Fertility Clinic Appointments and Beyond..

[dogmam]

New thread for us to continue our fertility clinic appointment progress...

Some of us are waiting for initial appointments, some are having tests and some are starting treatment!

@Juno231
Oh really, that's good if you can pick one of those places.

I'm literally a 5 mins walk from Croydon uni hospital and have had my appointments there so I guess that's where I will be? Unless if I get approved for ivf, it's done elsewhere.

I really really want Kings as they have a state of the art neonatal unit.

@JeanieJ hopefully you can choose!

I'm 36 in two weeks time. My CCG is down in Devon, and they offer 1 x cycle up to the age of 40 if you have been trying for 2 x years with no luck. I could have up to 2 x private cycles before having an NHS funded cycle if I wish. Hoping that the ovulation stimulation drugs are the ticket I need though!

Oh this is great @Tillybabs
www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/29/englands-first-not-for-profit-ivf-clinic-to-open-in-2021

What an amazing idea. I think that the private prices at the teaching hospitals are about £3k per round I think, need to look at those again. Might be worth my while to do one of those while I wait for some nhs help. I’ve been worried about how expensive one round can be compared to two when you have a number of embryo transfers. If we needed say three transfers that’s the cost of almost another round when private. Maybe Guys or Kings private could be a good option for one round.

@Juno231 my doctor the other day asked if my Lister doc in the nhs, said he could refer me to her if so. Unfortunately she isn’t, so he said I recommend a teaching hospital and offered me Guys or Kings.

@Tillybabs bear in mind that once pregnant you'd be discharged from the AC unit and could self refer to Kings anyway?

@thislittlebird oh that is interesting! I'm still thinking I'd do it in Copenhagen tbh. Return flights are as cheap as £25 and I could stay with family (although plenty of airbnbs around too). A single round is £2.5k, three cycles are £5k. £400 for ICSI.

@Juno231 it’s definitely an option, family to stay with also a benefit. I’m planning to do one round here at least. Three cycles for £5k is amazing, as is £400 for ICSI.

It’s day 28 and I’m living in my pre-AF, post-hycosy hope palace right now, wish me luck that the old bat stays away. Do not need her to visit.

Had my blood test yesterday for amh so nervously awaiting that.

I also got a call from the clinic and we are now booked in week after next for our ivf eligibility appointment where we will be asked questions, weighed, have a smoking test etc.

What do they tend to ask at this appointment?

@Tillybabs interesting - I haven't had one of those! Not been weighed once in this process either, not even for my general anaesthetic...

@thislittlebird oh I love a good fortress of hope - I hope yours doesn't crumble xxx

@thislittlebird wishing you all the luck! I'm also hoping the same as I had my Hycosy cd 14 and ovulated cd 18. Now in the tww

Fingers crossed for you

@Juno231 really! I asked what the appointment will involve. We both have to bring ID, will be asked questions, fill in forms, be weighed, height measurements taken (I guess for bmi) and both have cot tests which I read are smoke breathalyser tests.

@Juno231 sadly, it’s a bit of a decrepit old ruin at this stage of ttc . I managed to combine Sherlock Holmes’ mind palace with a fortress, which is pretty accurate lol.

@Tillybabs I was weighed at my gynaecology appointment where they told me to get lost. No other tests though, no interest in my husband at all.

@Tillybabs @thislittlebird I hope a flushing out of your tubes is the ticket you both need!! I'll be in the same boat too, but I'll have at the back of my head that I might not have actually ovulated no doubt, I'll still be building that hope fortress!

@tillybabs exciting that your IVF journey has already started!!

@Kay00 fingers crossed ovulation comes soon for you!

Not getting my hopes up yet as still awaiting the amh results and the eligibility criteria appointment.

I dreamt last night that my amh was too low 😫

@thislittlebird that's interesting! She definitely said we would both be weighed and smoke tested

@Tillybabs mine was day 11 and I ovulated somewhere between 14 and 18, not sure because my stupid clear blue monitor wouldn’t assist me this month because I forgot to add my cycle.

Tagging @Juno231 for an ovulation guess. My guess is maybe 15th/16th.

Managed to attach same thing twice there, meant to attach the more detailed one!

@Kay00 I’ve got a lot riding on my boobs being sore lol. They almost never are, so at the very least I have ovulated this month!

@thislittlebird looks like 15/16 like you said.

I get tender in that area when I'm ovulating

I also get nauseous when ovulating and then again when AF is arriving!

@Tillybabs I don’t tend to get nausea very often, unless I’m having a lovely ovulation or period migraine. I get a little bit sore in the boobs but it’s very unusual for me, it’s noticeable when it happens (assuming it’s an issue with the irregular ovulation and low progesterone). Last month I had it but I was taking b6 which I think likely caused it and made my period late too. Also made my period late last month. Hopefully it won’t come at all, but I don’t expect it to be hugely delayed this month based on all the ovulation signs.

@thislittlebird I would bet day 15/16 too, hopefully your EWCM on CD24 was a nice implantation dip/secondary Estrogen surge on 9DPO!

@Kay00 I wondered that, but I don’t like to get my hopes up. Plus I’m sure I’ve had it on one or two of my many BFN months over the last 18 months or so.

@thislittlebird I'd say CD16 but that's on the assumption that EWCM was at 8DPO which is when I get it the most often lol. How long is your LP normally?

@Juno231 do you get it every month? LP is 12 days almost always, unless I mess with with it via supplements like last month. I don’t get it after O very often, so I thought we better dtd again in case my weirdo ovaries hadn’t ovulated and were giving it another go.

Are you guys using LH sticks?
Im thinking of giving them up. When I use the basic cheaper ones, my 2nd line is never darker than the first, makes me mildly concerned.

Last month I had a darkish line on my LH stick in the morning, then by lunchtime it was gone 🤨

But, I've used CB before and got flashing smileys & static smileys. It's very confusing.

Also, I gave up temping ages ago, but I was always cold. 36.4 degrees was my warmest. It was impossible for me to reach the elusive 36.8-37 degrees afters ovulating! 🤷🏻

@JeanieJ I'm notoriously rubbish at catching a LH peak on OPKs. I have PCOS though which can make those sticks a bit pointless plus, when i have caught a peak it tends to have been a very sudden short sharp peak, so I'm either missing them or they are not happening for me.

As for your temp, that could be low for a number of reasons. It might be the time of morning you are taking your temp (so it will be lower at 5am than at 7am for example), you could be sleeping with less blankets on than other woman, or with a window open... or you could be a mouth breather I think all of these effect my temperature which is also quite low compared to others.

@JeanieJ cheapie sticks don’t seem to work for me, maybe my body doesn’t work lol, no idea tbh. But clear blue does detect an LH peak for me most months. Tbh, at this stage, I don’t think it makes much difference. Whether I use them or not I have a rough idea of when I’m possibly ovulating. The only use for me is when we’re trying to pinpoint the right day to dtd because we’re busy or have different work schedules or whatever. Or knowing when to expect my period.