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.

Hi ladies don't know if I could join the queue in this one 💖

Been formally diagnosed today with PCOS after long cycles anvoulatory cycles & immature follicles on scans with LH imbalance on bloods.. hubs SA male factor infertility too, were a cracking pair between us! But the GP today after a long battle has said they will refer us to our local fertility clinic which is the step in the right direction..

From hearing this to actual appointments through post / first appointments is it going to be a couple of month? I know different areas have different capacity and time scales to others

Thanks in advance :)

Welcome @kaylsd!!

Morning ladies, I just had my AMH results back... 64 pmol which is in the high range. Does this indicate PCOS?

I'm away seeing my family (first time in a year) so don't have time to do loads of research... but I'm stressing now. What does this mean?

I suppose it would explain my long random cycles and occasional annovulatory cycle ... maybe they have all been anovulatory? Despite temp increases?? Ugh... stress!!

Still waiting on results back from clamidia and prolactin before they can do HyCoSy and OH is doing his SA on 7th June.

Results 🙁

@kay00 Found this on the create website:

"However, what we do know is that at any age, a score over 48 pmol/L (which means picomole per litre) is considered high and could be a sign of PCOS. Studies have actually shown that around 97% of women with an AMH over 71 pmol/L have PCOS."

So sounds like you could potentially be in PCOS territory which would explain your wonky cycles - that doesn't mean they're anovulatory though - the temp rises would still indicat ovulation!

@juno231 thank you m'dear!!

Oh lordy! I might have PCOS then!? Wow. I suppose it explains a few things for sure, and I used to bleed a lot mid cycle before I went on the pill. I suppose I'm lucky not to have some of the other symptoms (weight gain/spots/hair growth etc).

It's good to know that my temp increases indicate I'm still managing to ovulate. But I need to do some reading around this subject... hopefully there is something the fertility clinic can do to help me on my journey? 🤞

@kay00 Yeah there are def options! Lots do better on metformin in general but with regards to TTC they might put you on clomid. Your clean diet will have helped I think!

@Kay00

Results 🙁

Thank you sweet for the welcome! It's been a long journey to get to the point of fertility referral, quite emotional ride as we thought things would be simple, couldn't be more wrong but me and my hub are remaining positive the best we can as we can't control things either way🙈🙈

Just saw your AMH post, I've just been diagnosed with PCOS I have wonky cycles long cycles then some cycles where I'm normal with pos OPK and good bbt rises, my AMH was 52, have you been investigated for similar? X

Yeah @Kay00 you could be fine, even with PCOS/PCO, they need to look at the hormone profile usually, you could be borderline?

Hi @kaylsd, welcome! How did they diagnose your pcos? We have double problems too, my husband has low motility and I have low progesterone. What’s his SA issues?

Our referral a few weeks to come through, can’t remember exactly, maybe a month.

Signed up to a new GP surgery, got there today for a nurse registration appointment and realised I’d forgotten my mask. I went in and was honest, said I’d forgotten it and the receptionist was so horrible and aggressive. Offered me one for £1 going to charity, I said ok, then asked how to pay and she said it’s cash only and I said I didn’t have cash but could bring it back in, so started telling me off and how they won’t let me come in if I don’t have one again, it was a real dressing down. At which point I just had a breakdown in the surgery. I’m really not mentally resilient right now, after a year plus of untreated and misdiagnosed medical problems and ttc, my first experience there being her was...quite the welcome. Fortunately the nurse was much nicer.

@thislittlebird omg!! I would be so upset by that... how unreasonable of the receptionist!! I genuinely believe GP receptionists are the spawn of the devil!

@juno231 I used to be really big when I was in my late teens... like size 18/20, but I lost it all in about a year when I was 17 years old and have managed to (mostly) keep it off.

I'd be interested in Clomid if it was offered to me, but I suppose OH's SA needs to come back ok first?

@thislittlebird

Yeah *@Kay00* you could be fine, even with PCOS/PCO, they need to look at the hormone profile usually, you could be borderline?

Hi @kaylsd, welcome! How did they diagnose your pcos? We have double problems too, my husband has low motility and I have low progesterone. What’s his SA issues?

Our referral a few weeks to come through, can’t remember exactly, maybe a month.

Signed up to a new GP surgery, got there today for a nurse registration appointment and realised I’d forgotten my mask. I went in and was honest, said I’d forgotten it and the receptionist was so horrible and aggressive. Offered me one for £1 going to charity, I said ok, then asked how to pay and she said it’s cash only and I said I didn’t have cash but could bring it back in, so started telling me off and how they won’t let me come in if I don’t have one again, it was a real dressing down. At which point I just had a breakdown in the surgery. I’m really not mentally resilient right now, after a year plus of untreated and misdiagnosed medical problems and ttc, my first experience there being her was...quite the welcome. Fortunately the nurse was much nicer.

@thislittlebird @Kay00 here's my little background

Been TTC number 1 since august 2020, been on the pill 12 years (had a ultrasound in 2017 said normal) came off the pill, cycles came back regularly until about November (had covid in November so I blamed that) lasted 70 days then came back for a month as normal then same again abit all over shop! Went to GP they refused to look at me as I haven't been trying a year so I paid for a private fertility scan, showed that I had slightly enlarged ovaries volume at 10.2 & 11.2 (apparently needs to be 10cm volume and above for PCOS) and immature follicles but no cysts so the recommended my GP to look into PCOS, so then I had hormonal bloods done all the LH/FSH which showed a 3:1 ratio, my AMH is elevated slightly at 52 which they say above 48 can indicate PCOS, I had my progesterone checked one said I ovulated and other said I didn't when it was done twice, thyroid normal ect no insulin resistance or inflammation markers which may be linked to post pill PCOS, I have no symptoms like weight gain acne or hair ect which is normal symptoms, so then GP agreed I most likely have PCOS and don't ovulate regularly and requested for hub for SA - his came back abnormal - morphology 3% and mortality 32 % which they have said with this information on both parties we meet the criteria to be referred into fertility clinic on behalf of NHS as we have male and female factors than waiting for 12 month and this is where we are :))

Just waiting for the letter for the ball rolling! Hubs has just come back from his hair cut and was on about it with his hairdresser she had her children through IVF 🙈 it's crazy how many people are affected when you start talking!
Sorry about the essay 🤓

@thislittlebird
Motility 32% sorry auto correct!

@kaylsd thanks for sharing 😊 I have been off the pill about a year now but self referred to the fertility clinic in Feb after 3 months (2 x cycles) where I didn't ovulate in a row. I was sure something wasn't working for me, and clearly with my high AMH levels I was right!

I'm hoping OHs SA comes back OK, as that would make life a little easier, but he's 39 years old and drinks way too much caffeine (and beer!) so im not holding out much hope.

@kaylsd what was his count?

@Kay00 they really are, they must make them in some demonic factory somewhere. I don’t know how you can be so rude to someone making a mistake, it’s not like I came in and refused to wear one.

I wish they’d offer me clomid since they aren’t sure I’m ovulating but they haven’t done that, and they haven’t said why we don’t qualify as explained with female and male fertility issues.

Welcome! Don't worry we all have many issues here so you will fit in well. My oh also has low motility and have a borderline low amh. Im once you're tests are completed and they decide your treatment the wait isn't so long. Im just waiting to sign consent forms then im good to go. The funding gets approved usually in couple weeks depending on area for nhs.

@Kay00 thanks hunny! Fingers and toes crossed that your OH SA comes back okay, my hub has a poor diet and loves a bevvy on his days off but from Monday he's vowed to change to try and help in anyway he can before the repeat sample in august! We used to joke around saying he's got Homer Simpson sperm when they bump heads and say doh but we laughed about it this week saying that's abit awkward for how long we've laughed about it 🙈 have you had your first appointment at the clinic with you self referring :)?

[quote thislittlebird]@kaylsd what was his count?

@Kay00 they really are, they must make them in some demonic factory somewhere. I don’t know how you can be so rude to someone making a mistake, it’s not like I came in and refused to wear one.

I wish they’d offer me clomid since they aren’t sure I’m ovulating but they haven’t done that, and they haven’t said why we don’t qualify as explained with female and male fertility issues.[/quote]
@thislittlebird this was his results

Motility:
Rapid - 18
Sluggish 12 %
Non progressive 8 %
Imotile 62 %
A&B combined 32 %
Total number of spermatozoa 67 million
Concentration of spermatozoa 23 million
Morphology 3%
Impression motility and morphology below range value repeat in 3/12

Xx

@PurpleUnicorn01

Welcome! Don't worry we all have many issues here so you will fit in well. My oh also has low motility and have a borderline low amh. Im once you're tests are completed and they decide your treatment the wait isn't so long. Im just waiting to sign consent forms then im good to go. The funding gets approved usually in couple weeks depending on area for nhs.

That's always good to hear! We've learnt that our trust hospital is linked with Yorkshire fertility clinic based at Halifax as they hold satellite clinic appointments every Monday morning at one hospital and Monday afternoon at the other one, people where we live are either the Halifax one or Leeds fertility clinic so it's going to be either one :) I'm excited to finally feel like we're moving forward with getting help as we've been investigated by our GP since February so it's good to hear that the stepping stones are set for us now, thank you for the welcome! I float around a couple of threads on here and have spoke to some amazing women and their stories! The fertility clinic title made my eyes think ooooo what's it like since that's what my next step is consisting of :')

Hi ladies

So I had my first fertility appt this morning. Annoyingly they called me at 9.15am to say we could go in person but the appointment was at 10 so we said no will do it online.

So she asked us both questions about our history and lifestyle etc. And said we fit the criteria for IVF on the nhs so she will get the ball rolling but it will be dependant on my egg reserves.

So when I have my next period, I have to call them to go straight in for a scan and bloods. They will then do another test after to see if my tubes are blocked.

OH has to give a SA and then depending on the results of my egg reserves, I will start IVF.

I’m not getting my hopes up yet but I’m glad We are having the tests which will hopefully give some answers.

She’s fast tracking it because of my age. I turned 40 in January.

@tillybabs wow, that sounded like a hugely productive meeting! Well done xx how far along in your cycle are you? How are you feeling about ivf?

@kaylsd Hehe 😆 Homer Simpson sperm made me laugh! Yes, we had our first appointment with the clinic but because we hadn't had many tests done we are only just doing them now

@Kay00 I’m hoping I don’t need IVF and in any case, I don’t want to get my hopes up. Even if we do qualify, there’s no guarantee and we only get one cycle on the NHS. But I’m staying optimistic about it all whatever happens.

I’m CD 9 now so got a while to go before AF. I just literally finished a couple days ago. Typical lol

We are kind of at the same stage with testing. I hope it all goes well for you xx

@tillybabs likewise xxx I'm keen to avoid ivf unless I have to too, I'm really hoping some drugs to stimulate ovulation + progesterone do the trick for me 🤞

@Kay00 fingers crossed for you hun xx

Just a little bit of a update ladies received my e referral letter in post and booked in with one of the 4 trusts of my area with the shortest waiting list time for treatment at 27 week :o my local CCG was a 52 week waiting list so I'm quite glad that we had a choice to book elsewhere!!

@kaylsd 52 weeks?! Good grief that’s madness.

[quote myfavouritefudgecake]@kaylsd 52 weeks?! Good grief that’s madness.[/quote]
3/4 of the applicable clinics were a waiting list of 52 weeks or greater, this was Sheffield Rotherham & Wakefield, absolutely gobsmacked when I saw this :o it's hard enough waiting to be allowed in by the GP with on top another nearly another year before they can start anything! People could have time against them which leaves minimal options but to consider private for some.. :(