IVF at Guy's & St. Thomas' & general process/timeline

[Lill02]

Hi all,

This is my first ever post, but I've been following for a while. :)

After having all the usual tests, including a hycosy and hysteroscopy, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility a while ago. We have now finally waited long enough to be eligible for IVF on the NHS. We've got an appointment back at Guy's & St. Thomas' tomorrow (we had to see the GP and ask to be referred back as we've now waited the required time frame).
I'm not 100% sure what will happen tomorrow, but I'm basically hoping they will agree we've waited the required time and suggest we get the ball rolling for IVF, i.e. fill in our funding application, etc. I'm really hoping this will happen, I can't face being sent away again after we've waited so long...
What have your experiences been? Does that sound like realistic next steps? Has anyone been at Guy's & St. Thomas' and can share their timeline?

Thank you!

@Vparisi he said it’s because the egg collection was done vaginally they don’t want to risk infection but I have heard they’re not a good idea in TWW/early pregnancy because it puts your temp up too much.
My experience of the freeze all is it’s always a possibility so they have to warn you so that it doesn’t get to egg collection and you’re disappointed. I knew it was going to be the case with ours but every appointment they told me as if it was the first I’d heard of it and they were scared to upset me. Anxiously awaiting our phone call this morning, think fertilised thoughts! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

@GJW2018 thinking lots of fertilised thoughts today!! 💕

Just got the call ... 29 fertilised! I burst into tears. Sorry to keep on on here but because I haven’t told anyone else you guys are the only ones in on it with us! Now another anxious wait till Tuesday but feel so much better now. Thank you for all of your support! Sending lots of successful thoughts to you all! Xxxxx

@GJW2018 oh my god I bet you're over the moon!!! Congratulations, that's a brilliant number & means you have the best chance! Hope you can enjoy your weekend as much as possible & have everything crossed for you for Tuesday! Xx

@GJW2018 Oh my goodness that’s amazing! You must be so relieved. Sending lots of blastocyst thoughts your way. Hope this will make the weekend slightly more relaxing now. Not long til Tues. x

@GJW2018 that's an outstanding amount! Never heard of such high numbers before 👏🏾 you must feel elated 😃

Thank you @RiverRiot @Etonmess20 @notyetamumbuttrying we are literally on cloud nine! 💫 I know it’s still a long way till I have those two pink lines but feel so lucky to have gotten this far with these numbers! Feel like we’ve won the lottery! Still quite sore today but better than yesterday so hoping I’ll be fighting for by the weekend! Xx

@notyetamumbuttrying how are you finding the menopur? Xx

@GJW2018 omg I can’t believe 29 fertilised. That’s amazing and great odds.Remind me of your age again?

@Vparisi @RiverRiot I’m in Greenwich CCG/South East London (I think they’re a group now?)

@thislittlebird ok I would print page 32-35 of this doc then <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.lewishamccg.nhs.uk/news-publications/Documents/SEL%2520Treatment%2520Access%2520Policy%252020%2520Feb%25202019.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjO7szoktjwAhUcB2MBHR9mDU0QFjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw21WOjik7NV5-Cf5aEDNakX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.lewishamccg.nhs.uk/news-publications/Documents/SEL%2520Treatment%2520Access%2520Policy%252020%2520Feb%25202019.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjO7szoktjwAhUcB2MBHR9mDU0QFjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw21WOjik7NV5-Cf5aEDNakX and go through it with them to show them you meet the criteria outlined xx

Thanks @Vparisi. This is what I read before, and seeing it again now it does not say he has to have X sperm count. It just says make factor and he has male factor. How can they say it’s not enough????

Progesterone is on the list for Guys self referral form too.

My friend just text me his baby announcement and photos. I’m leaving him on read for now because I can’t deal, I need to do this after work.

@thislittlebird I'm also Greenwich CCG & we're unexplained with no identified issues so even if they don't think your DP qualifies as male factor surely that doesn't make a difference?
The only qualifiers I've seen are relating to no children, BMI below 30, stable relationship, TTC for X amount of time etc

@GJW2018 glad you're feeling better, I'm sure you'll be fine by the weekend too. You've got lots of chances for a successful pregnancy now. Wonderful news!!
I feel a bit nuts tbh and also tired. Still getting night sweats so come out to sleep on the sofa so not sure if I'm feeling nuts from the drugs or from lack of sleep 🥴

@Vparisi good idea for @thislittlebird defo! Hope you finally get listened to hun x

@thislittlebird has it been over 2 years of ttc? Cos then it's unexplained if they won't take into account the other stuff and then they have to help surely?!

@thislittlebird I’m 32, 33 in August. Yes definitely fill these forms out and don’t take no for an answer. I spent years in your position and wish I’d advocated for myself more. You’re doing all of the right things. You’ve got this! 🙌🏽

@notyetamumbuttrying it will get better I promise, must be the busereline still clinging on! When do you think your egg collection will be? So exciting! ✨

We haven’t been trying for three years, it’s two years in October but we’ve not used contraception for longer than that (not that they care) @notyetamumbuttrying @Etonmess20. Three years is the amount of time for unexplained in there. So them choosing not to recognise the problems we do have seems intentional to me.

I don’t understand how to work out sperm count stuff but if you your count is 124mil and you have 47mil/ml concentration but only 9% are progressively motile then that doesn’t leave very many???? How can that be a non-issue? Additionally to that his vitality is only 44%.

@GJW2018 wish I’d started all this before I was 35, I feel so silly now. God know what quality my eggs will be when we get there

“Taking into consideration both age and waiting list time”

I’m 38 in 2 days. By the time it’s been three years officially I’ll be nearly 39.5 🙄

@thislittlebird I think taking that statement into account you more than qualify. We only started early as I knew I had PCOS and we hadn’t used contraception for about 8 years with no joy. I would definitely push forward with the age side of things as by the time they get you started you may not qualify, they should push you through

@thislittlebird we haven't been TTC for 3 years until October but that doesn't seem to have made any difference to our treatment.
I definitely think it's worth pushing the age point as it just doesn't seem fair they're essentially wasting your time at the moment by doing what they're doing 🤷🏼‍♀️

@thislittlebird unfortunately that makes a big difference, you have to say over 3 years to them. They're actually so strict about that it is crazy and illogical. For example, I have no tubes so its obviously physically impossible for me to get pregnant, but the doctor told me it was imperative that I say over 2 years (SW London) on the forms and I asked why because I clearly haven't ben 'trying' to do something that isn't possible and she said doesn't matter, it is just a hard rule that doesn't take into account circumstances. So since then I have been saying yeah for 2 years I have been trying to make a miracle happen! Anyway just make sure the next person you see and when doing the referral form you say 3 years I think

@thislittlebird As others have said, defo say you’ve been trying for three years whether you have or not. I think not using contraception may count in other CCGs but clearly not ours.

I’m assuming the letter for your DPs SA gives figures of what the normal ranges are so I just don’t understand why they’re ignoring them. I know that a high count can sometimes cancel out lower morphology etc. But as you say your DPs seem particularly low for motility even with a high count.

As @Vparisi says as there’s a bureaucratic hard line with time so just say whatever they want to hear.

@thislittlebird meant to say I’ve attached the lower ref limits in case you didn’t have them but I’m sure you already know them. x

@GJW2018 I've still got to take 20mg of that every morning so it's defo that! Did u have to keep that up whilst stimming? End of May for EC! 😬
@thislittlebird oh it's three years for Greenwich, that's a bummer!

They only really look at count, motility and morphology when it comes to sperm. Count has to be below 15mil per ml. Morphology usually has to be under 3% and motility under 32%. I can see @RiverRiot post which says 4% morphology but on the report we got bk it said 3% was "normal" so seems like the limits vary there but not on anything else.