Anyone else awaiting fertility referral?

[MallonMary]

Hi all,

Been ttc (unsuccessfully!) for over a year and just found out there's a problem with DH sperm (low mobility and zero normal forms), so awaiting referral to fertility clinic to seek further help/advice.

Just wondered if there's anyone else in a similar situation about to embark on this journey too?

Also similar success stories welcome :) x

@Morpho123 that should definitely speed up the process if you already had the clomid, you'd hope they would call you tomorrow to get the ball tolling, fingers crossed. Would be rubbish if you had to wait another month

@Etonmess20 I agree although I’d just take the clomid at home like I did last month. Which I did ovulate on, but got a big cyst on my right which thankfully he said will go down on its own. It’s the trigger injection that I want so they can make my eggs fall down. I have a feeling it’s my eggs being picky and rejecting the sperm now lol x

Also one other thing girls, I always worry my period only lasts 1-2 days- I thought this meant thin lining. My lining is 10.6mm which is thick, so never worry if your period is light! X

Hi all, sorry haven't been on in a while so haven't read everything yet!
That's great news @Morpho123 my DH has been taking most of those vitamins too so I'm hoping for an increase! Though considering his count was only 17 million total I think we still wouldn't get it to normal! Also great to hear about your lining! My period is only 1 day and I've always been worried about that too. I also spot 3-5 days before so worry about low progesterone too.

Is anyone else waiting for NHS investigations to get going again? My husbands appointment has been moved from July 2nd to August 4th (day after our first wedding anniversary- fun!) but I haven't had anything through for me after my appointment was cancelled so going to email them I think. I ordered some private tests from medichecks for us. Doing the day 3 FSH, oestrogen and AMH for me and testosterone and FSH for my husband. Keep thinking maybe we should just go private but don't want to lose our 2 free NHS cycles!

@Morpho123 That's great news with your result! It proved supplements play a big part!
I've never heard of ovulation induction, it was never offered to me. But glad you are making progress with the lockdown.

@Chochaw Sorry to hear your AF! Fingers crossed for next cycle.
xx

Hi @Narwhal88 I should have an nhs follow up in a few weeks, haven’t heard that it’s cancelled so hoping it’ll still be on! It’s a shame they’ve put your husbands appointment back! Funnily enough I’ll be celebrating first wedding anniversary on the same day as you!

@Morpho123 great news your appointment went well! Amazing improvement! My partner’s results were ok (despite the sample being provided a few days after his stag do) but think they could be better so will have a look at some of those supplements you recommended.
Was interested to know if anyone has read this, or looked into getting the dna fragmentation test done?
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114113235.htm

@Saski87 that was my 1st month of clomid. I bought it online and took it because my treatment got cancelled. I was waiting for IUI to start and I thought but couldn't do any harm because I've done IUI before and used gonal f to stimulate ovulation for that. So this will be my 2nd cycle.

Great news @Morpho123. I bet your husband was dancing all the way home 🤣. If I was you I would do clomid again if clinic is not ready to start this month. Did they offer you IUI?

I just had webinair with private clinic and they have no waiting list for treatment so said if I went in as new patient and had to have all tests done again I could have IUI next month. They said if I took NHS results I wouldn't need to pay for tests again and they could knock that off initial consultation of £575.

I've got to request my records from NHS so hoping that it won't take too long. My NHS doctor is the consultant at the private clinic. This annoys me a lot! I wish he could just shove my notes in his bag 🤣. X

@Chochaw that sounds really promising that you could get straight in. Has that made your decision for you? X

Of course my husband has had a spring in his step all day 😂

@Chochaw the consultant said IUI wasn’t worth the money for us because his motility is so high, he said IUI isn’t going to do anything we can’t do ourself. Because his motility was 75%. He said ovulation induction he expects would work, so we will give it a few more months. I’m defo still going to take clomid once AF arrives. - and then if they can’t scan and trigger this month I’ll do another round after this one with them!

Great news you can get in with no waiting list, I’d be tempted to do that- how annoying about the having to ask for results from nhs when it’s the same doctor lol! That’s mental!

@Limeflower2 maybe worth looking into, but it’s only because they aren’t sure I ovulate every month on my own, as my right ovary wasn’t as strong and regularly had a cyst.

@Saski87 Iv heard of dna fragmentation, it’s a bit more specialist. It’s not something we will explore yet, but it might be another step if this doesn’t work. Are you thinking of looking into it? X

@Narwhal88 sorry pressed post before replying to you! I defo think you will see some improvement. Try and ensure he isn’t stressed, gets enough sleep and whenever home doesn’t wear boxers. I think they played a part also! I spot 5-6 days before AF too, which could be low progesterone, you should ask for cyclogest to help with this.
It defo put my mind at rest as I kept thinking my lining was probably so thin nothing could implant xx

@Morpho123 My GP has zero interest dealing with me as soon they know I'm 40. They didn't offer any suggestions on medication etc. They simply passed me over to the NHS.

@Chochaw so glad there is an option for you before NHS opens again. If there is no waiting list for treatment I would go for it.

I've emailed Create to see if there is a waiting list for treatment. They reply telling me there is no waiting list, but I found out their online consultations are fully booked until June. So I'd say by the time I have my consultation, the list would be huge.

@Narwhal88 If you go private and don't tell NHS, they wouldn't know.

I am pleased there is no waiting list. I have printed my letter to send to NHS tomorrow and hopefully will get results through quickly. I am interested to see my results as I have never actually seen them. The doctor just told me they were normal.x

@Saski87 hopefully yours still goes ahead. They cancelled mine the week before, it was meant to be 28th April. You got married last August 3rd too?! What a coincidence! 🤣
I have read about dna fragmentation and actually the BFN podcast talked about it in a recent episode if you look it up. I don't think it's generally something people do until they have failed IVF cycles. I think it's quite expensive too.

@Morpho123 thanks for the advice. He's been working from home for the last 8 weeks so hopefully it's helped with the stress. He was the most stressed he's ever been in the 8 months leading up to the first SA so I'm hoping less stress will help. I'm definitely gonna ask for cyclogest once I actually get some treatment going! Fingers crossed the ovulation induction works for you now!

@Limeflower2 yeah I was thinking that too! Like how would they know?! But we need to save a bit more first anyway and I'm hoping it won't be too long of a wait. They don't do IVF at my hospital so we would just be referred to the private clinic anyway (would be Care I think) once investigations are done so I'm not sure if it's worth it? Plus you wouldn't be able to adjust the cycle based on what didn't work last time as you wouldn't be able to tell them there was a last time! I wish we could know how long it will all take.

@Chochaw I just read your post and I have to say that unfortunately my doctor told me my results were ‘normal’ 6 months later after finally getting a copy I found out they weren’t normal and actually it showed no ovulation. I was raging, why say normal when it’s not?! I hope it’s not the case for you! X

@Morpho123 it will be interesting to see my results. They can't be too bad if IUI was successful. I feel a bit happier today knowing I have more options. An interesting thing that the man doing the webinair said yesterday was that there is no such thing as 'unexplained infertility'. He said NHS normally give this as an explanation if there is not significant difficulties but little abnormalities can be important in getting pregnant. It wasn't pushy or sales driven and I felt reassured that even going for an initial consultation I would get good advice about results and whether we need to rush into treatment or give it more time. X

@Chochaw I agree I find ‘unexplained’ frustrating. Do you take vitamins? Quite often is down to things like low vitamin d, I didn’t realise how important that was! X

@morpho123 I take folic acid, vitamin d and vitamin c every day. I used to take prenatal ones but the fertility clinic advised me not to bother with them.

I was telling my husband about the improvements to your husbands sperm yesterday and I've convinced him to give vitamins a go again. We were told he had no issues before buit can't do any harm. I've got to make sure which ever cocktail I mix for him doesn't contain iron because the wellmann ones turned his poo black and constipated him last time so he refused to take them. 😂

@Chochaw black poo! Wow, if anything I’d probably say the antioxidants are the most important I think, so a high dose of vitamin c is good one, and zinc and vitamin e. Maybe they will help alone?

Girls CD1 is here for me but I am SO EXCITED 😂 Iv just had a call from my private clinic and they are doing ovulation induction this cycle now! All booked and sorted, they have been so fab at letting me be seen asap! I won’t get my hopes up thought but I’m so grateful anyway! X

@Morpho123 that's fantastic news that you don't have to wait another cycle! When do you need to start taking clomid? I took mine days 2-6

@Etonmess20 yea I’ll start clomid tomorrow then I have two scans booked in already. I know not everyone has success with ovulation induction, Iv waited since January to start so this is such a milestone for us, although we are having to pay for it which sucks 😂 xx

@Morpho123 really really pleased for you! Does suck a bit that you're paying, the good thing is you're in a position to do it x

Congratulations @Morpho123 on your husband's result, and such good news about the clomid tomorrow! I hope it goes really well for you.

I'm sorry I haven't messaged on here in so long after joining. I got into a really bad way for a while cause of Covid so needed a break. I have been put on the list for HyCoSy and if it's all good then letrozole. However, I got a BFP on Wednesday after hubby has been taking the supplements for 3 months. Absolutely shocked!

I hope it's a sticky bean...

Great news @Morpho123. I'm glad you are feeling positive. It took us 2 rounds of ovulation induction and IUI but I responded well to it. It's the iron that turns poo black. 🤣

@irawra congratulations. 🤞for you.

@iRawra oh wow! Congratulations!!! Fingers crossed it’s sticky! Xx