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.

Sorry I’m new to the thread little so don’t know your history but I agree with Juno not to let this drop. A complaint is certainly in order about the doctors manner with you.

In my area you have to be trying for 3 years if you’re classed as ‘unexplained’ but you deserve to have your results looked into.

You shouldn’t have to, but if you can afford to go private, I don’t think it’s an expense you would regret. It makes me cross to be suggesting it, but IME the care has been much more attentive and prompt (although not speaking of fertility services here).

@Juno231 she said we’re unexplained as far as she’s concerned so it’s THREE years, which is October 2022 since we’ve been trying officially since October 2019. I’m 38 this month, I’ll be on my way to 40 by then if they even accept us at that stage.

I can’t work out how we are unexplained. I think it’s pretty clear what the explanation is. They see he has low motility and they say that’s bad, then they say there’s no explanation because his count numbers are higher, it’s “not enough”. I’m not a good maths person but I’m sure he only has a few mil of decent swimmers when you take the poor quality ones out.

@CausingChaos2 yeah 3 here too, it makes me sick when I started trying at 36. Apparently there’s no age rush and because I have a high “excellent” AMH so they don’t care. What good is a high AMH without having IVF and possibly not ovulating? It’s craziness.

Most of our money is in the house but we have been saving for this outcome so we can go private. We just can’t go private for an unlimited number of rounds, you know? I’m hoping my AMH will produce a decent number of eggs but the quality remains to be seen. We saw a private consultant in Jan after I had some scans and they were MUCH more thorough than this old cow was. I can’t quite believe how little she asked us. She didn’t even ask if my husband smoked or if he had reasons that could explain his low motility. You think they’d have offered me clomid or letrozole since I have been sent here for low progesterone and uncertain ovulation 🙄

@PurpleUnicorn01 yeah, I’m not sure I could do that because I wouldn’t have the documentation. I’ll try my GP again tomorrow and see what she says.

@thislittlebird aaaah that is insane! I'm so sorry they've done this to you! Def chat to the gp and have a think about whether you can get a second opinion somehow? If going private then do check out Reprofit in Prague or one of the clinics in Copenhagen - they really do come out thousands of pounds cheaper with excellent reviews and results. They issue you with medical letters so you can fly despite covid restrictions so that's not a problem as well xxx

Three years is such a long time isn’t it thislittlebird I can’t help thinking it’s deliberately drawn out so people go private and fund themselves. I imagine the number of people who conceive in the third year after having already tried for two is minuscule.

I’m sorry you had to deal with such an idiot. It sounds like your appointment was just a tick box exercise to them.

@kay00 pleased your initial appointment went well, hope your appointments can be arranged soon.

@causingchaos2 welcome! Hope it's been a helpful read and at least you know what's ahead in terms of appointments etc. How long have you been trying? Is this your first?

@purpleunicorn01 sounds like the reason for your long protocol is the AMH, but ultimately I wouldn't worry too much as that's what the drugs are for when it comes to ivf. I'm short protocol as potential for OHSS due to my follicle count but we will see. Do you have a date for consent appointment?

@thislittlebird I can't believe how your appointment has turned out! The thing is, they've hardly even done any investigations to determine a a reason of unexplained. Unexplained is usually when they have done every single test and it all comes back fine. Not to mention the motility and AMH issue you've already been told you have. If youre feeling up to it, contact the GP tomorrow but be armed with a list of questions and challenges for her. If not, deffinetly contact them next week, I would also email the fertility clinic asking for clarity. It's a hard enough time as it is without being messed around which you have been every step of the way. I hope you're ok x

@dogmam, not just yet as they said they will text me a link to an online portal to sign consent etc once they have final confirmation of funding

@purpleunicorn01 ah great, how exciting!

@dogmam such a good point actually - it's only unexplained once they've exhausted the other tests!

@Juno231 tried to call the GP today and couldn’t get an appointment. Receptionist said I can speak to her next Thursday (weird system where one doc does half the week). The woman told us the GP can refer to IVF so I’m going to ask her, can we be referred to an ACU and why not? We have poor results and no one is testing us for anything else.

@CausingChaos2 welcome, btw! I absolutely think that’s what they’re doing. I’m getting older and more stressed and his sperm aren’t getting younger. I can’t just wait another year plus.

@dogmam I know. I’m a mess still tbh. How can they say we’re unexplained based on both having suboptimal results???? Once she heard I had high AMH she seemed to ignore everything else and just thought it was fine, as if egg reserve is the only factor. All these eggs mean bugger all just sitting in there on their own.

I’m so tired. I even got to a point of saying to my husband ‘maybe it’s a sign, maybe I should give up and it’s not meant for me’. Every step of the way we’ve had obstacles and no one who wants to help us.

What did all of you get classed as and why? I don’t understand how we’re unexplained when the only tests they’ve done on us have both had results below the parameters. A progesterone score of 10 and 9% motility seem like a bloody explanation to me. Isn’t unexplained all “normal” test results? It’s a joke.

I can’t remember if it’s @Kay00 or @causingchaos who are private. I will probably just go private in the next few months because I’ll be 38 this month, I can’t keep waiting. On the plus side, IF I have good eggs, I should produce a fair number of them, all being well.

@thislittlebird not very helpful here but we're classed as unexplained. Only got it once all the tests bar lap were in though.

Hope your GP can do that referral for you but I totally get that you must be feeling defeated and downtrodden. Having to fight an uphill battle every step of the way is so so tiring...

@thislittlebird I went private. I decided to do it because the GP I was talking to at the time had said she would refer me, but she kept coming up with excuses like 'i'll do it next time we speak' and I thought... fuck this. They clearly have targets to not refer people to specialists or something, and at the time I hadn't ovulated for 3 x months and my cycles have been rubbish since I came of the pill, so I self referred.

So far I have paid £180 for the initial consultation and we have arranged for more tests to be done (I hadn't had many tests done before I self referred).

However, if your GP can refer for IVF then that well worth pursuing!

@Juno231 It’s honestly exhausting. When I broke down in her office I just kept crying about “why won’t they help me” because that’s how it feels. Everyone seems to get help when they have something and we get nothing. Just told to do a day 3 test or maybe have a lap. A hycosy isn’t worthwhile she said, which was ?????? No idea what that was about but I can join a lap waiting list with no explanation as to why I need one because I’m “fine”. The lack of acknowledgment of my progesterone levels has floored me.

@Kay00 yeah sounds like mine when I was trying to get a derm referral. I didn’t even think they might have targets and I bet you’re right, it’s a mess right now. My cycles were weird for about six months although have been better lately, but they didn’t care. I’m going to join a couple of private webinars maybe, but in my head I want to book a consultation with the Lister. I had one with Care in February and it was fine, but I had an encounter with the admin people which I didn’t enjoy so will need to decide if I’m still considering them or not. The costs of the private tests piling up does worry me, what have you had so far?

I will follow up with my GP again. I’m not happy with how we’ve been treated either way.

@Kay00 was just reading your post again. Your private doc requested these tests, is she telling the GP to do them? Part of my fear of private is the tests adding up.

@thislittlebird my GP will be doing the clamidia test and prolactin test. But I need to go to the hospital for the test for ovarian reserves... not sure if that's nhs or private? I'm getting a HyCoSy once I get all my results back which I'll be paying for. Oh, and I'll be paying for OH's SA too.

So it will be a minimum of:

£180 - Inital consultation (paid)
£105 - SA
£350 - HyCoSy

So far...!

But my next consultation (further £110) will be months away, so the costs are spread.

@Kay00 I can’t even get to talk to my GP despite being told I could talk to them today, I’m very over it all. Might get a call back IF she feels like it! Going to change surgeries and hope that helps.

Got our private urologist appointment on May 26th and I’m waiting for the Lister clinic to call me back with a consultation appointment. So £900 on tests and urology appointment, £220 for lister consultation and probably £300 to redo my AFC and AMH.

Would really like to put my money into the ivf fund but here we are.

I was told no need for a hycosy by the stupid woman I saw, have no idea why she said that. Just a lap. I’m happy to have a lap but I didn’t get put on the list because I was so upset at what she was saying and I left.

@thislittlebird if it helps - they usually do a dye test whilst in there for the lap so that would negate a need for a hycosy I think!

I'm sorry the docs are messing you about - I'm glad you are able to proceed privately for now!

I think a fresh start with a new GP surgery sounds like exactly what you need @thislittlebird

I would be really interested in booking an appointment with a Urologist too if anything less than ideal came back on OH's sperm analysis.

My 1st appointment was a week ago today, and I was expecting some literature in the post from them (at the very least to explain how OH books his SA), so I might chase them up today.

@Juno231 I'll ask for that then when I can finally speak to someone. I can't deal with this GP surgery anymore, they're causing me so much stress.

@Kay00 the urology secretary was good at being upfront with the price, which I liked. At least I know he'll be having a comprehensive set of tests for his motility issue and we might know what we're dealing with ahead of IVF.

I think my husband was given some number to call for an SA, it was all very random.

@thislittlebird I'm pleased you're a little further forward with private testing.
I was listening to a podcast yesterday and thought of you, they were talking about being fobbed off by the GP, clinics etc but made it very clear that all women are entitled to full investigations until there is a clear diagnosis, even if treatment would never be an option, for example woman who already have a child is still entitled to tests etc as it's only the treatment itself they wouldn't be entitled to I'm the nhs, but all the testing they are absolutely entitled to. They mentioned about going in fully armed with their local CCG policies and also encouraged to quote NICE guidelines.

I joined the Fertility Network fb group for my local area. Loads of women who are at various stages of treatment with the same clinic so a really useful way of getting accurate information, contact details, staff, appointment details, timelines etc so would suggest you have a look as it's been really helpful for me.

Hi everyone. I posted on this thread a while ago and haven’t posted for a bit as the process has been quite overwhelming. I’ve kept up with all your stories though and seems like there’s been some frustrating things happening (or not happening as the case may be). Also good to see things progressing for some.

@thislittlebird my god. What a time you’ve had. I’m so glad you’re getting a fresh start with a new GP surgery!

After a lot of waiting around I got an appointment from the doctor at my clinic today with the results of initial investigations. Apparently everything “normal” apart from my endometrium (lining of uterus?) which is thin (5mm) and explains why I have scanty periods and also explains why I can’t get an implantation. Apparently although 5mm is thin it’s not considered too thin so we are technically all within the healthy ranges and have to wait until 2 years trying for IVF. I feel devastated. I did some reading online (I know..) and it seems that thin lining can be treated by estrogen supplements but I did ask the doctor on the phone and she said that there’s nothing they can prescribe me to help until I get IVF. Anyone know why? I only read up on this after the consultation so haven’t been able to press the doctor further. I just feel lost and frustrated.