Infertility treatment journey/process

[selinakylewayne]

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice or their own journeys so I have some perspective...

My partner and I have been trying to conceive since May 2020 and have done testing to determine any issues after a year through the GP. Unfortunately my parter has a low speed count, whilst my tests have come back fine.

Today the GP has said that they will not put us forward until it has been 2 years and that once we do it's straight to IVF.

I was under the impression the NHS would do more tests beforehand, like checking for blocked tubes, and then some medication (I hear so many people talk about clomid even for men?) and not just telling us to go straight to IVF...

I have gotten hold of the CCG policy for my council and it says couples with sub fertility should be referred for treatment straight away... so not sure why the doctor is saying 2 years either.

I am devastated for multiple reasons but struggling with the idea that it might be 2 years or more till we get going with any sort of process... not to mention then facing the waiting lists....

Any advice?

It depends on the actual number of the low count to be classed as male infertile for earlier IVF before 2 years I think in accordance to my IVF clinic, below 5 million volume I think? But don't quote me on it

I only know as the IVF clinic tried rejecting me and DH for being referred before 2 years trying for male factor infertility as he has physical impairments which are contributing to his poor numbers but they rejected us at first as his volume was 9 million and we would only be classed as male infertility below 5 x

Hi I'd be surprised if your CCG said it was automatic referral ie no wait time as a blanket policy ie no medical need identified - I think that's only if a serious issue is found in the GPs tests - otherwise the wait time is 6 months if you are over 35 or 2 years if you are younger

Low sperm count doesn't make him infertile - it only takes 1 sperm out of millions

You only get scans for blocked tubes once you have the fertility treatment referral and the same with clomid which is really only for women who don't ovulate - that would have been identified already in the tests you'd had?

If you started in may 2020 then you've only got another 5 months really to wait and then it will be the 2 years. Are you doing OPKs and taking multi vitamins etc?

Hi all

This is such a great thread and I'm so grateful to every one of you for sharing your stories.
I'm 34, haven't used any female contraception for a few years so thought I would conceive quickly (naively).. My partner and I have been together for four years and having cancelled our wedding due to Covid last year - we started trying.
I'm in Belfast and waiting times for fertility investigations are terrible! I was referred in January and only got my first letter from the NHS to get the ball rolling this month (November)! However, in July we decided to go private to start the investigations before going back on NHS.
I got my scan and everything looked great with the exception of a small cyst on one ovary and potential endo..
I should mention, my own nhs gp did do my blood work and everything was fine. My partner found out he had a low count and deformed sperm but was told it wasn't a hopeless case and with lifestyle improvements, could also improve his sperm quality
Anyway, after my private initial exam, the doctor referred me back to the NHS for the hystero and I only waited 2 months to get an appointment following this referral (back to the NHS). Didn't have a pleasant experience with this but the doctor here removed the polyp, which was helpful. Annoyingly, 4 weeks later, I'm still waiting on the results, despite the fact I've been told they're ready... But we'll not go there..

Today has been the hardest day in my journey. I track my ovulation with the app and sticks, because they're both close enough. I'm a latey and ovulate every 30-35 days. Following the hystero, I think it may have interfered with my ovulation this month, as the scan took place during my window and now my period is late. Day 44 to be precise. I really thought this time i was pregnant. I took a clear blue test yesterday I thought was positive only to discover it was the evaporation line. I took another test this morn, which was negative and another at my GP's which was also negative. My partner and I had spent all of yesterday believing I was pregnant. Today was such a blow, yet somehow I knew it too good to be true.
I'm pretty level headed and have managed to keep it together quite well on this journey but today rocked me. I'm here with all you wonderful people on these painful and enlightening journeys. Sending you all love and hope and my gratitude ❤️

@WeeMela I'm so sorry you're having a really, really bad day today. I'm sending hugs and positive energy to you and to everyone on their ttc journey.

@selinakylewayne what does your CCG say in terms of how long you should be trying before before referral to the assisted conception unit/fertility clinic? In most CCGs it is 12 months if under 35 and it's at that stage they do the extra tests like checking your tubes etc. It's not until those tests have been done that they refer you for IVF and that's where the 2 year mark comes into play.

So read up on the details and argue with the GP as they mess up on this ALL THE TIME. Refer them to the CCG docs and stand your ground. I know someone on another thread that this happened to just last week and she was right and the GP wrong.

It will be up to the fertility clinic to determine whether you're subfertile or not, not the GP.

Hi Juno231! Thanks so much for the reply.

The CCG says exactly that: that it's 12 months trying until you can get referred to investigate possible subfertility; I thought my partners low sperm count counted as subfertility but apparently not as people above have said? It's a bit confusing to me how it's not cause low sperm reduces the chances....

It says that couples with subfertility should get referred straight away. And others need to wait until 24 months.

My point is yours exactly.... how can it go straight to IVF when they haven't checked anything else on me/him? Maybe he has low testosterone and we don't know?

The GP really was not very helpful...

Hi tiggerwhocamefortea, thanks for the reply!

I know it doesn't make him infertile but if it massively reduces the chances (and he had no improvement in two set of tests he did, months apart) then I thought we would qualify for something... I guess not.

I did BBT in the first year to understand my cycle however I don't anymore. I did OPKs for a couple of months but I have very evident cervical mucus so I can tell when I am in my fertile week pretty easily.

Baby dust to us all 💙

@selinakylewayne

Hi tiggerwhocamefortea, thanks for the reply!

I know it doesn't make him infertile but if it massively reduces the chances (and he had no improvement in two set of tests he did, months apart) then I thought we would qualify for something... I guess not.

I did BBT in the first year to understand my cycle however I don't anymore. I did OPKs for a couple of months but I have very evident cervical mucus so I can tell when I am in my fertile week pretty easily.

Baby dust to us all 💙

CM isn't a reliable indicator of when you ovulate......Mine is very obvious but my actual ovulation date can vary by a few days according to my OPKs - sometimes I can be a day after CM stops or sometimes 3 days....

If your partner has poor sperm levels you need to be giving them the best chance by OPK testing to narrow down your window to like 36 hours

Hi there!
Thanks but yes, I know CM isn't a reliable indicator but like I said I did BBT for a whole year and I know my cycle/body well enough to know when we should be having sex.

We went to the GP today together and he basically said the waiting lists are huge for our CCG so mentioned doing self-funded treatments which we can't afford so I don't know.... Guess we will wait however long we have