I hope this is okay to ask — I’m feeling a bit in limbo about what to do first.
We’ve been trying for our second for 2 years now. Everything from the NHS fertility investigations has been reassuring — my HSG was clear, I have regular cycles and I do ovulate. I also have Hashimoto’s, but my TSH is now at an optimal level.
However, since around October last year I’ve started having quite a lot of back/pelvic/ovary-type pain, sometimes with pain going down the side of my leg. I’m increasingly wondering whether endometriosis could be contributing, particularly as we’ve now been trying for 2 years. I can’t help wondering whether inflammation could be part of the picture.
We’re now considering going privately for IVF, but I’m worried about just going straight into IVF without properly investigating the suspected endometriosis first.
Would it be worth having a private gynaecology/endometriosis consultation before starting IVF? I’ve also heard that a private consultation can sometimes help with getting onto an NHS laparoscopy pathway/waiting list sooner — has anyone had experience of this?
I do have an NHS gynaecology appointment booked for December (booked since January this year 🙃), but I’m worried about losing more time, especially as I’ll be 35 next year.
I suppose I’m mainly looking for other people’s experiences of navigating suspected endometriosis alongside fertility treatment/IVF — particularly whether you investigated the endo first or went ahead with IVF.
Any experiences would be really appreciated, thank you