Private infertility investigations and IVF?! Any help appreciated

[Anna2006]

Can anyone help in answering any of my questions.

If TTC for 12 months, under 30 and GP says come back in another year so the naturally trying for 2 years. If you don't want to wait that long an pay an have private fertility investigations at the 13 month mark to speed things up.

If they find something privately on the tests would that mean that NHS would then fund your IVF straight away? Or they wouldn't as tests wasn't done by them?

Also if after 12 months ttc. Private fertility tests declare nothing is wrong. There is no reason for not falling pregnant. Possible unexplained infertility. An you decide to continue for another 6 months naturally so 18 months ttc and still nothing has happened. Can you choose at that point to do further things private. Either IUI or IVF? Or do the private clinics expect the time you've been ttc to be much longer than 18 months?

Thanks for any advise

Xx

[Isthismummy]

Your GP is out of order asking you to try for another year if you've been trying a year already. It doesn't matter if you're under 30 or not. He/she can still order blood tests to check ovulation etc and possibly a SA for your partner. Then if those come back showing an issue you should be referred on to clinic if appropriate.

My advice would be to see a different GP. Yours sounds very unhelpful. Yes you could go private for these investigations, but why should you?

However if you can comfortably afford it then by all means go private. I speak as someone who has just been on the receiving end of appalling care via the NHS.

Good luck with it all.

[springsheep]

If you can afford it go private. My experience with the NHS and infertility was incredibly long and frustrating.

[Isthismummy]

Oh and there's no time limit on how long you've been ttc in private clinics. I imagine that after more than a year most would be happy to move to ivf/Iui.

Having said that... if issue did come back as unexplained it might be sensible to keep trying naturally a little longer given your youthful age You might just be one of those couples it takes a little longer for.

[Anna2006]

Thanks for or the info ladies. That's very helpful. Glad to hear private will look at you earlier and agree NHS is lots of waiting around

Xx

[broodynmoody]

Hello Anna.
Firstly your GP is out of order sending you off for another year. After a year you are entitled to have basic tests done, ovulation and semen sample.
Secondly, I did both NHS and private simutaneously and it's worked out good for me. I had heard about the NHS waiting times so while getting a referal from my GP for the fertility clinic (which took 5 months!) I had fertility investigations privately. Ultrasound, tubes tested, had a few of clomid. Unexplained. Private wanted to send me off for another year but did say they'd do IVF if I really wanted to (the money of course )
By this time, I had my NHS clinic appointment, so when I told them off all my fertility investigations and showed them the paper work, my gynaecologist immediately put me on the waiting for IVF she said there was no point in repeating the tests. I genuinely think it's the investigations such as hycosy and clomid trials that take the time on the NHS. Once you get in the clinic things do move quickly.

So my recommendation to anyone is both. Have your investigations privately to hurry things along and then get the actual IVF on the NHS -if entitled, to save yourself thousands. If you get 2 free nhs cycles in your area but you decide to have a round privately, then you would only be able to have 1 on the NHS. The NHS definitely don't mind you having tests privately, saves them a hell of a lot of money

[springsheep]

Good advice from broody I would say though check with your health board or nhs clinic if they will accept test results from another clinic.

I know of a few cases where the nhs clinic wouldn't accept tests from other clinics which meant all tests being carried out twice which is obviously a pita!

[Anna2006]

Ahh okay yes all of that makes perfect sense. Thanks very much for the info. Worth attempting to do both routes and just seeing what happens I guess. So glad that private is an option. 5 month waiting list for test for NHS seems hideous when we wait long enough as it is!

[broodynmoody]

5 month is how long I waited from GP to hospital. But once your in the hospital, it goes quick. I got my first nhs appointment in September, got put on the list in November, got my top of the list appointment at end of January and egg collection date is in May. So not too bad really and I've saved myself 6 grand a pop!

[JoJoSM2]

Some GP's are even shittier than others. I went after 18 months off ttc (at 36 yo) and was told that I'm young and should carry on trying... I was pretty insistent and the GP 'kindly' offered some blood tests- turned out to be generic shite (ie liver function etc). I literally cried in anger. DH and I went to a private clinic who immediately identified the problems (that meant natural conception was near impossible and would otherwise be classed as 'unexplained' and are pretty unusual on my side). We've decided to go with a top private clinic to ensure we give ourselves the best chance possible and aren't at the mercy of NHS shittiness.

As you're a lot younger, it might be worth getting your free NHS goes to see if that works. However, if you can afford at least a couple of cycles privately, then I'd recommend a decent clinic with much higher success rates than the NHS.

[Chlo22]

How did you find the clinic jojo? A few people have recommended the lister to us.lots of different opinions online x

[Katy75]

Hello OP, p

[Katy75]

Whoops! Posted by mistake! I would recommend my clinic, Care. I thought the enbryologists were brilliant. I was a 'satellite' patient with Adrian Lower, who is also great. This means Mr Lower does your scans and drugs and is responsible for your overall care (he takes the decisions) and then you go to Care for egg collection and embryo transfer and the embryologists there look after your embryos.

A friend also had excellent results at Guys.

Wishing you the very best of luck x