What happens next?

[Chellbells]

Hi all,
Wondering if anyone would be able to give some info, been ttc for 12 months+ and GP arranged for a load of tests for DH and I. All results came back normal and so we have been referred to a fertility clinic but GP hasn't explained what that means and what happens next.... would anyone be able to enlighten me? Much appreciated

Hi chell we are now at 18 months TTC, and 6 months into fertility 'treatment' after our referral.

For us it's been incredibly slow. We had our first appointment where they did an internal scan on me and went through the results from our tests from the GP. We both had blood taken and DH referred for another SA (he has low morphology).

We went back for our follow up and our tests all came back normal. They booked an HSG (dye test) for me which I've now had.

They said you can try IUI but you have to pay as the success rates are so low the NHS won't fund it. There was also the option of a medicated cycle I believe but injections not clomid. They wouldn't prescribe clomid as I ovulate regularly.

We were also put on the waiting list for IVF which is 6 months so treatment will start for us in October.

I've decided to buy clomid online to try as I would rather do everything I can and avoid IVF if possible.

Have all of your test results come back normal?

Sorry you are going through this. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Thanks for sharing, I'm sorry you're going through it too! It's a horrible journey. The GP said all our results were perfectly normal so sounds like the NHS don't really offer all that much then

Not to frighten you but the GP said all our tests were normal.. fertility consultant scanned me to see I had hardly any eggs left and I had a laparoscopy which showed twisty tubes. However had nothing been wrong, in our CCG we would have had ttc for 3 years before ivf would be offered.. as it was, after my tubal issues were identified, we had our planning meeting the following month. I know it's frustrating living month to month.. believe me. But hopefully nothing is wrong and you can give it a while longer before going down the ivf route.
Any questions I am really happy to answer them x

We had all our tests done by GP in the July/Aug which were normal and then we had first appointment at Assisted Conception Unit in October (I think it was more blood tests /scan for me). I had low AMH so they said we go straight to IVF and there was no waiting list so I started on pill for ivf the following Jan. In my area it's one go. It didn't work so we went private as there was nothing else nhs would do.
It would be worth checking the ivf wait list in your area and also the wait list for initial appointments. I always liked to know what I'm up against.
Good luck.

The tests GPs offer are very basic. And sadly, not all of them can interpret the results either. Do you know your DH semen parameters? If they're just within the 'normal' range, it might take over a year to get naturally pregnant anyway. Also, there is a very wide range of potential problems that not even the fertility consultants will test for as the can only do a limited range of tests. Eg based on NHS results, I'm fantastically healthy with a great reserve. As I found out from a private clinic, I've got antibodies that make it impossible for sperms to enter the egg so they can never be fertilised naturally... If you've got the money, it might be worth getting tested privately. As suggested up thread, you might not be eligible for IVF on the NHS for 3 years if can't identify the problem.

Do the NHS not test for all possibilities then? I know the GP only did a series of basic blood tests but assumed once I've seen a consultant they would look into it further

I don't think anyone knows all the possibilities... However, the NHS need to be cost effective and they don't tend to be that cutting edge compared to some private clinics.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. What the NHS offer does suffice for most couples. It's just that if you're considered 'unexplained', you might have to wait for ages for IVF should you needed.

I had basic fertility checks done on NHS which consisted of a couple of blood tests at various points in my cycle and an internal scan.

The scan showed I had polycystic ovaries so I was sent to a fertility consultant for further tests. The consultant was excellent and ignored the NHS recommendation of using various drugs to stimulate ovulation before trying surgery (ovarian drilling which is supposed to stimulate ovulation) if that didn't work. She said it was much better to go straight to surgery so she could have a proper look at my uterus, tubes, ovaries etc to see if there were any other issues stopping me getting pregnant. Well low and behold I also had lazy tubes so while not impossible to conceive it was very unlikely.

My point is if the scan hadn't shown up PCO I probably wouldn't have been sent for more tests and found out about my tubes.

So maybe if the NHS won't offer any more than the initial bloods and scan to try and diagnose then it might be worth considering a private appointment with a fertility specialist to try and get a diagnosis if you can afford it and don't want to wait around for the NHS.

NHS GP also misinterpreted our results and told us we were fine.
Ended up at the lister who diagnosed both male & female factor infertility and after 1 round of IVF with ICSI I got pregnant and am now pregnant again with a frozen embryo from the same cycle.