Going private for conception help

[Barbiefan]

We’ve been TTC for 2.5 years. Already have DC so I feel guilty by getting upset with not a single positive in all that time. It also means we can’t have NHS help. GP reluctantly referred me for investigations. I have had some already and all fine. The problem is the only hospital where it’s not years wait for these is an hour away and I’m struggling to get time off as every appointment takes an hour there, an hour back for a blood test. I need to keep going back and I now can’t have the time off to keep doing this.

Has anyone had a private fertility appointment and could recommend a good one in the south east? Someone that is good with secondary infertility please x

No advice but following with interest. I'm 1.5yrs into trying for a 2nd with no positive in that time at all, have had the 21 day tests which were fine, DH has had tests which showed low morphology but other than being advised to eat healthily and exercise that seems to be it for us from the NHS.

Can I ask what other investigations you've been referred for?

I had blood tests and then a scan of ovaries but I still haven’t had the 21 day or others (AMH is it called? as GP won’t do them and I can’t have time off work now. So frustrating that GP won’t do it!

Crazy that GP won't order the 21 day tests, they're so easy! I'm so sorry you're having to battle for these things. It does seem like there's less support for secondary infertility, which is understandable in some ways, but it does make it so hard to know which way to turn next.

Hopefully someone will come along with some useful info.

I am so sorry to hear of your struggles. Don't have info on clinics but I was wondering if you are taking any supplements? I got pregnant on first attempt but miscarried. It took us 2.5 years to get pregnant again after that. I started taking co-Q10 and Proceive Max One mint and fell pregnant 2 months later. I did 16:8 fasting though too as I had high BMI.

ARGC in London is the best IVF clinic in the country. People from all over Europe go there. It's more like a boot camp than a clinic, not for the faint hearted.
You'll need to be there regularly at 7am for blood tests, and at some points in the cycle every single day. It's a hard slog, it's pricey... but the end results are worth it.
I got pregnant on my first round and then again on my first frozen cycle.

Just to say you can have help through the NHS for secondary infertility, you just cant have IVF / IUI etc. But you can have all the tests and ovulation induction (clomid / letrozole etc).

AMH is different to day 21 blood test. Day 21 checks progesterone levels to see if you have ovulated. GPs should def be able to order this for you. AMH is done whilst you are on your period and provides an indication of egg reserve left (not egg quality though). Ive only ever had this done through the fertility clinic at the hospital.

In any case, many hospitals offer a private route separately to the NHS route. Google your hospital and private fertility. I had my treatment at Guys Hospital. You basically pay to skip the waiting list but all your treatment is normally in the same hospital. So worth checking if your local hospital offers this option.

Ps - private clinics don't care if it's not your first pregnancy, they are there to provide a service no matter what your circumstances.

It's worth having a look on the Infertility forum on here. You probably won't need to post, as there are plenty of threads on London clinics. Which then might have satellite clinics nearer you.

Also there was a very good thread of women who already had a child and were going through IVF for a second. Most had conceived via IVF first time round, but if you do that route it could be worth a join?

I would also recommend talking to Create. Don't be put off by having to pay up front for scans/consultation etc. Friend recommended St Pauls.