fun. Now just taking all the progesterone and making sure to keep warm and eat lots of warming foods. Feel more relaxed then I have in ages, knowing there's nothing to do but wait.

@Gracie2021 how are you feeling?

@beckyCarlos I guess the FET fear is any problem with thawing but hopefully they’ll make it out ok. When will stims start for you roughly?

It’s almost like we fear the injections somehow 😭😩. It was the fyremadel that triggered my dream, I think the name is ominous and i wasn’t sure what was in it, and I have massive anxiety about meds since prednisolone made me have a giant face for a year. It’s all snowballing lol

@thislittlebird I was a bit clueless about FET until a friend was looking to have baby #2 from one of her frozens and was explaining the process. Theres so much you dont know till you're in it! Ha, that dream sounds like my kind of thing, I can only remember one of my dreams but you had to have the injections in your boobs?! Freud would have a field day with me I'm sure!