First appointment - Aberdeen Fertility centre

[HJen22]

Hi ladies. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advise. We have been TTC for over a year, and have just received our letter through for our first fertility clinic appointment at Aberdeen fertility clinic, over video call. What should I expect with this call? My OH has recently had SA which has come back above average and I had bloods done at the start of my cycle which also came back fine. Will this just be a chat about our lifestyle etc and then tests booked in for me? Any advise would be very much appreciated x

Hi. Our first appointment was pre-covid so a bit different. At ours they discussed our results( we didn't know anything before then) and the plan going forward. My husband was a smoker at the time so we had to have another appointment in 3 months time during which he had to have stopped then we were put on the waiting list for IVF. I also had a vaginal ultrasound to check everything looked ok.
We were put to IVF without much tests, I think because we'd been trying for 4 years at that point and I was almost 35, so you could have a very different experience.

Hi @pixelflower thank you so much for your reply. Did you results come back ok? We’ve been told all fine so far from SA and bloods but then I though maybe they’d look into it more closely than the GP? 4 years must have been hard, I’ve just turned 33 and it’s been a little over a year so I’m guessing we’d not be on the list straight away unless something came back from my further results? Are you awaiting IVF now? X

Yeah, my husband's SA came back a little low in some areas but not enough to explain why. We're just classed as unexplained infertility. There's an Investigations in Scotland thread here with a few others from Aberdeen that had different experiences to me, think they had different tests before being referred. I started treatment the end of January and was luckily successful. I'm currently 10 weeks and waiting for my scan.

@pixelflower that’s amazing news, congratulations 🥰 how long was there between the initial ivf referral and the treatment to start? Yeah I think I’ve read in the past on that post, but it’s been a while so probably quite a lot to catch up on! Thank you! X

Thank you @HJen22 ☺️. I'm so bad with dates 🤦 Think it was June we had our follow up to confirm he'd stopped smoking and were put on the waiting list for IVF. Consent form appointments and nurses were November/December. Had to phone up when I got my period in the January and start medication to control a bleed on day 21. So for me it took just over a year from first appointment to transfer. I'm not sure if the wait was shorter because people were deferring treatment because of Covid or some other reason. I hated not being able to find information specifically about Aberdeen as everywhere seems to be different. Any questions I'll try my best to answer ☺️

@pixelflower How exciting, it must have been an agonising 4 year wait, I struggle and it’s only been 1 year. Thank you so much, yeah it seems to be different all over the place for times and tests etc so I thought I’d put a post specifically for Aberdeen. Had you expected the wait to be longer? It’s lovely to hear it went successfully for you. I’m a bit worried about it being a long drawn out process with more tests for me and waits but will have to wait and see. Is it the funding application that’s the time consuming bit? I wondered about asking if I could get some tests privately and pay if that sped anything up xx

@HJen22 Considering the wait before going on the list and Covid it was quicker than I expected, still not an easy wait. Think this is a really hard time to be trying with talk of a baby boom and stuff 🙄🤦 I don't actually remember anything to do with funding. When is your appointment? Hopefully they could give you an idea of timelines and if it's worth going private for anything.

@pixelflower I can imagine, I'm really glad it didn't feel too long for you when the ball started rolling. I am pleasantly surprised at how quick our appointment came through, I had bloods done in February and my OH had his SA, his results took a while to come back and he then had to wait 2 weeks for an appointment for the Dr to tell him all was ok. We sent the referral questionnaire back to AFC at the end of March and we've our appointment 1st June, so around 2 months. Still feels like ages but I've read some places can be 6+ months. I was concerned that arranging tests following on from the initial appointment might be a slow process but I will just have to wait and see. Yes for sure, I've had a lot of friends announce pregnancies, have babies during the time we've been trying etc. Like us all, just want it to be me next 🤞🏻

Hi @HJen22 we're currently on the waiting list at Aberdeen. I had my bloods done by my GP in October and OH had his SA in December. We then had our first virtual appointment in January. They discussed the results of my blood tests and OH's SA and asked about our general health, medical history, etc. I then had a transvaginal ultrasound in March. We got referred for IVF after my March appointment. The waiting list when we got referred was 3 months and we've had a letter to say we should get our clinic appointment in June with a view to starting treatment thereafter. We've found that things are moving quickly since our first virtual appointment x

@SF84 thank you so much for your reply; I really appreciate it! That is great that things are moving quickly for you! It must be such a relief when things start progressing, all of the waiting can be so hard throughout the whole TTC process. Can I ask if your results all came back ok, and if you'd been trying for longer than 2 years to have an IVF referral? X

Hi lovely,
I have just done a cycle with Aberdeen and just got my BFP from an FET today!!

I was also pre Covid when I had my appointment, but generally they will just speak over the results of the tests you already have, your history and your options as well. At my initial one I was offered a HyCoSy to check my tubes were open and I took that. We also had to wait three months before going on waiting list because my partner was a social smoker so that delayed things for us. We have been ttc 6+ years and were deemed 'unexplained' so a long wait indeed!

Oct 2019 was when we went to GP, had fertility clinic appointment Jan 2020, HyCoSY in Feb, had appointment in March which was cancelled due to Covid (that would have been the one to put us on waiting list), got a new one through for mid April 2020 and were officially put on the list then.
Got our top of the list appointment through in Nov 2020, as my next cycle started over December I was pushed to Jan 2021 for starting, day 21 of my jan period is when I started everything. Egg collection was 24th Feb and I had to have a freeze all as I had a high risk of OHSS. I had my transfer for FET on 20th April and I cheekily tested today 6dp5dt and got a very strong positive. Official test date from clinic isn't until 5th May 🙈

Happy to answer any questions. Like @pixelflower says there were a few of us who found each other on the Scotland thread and although we were all due to start the same time our journeys have been very different!

@HJen22 I read that if you're over 35 you should go to see your doctor after 6 months of TTC which is what I did. My results all looked ok, OH's sperm count is on the lower side. We'd been TTC for 1 year when I went for the ultrasound. I'm 37 and with OH's lower sperm count they decided IVF would be the best route. Beginning to worry that I've maybe left it a little late! x

@willithappen hello! Ahhh what lovely news, so happy to hear some of you ladies with the outcome everyone wishes for 🥰 massive congratulations! How exciting! Thank you so much for your story and advice, gives me hope! That is a long wait, you must be over the moon. Yeah I've read about HyCosy and thought I'd maybe get offered that, I'm keen for anything and everything! My partners SA seems to have come back ok so guess it's more tests for me 🙈 am I right in thinking it would have to be 2 years TTC if nothing obvious comes back before an IVF referral? Yes I tried to read some of the Scotland thread, it was super helpful too!

@SF84 yes I've read that too about going after 6months if 35+, I actually spoke to my GP at 6months too even though I was only 32 as my sister had been diagnosed with pcos when TTC so I wanted to get checked, seemed to all come back ok. I am sure you haven't left it too late, and now you're very close to the top of the list for treatment! Xx

I think it's only one year? If your GP has referred you to clinic then that's the first hurdle anyway as they are usually the ones to hold you off and make you wait :)

I think their waiting list is shorter now also and they have got through thing quicker after Covid. I will say that overall my experience at Aberdeen has been really good. The staff are lovely and helpful. My only drawback is that I have seen a different nurse/doctor at each step of the way and it would have been nice to have the same all the way through or even twice just for that comfort but I 100% understand I'm NHS and lucky to get anything.
I also had a slight mix up with my file and they were almost going to make me wait another month before starting FET but I was lucky and pushed for it because I had already been told I could. The doctor I had spoken to told me I already got OHSS also (I hadnt, I actually felt great after egg collection) so that appointment was a drawback for me because I felt like no one knew or wrote down properly what happened.

Transfer day was amazing. Same room I had for egg collection/ward but it was totally empty on transfer day. Felt like the entire attention of everyone was on me and the doctor was fantastic and even though I had a small anxiety attack during they were the best, just so lovely!
I'm hoping things continue on this way once I call them with my BFP!

@willithappen there is so much info online and I know it varies from place to place so really wasn't sure. I'm dreading going and them not finding anything obvious and being told to go away and keep trying! Of course not that I want anything to be wrong either, such a catch 22 situation! That sounds like a great experience, I am so happy to hear that! That is a shame it was different Doctors and Nurses, it would have been nice to have seen a familiar face each time I'm sure! I am sure they will remain this way with your lovely news. I am not surprised you had an anxiety attack, it's a lot to deal with. How did you find it emotionally? X

@HJen22
I think they will offer you to get your tubes checked and then put you on the waiting list :)
I know what you mean about wanting them to find something but also not. We were unexplained and I almost wanted there to be an issue so we could tackle it and know what we needed to do going forward. Even now that I have BFP I'm still wondering what the heck our actual issue is ha.

It was just a really hot, small room and I don't do well with doctors anyway 😅 my blood pressure dropped also so I really thought I had actually messed things up and doing that would stop the embryo implanting!

It's been an emotional rollercoaster to be honest. One minute excited because things are moving, never minute feeling like it's taking forever and wondering if it will work. Embryo transfer was the most emotional because every led to that and you see the embryo go in like a 'shooting star' 🥲

@willithappen I know I should be happy that things are moving, and I am, it's just hard isn't it when there is so much worry and wonder and waiting! Exactly, the whole "unexplained thing" must be hard, my sister was diagnosed with pcos so had medication to ovulate and she fell pregnant, my mum keeps saying oh you may just need a little help, but I've been tested for that and all came back fine. So I feel like it very well could come back unexplained. I was glad my partners SA came back fine as he was worried, but then made me think oh god it must definitely be me - he had a 12 year old daughter from a previous relationship!

Oh me, I don't do well with small hot rooms either, I always feel faint! I had a colposcopy (after an abnormal smear recently - didn't help add to the TTC stress!) and I came over all funny 🙈 I am so glad it all went well for you 🥰

Oh wow like a shooting star, that must be such a surreal experience. Was your partner able to be there for each of the steps? I have been watching the IVF video on AFC website. I just don't want to get my hopes up and then be told we'd not get on a waiting list or anything for one reason or another. I really need to think more positively!!

How did you tell your partner your amazing news? You both must be absolutely over the moon! Was that your first cycle? Xx

My partner was there for the first appointment as that was pre Covid but all of the scans he wasnt allowed in for. I went to the monitoring scans myself and he came for egg collection obviously has he had to give his sample ha. He was allowed to come up once I was finished egg collection to escort me back to the car. He also came for transfer day but had to stay out in the car and wasn't allowed in.
The doctors did tell me they think in the next month or so partners will be allowed in for all of this now.

My partners SA came back fine also, although did have 1% morphology but were told that the other numbers were so high it cancelled this out and everything was normal. I have been pregnant twice before (not with my current partner), one a MMC at age 17 and another an abortion at age 20 (hate myself for this, but a lot of circumstances surrounding it including the father being from America and cheating!) so I worried that this caused issues maybe!

This is my first cycle and first ever transfer. I really wasn't expecting a positive first time! Aberdeen apparently have really good success rates with FETs

When is your first appointment? Does your partner smoke?

@willithappen that's such a shame he wasn't able to be there for all of the appointments! But I'm glad you still had them what with Covid! And hopefully things are getting better, he will be able to attend your first official pregnancy scan now won't he?

Ah I see, yeah my partners came back fine but we've had no detail really on his or my bloods other than fine and a referral was made, so I'm hoping that the clinic will be able to give us more information! Oh that sounds so tough, I am sure nothing you did effected it not working naturally this time round, so many of us have a hard time and you just don't realise until you're in it!

Yes he does and I've told him this will delay us if we need any treatment so he is stopping. Our first appointment is 1st June, a video call! I just hope that there isn't a long wait between then and whatever tests I then need done. I'm lucky it's moving relatively ok, it's just it sometimes feels like forever doesn't it!

That's amazing! I seen the stats on the presentation and they do look good! It was meant to be for you 🥰

Hi @HJen22. I'm at Aberdeen too, it is second time around for us - we conceived our DD in 2017 through ovulation induction - they won't offer that again so we are self funding IVF in the hope of a sibling for her. Because we were previous patients we were able to self refer but I think after the first appointment they wanted me to have an ultrasound scan and to have blood tests to confirm ovulation. (I'm guessing the bloods you had at the start of your cycle were to check your thyroid) Things have moved reasonably quickly to be honest now we are "in the system" and it was the same last time around too.

@HJen22 I got my ultrasound appointment within 5 weeks of our video call. They said 6-8 weeks but it was quicker. They also spoke about getting my tubes checked for blockages but said there was a small risk of infection and it doesn't matter for IVF so I didn't get it done x

@florafoxtrot thank you for replying! So helpful having others in Aberdeen! I've been trying to get up to speed on the Scotland infertility post too!

That seems unfair that they can't offer ovulation induction when it worked in the past, I'm sorry to hear that! Yes I think you're right and I won't have had bloods to confirm ovulation yet, so hopefully they can check. That's great things are moving quickly, are you now on a waiting list to start treatment?

@SF84 oh that's not too long then is it! Thank you, I hope that's the same for me! And it's great you should get a clinic appointment in June, that will be the first face to face one? X

They've said because we can prove I'm ovulating on my own that it wouldn't give us any better chance, can see where they are coming from I guess. Last time we weren't entirely sure if I was ovulating.

I've got my nurses appointment a week today to discuss medication so will hopefully start quite soon.

They'll definitely want to check ovulation bloods, which are usually around day 21 of your cycle (if your cycles are 28 days) They had suggested I go to the community hub for those but I couldn't get an appointment for the right day, I phoned the clinic and they said just to come in instead.

I've also found the timescales tend to be a bit shorter than they say at the outset. Think they quite like to manage expectations. They had said my nurses appointment would be 3-4 weeks after our consent appointment but in reality it is 2 weeks so that was a nice surprise!

Hope 1st June comes around quickly for you and definitely join in with the other Scottish ladies chat if you feel you can.

I had my day 21 bloods done with GP and they wanted those done before they would refer me :)

After my nurses appointment I was scheduled in for my next bleed. Day 21 of that bleed start northisterone

@florafoxtrot oh yeah I see where they are coming from, but disappointing they cannot offer anything else before you have to self fund. But that's great news you will hopefully start soon! It's encouraging to hear that even with Covid the waits don't seem to be too long, that's added to my worry recently.

@willithappen @florafoxtrot yeah I had totally expected the GP to test day21 but when she didn't say I didn't want to bring it up, she already didn't seem keen when I said about doing OPKs so I didn't want her to know I'd been doing all my own research haha. Her advice previously, as lovely as she was, was to not stress and just do it every 2/3 days.

Thank you, I hope it does come quick. CD1 today sadly, there was always that tiny bit of hope I'd maybe not need the appointment after all but wasn't meant to be this month I guess. I certainly will, I didn't want to jump on and ask lots of questions that had already been chatted about but I'm getting close to being up to date on the thread! X