IVF - first consultation at clinic

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Hi all! We have been TTC since December 2017 and we have been undergoing tonnes of tests through GP & gynaecologist including numerous blood tests, hycosy, internal scans, OH had his semen analysis done and also had a varicocele emobilsation and then repeat semen analysis following 3 months.

Finally!! We are going to be referred to an ivf clinic. We are eligible for one round on the nhs and anything else we will have to fund ourselves.

Anyway I’m just wondering if anybody can shed some light on what may happen at our first appointment? Will it be more tests etc at first? And also does anyone know the time scale from first going to the clinic and actually starting any treatment? I completely understand everyone’s experience will be different and also dependent on area living in but I am feeling so completely and utterly emotional right now that things are actually happening, I would just like to know what to expect.

We are based in the North west area so I believe we are being referred to a clinic in the Liverpool/ Manchester area?

TIA if anyone can shed any light on the first appointments! Xx

Hey

So whilst we had bloods and sperm test done via GP our clinic wanted to do these themselves.
Guessing they'll do further scans, and depends on how long ago your hycosy was.

Also a lot of questions really, health, history etc.
We then had another app 3 weeks later to go through protocol and shown injections.
I then started 4 weeks after this.
So I found it a quick turn around, not sure how things are now with Covid.

@JennaPenna thanks so much for you reply! That’s helped calm me down a little

Hey!
Congratulations for getting to this point.. it really is a journey isn’t it!
My first appointment was just a lot of questions about our history etc..
Can I ask if your husbands embolisation had a positive effect on his 3 month follow up semen analysis? My OH is due to have his embolisation this week as his results aren’t even good enough for ICSI atm

@Cece1908 Hey! We’re not 100% sure yet if it’s had any effect at all. He’s done his repeat analysis 3 months post embolisation and was asked to do it again and to then book another appointment with the GP for the results which makes me think it’s not good. However, he had always had pain prior to the embolisation which definitely improved since! Good luck, hope it goes well for you! X

I’ll keep everything crossed for you! My partners has alway caused him pain too.. he just thought it was normal bless him!! I hope you get a good result x

I agree, well done for getting this far! My experience is London based, and also pre-covid, so timelines etc would be completely different.

I ended up paying for private gynae checks abroad out of sheer frustration with the NHS and nothing being done. (I worked abroad several months of each year then). At that stage, I'd TTC 4yrs, and all they'd checked was a day 21 blood which was normal!

Anyways, I returned to the UK with hycosy, semen results, blood tests, STI checks etc. When I finally got to the fertility specialist clinic, (Guys hospital) the very 1st thing they did was have a nurse check weight and height. They did not further tests to what I'd had done abroad though.

I then met the consultant who discussed both our medical histories, any previous pregnancies, my cycle, any gynae problems, surgeries, medications etc. She also asked about our jobs, whether my DH had ever used steroids and if either had previous STI's.

Check closely what the requirements are in your borough/area to qualify for IVF. I too, was only allowed 1 cycle, BUT, they have specific BMI requirements. Some area have requirements about smoking, age, partners smoking etc, so do check.

If you are anywhere near the upper BMI limit, wear light clothes to the appointment. I wore jeans, a metal leg brace, top and jumper and assumed I'd be able to at least remove my leg brace before being weighed! They weighed me with everything on!

In the end, I did need to lose some weight, but was several kgs lighter without a jumper and leg brace on! Once I'd lost the weight, I think it was maybe 2mths to see them again. I had that 1st IVF round last year- the week we went into the 1st lockdown.

Unfortunately things didn't work out, nor did a 2nd round we had at the end of last year. If you have any questions at all, I'm happy to answer them.

@JennaPenna Do you suggest any questions we should ask on that first appointment?

Good luck with your 1st appointment. I would suggest to make a list with questions about the procedure, the clinic, the doctors, everything before hand and take it with you.

I totally agree with PP, that you need to wear something light because they will weigh you with everything on.