Coronavirus and fertility clinics #2

[JeNeBaguetteRien]

I hope you don't mind @mabel92 but the last thread you started is almost full, and this has been so useful for lots of us.

If I can get in there before it fills I'll link to this thread!

Hi all! We were referred by gp to the fertility clinic. Now we only received a letter invitation to a phone appointment and only has my DH name on it.. he did have 2 sperm tests done and there was improvement in the second one. Is this normal or would I also receive an appointment?

@PositiveThinkerAlways thank you so much! Good news so far the embryo thawed well and good quality so have been in for transfer and I’m now back home with my feet up waiting for a cuppa 😂
I’m praying it works. Test date 23rd 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

I hope everything is going well for you? X

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

@Liliclaire Wow that’s great news - I’m super chuffed for you and congratulations on being PUPO. Hoping all goes smoothly for you. Rest up and be ultra kind to yourself during the 2WW x

@jolly86

I don’t know if that is normal or not im afraid but I would guess the appointment would be for both of you as a couple....sorry I couldn’t be more help, hopefully someone else who knows more than me will respond to you on here.

Hi all! I'm hoping one of you can help me as I'm feeling really confused and anxious about this whole process and you ladies all seem so much informed than I am!
Our first appointment with NHS fertility clinic in Scotland was cancelled in April due to C-19, the clinic has since re-opened for treatments but not progressing new patients so I feel like I'm just in limbo right now. I'm 39 so don't feel like time is on my side.
If I want to speed things along should I just contacted a private clinic to continue on fertility investigations (we've already had Day 3 / 21 and SA done)?
I contacted a private clinic today and they said they'd only see me if I had a GP referral, and when I called my GP they said they're only seeing urgent cases right now. Feeling so frustrated with this!!

@shaolin2010 Sorry to hear that and I know from my own experience the waiting is unbearable. I’m in London and here I did not need a gp referral to access a private IVF clinic. Basically if you are willing to pay they will usually be happy to take your money and carry out any investigative tests that are necessary. This may have changed now due to the back log of patients who had treatments delayed due to covid but on other forums there are ladies who are new to the clinic and had an initial consultation with a view to starting treatment in July so it’s definitely possible. I would suggest that you call other private clinics that are near to you and see what they say. Unfortunately time is critical once you are over 37 so i probably wouldn’t want to delay for too long.
Hope that helps x

@PositiveThinkerAlways Thank you so much for replying to me. I will take your advice and search out another private clinic x

@shaolin2010 Good luck and I genuinely hope you get a successful resolution - god knows this whole process relies on a lot of luck! Wishing you all the best 🤞🤞🤞 and let us know how you get on x

@shaolin2010, have you tried using online GP app such as Babylon? If your GP only sees urgent patients maybe this can get you another referral? Fingers cross for you. x

Oh I'd never even heard of them! I'will give them a look to see if they can help me at all! Thanks for the advice xx

Hi, is anybody out there TTC in Surrey and has started the IVF process? I have a couple of questions please? And any advice welcome if you're not in Surrey too... Here is my story:

We have been trying for almost 3 years, I am 34. We have done all the tests and everything normal, so 'unexplained infertility'. We live in Surrey and so we can only get NHS funded IVF after 3 years of trying. So we decided to go down the NHS self funded route, and then of course COVID happened. Clinic has now opened up again, and we've started the process, doing the blood tests and ultrascan. However the nurse told us that because we have are doing the self funded IVF, we might not be able to do the IVF funded round if this one doesn't work, until we've used up all viable embryos.

Now to talk about money, which I hate to do because it makes it sound like it's more important than a child, but it's a very real issue when TTC. So we had factored in £4k, but all these costs are being added up, which we had never been told about until we signed the papers. ICSI, medication etc, added over a grand, which we can cope with. But if this doesn't work, we've been told we might have to use up the embryos before we can do the NHS funded treatments, which would be another £2-3k at least every time, which if we have several embryos, will all add up and be a struggle.

Has anyone had any experience in this? To cut a long story short, would you go ahead with the self funded round anyway and hope for the best, or would you wait a month or two for the NHS funded one? Bearing in mind I don't know how much of a backlog there is with that due to COVID-19. If anyone is based in Surrey and knows I would love their input.

I know this is a very long post, but I'm finding it all very overwhelming tbh, we kind of took what nurses had told us before as face value and now finding out all these extra costs and info is hard to take in. They also found some 'chocolate cysts' on my ovaries at the latest ultrascan, which shouldn't be a problem for IVF they said, but again weren't massively forthcoming with information.

Just to add also that if we do get approved for the NHS funded one, our nearest clinic would be Croydon, not sure if there is a long wait there? Part of me thinks we should just go ahead with the self funded NHS one, but it's all the hidden costs that are starting to sting!

Thank you

Has anyone heard from James cook hospital regarding starting there treatment yet xxx

Hello everyone

Hope everyone is doing ok

We had our video consultation a little while back ( cant remember the date!) and last week I had my first appointment in the clinic (cd21) and had my Prostap injection.

Has anyone else had side effects from this? I am so so teary and feeling very uptight - hoping a few relaxing days will help me feel a bit better. I have a scan booked for exactly 2 weeks after the injection and then I am
Really not sure of timescales after that

Really hoping everyone is getting answers and updates from their clinics sending all my thoughts and positivity to you all x

@Frenchie86 I would be tempted to find out how long the waiting list is for the NHS funded first just in case it’s not too long as you don’t want to then risk not being able to go back to it if any other self funded cycles aren’t successful (I’m not sure of your situation time wise so obviously it depends if you are up against it for age cut off etc).
I am from Croydon originally now in Leicestershire and I’m so pleased to see Croydon is now offering full range of treatments again as they stopped most of it a few years back due to funding.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey whatever you decide x

@Frenchie86 sorry just re read your post and seen your age! Clearly I’m not awake properly yet...it’s been a long week

@PositiveThinkerAlways thank you.
Sadly it doesn’t look like a good outcome this time. Had my OTD on Thursday which was 9dpt (5day frostie blast) and it was negative. I have had so many symptoms suddenly come on after transfer that I don’t think are purely the progesterone as I had been on them for 5 days prior with no side effects so I stupidly allowed myself to get hopes up. Clinic has asked me to come off all meds and wait for period but I’m still holding out a tiny bit of hope as I’ve still got a lot of side effects and in my mind it seems early to test still as the 2ww isn’t even officially up until this coming Tuesday.

I’m just torturing myself I think!

We have to wait 2 cycles before we can go again...

Sorry for long and negative post. This is such a difficult thing to go through. Really hope you all have good news soon whether that’s successful cycles or finally getting to start treatment! X

@Liliclaire I am so sorry to hear this sad news. This whole process is a gruelling and often unfair process and in many cases (including my own) it comes with more difficult situations and outcomes than good ones. The only thing I can say is to be ultra kind to yourself during this time as it’s the only thing that will help with the bitter disappointment and once you are starting to mentally and physically recover begin to look forward to your next cycle and next opportunity as who knows what is around the corner that is positive and exactly what you want. Sending you big hugs 🤗

@Frenchie86 I agree that you should find out the waiting list time frame and make an informed decision once you know that information. A lot of ivf cycles statistically need 3 attempts before a success so if you can have of those on the nhs it would be better for you in case you need further cycles. Good luck x

Thank you @PositiveThinkerAlways for your kind words will try and take a leaf out of your book and keep a PMA! Xxx

@Liliclaire thank you for getting back to me and not at all, I am no good at all before my first cup of coffee! We have had a phone consultation and our referral letter should be going out next week after which we can hopefully chase and find out more, we like you said it is tempting to hold off and get two funded rounds in case it doesn’t work the first time. I am also so sorry to hear about your experience and am keeping everything crossed for you. We are only just starting on this part of the journey and it’s not easy, especially when I keep seeing so many ‘lockdown’ pregnant announcements on social media!

@PositiveThinkerAlways thank you for the advice, that is what we will try and find out!

@Liliclaire hope you're ok. So sorry to hear your sad news. Sending you big virtual hugs and I hope you can get started again very soon.

So my partner's SA results seen to have gotten lost in the post to the GP... I apparently can't get the results without the GP and the GP can't get through to cytology. Tomorrow I'm going to call them again. I just need to know what our next steps are :(