Start of fertility testing

[Peonies94]

Anyone else at the start of fertility testing? I’ve had my first bloods and had husband is waiting for his SA. My bloods weren’t done on any particular day of the cycle, and I have no idea what rhey were looking for. I phoned for results and have been told the gp hasn’t looked at them yet, but there’s no ‘red’. I’m assuming they won’t be looking at ovulation, which I am pretty certain I’m not ovulating, as I’m only having around 3 periods a month. Currently 3 months since last period. If anyone else is around the same place in the process or could help me with what they may be testing, that would be really helpful! Thank you

@Aqualou I’m trying to diet too, hoping it’ll help regulate my periods!!

@Aqualouglad your finally getting somewhere and having tests done though!!

@Aqualou I'm glad that you're getting the tests now, and it's good that they've ordered them and booked you in to review rather than just batting you straight back to the GP!

I really need to lose weight, just find it so difficult to motivate myself at the moment!

So hard to find motivation to diet! I find it particularly difficult when going through the emotions of ttc too!!

100000000% @Peonies94! It's so all consuming I feel like if I want a treat I should have one but it's so counterproductive!

@Endogal I deffo agree about the dieting. When you're already a bit down due to all this, knowing that you can't have a glass of wine or a bar of chocolate without feeling guilty is just another jab. Need to find another pick-me-up if I can't have some Dairy Milk!

Ah so true! It’s just so difficult! When I’m struggling with the emotions of ttc I have turned to food so much! It’s just an emotional rollercoaster of not knowing when my period will come, then waiting for a peak OPK, and then the 2ww, and it all starts AGAIN!

Hi all, just thought I’d give an update about my first fertility appointment at the hospital.

First thing they did (after they photocopied my passport etc) was measure and weigh me. My BMI is 30.2 which I’m a bit upset about. Losing weight is so difficult because I’m constantly stressed about ttc and having something wrong with me which leads to stress/emotional eating.

Anyway, after that me and DH went to see the nurse. I didn’t see the consultant this time. Nurse said I’m definitely ovulating (which I kinda knew), my FSH is good (she said likely have a good number of eggs or something). My thyroid is ok, but if we need IVF will probably need medication to get it below 3 (it’s 4 point something) now.

I am going for a ultrasound on Friday, I have blood test booked (end of the month) to test AMH.

In the first day of my next period I have to call the hospital to arrange a HSG. Needs to be before CD 11 but after my period. So, looking at my calendar I’m looking at either end of this month or beginning of April for that.

DH SA is all normal.

She said would probably get an appointment in about 8 weeks to speak to consultant, but all my tests need to be done by then.

Given the length of time we’ve been trying, it’s likely we will then need IVF.

@Lauralozzle sounds like a lot going on, I think you've got more tests in the next 8 weeks than I've had in the last year 😅 (but then again, you're at the fertility specialist now).
Hope all goes quickly from now on, whichever way you'll end up getting your baby

@Lauralozzle ahh it is hard but very xlose to being out of the obese range and into overweight, which is where you need to be if you do need ivf!

Ahh hopefully your appointments will follow soon! Keep us updated! I need to phone and re refer myself to gynae next month!

@Lauralozzle how long have you been trying? And how long ago did you reach out for tests etc? Thank you!

@Omgdnswv I’ve only had bloods prior. To be honest, there’s so much going on in the next 8 weeks it’s a bit overwhelming!

@Peonies94 I know! 30.2 it’s so close! I must be under 30 by 8 weeks though because we can’t do anything after results if it’s too high.

We’ve been trying for nearly years. Went to gp after a year, basically told to come back in a year. After 2 years then got bloods sorted, had to have a few repeat tests cause my thyroid and prolactin were high. We were eventually referred to fertility by gp in January this year so it’s all happening fairly quickly.

That was meant to say we’ve been trying for nearly 3 years!!!

@Lauralozzle ahh okay! Yes I went after a year but have been told to re contact within 6 months if my cycles continue to be irregular, which they have been! I’m trying to get my bmi down by 3.5 for now before I get back in contact!🤞 good luck!

Hi all just jumping in, so nice to see everyone talking about being in a similar situation in something that just feels so blimin lonely!

I first went to my GP raising my concerns in 2017 after a year off the pill and no luck. Blood tests & scan confirmed PCOS. Took metformin for just over a year but then stopped.

Have gone from being really strict and frustrated to trying a more relaxed approach all while trying to lose weight. We got married, enjoyed our honeymoon and planned on going back to the GP but then covid hit & we stayed away.

Fast forward to today, I have been to see the GP again. Husband is to book SA, I am to have a blood test and when all results back she says she will refer us to a fertility clinic.

My concerns are that I am overweight and I understand that IVF is not currently available in the area I live in so not sure how limited the help will be.

So lovely to read through all of your stories that you are sharing.

@Hedgehugs - welcome 👋sounds like you’ve had a difficult time! It’s so hard to take a more relaxed approach! Hopefully you’ll get the help you need soon! Sending you best wishes!

Welcome @Hedgehugs

Thought I’d update you all on the internal/external ultrasound I had today.

External ultrasound was fine, but because I had to have a full bladder it didn’t help needing to pee throughout it!

Internal ultrasound didn’t hurt. It did look like a massive dildo though. I was expecting it to be like a smear but it wasn’t at all. They couldn’t find my right ovary though. Internal took about 20 mins.

They didn’t really say anything. I asked if there was anything wrong, and they said nothing major, so I think there is something they’ve spotted. I heard the word transverse (I’m assuming my uterus is tilted), fluid and tubal. But they didn’t explain to me what they saw. They said they had to review the scans in more detail and write a detailed report to the consultant.

Can’t help but think there’s something but if it’s nothing major, my irrational fear of them spotting cancer or something (I have no symptoms) has gone a bit. My appointment with the consultant is in May, if there was anything serious I wouldn’t be waiting that long!!

So, not a painful experience but not too pleasant either.

@Lauralozzle I have also had the internal scan and I lol’d at your dildo comment. I too was expecting like the smear but could hide my shocked face when I found out it wasn’t, but painless :)

@Peonies94 thank you :)

@Hedgehugs yes, it was painless just a bit 🙈 I was telling them for smears I need a smaller speculum and they’re like it’s not like a smear and grabbed it. Haha the look on my face, I did burst out that it looked like a massive dildo! They did chuckle a bit. I wish I’d done a bit of research before it do I knew it was a dildo cam!

Howling at everyone's experiences of the dildo cam 😂😂😂

Still nothing from fertility clinic, they have go get back to me by the end of April so hopefully won't be too long! Plodding along with my metformin on max dose now, seem to have constant spotting though for 6 weeks now, was slightly less today (only in thee morn rather than all day) so hopefully it's a sign its stopping! If I have it again tomorrow and Monday I'm going to call the doctors and see if I can maybe take something to trigger a proper bleed and see if that shocks it into a cycle!

Dildo cam!!

Husband now booked in for his check next month.

Does anyone know… with NHS I know they are very strict on BMI/ weight with fertility treatment. If we were to go private does it then become a bit more flexible?

@Hedgehugs I think for private ivf bmi I’ve read bmi under 35 but I’m not 100%. Certainly less strict than nhs though cause they want your money! Haha 😂

@Endogal I Hope the spotting stops soon and you hear from the fertility clinic before the end of April.

I’m just plodding along at the moment, period not due until the end of next week and then I have to call for the HSG. Eeek.

I've been taking Inositol for a bit over a month now and actually had a period around cycle day 40! Now I've slipped right back into the roller coaster of emotions skipping between hope that it might still happen at any point and despair at the length to wait until we can see the fertility clinic.
I'm also not sure what to make of my partners sperm analysis, his repeat sample was definitely better than his first one, but his GP said he couldn't tell us what the values meant for our chances to conceive as "he's not a specialist" but at the same time, when my partner asked if he could take some pills to improve his sperm (we know someone who was prescribed some pills for that) the GP said the values were too far gone for steroid pills. I've done some research since then (cause I was also falsely told there was nothing I could take to help my cycle) and according to the British fertility society and WHO guidelines, my partners 2nd sample seems to mostly be within the range of "likely to achieve pregnancy".
Life used to be so much easier to understand before this whole fertility mess started

@Omgdnswv my husband had his SA a month or so ago, and his were mostly good, however his morphology was lower than normal, but not terrible. They printed his and I researched what each level should be, as the gp just read them and didn’t tell us anything! I spoke to another lady on here, who’s DP had poor results and took a mixture of tablets and they’ve improved so much! I’ll see if I can find it now! My husband has been taking well man to help his!

Anyone have an ovusense? Considering buying myself one, but really unsure! I want the ovucore one. I just find them really expensive, if they work it would be amazing, however I don’t want to keep throwing money into ttc, as i also feel like if it’s going to work it will anyways! I am concerned I’m not ovulating as having really irregular periods! I’ve been toying with the idea of getting one, as it’ll be impossible for me to temp bbt as my sleep isn’t regular, and when I wake up I always forget! I feel like this is the only way to confirm if I am/am not ovulating!!