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.

@dogmam yes she is specifically for fertility. I just googled one and this lady came up. Id find someone reputable.

Private Hycosy booked in 😐. Really don’t want to do it, and she’s booked me in for next Tuesday. I was hoping for this week so I have less time to fret. Oh well.

Care got in touch with me after months of no contact (I got very annoyed with them after an appointment and admin encounter). They’ve offered me a free consultation with a consultant from Zita West clinic. I’m tempted or I might push for a refund for my stupid ten minute appointment I was charged for.

@thislittlebird Oh horrid. But just another thing ticked off the list. I have one booked in for next month too. Good luck!

@thislittlebird I would push for the refund too if I were you.

@thislittlebird I'd push for the refund too. Good luck! I will be booking in my HyCoSy on the first day of my next period too... I explained to my OH about what it involved and he said 'wow... that's a bit invasive isn't it'?! I Lol'ed so hard (and then cried a little into my cup of tea).

My OH submitted his first SA this morning too... that was a fun race against the clock, haha!

@Kay00 honestly I would cry into my tea a bit too, don’t even want to think about the hycosy lmao. I’m just gonna remain ignorant, take some paracetamol and take my antibiotics after. They’ve already sent me the private script for them, wondering if I can get it cheaper than at their pharmacy. Maybe it’s no different, no idea.

@Myfavouritefudgecake we’re all having them

Yeah I’m gonna email suggesting the refund would be more appropriate based on our experience, I think.

I emailed PALS today asking where my complaint follow up call was. They seemed to think my file had been closed after the shitty appointment. anyway, after many emails it seems they thought me asking “is it standard to log a formal complaint?” meant I didn’t want to log on. I do feel bad complaining about the old gynaecologist but equally she’s blocking us from treatment we’re entitled to, so I probably shouldn’t feel bad. Hopefully a case manager will call me this week.

@thislittlebird omg lol can you complain about the complaints process ridiculous that they even got that wrong! I'd push for the refund too but I imagine that's what they'll be least willing to give you! Btw the hycosy really isn't bad - I'm sure all will be fine xx

@Mum2Girls19 hello and welcome! I think the other ladies covered it already but just make sure to check your local CCG policy for what's available to you. Normally they are willing to do initial investigations but then not do any assisted fertility stuff like IUIs or IVF.

@kay00 I've got my fingers crossed for the SA results

CD9 here, waiting to start FW in 2 days' time but I also have low key thrush... not ideal. Got prescribed fluconazole yday but you can't take it when TTC so was thinking I'll hold off until CD1 to start the course (cycle 20 - boo!).

@Juno231 ikr, you really need a complaints team for every area. Ridiculous. Anyway, the lady I spoke to was nice, I explained it’s not about pointing the finger and trying to blame a doctor, it’s about trying to make progress. Where do I go when the people who are supposed to help me get it wrong? She said to send the private doctor letters saying we’re not unexplained to her and she’ll put my case forward once she has them. They have 40 days to respond.

If they tell us we’re still unexplained I’m just gonna jump off a cliff.

Lister have sent me out a prescription for mystery antibiotics to take before or after the hycosy. Not sure what kind they’ll be yet.

CD4 here AF is almost non existent already, so looks like we’re back to lighter shorter cycles over here.

Pretty sure I’ve ttc on thrush treatment over the last year or two....oops. Not like it worked anyway I guess.

@thislittlebird ah I got told not to because it not only increases MC risk but causes foetal deformities so I don't want to risk it! I got two types of antibiotics for my HSG but I think @paintfairy got none so it's clearly not vital. There's a slight risk of infection but for people with eg gut or thrush issues I'd perhaps skip taking them... I hope they told you no unprotected BD ahead of the hycosy?

@Juno231 they’ve sent me a pack, I haven’t read it yet. They said they do antibiotics as standard and I’m relieved because I’m personally prone to infections. My body isn’t good at dealing with them.

@thislittlebird def read it as we were told no BD from CD1 to hycosy/HSG and that they'd have to reschedule it if we had (again, paintfairy's weren't that strict!)

@thislittlebird I didn't get antibiotics but I did get told not to BD like @Juno231 did.
I actually found the whole thing OK. The worrying about it was worse than the actual process. Take painkillers before and try to stay relaxed.

That's really interesting re the antibiotics for the HyCoSy... I have just had 4 months of stomach issues (2 x endoscopy, 1 x gastroscopy and an ultrasound on all my organs... nothing serious thank god) and I'm in a good place now (ovulating again and no pain when I eat - yey!) So I'm super keen to avoid antibiotics and upsetting my gut flora if I can avoid it!

I still haven’t read the pack because my husband has been hogging the laptop but the secretary sent me a letter today from our appointment and in the email she said it’s a one off dose.

Also saw mention of an ‘agonist trigger’ for my high amh in the letter, need to do some more reading on this.

@kay00 ha tbh when I wrote the antobiotics piece I thought of you! I got two strong one off doses and it def messed with my tummy and tbh I wouldn't be surprised it my lingering thrush isn't coinciding with the antibiotics I got at my laparoscopy?

@thislittlebird never heard of an agonist trigger! Please report back :)

@Juno231 what ones did they give you? I’ve had a prescription posted so not sure yet.

@Mum2Girls19 unfortunately you wouldn’t as you both have children from other relationships. It would be different if one of you didn’t. Also, that would depend on the borough you come under.

The borough I live in allows people to have have nhs funded ivf even if one partner has children from another relationship.

Talking about that. My OH is registered with another GP is in old borough still and the GP was really horrible. He has to give a sworn sample.and she Kept telling him he won’t get help and what’s the point in doing a sperm sample because he already has children. B##ch

@thislittlebird I got 1g of Azithromycin and 1g of Metronidazole

@Juno231 interesting. I was on azithromycin recently for about seven weeks and I was impressed with how I didn’t get thrush (normally do with antibiotics) and it didn’t upset my stomach. Made a change.

@thislittlebird the long agonist Vs the antagonist is all to do with protocol i.e what drugs you'll be on and for how long. The Antagonist is generally woman who have high amh, PCOS or generally at risk of OHSS.. I only know about this as it was discussed at my consent apt.

So many terms and phrases to remember! I swear we will all be experts and could open our own clinic.

@paintfairy what's happening with you? Are you having another go at IUI?

@dogmam yeah she sent me a pack called antagonist short protocol or something and mentioned agonist trigger shot in the letter. I was reading which meds were agonist trigger shots earlier, can’t remember the names now but I recognised a couple.

@dogmam I have to have 3 before I can have ivf. Rang last month and they didn't do it. This month i can't do as I'm away at the wrong time. So it'll be next month if they bother to do it! 🙄 CD9 today.
Its annoying as it takes over like 3 weeks of the bloody month so you literally can't plan anything.

Is this what you had @Juno231?

Won’t lie, the word suppository isn’t my favourite of the words. 😬

@thislittlebird ha yes - although my paperwork stated suppository the meds themselves said oral so I hope I did the right thing by popping it orally!