TTC first baby been 1 year no hint of anything

[Boobag]

Had a doctors appointment today feeling hopeful about kicking off tests as online it says you can get help after a year. Only to have the gp tell me I have to wait till it’s been two years until I can have any kind of tests.

think my partner is going to try his luck on getting a sperm analysis but my gp said he would have to wait till it’s been two years to get any tests too

just feeling quite deflated. Has anyone else had this, did you push back?

hey there, sorry you are feeling like that. i can understand.

is the 2 year dependent on the area you are in? where I am, we were able to look at tests, after 6 months, but we are over 36.

That’s the thing trying to look online for guidelines but it’s hard to tell. I’m in Kent and this website just mentions after a year. https://family.kentcht.nhs.uk/baby/ready-for-pregnancy/infertility/

i am 27 so I guess in their mind there’s not the rush

Would it be worth doing some private blood tests to kick things off yourself - there’s various female ones (I’ve used hertility which is about £150), and male sperm tests too.

really frustrating about the time thing. I thought it was one year too! Is there anything else about your cycle that suggests an issue? Like irregular periods, very heavy bleeding, or the opposite short light periods? My gp was happy to do bloods early on because I have slight irregular light periods, despite not being trying for X amount of time

@1woodpecker i mentioned I have irregular periods, missed a period in December and noticed my periods have been on the longer side (9/10) days lately and that didn’t get any kind of comment.

I also mentioned how I never got super dark lines on lh tests and struggled to pinpoint when I ovulated.

just felt kind of brushed off but maybe that was my fault for not being pushy

i have looked at hertility before so maybe will go that route as it’s not too expensive especially if I have to wait another year

it varies per NHS trust and based on your age. are you doing everything you can lifestyle wise, given you can control that? otherwise it would be private testing if that's an option.

I think it’s because of your age. I’m sure it’s 1 year if you’re mid thirties. I first went to the doctor when I was 34, they asked my DH to do a sperm sample and straight away they came back and said basically ‘you’ll definitely need IVF’ so then it went quickly.

It just seems so unfair that it varies between GPs as well as between areas!

if you do look at hertility, you can get £15 off at the moment - https://learn.hertilityhealth.com/refer-a-friend-redeem-code

i also went private, we went to a clinic (should have done hertility) but read good things about a clinic here in sussex. when we got that information back, we were able to take the letter to our GP and use it as a way to get moving in the referral to hospital process.

it also gave me a good feeling! feeling like i had a bit of control over the situation.

i would also second the lifestyle stuff.

I also highly recommend hertility health - 150 gbp well spent

Ive used them twice

Also
Super drug do a sperm test for 185 gbp - it looks at 4 vital aspects

When you've done HH
Get those results onto your NHS record

Nhs
Should give u a full blood count ,
Tney should also test your feretin , b12 , vit d , prolactin and thyroid if you ask

OP, I'm honestly not sure your GP knows what he's talking about. I would go back, based on this advice on the NHS website:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/diagnosis/#:~:text=When%20to%20get%20medical%20help,when%20reaching%20your%20mid%2D30s

The advice is to go to the GP if:

You're 35 or under and have been trying for a year.

You're 36 or over and have been trying for 6 months.

I'm pretty sure that this is not region specific. They should be sending you for tests as it's been a year. Especially as you are having other symptoms - 9/10 day periods are not normal and could indicate a problem.

Honestly, in my fertility journey (4 years of hell) I have met a lot of GP's and most of them have only very vague information about fertility, many don't even know their local pathways. Women's health is often overlooked.

You have to arm yourself with information and do the research, and then push for it. It shouldn't be that way but unfortunately, it is.

I hope you get there very soon, good luck.

Also, don't let them brush you off because you're only 27.

This shit can take years. If you think there's a problem, get the ball rolling.

I’ve never heard of 2 years. Could you go back and get a second opinion? I would suggest asking for some blood tests for you.

The other option is going private which is definitely a quicker process, but of course is costly!

I would personally ask to see another doctor. Say this is affecting your mental health. Best of luck x

I’m 32 (also in kent) and my GP has just arranged blood tests for me just as the first step to check all my levels are ok. I’m about to go into cycle 8 TTC #3.

Definitely push back to your GP, ask for the initial bloods (day 1-5, and day 21) just to check your ovulating etc from your levels, then a scan I think is the next step. Esp with your history of some irregular periods. I’d ask to see a different Doctor, the one you saw sounds incredibly unsupportive! xx

This must be dependent on area because I went before a year and got all my initial tests done. We’ve just reached a year and waiting for my next appointment to see what the next steps are.

Also, have you tried tracking your temperature to pinpoint ovulation? It helped me massively because I don’t ovulate until around day 20 - I then have a short luteal phase.

The guidelines are 1 year before you can get some basic tests done, but for treatment the time frame varies dramatically across the country. I'd go back to your GP and push for tests to be honest.

Hertility health are SO good

Highly recommend

150 gbp

Money well spent 4 females

Also - super drug
185 gbp 4 males
Test looks at 4 vital things