First appt at Infertility Clinic - what to expect?!

[xLauraa]

Hello ladies!

Feeling really nervous about my first appointment on Monday at the infertility clinic.

WHAT TO EXPECT?!

Tell me your experience💕

I'm 24 and recently diagnosed with PCOS. No cysts currently, all bloods have come back fine. (Luckily) BMI is 27.9 so hoping this is okay as I've heard 30+ and they basically just tell you to lose weight?!
DP is part of my referral!

I’d like to know too, we have our first appointment next month. DH hasn’t had his SA yet, that’s later this month, but otherwise at the moment the cause of our subfertility is unknown.

Just realised you’ll already have had your first appointment- hope it went well!

@kikisparks I had it a week ago 😊 just lots of questions.
My DP hasn't had his SA yet either, that's a week tomorrow.
It all just seems to be a waiting game!

Hope your appt goes well

Ladies, can I get an update on how you have got on too?

We have our first appointment coming up soon, I have had bloods done by GP and DH had SA last month and all been fine so not sure what will follow. Been trying for 18 months now so unsure on if there are further tests or do we go to IVF??

@Bells26486 they'll tell you all when you're there. Like I said there will be lots of questions asked and it's basically about finding the next step 😊

We had our initial investigations (21 day test and two SA 3 months apart), referred to fertility. Here we had a urologist appt for hubby to have a US testes (no sperm in either of his samples) plus a blood test for him for LH, FSH, Prolactin and testosterone. For me I had blood tests for LH, FSH, TSH, Prolactin, oestradiol and inhibin B. They also repeated the progesterone test.
After blood tests for me came a HSG. All of this was done with a lifestyle questionnaire - height, weight, cycle length, bleed information, TTC history, nutrition etc. We then had all the STI testing and a cervical smear for me and CF carrier test for him and also karotyping. Sadly we do not meet the stupid NHS funding criteria so moved to private funded overseas. They accepted all the tests we had already done on the NHS.

@AniSL they were pretty efficient with your testing! What a shame you don't meet the criteria for funding!😣 where abouts are you in your journey now?

DP has his SA on Tuesday so I won't know much until then!

xLauraa yes they were but only after I put in a complaint about the gynaecologist because she was pretty rubbish. They transferred my care to another hospital- Frimley Park which 2as amazing and so helpful. They did all the tests that the previous gyna wouldn't do. Our criteria in Thames Valley is that you have to have been referred before your 34th birthday, I was referred before my 35th because the GPS wanted to get two SA 3 months apart.
I have chosen an overseas clinic and will be receiving my meds tomorrow, tentatively booked my 3 follicle tracking scans which should commence next week. We are doubling up with a holiday too.

@bells I’m just starting this journey too and have no idea what to expect. Had bloods scans etc for me done all fine. SA for DH done twice and low count and low motility in both samples so been referred for fertility. Come home yesterday after weekend away to a referral to gynecologist so i guess that is fertility clinic? Would be good to try and support each other through?!

Thanks ladies, it’s more that everything so far has been fine. I don’t know what other tests can be done. Would be good if the NHS website had a flowchart which could explain what happens!

@Bells26486 have you had ultrasound/internals done yet? Swabs? Day 21 bloods?

@Mrsjones17 Gynae is it's own department 😊 it's great that you've got your referral!

@xLauraa yes had 21 day bloods and a swab for chlamydia. All ok. No scan or internal yet but gp has referred for an ultrasound after really painful periods. Do you think they’ll do this at the first appointment or just book me in for these? This appointment will have been a 16 week wait so don’t want to miss anything!

@Bells26486 if you've been referred you'll get a date through for the appointment for the actual ultrasounds.

Better to get a urine test for chlamydia - more accurate I've been told.

Hi your first appointment will be speaking to you both about what happens during ivf, what to expect, talking through the best plan for you and medications ECT they'll make sure you've had all relevant test done. It's a great way for you to ask any questions you have I found it helpful to wrote some down. They'll explain costs and perhaps give you some forms to look at. My clinic sent me consent forms through the post there was alot of them! Then I arranged for my meds to be delivered and away you go. I went in a nervous wreck not knowing anything to feeling so exited to get the ball rolling good luck to you and your partner x

@lauraa what will I have been referred to gynea for then? My doctors haven’t said anything just had a referral letter through and an appointment. Is this not part of the process? I’m so confused. Thanks

MrsJones it all depends how it works in your Borough. In mine, initial basic tests are carried out by your GP, they refer male partner to urologist and female to the lead fertility gynaecologist who instructs all the tests from the female side. She liaised with my husband's urologist after we signed a consent form. Oddly he was expected to come to all my appts but I was not expected to go to his. The gynae was the one who was the gatekeeper for sending the referral to the fertility clinic for IVF.

@Mrsjones17 well I was supposed to be getting referred to Gynae but then they ended up referring me to the Fertility Clinic (with DP as he needed SA doing) which they said was a completely different thing. After going for my first appt at the fertility clinic they've referred me to Gynae now coz I'm having a Laparoscopy for endo. It's a bit strange your GP hasn't said much, you maybe want to start asking some questions

@Miracle29 I felt those exact emotions !!
Now I'm back to feeling anxious about what's next waiting for tests etc... but I'm happy the ball is rolling and hopefully there will be an end point and we don't just get brushed aside

Ok thanks ladies. My GP doesn’t really seem to know a great deal. It doesn’t help my DH is military so it’s a slighy different system for him. Hopefully it should all come together. I’ll just wait for my Gynae appointment and hopefully the doctor there might know a bit more!

Hi Laura. I think I’m at the same stage. Had initial appointment on 5th April. They did swabs then, and recommended an AMH test which I had to get privately in this area (Chester). I then had to to wait for My cycle to get more blood tests and book a HyCoSy. I’m in process of trying to book my HyCoSy and then get some results to decide the next step. I’m also waiting for a prescription for Metformin to counteract PCOS.

Have you got any further with your tests or are you further on and waiting for ivf?

@Mrsjones17 hope you find out more soon! Let us know how you get on! 😘

@wanab hi lovey, yeah I've had all of that done. Although I'm on no meds at this stage for the PCOS.

I've just got my date through for a LAP , Pre Op is Wednesday EEK! I can't believe it is happening so fast! DP has his SA tomorrow so it's all just a waiting game at the moment! 😞 gruelling process but hopefully worth it in the long run!

Hello! I recently wrote an article about the "first steps" of IVF (the first appointments, blood tests, etc.): theduff.co.uk/ivf-first-steps/

Is this the kind of information you were after?

If you want to know more about the IVF process itself (downregulation, stims, egg retrieval, etc.), I wrote an article about that too! theduff.co.uk/ivf-process-step-by-step/

My website is all about providing plain-English information about IVF. I wrote it purely to be helpful: there aren't any adverts or products on it or anything!

Sounds useful for me too. Thanks mishmoshery.