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.

I think if they don't tell you your follicle count that must be a good sign, it must be neither too low (low ovarian reserve) nor too high (possible PCOS), somewhere in between is where you want to be. Mine was too low. I think even if I was offered a laparoscopy now I'd still be moving forward with plans for IVF, because of low ovarian reserve I don't really have time to wait.

There’s some info on here and averages www.verywellfamily.com/follicle-female-reproductive-system-1960072

But it seems super variable from chatting to people on here so far @PurpleUnicorn01. I had 28 they could see and the nurse wasn’t worried either way when she told me, I was expecting a much lower number so I was relieved to be told there and then I guess. But that was a private clinic, not sure what nhs do.

@juno231 ah that's great that they've got you booked in so soon!

@purpleunicorn01 I'm with the nhs and they also counted my follicles, I 20 on one side and 12 on the other (I think I might have wrote 8 earlier), she mentioned possible PCOS but then didn't seem concerned as I have 'kept lean' and have no other symptoms.

I'm still waiting for my follow up appointment, For official results of scan, the 2nd SA results and then plan for going forward. It's Been 5 weeks so far, another few weeks to go but the wait is killing me!

@dogmam that's reassuring thank you. My follow up is in just over 3 weeks so i share your wait! Seems like forever

How are you all?

I’m having a low day today @PurpleUnicorn01, how are you?

Just feels like it will never happen/there’s no end to this limbo/I can’t move forward with anything in life right now.

We keep talking about moving down to DH’s parents neck of the woods but I don’t feel like I can commit to it because I think I’m going to be needing help conceiving and I’m worried it’s really out of the way.

I’ve got three weeks left on antibiotics and can’t try yet but I’m not ovulating anyway right now as far as I can tell. I’m tired.

We still don’t have his second SA results either.

Hi @purpleunicorn01 just waiting for AF which is due any time. How are you?

@kitekat81 how did the fertililly do for you this cycle?!

@thislittlebird, im sorry to hear that, i can imagine the uncertainty must be awful, and moving to a new place would add to the anxiety. The waiting is definitely hard. We are all here with you if you need to vent. I know what you mean in terms of your whole life revolves around this treatment etc.
@dogmam I'm good thanks just waiting for my next appointment to see the next steps. 3 weeks to go.

@Kitekat81 I also tried it this month but literally once as I think i ovulated early so I may have missed the window anyway.

Has anyone tried clomid?

It’s so frustrating @PurpleUnicorn01 and I know lots of you here understand the frustration. I’m just sat here month after month waiting for this nhs referral so I can establish if there’s anything that can be done (including clomid etc) before moving into private ivf.

Part of me wants to just do it, move, worry about it later but I’m not very good at not worrying.

Still over another month to go to our referral.

Yes you can always get you're test results etc transferred. Also it might work out better as if you're in different areas you could have one treatment round in your current area and one in the new, for example if you are moving from Manchester to London. That's 2 free rounds of treatment. Also have you had any tests done privately? They aren't that expensive some of them.

They usually as for SA, FSH and pelvic scan results on your first appointment.

@thislittlebird sorry you are feeling down today. I feel like my life is in limbo as well, so I can imagine how it must be to be putting off such a major decision as moving to a different part of the country. @PurpleUnicorn01 might have a point though - maybe moving might be to your benefit if the area you move to offers more free nhs cycles? It does seem to vary so much by area as to whether you get 0, 1 or 3 free cycles. On the other hand I think you are in London now though (is that right?) so I would understand your hesitancy at moving away as you do have the biggest choice of clinics there, and also presumably much easier to jump on a plane to overseas clinics as well, which is much more difficult if you are out in the sticks!

@dogmam the ferti-lily didn't work for me last cycle! I honestly didn't really feel like it was doing much. I could understand it might help if you want to get up right away after dtd and start walking around etc, but I'm usually quite happy to lie there for 15-30 minutes anyway! 😄

@PurpleUnicorn01 sorry, haven't tried clomid :(

Cycle 17 started for me today so I guess the HSG didn't work its magic after all! Getting a little bit anxious about the logistics of the laparoscopy/hysteroscopy tbh - but that's just cause I'm an anxious person lol as there's not that much to worry about.

@Juno231, yes ive not had one but im sure it will be okay. It's normal to get anxious about a test. It's the what if? That pops into your head

@PurpleUnicorn01 no experience of clomid either.
I'm waiting for AF to arrive. Sunday or Monday in theory. So I can call the clinic and see about progressing with the IUI.

@PurpleUnicorn01 ha that would make sense but I'm more thinking - how long will they keep me after the procedure? Do I get OH to take time off work and wait in the waiting room or just call him once I know they'll release me relatively soon?

Oh and the procedure is on a Tuesday and I've taken the rest of the week off to recover but now I'm seeing lots of ladies saying it took them 2 weeks to recover... I guess we'll have to see!

@paintfairy, that sounds positive, i assume you have a male factor issue? I did think about IUI

@Juno231 well all im saying on that is get him to pamper you after lol

@paintfairy I'm so excited for you!

@PurpleUnicorn01 hm maybe I should milk it...

@PurpleUnicorn01 no idea what the issue is. The first SA was low motility. But the second it was in the normal range (not amazing though at 35%) and everything else is way above normal. I spot in my LP so they'll give me progesterone support. They'll also medicate slightly before. So who knows if it'll be enough to work! We shall see.
@Juno231 I am slightly scared about the whole thing. I sit here wondering if I really want to be running around after a 10 year old when I'm 50?! If it hasn't happened by next year though I'm not prepared to be any older. We'll have to forget it. DH is even older than I am. I'm struggling to drag myself around most days as it is. 🤣🤣🤣

@paintfairy that sounds like my OH results lol. Exciting though x

We just got the next SA results through and they’re worse than before 😭

I am so over it all. His motility has dropped from 14% to 9% and I don’t know if I’m ovulating. What an infertile pair we are.

@thislittlebird ah that's poo! Either way you're heading straight for IVF ville so hopefully when you have your appointment you can maybe get the funding application going pretty much straight away?

Will they do that based on just those tests do you think? @Juno231

I keep worrying they’ll make us run tons again.