Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

TTC for 7 months, no luck - when can I see a GP?

15 replies

Shoegal30 · 08/06/2013 09:49

Hey guys

I just needed a little advice. Me and my DH have been trying to conceive #1 for the past 7 months and AF has just come Hmm

I know 7 months isn't long and I appreciate many members of this board have been TTC for much longer. I just wondered when I can see my GP?

I am 31 and my DH is 32.
On the face of it I'm healthy, I have regular periods. My OPKs show that I ovulate every month. We have been switching between using preseed and conceive plus and have been taking wellbeing vitabiotics from day 1.

I saw the GP on another matter a few months ago and mentioned that we had no luck TTC and she said she couldn't do anything until it had been a year. Can I insist that I get a blood test/ultrasound etc? I just want some peace of mind that all is ok.

Xx

OP posts:
EuroShaggleton · 08/06/2013 09:53

The NICE guidelines used to be (not sure if it has changed recently) 6 months over 35, 1 year under 35, but you might find a sympathetic GP who will start tests earlier than that (or an unsympathetic one who would want you to try for even longer).

When you do go to your GP, you will need to make sure your husband goes to get tested too. Fertility problems are roughly caused by 1/3 female issues, 1/3 male factor and 1/3 unexplained (and a recent study found hidden sperm issues in 80% of "unexplained" cases). In short, there is no point you being tested if he is not.

misseskimo · 09/06/2013 22:27

Hi Shoegal,
I think as Euroshaggleton has said, it really depends on your surgery, we went to our drs recently to ask about "tests" as we've been TTC for almost 2yrs now and obviously nothings happened, but we ended up leaving more stressed out and worked up as the powers-that-be wont class us as "actively trying" for the minimum 12m they recommend unless we'd been doing the deed every day during each months fertile period, and then preferably every other/every 3rd day either side to be sure! We've being "trying" a couple of times a month during our window, but not every day as it just becomes too stressful after a while... Needless to say, we now have to start over with the "trying" before they'll see us again.

They'll also get you to take vitamins like pregnacare etc. for about 6m before they'll test to. Well, that's what we've been told anyway! But I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! :)

SorryMyLollipop · 09/06/2013 22:32

Euro - that sounds like interesting research, where can I read it?

OP - I think it's normally a year (but your GP won't know if you ..ahem...exaggerate Blush)

EuroShaggleton · 09/06/2013 22:35

miss that sounds like complete horseshit. If there is mild male factor (which you don't know because you haven't been tested), dtd every day is not advised. The vitamin thing is bollox too - the only thing you really should be taking is folic acid. I choose to take Pregnancare Conception as I would take a multivit anyway, and that has folic acid combined with other vits without the vitamin A of which you shouldn't have too much, but I've never heard of taking in being a precondition to testing! I'd say you have been fobbed off and should see another GP.

Phineyj · 09/06/2013 22:36

In my experience, GPs are not very helpful with this. It's true that in many cases the wait and see approach works but if (like us) there turn out to be several underlying problems it will make you Angry how much time was wasted. And then you will get told off for being older! You could ask for a referral to a private gynae/obs.

EuroShaggleton · 09/06/2013 22:48

lollipop I assume you mean the research about 80% of unexplained cases? I read about this a few months ago and the only place I can find reports of it now is in the Daily Fail. I hate the way the article is written with a focus on "blame" but I can't track it down quickly elsewhere and need to go to bed! I hope this helps anyway.

[[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2232989/MEN-blame-cases-unexplained-infertility--new-test-help-couples-succeed.html]

Hoophopes · 09/06/2013 23:54

12 months if under 35. So in 5 months time but hopefully you will not need the appointment. They will not do ultrasounds for fertility tests. First tests will be a semen analysis and blood tests to check ovulation. Those tests done by gp. May be repeated to check if any discrepancies etc. also you would need a recent smear. Have you used ovulation predictor sticks etc to track your own cycle as that can be helpful. Am sure you already doing so but stopping alcohol, no smoking, healthy diet and weight for both partners can really help. Supplements for fertility for both partners etc.

Frustrated28 · 10/06/2013 09:16

Hi, I'm the same myself and husband have been trying for 7 months with no Success as far as I'm aware were both "normal", and there appears to be a baby boom right now so stressful, fed up with people saying relax it will happen in time and stop trying! I'm wondering if I should exaggerate and see gp. When they test you what is it they are looking for? I have read up on nice guidelines and the do say they won't refer until ttc for a yr, unfortantly gp's have to stick to it but I don't see how a small white lie can harm :)

moggle · 10/06/2013 11:18

It is frustrating but see if you can wait for a year. Just that a lot of people will conceive between 7 and 12 months of trying. Once you start down that road of tests you'll be worrying about it more (or I did at least). I guess the older you are the more tempting it is to lie and go early... but in hindsight I'm glad I didn't do this. Just to balance the stories our GP has been very helpful, not patronising although he did tell us, chances are we will manage it naturally in the next 12 months (which I found very reassuring). But he understood how worrying it was and sent us off to the fertility clinic immediately. So if you do have an unhelpful response when you do go (eg GP telling you you should be DTD every day!) then do consider changing GP or surgery.

misseskimo · 10/06/2013 13:37

Hi Euro - I know we thought it was quite unfair, but then this is the same surgery who told us after a year of TTC that we were too young to be thinking of children and to give it a few years before worrying about conception issues! As someone else has already said though, give it a few more years and we'll probably get told we waited too long! Angry
I've tried pregnacare twice now, both times its given me terrible migraines!

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/06/2013 13:58

I'd be changing GP surgery if they came out with such unmitigated garbage.

EuroShaggleton · 10/06/2013 14:31

I agree 100% with Atilla.

SorryMyLollipop · 10/06/2013 16:28

Thanks euro

misseskimo · 12/06/2013 19:40

Thanks Atilla/Euro, I've answered in the other post so as not to hijack Shoegals and have two active threads! :)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page