Ivf

[enocar]

Hello :) After only 3 months wait (since we received the letter to say we were on the IVF waiting list) we received a letter with an appointment date of less than 3 weeks! Unfortunately my husband is still working on cutting out the cigarettes (rolls his own) and has promised to quit on Monday, 4 days away, which gives him just under 2 weeks before the appointment. Now as we are going through NHS obviously there is a smoking test and I'm worried he isn't giving it enough time to pass the test :( Does anyone know what happens if he fails? And also if anyone can give me an idea of what I might expect on the first day I would be very grateful :) I am going to Neath port talbot hospital.

Hi, I had IVF through the NHS and my OH was still a smoker at the time (we lied on the forms and said he wasn't). He wasn't given any test at all to see if he smoked.

Can your OH slap a patch on for the day on the off-chance this testing is a new thing that's been introduced (I've never heard of it being done and I'm part of a large Twitter IVF group).

Your first appointment is mainly talking, you'll have to take your passports in as proof of who you are, but you'll be quizzed on how long you've been trying and the frequency you have sex. This is where it's annoying, if you say every other day you'll be told it's too often, if you say three times a week, you get told not enough - it's quite frustrating, you feel like saying "What, how often should it be then?!" at them.

It's unlikely on this appointment you'll have any internal scans but from hazy memory after your appointment, either handed to you or sent in the post, will be a huge batch of papers which the two of you will need to read and sign each and every sodding page. These will be asking about your health, criminal convictions, past sexual abuse (yes, they want to know if you've been abused), convictions for abuse (not joking), what you want to do with left over embryos, embryo storage, your OH confirming that he IS the father of any child conceived through IVF. Some of the questions are stupid, others downright insulting.

Anyway, that's the early intro to IVF.

Any questions on the actual IVF process feel free to give me a shout.

Hi thankyou for responding :) We are in Wales (Appointment is at Neath hospital) I am hoping we will be the lucky ones who don't get tested for smoking :/ I can't work out if this is the start of the ivf treatment or if we are not even on the list yet :( Says it is a consultation, and we have to take a photo of us, and proof of who we are, also have a child welfare form to fill in, to say we are not going to abuse our potential child (like we would go through the pain and stress of ivf just to do that!) I'm trying not to get my hopes up, previous experience with appointments has taught me that!

I can't help you with the smoking test bit but just wondering how you got your treatment so quickly? I am also in South Wales and have been on the list since March but when I rang up they said probably 1 year until initial tests and then another year until treatment!

Hi we were both tested for smoking before funding agreed. Had to breathe in a tube etc.
Main benefit of stopping is increased chance of ivf working by better spermatozoa I guess?

I have no idea, I'm 35 unexplained issues, husband is fine. Was told I had PCOS, then made another appointment to discuss results as I felt I hadn't been given enough information about what was going on, and when I mentioned the PCOS (despite regular periods) I was told didn't have PCOS as I had ovulated the last time they took a blood test!! I rang up the hospital back in April and was told my letter to say I was accepted from wales fertility institute was on the way and it was an 8 month waiting list, and to call in 4 months for an update, no problem thought I'd ring Sept time, then received a bit of paperwork to fill in a week ago and an consultation booked in 2 weeks!! I still don't know if I'm on the actual ivf list yet, or is this the appointment before I'm even on the list??

Okay so the original letter (once we knew our only option was ivf) says thankyou for referring the above patient to the wales fertility institute.

The information on the referral form attached with your letter (no idea the consultant filled it all out, asked minimal questions and we just signed) has been reviewed and I am pleased to inform you that your patient has been accepted into the WFI NHS service and will be placed on the waiting list.

We will in due course contact the patient directly and arrange a mutually convenient appointment.

Which they have.......

Hi, I rarely post, mostly lurk, but didn't want to read and run.

I have just (in the last 10 days) started my first cycle of IVF - 3 years TTC, unexplained infertility-. We received our letter saying we were at the top of the waiting list in March. It's taken till now for us to actually start.

We both had to do breath tests to check if we are smokers or not. As we don't smoke, we passed.

At most appointments I've either had bloods or an internal scan...if I'm really lucky they do both ;-p

Have you attended at the clinic previously? At our very first appointment in February after doctor's referral the consultant just wanted to know our sexual history, how long we'd been trying and what options we could take. There were no tests.

We had an IVF funding check then booked for the end of March, prior to which we were sent a load of forms to fill in about ourselves and criminal history. It was at this appointment that we were weighed and had a smoking test. We both had to blow into a machine. I've never smoked and my DP had given up the year before. His reading was one point higher than mine. I would advise that your DP gives up asap. I'm not sure that two weeks will be long enough and they will be able to tell on the smoking test, it you are given one. I think the criteria is to be smoke free six months prior to treatment.

I rang the hospital as I realised the letter asked to confirm we could attend, and not just if we couldn't, and asked the lady on the phone if she knew if this was an appointment to discuss before we went on the list? And she said we are on it, they have just cleared the queue of ppl waiting :) We have child welfare forms, and have to take I.D with us, if we don't get the smoking test straight away I will be happy, more chance of a pass and more chance of being healthy! I've read long as its a 6 or below its classed as a non smoker, I've ordered some smoking tests too :)

Hi.
Just wondering if anybody has recently had an appointment with WFI cardiff? What is the first appointment about? We've had a form sent through and a letter about bringing ID.

Many thanks

hi does anyone have current knowledge of what is the smoking test used by the NHS for IVF ? Any urgent help will be helpful.

It's basically a breathalyzer

ok thanks a lot.
How many days of no smoking helps pass that and what are the passable reading levels.

I'm a different health board, but my husband & I had smoking tests at our very first appointment, and a number of times after that.
They told us that if we showed as a 'smoker' then treatment would not go ahead at that time. It was non negotiable.
Neither of us have ever smoked & it still didn't show a zero rating, apparently that is due to factors like passive smoking & pollution.

Hi. Me and my OH have our first appointment in the fertility clinic on Thursday and I know there is going to be a smoking test. I don’t smoke but my OH has stopped but stupidly on Friday had 2 cigarettes. I can’t stop worrying now incase he fails. Is he likley to. I’m so so worried

It takes 3 months for men to build or improve sperm to normal levels. If he’s still smoking I would question the point of even starting a cycle.

You’re basically wasting a chance another couple could get. Might be better to get him help to quit and then come back in 3 months time.

Hi I hope you don't mind me replying to this, tried messaging you on pm but it wouldn't let me. I noticed your post about the smoking test. I'm in a similar situation, not a smoker but my partner is. Basically at the start of the ivf process in Scotland. At last appointment told he had to stop smoking for 3 months and then we would be put on the waiting list. We told the hospital that when we came back from holiday he would stop. He wanted to just go cold turkey with no patches etc but he is struggling and admitted today that he has had a few and now I'm worrying that it will show up on the test even though it won't be for another couple of months. I wondered if you'd mind sharing how you and your partner got on at your appointment? My biggest worry is we don't inform the hospital he has struggled and has smoked and go in 3 months for it all to be a waste of time and have to wait another 3 months.
Thanks for your time and hope you are getting on well with the process.

The above post was in reply to baker150

Hello - can anyone that has been seen by Wales Fertility Institute tell me what smoking test is done and whether they are looking for nicotine or something else? I understand that smoking can either be detected by a breath test or a blood test. I don't smoke and my partner has given up but he was using nicotine stop smoking products and I'm not sure how long that stays in your system. Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Hi, we are just about to begin our journey and wondered how you got on with regards to the tests worrier2014? OH is vaping but I can only imagine that is not allowed.

I have a test in just over 2 weeks, was just under 2 weeks enough to pass the test?
Thanks.

Hi me and my partner have attended the information evening and we have our first appointment at homerton next week. Could you let me know what we can expect on the day and if they will test us for smoking on that day?

Hi, we will be getting our appointment soon. Just wondering how you got on? My OH is still smoking at the moment our appointment is likely to be 10 weeks away and I am terrified we will be refused if he fails smoking test.

Hi Heulwen79,

I really think it depends on the clinic, we’re in the middle of our first IVF round at the Centre for Life in Newcastle and we haven’t had any kind of smoking test but I know other clinics do test so it’s hard to say. 10 weeks is still quite a while though, do you think he’d be on board with trying to quit?

Good luck! 🤞