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!

Does anyone who deals with Croydon university hospital know of the out of hours number? I’ve called both the numbers they gave me and I can’t get hold of anyone? They said someone would answer over the weekend but I know how useless they are even during the week 😩 x

Thanks ladies

It went well. They collected 16 eggs which will be frozen.

I won't be having a fresh transfer because my hormone level was high and he said my ovaries are enlarged so that needs to calm down first.

I guess now I just wait for a call from the clinic.

@Lori23TTC I have 0208 401 3000 ext 4574 or 4380

If they don't answer, call the switchboard back and ask for a fertility nurse

I did call yesterday evening though and they said the nurse's phone was off!

@Tillybabs I’m so glad it went well and 16 eggs frozen is amazing! Same situation as me then regarding the ovaries and freezing the eggs rather than a transfer.

Thanks for the number, that’s the number I have too. I had to get a prescription from there this morning (they wouldn’t do an electronic one as it’s a 2 hour round trip) and the prescription was no where to be seen and no one answered any of the phones! Had to come home with no prescription and a wasted 3 hours so I’m pretty pissed at them!

How are you feeling? X

@Lori23TTC that's terrible and such a waste of your time! Hope you get it sorted. I don't know why it can't be done electronically

So when I came round I had quite a bit of pain and asked for more pain relief. I was given buscepan which helped. I'm feeling quite tender now but only a small amount of blood

How are you feeling?

@Lori23TTC so do I still take the utrogestan? I didn't think to ask

I feel some pain now!

@Tillybabs freeze all sounds sensible! Good number of eggs though. I would think you stop taking it and then build up your lining again for next time? But they really should have told you.

@paintfairy thanks. I called the hospital and they told me to take it today and tomorrow and they will try and fit me in for a scan on Monday.

@Lori23TTC I got through to a fertility nurse about 10 mins ago

@Tillybabs it really annoys me how they assume you should just know what to do. What you do hinges on their plan and of they don't relay it, you don't know! 🤬

@Tillybabs wow you got through to a nurse? I left 3 voice messages to for them and no one has bothered to call me back was it the fertility nurse number with extension 4574? I might try again if it was.
I am in a lot of pain too.. Just been drinking lots of fluid and taking paracetamol. I had blood in my wee this morning and about a teaspoon on a pad throughout the day but I can’t ask anyone if that’s right?

In regards to the utrogestan I asked Harley street and they said they didn’t think I did but to ask the clinic. Clinic said to take it for 3 days to bring my period on? I’ve Only done it this morning tho not doing 3 a day. X

@Tillybabs I’ve no idea what the next steps are either.. I’m struggling to keep up with appointments around work as I’m out for 2-3 hours each time even if it’s just a scan 😬x

I called the main switchboard number and didn't bother putting the extension in and just waited to
Speak to someone and I asked to be put through to the fertility nurse. She took my name and transferred me but nothing happened.

Then the nurse actually called me back direct.

She told me to take one pessary today and take 2 tomorrow and deny would fry and fit me in for a scan on Monday.

She also said the clinic might call tomorrow to let me know how many fertilised

I was sleeping and then woke up in pain. It is normal to feel pain for a couple days after so just see how you feel and drink plenty of water

@Lori23TTC I forgot to tag you in my last post so just doing that now

@Lori23TTC sorry was meant to add that I too was/am struggling with last minute appointments even with working from home and being around the corner. I ended up telling my boss

@paintfairy it's annoying and then even more annoying if you can't get through to them to ask

@paintfairy it’s so annoying - especially waiting on a appointment in the morning as you can’t get hold of them till 9 and I start work at 8 so I never know if I need to go into the office or wait around at home. They make a stressful situation even more stressful.

I had to tell me boss in the end too but I’ve missed so much work and using my holiday for a lot of the appointments too x

@Lori23TTC yeah it's not ideal. Not everyone has jobs where they can just drop everything. I am fairly lucky with mine. But it's really not helpful to people! Like you say- it needs to be kept as stressfree as possible.

Morning ladies

So the embryologist just called me from the clinic. Out of my 16 eggs collected, 9 have fertilised. It's now a waiting game to see if they survive the next few days. 🙏🏽

This process is so nerve wracking. I couldn't even sleep this morning as I knew they were gonna call me

@Tillybabs great news! I bet it's nerve wracking but I'm glad they called even on a Sunday!

@Tillybabs that’s great news! I would be losing it waiting for these updates lol.

Back in for a scan on Wednesday to check my follicles for letrozole cycle round 2, I hope I have two this time.

@thislittlebird good luck with your scan on Wednesday 🙏🏽

@Juno231 very nerve wracking and at first I wasn't sure from her tone whether it would be good or bad news.

@Tillybabs so nerve wracking - 9 fertilised is good and I have my fingers crossed they all make it to day 5 🤞🏼 Xx

@Lori23TTC @Tillybabs just reading your updates, hope you're both feeling better after egg collection. Fingers crossed for good news, hopfully you get a day 3 and a day 5 update from the embryologist. Personally for me, this was the hardest part of the whole ivf, waiting to hear how your embryos are getting on. It was harder than the two week wait and even the result, which sounds crazy. I didn't sleep or eat a lot due to the anxious wait, it's likely you'll have drop off but that's completely normal. From 19 eggs collected I only ended up with 2 frozen but I now feel very lucky with that. Hope you can keep busy whilst waiting xx

@thislittlebird good luck starting round 2, will anything be done differently? Good point about checking progesterone ahead of ivf.

I am waiting to hear back from the clinic on when I can start by second FET. I want to ask for a change of protocol this time after a recent study has been done suggesting progestorone support via injection has much higher success rates compared with progestorone support from pessaries alone. I know they'll say no but I'm going to try and insist and will pay even though it's an nhs round.

@Tillybabs I'm impressed they called on a Sunday too! I think 9 is pretty good, I'd be happy with that.

@dogmam nothing different, just a scan timed differently because I seem to respond fairly fast. They’re trying to trigger me with two follicles, last month I only had one mature so this month’s quantity remains to be seen. I think they won’t trigger if I have 3 or more.

Yeah, I really have doubts about how seriously some doctors take the progesterone issue. I’ve been on b6 before which increases progesterone and I had sore boobs that month. Now maybe I actually ovulated that month and on others I don’t, but not getting any bodily changes at all on the progesterone worries me. If I get tested this month and my progesterone is still super low I’m going to ask for more for the ivf round. If the nhs clinic won’t increase my dose or give me the injections I’m going to ask my private clinic to do it for me, I don’t see why they wouldn’t if they know my history. Good point about asking to pay, Guys definitely have a private wing too.