referred to hospital for secondary infertility, what to expect etc help please

[meerkatsandkookaburras]

weve been ttc for 2 yrs and finally been rferred to hospital, were going for first appointment next week just wondering what i should expect them to do or say and anything i should be asking or expecting?? also do they automatically test for chlamydia (sp??)?? i worry i may have had this, no reason to believe this really just a worry on my part but dont want to ask for the test if i dont have to and if they will check that anyway, just worrying me that thats one thing it could be! also what else could they easily rule out? should i ask for these things or will thy just do them automatically??? the hospital were going to is kings mill, sutton in ashfield if anyone happens to have been there by chance and can reassure me all the better!!

Both of you should attend this initial appointment. You will be asked about your entire gynae history relating to previous births, menstrual history and general health. Your man will also be asked the same sorts of questions about his own general health.

Would suggest you write down anything you want to ask well ahead of time as such appts can and do cause considerable nerves. You don't want to leave there thinking, "oh I should have asked about x or y" etc.

Make sure you fully understand what tests will be done on both of you and just as importantly WHY they are being done.

You need a diagnosis first and foremost and you will need to be persistant in order to get answers.

thanks im so nervous even though i have been waiting for the appointment for ages im really nervous now!!

We are currently going through the initial tests with our GP prior to referral (we expect to be refered to QMC). I think what you can expect to happen at the hospital varies. Have you had any tests at all, or have you been referred for initial tests?

The first set of tests for women is two blood tests, one 7 days before your period is due (to test for progesterone) the other between days 1 and 5 of your cycle (to test FSH levels). These blood tests are to determine whether you are ovulating. The swab to check for chlamydia is also standard. I was plesently surprised that these can be done by yourself at home.

The bloke needs to give a urine sample (to test for chlamydia) and a semen sample. They test the sperm for volume, mobility and morphology (shape).

Those are the tests we are currently having. I would expect to have a further set of tests at the clinic, including internal investiagtions (e.g. ultrasound or Laparoscopy) to see if I have some sort of obstruction. I would expect you to have a similar set of tests.

You don't need to ask for a specific test - they should know what to do! Further information that you may find helpful can be found on the NHS Choices website.

Good luck. At least you are now on the way to diagnosing and hopefully sorting out whatever is preventing you from conceiving.

weve not had any tests at all gp is useless, well after 18 months i had a bllod test done at day 12 and she then concluded i have no problems so after 2 yrs come back to be referred! dunno why day 12?! you cant be far from me then i guess, if kings mill useless next closest one to us is qmc!

Hi

Your appointment will be fine, there is nothing to worry about. I found it really reassuring that something was being done. I heard the other day from a friend that some of her friends had to be trying to conceive for 3 years until they got a referral!

My dh and I were weighed on our first appointment and I did the chlamydia swab test in the loo. The consultant had my blood test results that were taken at my GP, he chatted about them and talked about a plan of action. The appointment only lasted 10 minutes or so (excluding the weighing etc). The consultant said that he would send off a request for a pelvic scan (check my ovaries etc.) and an HSG (a test to check if your fallopian tubes are blocked or not. It took about 2 months to get those appointments and during our last meeting with the consultant earlier this year he asked me to lose a stone (my BMI is high) and to see him in April. If we were not pregnant by then he would look to start me on clomid and IUI. Throughout the process the consultant and nurses have been really sweet. I feel a sense of team work in trying to get us pregnant and hopefully this is how you will feel. It is funny, I had the same worry about chlamydia that you had. I had no reason to and I was clear. They should know exactly what tests should be done so you should not have to worry about anything being missed out but it is always good to keep abreast of what other women on here have experienced as if you need to have certain tests, there is always someone on here who will lend a few words of experience and placate you should you feel nervous. Take care

I'm not sure that a blood test at day 12 is sufficient to determine you have no problams at all!

If you have had no tests other than that, it sounds like all the initial investigations will be done at the hospital. I would expect you to have a couple of blood tests and a chlamydia swab. I think the sorts of initial investigations that are done are the same everywhere, but there is some variation between whether it happens in primary care (i.e. the GP) or secondary care (the hospital). Don't worry. You are in the system now and another step closer to you BFP!

meerkats

I would be looking to move GP practices as a matter of course; you were fobbed off there and badly so.

You should have had a day 2 test done to check and compare the level of LH against that of FSH. LH (luteinising hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulation hormone) are two very important hormones as they kickstart the ovulation process. If these two levels are awry then ovulation is affected.

Also your man should be tested at the same time your tests are carried out at the hospital subfertility unit. There is little point in testing you solely if it transpires there is a male factor problem as well so he needs to be checked too and early on during the investigations. It may be that there is a subfertility problem with either one or both of you equally.

You need a diagnosis first and foremost and you will need to be persistant in order to get answers.

just had a thought, th referral to the hospital has been done under my name but my partner is coming with me so he can have his tests too but should we have got him referred sperately or is him coming to my appointment ok?!