GP visit....

[hennie222]

Hello! Long time lurker first time poster. These forums have been so much help to me over the past year or so.
Bit of background . Both I and DH are 38. Have bee TTC for over a year (but only properly tracking ovulation and trying to DTD at the best times for 6 months). Given our age and lack of success have a GP appt tomorrow but DH is refusing to come. Think he's denying there might be any issue / embarrassed. He's very much not the sort to go to the GP for anything....
So questions...
1.Will the GP take me seriously if he's not there or will they say we both need to be there (I can say he's in work or something I guess .....)

1. What's the likely first course of action / what should I be asking for ? I am guessing blood tests for me for various hormones... But dont really know what else!!!

For you, it will be blood tests on certain cycle days to find out how your hormone levels are.

They will ask for some background info about your health, weight, cycle etc and probably wait for blood tests before anything else.

For a man it's usually semen analysis but he's obviously have to be willing to engage with the gp for that

Your request for fertility checks shouldn't depend on a man being present either.

Sorry for multiple posts!

You can go and have preliminary tests on your own - bloods and potentially scans to check your ovaries but there will come a point where they'll need to do a semen analysis on him before they can progress further - even if they find an issue with you. They'll want to check him to because that might affect the treatment you need.
I needed IVF but when they checked exH they found a problem there too and it resulted in me needing IVF with ICSI.

Thanks. At least I know I can get things moving (or at least hopefully do so... Seems to be so variable with GPs as to whether they do anything or not for any sort of illness at the mo) without him... And maybe by the time they want him he'll have changed his mind about it. Think we are both still (somehow) shocked that it's this hard. When you're brought up being told that even looking the wrong way at a boy will land you pregnant. Geez.

Gp here - if the appointment booked for tomorrow is just for you they will only deal with investigating your side of things.

For him he'll need to book his own appointment to get the ball rolling with semen analysis.

Thanks. You were exactly right. Follow up tests (for us both) now booked. Phew.