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.

@Kitekat81 we're in Scotland too and do few options so really grateful that we are getting NHS, even with a nine month wait.

Gcrm would have been our other option. Our neighbours went there and they had success on the second transfer.

@theotherfossilsister oh cool you're up here too! That's great you are getting NHS treatment :) Yes gcrm is our only option I think, so I really hope we like them! That's wonderful that your neighbours had a good outcome with them 😊

@Kitekat81 I had my private Hycosy with GCRM and didn't have a great experience, however I have been told by people both in real life and on here that this was very unusual. They did find a polyp which I'm having out on the NHS so that sped things up, but the Gynae at Edinburgh said that we definitely have male factor. My partner's actually having a lot of tests before we start because the forward motility is so low.

Neighbours are really happy, but also cautious and they've not announced it as she's eleven weeks, and scared. She has endo and apparently the NHS wouldn't give her IVF, I still don't fully understand why. They've had a horrible time of it so I'm glad they're successful.

Are you in Edinburgh too?

They're also testing him to see if he has the CF gene which is scary

@theotherfossilsister yes I'm in Edinburgh too. Oh I'm so sorry you had a bad experience with the HyCoSy at grcm, that's where we are going for ours. Was the polyp a new discovery at the HyCoSy, they didn't see it when they did the transvaginal scan? So sorry it sounds like you've had a lot to deal with and worry about already. Glad at least that it sounds like you are getting lots of help, I have everything crossed for you. Good to hear that your neighbours are happy, I hope it all goes smoothly for them now 🤞

Thank you. I went to GCRM in September just after they reopened nfor investigation and I think they were trying to fit as many people in as possible. We didn't know about the polyp before then but it's getting taken out on the NHS in February.

Apparently they have some of the same doctors as Edinburgh, including the consultant I saw in the fourteenth, Dr Tay, who was lovely. I really don't think 39 is that old.

Ah that's good to know, thanks @theotherfossilsister. I think we will pay for an initial consultation after I've had the HyCoSy and the AMH test, and hopefully get some advice about what our next steps should be. Thanks for saying you don't think 39 is too old - we actually joined a GCRM info webinar today and there were other people on the call who were 42 and 44, so it's definitely not unusual to be in the upper age group and starting this journey!

Hi ladies, how is everyone? It seems we are all just waiting for our next appointments... ttc is a lot of waiting about isn't it?!

@theotherfossilsister ah yeah sounds like we would have similar dates if we get IVF! My other half also has low motility, 10% progressive, 5% non-progressive and 85% immotility. Hoping the repeat in March will have improved since taking wellman and cutting down on alcohol.

Hi everyone, all been a bit quiet my end.
DH wanted to wait until the end of this cycle before I booked our consultation. Currently on CD29. AF hasnt arrived yet but i have cramps. Not AF cramps though, theyre weird. Clear Blue was negative this morning. Not officially late but guess AF will be here in a few days.
Im going to book the appointment today though as I have a rare day off of work!

Random question, for those of you who have already had appointments. Did any doctors recommend specific supplements?
I take folic acid, vitamin C and D. Theyre just supermarket branded ones.
I never tried any of the multi vitamins specifically for conception as I read they can mess with your cycles.
I dont know how true this is though?
Would this be a better benefit to me? Would it help in anyway with low progesterone?
Im clutching at straws here!

@dogmam I'm still lurking - got my first appointment on Monday though so will definitely update you ladies then.

@juno231 yes I remember you said your apt is early Feb so looking forward to hearing how it goes!!

@flutterby8 ooo sounds interesting that it doesn't feel like AF cramps?!
Yes get your appointment booked then you have something to look forward to (although hopefully you don't need it!).
When I had my clinic appointment, she specifically mentioned Folic Acid and Vitiman D for me and asked if my partner was taking anything, to which I said Wellman Concepton and she said good.

@dogmam DH started taking the Wellman conception tablets a couple of months ago so thats good too.
I've read about vitamin B6 helping with progesterone but dont want to go crazy and take something I shouldnt although I think it is in the pregnacare tablets?

@Juno231 good luck for your appointment on Monday, let us know how you get on!

@Flutterby8 the doctor only asked me if I was taking folic acid. We said we both take other vitamins as well (oh takes wellman conception and I take quite a long list!) but she didn't seem that interested in what they were, just said to make sure they were the ones suitable for pregnant women. I don't know much about low progesterone unfortunately. Have you seen the Fertility Homeopath videos on YouTube? She's got one on how to boost progesterone.

This has been a really interesting read, thanks for updating so thoroughly @dogmam
I was referred at the very start of October as I have PCOS and we’ve been trying a year now, and I’m still waiting for my initial appointment so a bit pissed off but have made the decision to go private now to hurry it along. Good to know what to expect tho.

@Flutterby8 the conception vits don't have much of anything though so if it's a Vit B boost you're looking for I'd get the Holland Barrett Busy B one as it has the whole complex (better absorption rates than pure B6 or B12 for instance).

@Ughmaybenot wow no word since Oct?? That's disgraceful - have you called back to see you haven't been missed off their lists somehow? Any idea if you ovulate or what your PCOS impact has been?

@Juno231 I know, it’s so shit isn’t it? Yep, I rang halfway through November to check and I was on the waiting list (8th on the list) and remained the same since. I’ve probably rung every other week since then, same answer every time. I was promised ‘the end of January’ back in December but have since been told the consultant has gone off on maternity so they ‘might not run those clinics at all for a while’ now.
I don’t know, the gp did the bloods etc, told me I have pcos and referred me and that was that.

@Ughmaybenot well that's rubbish, I'm sorry :( My friend lives not far from me but lives in another trust and she only got a call to be told not to expect an appointment any time soon due to covid and that's it. She's been waiting since Nov so not far behind you - meanwhile my hospital is still going ahead with appointments over the phone so it's all completely down to luck isn't it.

Do you temp at all? Would be good to see if you are ovulating okay despite the pcos xx

@Ughmaybenot That's terrible to not have heard since October?! I assume some trusts aren't seeing fertility cases due to Covid? How frustrating for you.
When the GP requested semen analysis for DH the hospital he was referred to weren't carrying out the tests due to Covid. Which in a way was lucky as it was about an hours drive away from us. Luckily a local hospital ran the test instead!
Are you able to be referred elsewhere or did you get an option of different hospitals?

Well I bit the bullet. We were going to wait until the end of this cycle to book the referral but I've done it. I didn't realise I could book online so had a check and there wasn't a lot of availability. Literally a few days spread throughout the begining of March.

It's just a phone consult to begin with but says when booking that the majority of patients start treatment within 34 weeks of the initial consultation.

Will see what the first appointment brings and go from there.
34 weeks is a long time......

@ughmaybenot pleased it's been helpful, especially if you're going private although if I were you I'd be tempted to ask your GP to refer you somewhere else because that is ridiculous having to wait so long.

I'm don't understand why some people's appointments aren't going ahead even over the phone, what are the staff at the clinics doing instead? If anything, they should be able to fit more appointments in as surely doing thing over the phone gives more time?!

@flutterby8 aw I'm pleased you finally booked your appointment! March isn't too much longer to wait either. I booked mine online and it had that same note about 34 weeks until treatment but then when I looked again it had changed, I don't know how accurate that is so wouldn't worry too much.
Any sign of AF yet?

@Flutterby8 @dogmam I also wonder if the 34 weeks takes into account people that have their consult after the 1 year mark but then still have to wait until it's been 2 years to start IVF!

@dogmam I'm quite happy with the first consult being March. The timings give me basically 2 more cycles give or take a couple of days which I think is good.
Still no sign of AF though 🤔
I had cramps yesterday, but then I've had cramps basically on and off for the last 2 weeks. I thought I had a tiny bit of spotting yesterday but it was more brown than pink and it was literally a tiny amount (sorry TMI). My BBT also hasnt dropped significantly either. A very slight drop this morning.
I'm fully expecting AF to arrive tomorrow on CD31 which wouldnt be unusual.
Given I had a negative test yesterday I think my body is just doing this to irritate me.

@Juno231 I did wonder if everyone booking even follow up consults rather than initial ones got the 34 week wait message too if Im honest.

Hello,
I have an appointment next week but when reading through posts etc I'm concerned that my DP hasn't had a SA yet, will this make our appointment a waste? I've been waiting for the apt since October 2019,GP has refused any further tests during this time. I had an ectopic pregnancy in May, lost one tube, so am keen for for this apt to go well.

@Dancingfairydreams it really seems to vary? So I wouldn't worry. My DH had a SA but I told him to call his dr and ask for one. He did that and said we were having issues, and I was having it looked into by the gp, but obviously we needed to know if it was him. And they were fine. Just did it. I'm not sure my gp would have asked for it before the referral though. I don't even know if the fertility people will have the results but I took a photo of them before passing them to my gp, so I'll have them to hand for my appointment in case.
There definitely seems to be no consistency with anything!

@Dancingfairydreams when I spoke to my GP about our struggles i was sent for bloods and a scan without any questions. She said about DH needing semen analysis but that he had to call up for an appointment seperately so it could be raised on his notes. Either way I booked him an appointment there and then and he had the test with a local hospital.
She did say that these were routine tests and that it would help to have them done before referral as if there was something blindingly obvious wrong that the GP could prescribe for, then she would and we wouldnt need to be referred.
Sadly it was pretty obvious, but GP thinks referral is best in our case.
Good luck

Thanks both for your replies.

It is worth doing a "at home" one before the apt? A quick Google shows some are available to do at home.