IVF. Can someone talk me through what to expect please?

[Whowhatwhere21]

I'll tell you where im at up til this point....
Ivf is our only option due to one blocked tube, other tube recently clipped due to hydrasalpinx.
Had my post op phone call to confirm Ivf is our option and an appointment would be sent out with an ivf nurse.
That letter has now arrived, 31st of December. looked into timelines, what happens etc....but I'm very impatient having waited 4 years to get to this point!
Can anyone tell me what to expect with the nurse appointment? Does medication begin that day or do they have to plan meds starting around my cycle?? Any other info you think I may find useful or questions I should be asking the nurse, please throw it at me, everything is appreciated 🙂

Each clinic is different but from my first consultation appointment with consultant to starting meds it was a month or two because they did tests such as scans (to check follicle count) and blood tests (to check AMH levels etc.) and had to get the medication sorted and delivered - known as an "admin cycle" at my clinic. Also quite a lot of forms and information videos to watch. Medication usually starts on day 2 (with day 1 being the first day of full flow bleeding of a period) of a cycle (on a short protocol). But that depends if you're on a short or long protocol, hopefully they'll be able to tell you this and explain it.

I'd be asking things like what tests need doing, what the timeline of it all will look like, anything you can be doing to prepare your body for IVF etc.

I hope it all goes well 😊

Thanks for the reply! I've already had a lot of tests done, bloods, scans etc, these are what picked up the hydrosalpinx, so everything had to be put on hold til I had an op 2 months ago. They have asked me to rebook in to repeat the bloods and scan as its now been a year so I've got these booked in before my nurse appointment, as well as the AMH test so all these will be completed before my nurse appointment. Short/long protocol I have never heard of, I'll have a read up on this now, thank you!

Ooh that's good hopefully it will speed things along!

I guess the other thing to think about is, do you work? If so I have found fitting IVF around a clinical role quite difficult. Thankfully I told my manager and she is lovely and has done everything she can to create some more flexibility in my role for appointments etc. Obviously not all managers are like that so it's working out if it's best telling them.

Hey!

Nurses appointment will be to arrange your dates and plan things. Will all depend on your period dates and when the clinic have space in books etc also but you should get a good bit of an idea from this appointment what your timings will be.