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!

Sorry @notyetamumbuttrying I was about to go on to my ivf call and replied to your progesterone message in the wrong thread. Have asked mumsnet to delete! The answer was yes I would gladly accept any leftover progesterone if it’s unwanted. Thank you!

@notyetamumbuttrying yes I’ve been pretty terrible with food and drink and have literally been treating this time like a holiday. Felt so much like phew we’ve made some babies, pressures off, but now I’m starting to think shit it’s back on me in a minute, I need to knuckle down and start making my body a temple ready for transfer! Well I’m on at the minute so anything goes but after that I’m really going to try to be healthy!
That’s so funny you saying about supplements, I’m literally a walking pharmacy and was saying DH last night I feel like a slave to them. He said to cut half of them out now the embryos are made. I’m going to do some research about which are best for implantation and first trimester because over the years I’ve just always added a new one to the mix each month after google/reviews said it would get me pregnant. I’ve honestly spent thousands! If you hear of anything good or have any recommendations I’d love to hear! 😁

@thislittlebird ah so that's what got deleted, I did wonder! Ok cool, will DM you once I know and I'll get your address. How was the call?
@GJW2018 so I don't get much rest-bite then. I ordered pizza last night 😂 🙈
Lol I got like that and cut bk. I take FA, vit D, coQ10 and that l-alpha one. Thinking I'll stop the last two only as they're for egg quality.

@notyetamumbuttrying 8 is brilliant! I hope you’ve got some nice things planned to try and take your mind off the next few days. Easier said than done though I bet!
I’m on a shed load of ubiquinol atm and plan to stop that after egg collection. Mainly for the ££.

Like you @GJW2018 I’m surprised I don’t rattle when I walk I’m taking so many supplements. That’s great that you’re taking some time out for yourself before transfer, and defo think you’ve earned a bit of slack on the food and drink front, for sure!

@Etonmess20 OMG just the thought of lunges in this heat makes me 😵. You’re my hero!

@Vparisi Don’t feel bad at all, you still have to live your life and as you say what real difference can it make at this point?

@thislittlebird Hope the consult went well?

We’re also planning on moving even though we love our flat. We’re lucky too that we have a garden, which was an absolute godsend last year and we’re able to work out of the spare room. Finding somewhere is a little tricky atm though cos the prices have gone mad. We’d really like a doer upper but even those are extortionate atm. Hoping it settles down soon though.

@notyetamumbuttrying thanks! It was really good. We saw Alison Taylor from the Lister on a Teams call and after some embarrassing teams microphone issues and a change of computer we got started about ten minutes late 😐. She was great, said she was surprised by the NHS saying we’re unexplained and is very much in favour of people getting their treatment and test entitlement so she’s going to write us a letter so we can challenge what they’ve said.

Also said she’s very pro natural conception so she wants me to have a hycosy, and after DH has his results from Mr Ramsay’s tests she’s going to meet us again and discuss plan of action which will either be a) ovulation induction with letrozole + trigger shot + dominant follicle scans + extra progesterone for a couple of months to see if we can conceive naturally or b) straight to short protocol ivf if his dna frag is poor. I really like the fact that she isn’t all about ivf. The private consultant we saw at Care in Feb was so keen to get us straight into ivf, didn’t want to talk about clomid or letrozole and we weren’t ready for that at the time.

Said with my age + AMH I have a 52% conception and 35% live birth rate which is good to hear, but obviously that’s on paper and we don’t know what obstacles will crop up yet. A relief to speak to a good doctor tbh!

@RiverRiot just work and round at my sisters on Saturday. Think I'll stop ubiquinol after transfer. Be a relief not to have to buy anymore of the stuff for at least two weeks anyway!
So lucky to have a garden, just a balcony for us and it's north east facing so no sun for us 😆 I'm sure the market will start to settle now that the stamp duty incentive ends this month!
@thislittlebird yay at last! Someone who listens and offers advice instead of peddling ivf 👏🏾happy you've found someone good at long last!!

@thislittlebird glad to hear that your consultation went well, it's also nice that they were keen to help you push NHS & also to try other things before IVF.
Are you going to get the letter from her & try to push NHS before deciding what to do about private funded?

On supplements, does everyone take separate? My DP & I have been taking proceive for a few months now (thought I'd splash out if it helps with IVF as it is ££) & it seems to have plenty of different vitamins in, just wondering if there's anything else I should be taking or if separate is better for some reason.
Have added photos of the men's & women's ingredients.

Have you read it starts with the egg @Etonmess20? The multivitamins seem to have quite low doses so you could top up a few things I suppose, the key ones? I’m just reading it now and finished the folic acid and ubiquinol chapters recently.

I’m taking seven seas because I was using that for a few months but will swap soon, but on top of that I’m on vit D, vit b12, vit b6 (for the progesterone), vitamin c, vitamin e, magnesium, folacin, ubiquinol. Husband is on impryl + a few others separately.

I’m so glad she will help me push nhs. I’m going to aim to start with lister because time is ticking, but we’re allowed two private rounds so I’m going to push the nhs in the meantime. Ideally the nhs would pay for my hycosy but I don’t want to get into that fight with them and delay things. The main thing I want them to acknowledge we’re not unexplained and say I’m eligible for a round of ivf.

@thislittlebird no I haven't actually but have heard it mentioned a lot. Do you think of I read it & started taking extra/different things now it would have enough time to work before IVF? (hopefully max 2 months away)

Oh that's interesting, didn't know about two private rounds before, definitely seems like the way to go. Just rechecked my funding letter & it says my funded cycles must be started before 40th birthday so at least you will have time & won't lose entitlement due to that.
Did she say whether the HyCoSy would be expensive private? Not that you should have to pay for it of course

@thislittlebird Oh that’s great news! So glad it went well and they are going to push the NHS too, that’s brilliant.

@Etonmess20 I take Pregnacare and a few other things like omega 3. I was literally just about to splurge on the Proceive Max when the call came in so didn’t bother in the end. Proceive has higher doses of all the vits than Pregnacare so I think that’s good. If you had quite a few months before IVF you could add stuff in IF you wanted to but as you’re so close and anything new can take up to three months to work itself into your system, I personally, wouldn’t bother but it’s totally up to you. All the Drs really seem to care about in general is folic acid and vit D and you’re covered there anyway so.

@RiverRiot that was my thinking tbh as that's all doctors have ever really mentioned to me. Will probably stick with the proceive seeing as it's got everything in & have already been on it a few months. It's a minefield isn't it & you could spend so much on all these supplements!

@Etonmess20 yeah I think it’s worth it, in the chapter I read this morning on CoQ10 and Ubiquinol she says even one month can make a bit of a difference. I kept taking the folacin I had (natural source of folic acid, I think that I bought previously) because she says a higher dose has been found to be beneficial etc. Same with vit d.

That’s the other joke about them telling me to come back when it’s been three years 🥴. I’ll be 39.5 in another 18 months time.

She didn’t say about the hycosy but I know I looked it up before elsewhere and it’s about £500 private. Not great, but it’ll save me some stress hopefully and might allow us to conceive naturally in future if all is well.

But saying that, the husband has been on impryl for three months now and seen no improvement. Hoping to see some after the tests next week.

@notyetamumbuttrying Good luck today! Have have all fingers and toes crossed for you. 🍀

@notyetamumbuttrying thinking of you today, hope everything goes well 💕

Sending lots of luck and good vibes for you today @notyetamumbuttrying ✨💖💫

Thank you girls! You're the best 😘

All went well! I have an embryo on board and 3 ready for the freeze! The other 4 are doing well too and I'll get a call tomorrow to let me know if they can be frozen too 😀
Happy Sunday everyone!

@notyetamumbuttrying thats amazing! Fingres crossed to get the two lines on the test!

@HereToLearnAndShare thank you so much! Hope you're well x

@notyetamumbuttrying I am good thank you. Still waiting for the call. Its been 5 weeks now. So hopefully they will call soon . When you are taking the test? Is it on the 14th day after the transfer?

Oh wow @notyetamumbuttrying that’s amazing! You could have 8 potential babies there! Sending lots of sticky thoughts for your current embaby! ✨✨✨ how long do you have to wait to test?

@HereToLearnAndShare hope so!! It's 16 days after EC so that's the 17th June!
@GJW2018 eek, mad when you say it like that!! Test day is 17th June x

Wow amazing @notyetamumbuttrying !!! That is such a great outcome. Fingers crossed for the test. You must be over the moon xx

@Vparisi thank you 😊 yes, really pleased! How you getting on?