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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

When would you go for fertility tests?

39 replies

BiscuitLover3678 · 17/04/2022 20:33

I’m not there yet but getting my feelers out. Conceived 1st child about 3 years ago immediately with no issues. Actively trying to conceive second child and nothing for nearly 6 months.

If money wasn’t an issue when would you start looking into it and what would you do? My periods are pretty regular 26-28 days normally and I had a C-section with my firstborn if that means anything :(

I’m just wondering about it all really. I know we would get no nhs help for second child so not even thinking of that.

OP posts:
Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 17/04/2022 20:33

Dh and I are both 32 btw

OP posts:
TheDaydreamBelievers · 17/04/2022 20:44

As things all look normal from your side, I'd wait until trying about 9 months.

Private assessment is about £500 all in.

APerfectlyGoodName · 17/04/2022 21:05

I would go to my GP. Clomid is usually the first prescription.

TheDaydreamBelievers · 17/04/2022 21:27

@APerfectlyGoodName clomid has a poor evidence base for people who are already ovulating. As OP is having regular cycles, she probably is. Also NHS will only offer intervention if you've been trying over a year (at OPs age, at over 35yrs that's 6mo) and often only when you don't have a pre-existing child (OP does have a pre-existing child)

TheDaydreamBelievers · 17/04/2022 21:35

Worth saying @BiscuitLover3678, whilst it sucks, up to a year to conceive is normal and does not mean there are any issues at all

justanotherlaura · 17/04/2022 21:39

NHS won't see you until you've been trying for a year under 35, over 35 it's 6 months just to give you a ball park figure

Rtmhwales · 17/04/2022 22:22

Personally I'd start the preliminary tests now. We waited until one year to start the tests (32 when I started trying) and we are fast approaching 20 months of trying and just coming to the end up testing (we decided to go for IVF as it's just not happening despite having DS three years ago). It can't hurt to start the baseline testing.

Aspidistra1 · 17/04/2022 22:38

Although you won’t get NHS fertility treatments like IVF you should get NHS help with the diagnostics so don’t rule your GP out.

Many fertility clinics will do an MOT for you. Our local clinic does a consultation, ultrasound and semen analysis for under £200. I was able to get the blood tests and HSG through the GP rather than paying for them.

Charl881 · 17/04/2022 22:55

Was going to post on this thread then just saw you were the OP @BiscuitLover3678. We’re in a similar position as you’re aware - I’ve said we’ll give it to September which will be one year of TTC #2.

Mariabombia · 17/04/2022 23:26

Hi @BiscuitLover3678 ,

We're in a similar situation but TTC first baby.

Had some baseline tests (ultrasound, 21 day bloods, STD check) on NHS as I was also having some pain (turned out to be a cyst which has gone now) and all normal so far.

We've called a fertility clinic near us for a quote on further tests but they've told us we would need to get the above test done again through them first which would be +£700.

I'm not sure whether we should just wait the full year and just go through nhs after this time , as like everyone keeps saying it could take a year, or just pay for everything checked again private. We're both just eager to move forward with everything.

If there's an issue we want to know sooner rather than later but also don't want to waste money, time and not to mention some of the tests might not be very pleasant, if everything's okay 🤷‍♀️ completely at a loss for what to do .

Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 18/04/2022 11:40

It’s so hard to know what to do. I think I’ll wait until 9 months then start enquiring. It is an annoying amount of money!

OP posts:
RubyRainbows · 18/04/2022 14:36

@Mariabombia I’m not an expert or anything but it doesn’t sound right for a fertility clinic to ask you to pay to do those tests again with them! I had some tests done through the NHS before paying for additional private tests and they just asked what the results of the NHS tests were. Is there a different clinic that you could try?

RidingMyBike · 18/04/2022 20:07

It's worth having a look at the Taking charge of your fertility book initially. That helped us work out that I was ovulating, just extremely irregularly. It'll also help you work out if the two halves of your cycle are ok or if there's a problem there (sounds like it's under 28 days so possibly?). If the second half is too short then there isn't time for implantation to occur.

The GP won't do anything until a year of trying if you're under 35, but we spent that working out from the book and had a much more informed idea when we did go. We also realised that, as I was only ovulating about five times a year very irregularly that was making it much harder to conceive - eg I was away visiting relatives one time when I ovulated whilst DH was at home!

We did some initial tests and I had a hysteroscopy but what we'd also realised was that we'd only had the actual opportunity to get pregnant about 3 times, timing-wise. The book gave us much better awareness of the signs of ovulation and, so, I eventually fell pregnant.

RadFad · 18/04/2022 20:11

We took 22 months to conceive our second after conceiving 1st DC in 3 months. Both of us went to GP after 1 year. We were offered blood tests for me and sperm analysis for DH.

Hoping43 · 18/04/2022 20:35

@BiscuitLover3678 we took 8 months to conceive our second. I was getting really stressed after conceiving our first in the first month. We are TTC our third and on our 13th cycle now and my stress levels are off the scale. Had all the tests done and nothing has been found to be wrong. I was 29, 31 and now 35 (34 when we started). It’s so hard. It’ll probably happen for you in the next 6 months and come out of nowhere although I know you won’t believe that. I, again, don’t believe it this time around either x

IsabelHerna · 18/04/2022 22:51

May I ask how old you are? If you're over 35, I would just go to your gp to run some tests on fertility and vitamins.

Mariabombia · 19/04/2022 11:21

@RubyRainbows I know that's what we thought!! DH spoke to them on the phone about it and he said it was just the receptionist who was saying that so might ring them back to double check. Next clinic would be a bit further away so not ideal. Don't want to spend money when it's not needed though!!

It's a Care fertility clinic if anyone here has used them & can feedback on what they were like?

Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 19/04/2022 15:38

@IsabelHerna

May I ask how old you are? If you're over 35, I would just go to your gp to run some tests on fertility and vitamins.
32
OP posts:
Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 19/04/2022 15:38

@RadFad

We took 22 months to conceive our second after conceiving 1st DC in 3 months. Both of us went to GP after 1 year. We were offered blood tests for me and sperm analysis for DH.
How did they come back? What did you do?
OP posts:
babyjellyfish · 19/04/2022 16:00

Do you track your ovulation, OP?

Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 19/04/2022 16:38

@babyjellyfish

Do you track your ovulation, OP?
Yes! Via many methods
OP posts:
babyjellyfish · 19/04/2022 17:00

If you're sure you've been having sex on the right days and nothing is happening I would be tempted to seek help a little earlier. If you hadn't been properly tracking my advice would have been to do that for 3-4 months first.

RubyRainbows · 19/04/2022 22:18

@Mariabombia it just seems a little strange but definitely worth another phonecall to check.. maybe somebody there has given you the wrong information. Fingers crossed that there has just been some confusion and you won’t need to pay all that money to do them again!

@BiscuitLover3678 I think just do what feels right for you! I’m not sure about NHS support for people who have been pregnant before so can’t comment on that. I’m ttc my first and personally wish that I had paid for some tests earlier than I did (waited 12 months after advice from gp) as I found waiting to be able to have tests more stressful! Good luck, I hope you get your bfp before needing to do any tests!

TTCxox · 09/04/2023 19:50

What happened in the end @BiscuitLover3678 ? . I’m in the same situation. Pregnant 4 times instantly first try (1x live, 3xmiscarriages), now on our 5th month of trying for number 2. Thankfully saw a gynaecologist through my healthcare insurance and she’s doing a Hycosy on me if I get to 6 months and don’t fall preg

Barleysugar86 · 09/04/2023 19:56

So our first we conceived on our first try, second took about 13 months a few years later (we were 35). We were just starting the NHS testing when I got the positive. I think in hindsight we were a lot more stressed whilst trying for our second which probably didn't help.

Just wanted to say I don't think it's unusual at all for it to take a while and try not to dwell on it too much yet! My husband also went teetotal a few months before it worked which I do wonder if it helped.

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