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

@Etonmess20 sorry you are feeling rubbish. I felt the same. I built my hopes up so much last cycle. I have a memory like a sieve. What's your next steps?

@Morpho123 flushes only last a few minutes for me but enough to wake me up 6 times last night. I had a few yesterday during the day and 1 this morning which is new.

I've got a telephone appointment with my GP on Friday this week. I'm going to explain everything to her and ask her if she will prescribe me clomid rather than me buying online and see if she can do another sperm analysis and bloods to check vitamin levels while I wait for records from fertility clinic coming through. I think my NHS results might be too outdated for private clinic to use. If she can't do any if this I am not too fussed but it's worth asking.

I can't remember if I mentioned or not but when I called for the address to send my request for notes to the secretary for my consultant said they are hoping to reopen end of June. This is a lot sooner than my fertility nurse advised so I have a wee bit of hope. I really hope its true 🤞.x

@Chochaw this month was my first month of clomid, that's possibly another reason I've built my hopes up subconsciously.
If this cycle is unsuccessful I have to have a cycle off next cycle as I have a HyCoSy on 1st June so have been told not to DTD unprotected or take clomid beforehand. I have another 3 months supply of clomid for afterwards

Definitely worth a go asking your GP whether they can help with clomid, worst case it'll be a no!
Good news about the clinic opening fairly soon too, it'll fly, nearly the end of May now! X

@Etonmess20 my period was a day late with my first round of clomid, it may come later today. I kept getting my hopes up, especially after the internal scan the doctor said he wasn’t sure if there was an early pregnancy because of my thick lining.

This sounds stupid, but my lining was 10.6 but my period isn’t that heavy? It’s finished now, after 2 days. I mean it must be fine though 🤷🏽‍♀️

But honestly we all feel the same and we understand, we’re all here to support each other through this. Defo gets your hycosy to check your tubes and take clomid the cycle after, hopefully they will of been flushed out and the clomid will double help too 🤞🏽

@Chochaw that’s great news! That’s not too long at all! Defo worth asking, you don’t have anything to loose.

Let’s hope the hot flushes finish for you ASAP! Xx

@Morpho123 how long would af normally last for you?
So strange that it comes later & lighter!

@Etonmess20 I agree with @Morpho123 AF was late with me too, lasted 5 days too. I had some spotting though before which I normally don't have. X

@Chochaw so unfair they give us a medication that makes AF late, when we're all so hot on when she's due 😂 the irony is not lost on me!
On the plus side we have just had a phone call to go & see a house this afternoon that we thought we'd missed so maybe things are looking up!

@Etonmess20 my AF lasts normally 1.5days but tmi sorry- it doesn’t flow so much, it only comes when I go to the loo. So I sit on the toilet most of the day 😂 it’s always clots rather than flow- but it’s been like that since I came of birth control! I was worried my lining was thin, but it’s defiantly not!

Good luck with the house! Fingers crossed for you!

@Morpho123 isn't it strange how all of our bodies are so different & work in different ways! Makes you wonder where it all goes if it isn't coming out with AF 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you x

Hi guys, sorry I disappeared for a bit there, my period arrived early and was a particularly painful one (I’m worried the endometriosis is coming back already) and I suppose it signals that we’re not going to be conceiving naturally. Trying to look forward to our appointment and whatever it may bring, really glad I’ve found this group with so many different experiences and treatments. I think if there’s a wait for treatment we might look into iui if it won’t affect nhs funding, or if not then I have seen some errr...diy options that might be worth a go!
@Narwhal88 thanks for the podcast recommendation, I’ve listened to bfn a bit but haven’t heard that episode so will check out the dna fragmentation episode out!
Many congratulations @iRawra so nice to hear success stories!

Thanks @Saski87! It was a shock.

Ladies, do you think I should tell the clinic I'm pregnant? I'm on the waiting list for HyCoSy and letrozole still. Not sure what to do.

@iRawra I don't know whether I would tell them yet if I were you. Worst case scenario they will contact you to book you in & you can tell them your happy news x

@Etonmess20 that's what I was thinking :) thanks!

@irawra I would hold off telling the clinic until they contact you to arrange appointment.
@Saski87 I just listened to the latest bfn and the last episode was about unexplained infertility. The last few minutes spoke about endometriosis often being a hidden factor of unexplained infertility. It was interesting. X

Hi girls, hope you are all well! @Saski87 sorry to hear about your painful af, hopefully the endo hasn’t come back! Iv also heard about these ‘home kits’ for IUI, can’t say Iv tried it though.

Currently the hot flushes are here with a vengance which is even worse in this hot weather 😂 I hardly slept at all last night 😭 it’s like my blood is boiling, starts at my feet and rises. I got away so lightly last month with clomid! X

Hi girls, hope you are all well.
Really hot today, @Chochaw @Morpho123, hope you girls are okay with hot flushes?
@irawra I wouldn't tell them just yet.

There is no progress on my side, my clinic is prioritising IVF first. And I am still 2 minded about changing clinic, my hubby is keen though. If we changed, we will be bottom of the list at the new one. So I'm just going to do more research and wait for one more week before we make a decision.
Have a lovely evening ladies.xx

@Morpho123 I'm feeling as it is with AF flushes haha, can't imagine clomid flushes! Have you got a fan for tonight? It's meant to be even hotter tomorrow.

So I found the email of my doctors medical secretary (perks of working in the same hospital trust) and asked her about my cancelled appointment and if they were still doing SA at the moment. She said they are hoping to restart appointments from 12th June so I should get a new appointment through after then and to let her know when I know when it is so she can move my husbands appointment to that one. They aren't doing SA at the moment but restarting on 22nd June so she said to call them after then just to check. Hopefully it's not too much of a backlog and fingers crossed we can get the ball rolling with tests.
My period is so light this month, started 7pm last night and I've had barely anything- same as you @Morpho123 it seems to only really come out on the loo! Just don't see how it's normal?! Testing my AMH tomorrow and really hoping it's not low!

@Morpho123 The flushes are much worse this month than last. We must have stored up some hormones from last month. I was up most of the night too.

@saski87 I've seen the DIY IUI kits advertised a lot recently. I was considering it myself. There sure ones with just syringe or proper ones with speculum and catheter. I don't think my dh would be up for doing the speculum one and I don't think I'd be able to get in that position myself🤣. I've had IUI before and the procedure was a little uncomfortable.

A couple of years ago I watched a BBC documentary about sperm donation. It was mainly same sex couples trying to have a baby and didnt qualify for NHS help. So they went onto Facebook groups geared for sperm donation and it was guys volunteering their services. Most donors requested natural insemination as sperm comes out so much faster that way and is more successful than using a syringe. (Basically they just wanted sex). There was one guy on it who was so successful at it he could trace back 59 babies and his wife didn't know anything about any of it. It was a fascinating watch 🤣. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05cg275

@iRawra congratulations! That's lovely news!

I've been keep a cheeky eye on you all. So glad to hear some things are beginning to move on for you all with clinics. Fingers crossed it won't be much longer.

Thanks @Cat028!

Thanks for all the advice, ladies. I'll give it some time before I tell them :) I just didn't want somebody else waiting longer because of me if that makes sense?

@Cat028 are you keeping OK?

@iRawra think as long as you cancel appointment as soon as it comes through you won't hold anyone back or notify them after 12 week scan.

I took my last clomid last night. Thank god they are finished. Hopefully flushes will stop in a few days x

@chochaw my husband set the aircon unit next to my bedside last night so I slept so well 😂 the hot flushes are real in the weather! I felt like I was on fire lol! Iv got my last one tonight, can’t wait to finish 👌🏽

@iRawra it won’t hold anyone back Hun, they will probably just be bought forward once you cancel! Which is anything will cheer them up! Lol!

@Cat028 hope you are keeping well 💕

@Chochaw and @Morpho123 thanks for putting my mind at ease. I'd hate to hold someone up :)

I hope everybody has success with their treatments! I'll be checking in on you ladies every now and then if that's ok. I hope we see loads of BFPs soon! :)

Thanks for the documentary recommendation @Chochaw sounds interesting 😂
I saw quite an interesting thing on bbc a while ago about couples having ivf, unfortunately it doesn’t look like it’s still on iplayer but worth a watch if it gets repeated, I think it was called Making Babies and followed couples in Scotland.
I have got back into BFN over the last couple of days, have decided to try to go out for a walk once a day and listen to an episode each time as I’ve got some catching up to do!
Hope those of you having clomid induced hot flushes are coping- it’s baking outside!!
I tried to go for a run and totally failed this morning, partly because of the heat but I also find that where I am in my cycle has a massive impact on my ability to exercise which is annoying
Sounds like many of us are fairly similar in terms of where we are in our cycles which is nice, I’m on CD5 at the moment

@Chochaw @Morpho123 I'm doing well so far thanks ladies. Currently 7+3 and have my booking appointment tomorrow.

Hope everything goes well for you all. Xx

@Morpho123 I had a fan on last night but I was freezing in between the flushes🤣. I am CD7 today so going to start opk tomorrow and DTD every second day till it is positive.

That's good news @Cat028. I've been thinking of you.

@Saski87 I'll keep an eye out for it being replayed. I searched and read the article about it. It looks good.

Is anyone else from Scotland?

Did anyone listen to BFN podcast this week when at the end they said that it is possible to change NHS funding to private clinics if private clinic is not opening due to Covid 19. I'm just wondering who I would contact about this.x