First Fertility Clinic Appointment Tomorrow

[dogmam]

Me and my partner have our first appointment with our fertility clinic tomorrow!

We went to the GP after a year of TTC and after 21 day bloods and partners SA, we were referred straight away to the fertility clinic. GP tests were in October/November so it's moved along quite quickly so far.

Feeling slightly nervous but also excited to hopefully get some help! My partners SA showed low motility and morphology so I assume that will be discussed..
What else should i expect from this first appointment? Is there anything I should be asking?

Thanks in advance! I'll update this after the appointment tomorrow as I know there are a few others on here who are in a similar position and might find it useful.

@Juno231 I've checked our first one as I have that. Definitely nothing. I've not seen the second one but I'm assuming it'll be the same. So I've no idea!

Hi All,

I just had my first appointment at BWH, they were really lovely. The lady said DH needs a repeat SA as they need 2 within 3 months. So i should have that in a few weeks. I also need a pelvic scan which should also be next month. After that we will have our 2nd appointment in which they will tell us what treatment is best. The current wait time to start ivf is roughly 6 months from the 2nd appointment. Also you are allowed private tests to speed up the process a little.

She also said at the moment we should be eligible for nhs funding.

This is exciting!

@PurpleUnicorn01 excellent! I'm glad it went well for you!

@Kitekat81 I hope so! Obviously the OHSS fear is real but it’s good to know I should respond and also, like you say, we have a little bit of time. Not that it feels like that tbh lol

@dogmam yeah, he’s doing his second SA tomorrow so just ticking things off.

I haven’t read the whole thread yet but isn’t ICSI where they put the sperm into the egg via injection? I’m not entirely sure, but I saw someone on a thread say it can harm the eggs and she wished she’d done half and half ICSI and IVF. Don’t know an awful lot about it though.

I’m on some strong medication from the dermatologist for six weeks so I think that’s a natural ttc break for us. Wondering whether to get any tests done privately during the downtime?

Good to hear your appointment went well @PurpleUnicorn01

Glad your appointment went well @PurpleUnicorn01!

An update from me as I went to the Create info webinar this evening (they specialise in Natural IVF / Mild IVF). From everything I heard it definitely sounds like a good option for people like me with low ovarian reserve, so I would just need to work out the logistics of getting to a clinic, as they don't have one near me. I was definitely sold on the comparison between the amount of drugs they use compared to Conventional IVF, and I like that they work with your natural cycle rather than doing the whole artificial menopause thing. The only thing I need to really get my head around is the success rate, which for 40-43 year olds (I'm 39 but thought it would be realistic to look at the rate for 40 year olds) is 20.3% live births after 3 cycles. It's a similar success rate to Conventional IVF for the same age group, but either way that's pretty low odds. I think if we do go down that road I will need some counselling to help me prepare for the possibility that it may not work.

@Kitekat81 I didn't realise it was that low. Not ideal. But on the other hand good that the natural ivf is about the same odds.
So- how does it work? Do they give drugs at all?

@paintfairy for natural IVF they give no medication - no drugs! They just track your ovulation, wait for your body to select for itself which follicle to pop an egg out of, and they just grab the egg when it's ready. They also offer natural modified IVF and mild IVF, which involve a small amount of drugs, but we are talking around a week of injections rather than up to a month of injections for conventional IVF.

It sounds really interesting @Kitekat81. Do people do it when they don’t have lower egg reserves? I’m wondering if it’s an option for everyone and why it’s not so known about.

@Kitekat81 I suppose the only downside is you don't end up with more than 1 egg if that one isn't any good. But the odds of it going back in, can't be any different. I think assistance drugs also sounds reasonable. I honestly always assumed that's what happened anyway. Seems much more sensible to work with your body?

@thislittlebird it's relatively groundbreaking this stuff. I was originally super excited about my fertility appointment as I immediately recognised the doctor as the pioneer for natural IVF and she's in fact one of the founders for Create. Sadly they messed me about and I got a random doc instead lol.

@Kitekat81 is wfh an option for you and our OH? Sounds like you'll have to wfh, rent an airbnb in London for a bit and just go for it. Lots of ladies do a similar thing by going to Prague for IVF (as their facilities are great and SO MUCH cheaper than in the UK) so might be worth seeing if anyone has spoken on the logistics for that. I must say I'm spoiled, I've got two Create clinics to choose from nearby and one of them is on my hospital's IVF list actually...

@paintfairy I think if you go for mild IVF you'd still get maybe 3 eggs and they tend to be really high grade from what I gather! Rather than eg 9 of them where only 2-3 make it to blastocyst anyway. Swings and roundabouts and all that.

@Juno231 I was maybe more talking about the natural one. The mid one, yes, you are probably right. I think it's something I would consider if we get that far.
I feel sick. Did last night. Don't get excited, it's just the drugs. I don't think I'll be sick but it's not pleasant all the same! And still 5 more days to go!

Oh frustrating @Juno231. I’m super interested in this, have never heard of it before. Was the doc an nhs one as well as Create? 3 sounds ok, I would definitely consider it based on that.

What drugs are these @paintfairy?

@thislittlebird yes - I think loads of NHS specialists also operate privately. My current one does the same - she seems to be a gynae through BUPA as well as her own private clinic.

@thislittlebird progesterone

Got my appointment confirmation letter through for the 25th so that feels more real now. Says it's just with the gynae dept and no consultant name so could potentially be a completely different person from last time I guess!

Sounds good, it's exciting isn't it @purpleunicorn01 hope you get your appointment date soon.

@thislittlebird how you feeling about the break you're taking? I think I would almost like to be forced into a break of less pressure but can't help thinking of missed opportunities.

@kitekat81 that's so interesting, thanks for sharing. God I had no idea there were so many different 'types' of ivf and so many different routes of treatment. What's your thoughts then? Do you think that's what you're going to do? How much did they quote or did they not get into that?

I had a look on the HFEA site and my clinic does offer ICSI, although they treat both private and nhs so not sure if they would offer it to me or even if I would need it, just with the last SA having such low motility I assumed that would be the best for us but perhaps not.

@paintfairy how you feeling? Are you prone to test early?!

@dogmam I usually don't test. But I'll have to Sunday, to know if to stop the progesterone?

Oh yeah youll need to then @paintfairy think I only tested one cycle in the first year of ttc and that's only because I was 10 days late.. but stupidly bought cheapy tests with my opks a couple of months ago so have been sucked into daily testing around due date, only a couple tests left in the pack so not getting any more. Sick of them.

@dogmam it's really obsessive peeing on sticks! I did it the first couple of months but soon gave up. The progesterone might not stop it at all but I just kind of need to know that day. If it even just delays it, then its unhelpful. I've always got ICs and I do have a first response for emergencies. 🤣

Ha it's sad but I have a special occasion CB digital waiting for the day I actually have had a BFP and need something more concrete to show OH!

I keep thinking I probably need to check when it expires as I've had it for over a year now...

@dogmam I haven't got to the quote stage yet, but according to their website 3 cycles of natural modified IVF works out about £10k once you add in all the extras. They said doing 3 cycles has the best success rate, and they can do them back to back as they are doing it with your natural cycle, they don't need to have gaps between ivf cycles like they do for conventional ivf.

@Juno231 the logistics of getting to a clinic is a lot to think about. I don't really want to choose natural ivf to avoid the stress of all the injections, only to find all the travelling ends up being more stressful!
I can WFH so that gives me flexibility, but my oh can't (although he is self-employed so can manage his own time). I know he will probably only be needed for one day of the treatment (or about 10 minutes to do his bit lol) but still I would have liked him there for the other days for moral support and so we could feel like we are doing it together. One of the clinics is actually fairly close to where my parents live, so potentially I could stay with them when having treatment. It's a lot to think about to get them involved though, they are brilliant and I know they would really want to help, but I wouldn't want for them to be worrying about me. They don't even know we are ttc (though they've probably guessed), let alone that we are having difficulties conceiving.

I would love to have the option to go to Prague!! It seems so risky at the moment to plan anything which involves getting on a plane to another country, would be so gutted to have to cancel any plans because of Covid travel restrictions.

@Juno231 I did check mine and its OK. And I ordered 2 more with a hope to needing them this year. But I did have a clear blue and it honestly went out of date. 🤣 Not cheap to be binning!

Good to know about the progesterone @paintfairy in case they stick me on that in May.

I need to check mine for a consultant name @Juno231. It’s also for gynae.

I have a few tests in the cupboard that it feels like I’ll never get to use. I’ve only ever done a few over the last 14 odd months. Three of my threads all had BFPs today when I caught up, feels like I’ll never see one if I’m honest.

£10k for three cycles doesn’t sound terrible. @Kitekat81. I’m really interested in it because they drugs are the main bit that put me off.

@dogmam I’m upset about the break really, because I feel like I’m just getting older every day. It’s not nice. But equally it might be good for me. Acupuncture seems to have sorted out my periods, AF has returned to normal this month after about six months of light/short/terrible symptoms periods. Going again on Saturday. Dermatologist is sorting out my skin, and she’s put me on an anti-anxiety drug too which she said she’d seen success with before with her ttc patients. So I need to be optimistic that my body is getting better and it might be more able to conceive after some stresses are removed, I guess?

We also have a break at Center Parcs for a few days in April on our own. Nothing fancy, just a change of scenery where we can self cater. Trying to be chill about time out but it’s hard. I need to make sure I’m keeping fit too or oral steroids might make me a little round, apparently I can get something called “moon face” according to the nhs site . Healthy eating and exercise for me for the next six weeks!

What was your DH’s motility last time? I’m bricking it about getting our next one back in the next ten days.

Haha I am also keeping a special FRER in the cupboard but yeah it's probably due to expire, think I got it one month one or two.. and with that said today is day 1 of a new cycle so deffo won't be using that special test for a while!!

@kitekat81 10k sounds reasonable doesn't it, I mean, obviously it's a hell of a lot of money but in comparison to some other costs I've heard people pay. I was reading a thread the other day about what lengths people are willing to go to find the treatmeans i.e re-mortgage the house, downsize house, sell car etc its so sad that people even need to think about this sort of thing. I feel super lucky as I live in the north east so would get 3 rounds on the nhs but it feels so unfair that it varies so much.

@thislittlebird it sounds like things are coming together for you, AF returning, skin treatment, and anti-anxiety help. Sounds like perfect timing to have a little break and then start over in a couple of months. Hopefully you don't get 'moon face'?!

Our first SA 85% imotile, 10% progressive motility and 5% non progressive motility.. So not great!!