Rejected for NHS fertility funding

[shoegirl36]

What help can I get on NHS if I have been rejected NHS funding for fertility treatment. They have told me that I will be tested and investigated with my partner, we have bloods, ultrasounds and semen analysis already booked. What else might they do? Would we be given medication ie clomid/letrozole, would we be given scans to check if I ovulate, if an issue is found would they help with things ie blocked tubes, semen issues, egg issues?

Background
1 previous miscarriage (me) not with current partner
2 daughters (partner) ages 8&9
Unprotected sex for 3 years 2 months with no pregnancy

Currently booked into a fertility clinic for blood work for us both, semen analysis booked for my partner and vaginal ultrasound booked for me.

Minimal.
Will not be entitled to IVF as partner has prior children.

@Krampers we knew when we were referred we wouldn't get ivf but I wondered on a smaller scale what treatment we might get almost, what doesn't need bus funding approval I guess

@shoegirl36 surely the NHS (ie your GP) will support with blood tests to check ovulation etc., and can support with things like clomid. I would have thought it's just IVF funding that unfortunately you won't meet criteria for (don't even get me started on the criteria.....!!!)? Definitely worth a convo with your GP x

@Lozzy000 I finally got an appointment date for my initial fertility clinic with my partner in February. They have arranged bloods, a semen analysis and an internal ultrasound for me for before the first appointment so we can get our results. I have since bought a Mira device and been tracking which shows I'm either not ovulating or I have low progesterone. Either way I'm wondering if the NHS will provide medication to help me with these. I don't know where medication comes in the fertility treatment definition.

@shoegirl36 that sounds like great progress! I really do think the NHS will provide support in terms of ovulation medication or if say something comes up in the ultrasound / semen analysis. I think it's just the criteria for IVF (and maybe IUI?) due to it being expensive for the NHS and therefore having to have a criteria to limit patients. We weren't eligible for IVF on NHS either.

If for some stupid reason the NHS won't fund medication like clomid, then it's actually not that expensive. I think I got 4 months worth for around £30 with a prescription from my fertility clinic x

@Lozzy000 you honestly don't realise how much you have put my mind at ease. I thought i wouldn't be able to access anything because we were refused. I like you assumed it was ivf and iui but I wasn't sure what else fell on what side of the line. Just so desperate to be a mum I'm really trying to learn as much as I can. I've used Mira this cycle for the first time and I'm no doctor but I'd say I'm not ovulating, my lh did rise but my progesterone is low and my bbt hasn't risen either. I feel like the more I know the more I can try and fix

@shoegirl36 definitely good to start understanding everything and seeing what your body is doing. I knew absolutely nothing before TTC 🤣 If you don't think you're ovulating then you should defo ask your GP to do a day 21 blood test to check progesterone etc. That'll confirm if you're ovulating or not and if not, the first thing they'll probs do is give you clomid. Hopefully you can then try that for a few cycles with the mira to track before doing anything else. Make sure you're taking good supplements and that your partner is too! X

@Lozzy000 me and my partner are on a prenatal and I am on inositol as I have pcos and also a vitamin d supplement. Tried a combination of so many things including maca root, omega, coq10 etc. I did have a cd21 test last year I think around may and they told me my result was 27 and they con only confirm ovulation after 30 so they classed me as borderline. So it's one of those I don't know if I am or not plus I have irregular cycles so don't know when 7dpo is half the time. Who knew it'd be so difficult to conceive.

@shoegirl36 tell me about it!! I tried most of my adult life NOT to get pregnant.... little did I know I'd be 5 years on with no sign of a baby and on IVF cycle 5 🤣 Sounds like you have a good plan ahead so fingers crossed you get the support you need! X

@Lozzy000 thank you so much... it's just a weird one as I have step kids and they're beginning to ask questions about all the baby stuff and although we have plans it's like nothing is certain and I'm such a plans person I like to be in total control. I was taught in school that have sex and bang get pregnant but oh here we are, over 1 year actually ttc with my partner and 1 accidental pregnancy back in 2021 when I was living the wild girl lifestyle. It's actually crazy the lack of logic in the process