Fertility Clinic referral but natural conception

[Mae2B]

If your GP has done a referral to the fertility clinic and you are waiting for the hospital appointment, but then in the meantime you fall pregnant naturally... Does your GP withdraw the referral once they are notified of your pregnancy?

I'm really thrilled I'm pregnant but it's so early days and anything can happen so I'd feel really reassured if I kept that appointment and see how it goes until then 🥺

Anyone has had this experience?

I had a referral but decided to go privately due to waiting times. I always stayed on the list but after 8 months, I'm still on it. Luckily had success privately so won't need the referral, but I was also very conscious about pulling it in case something happened!

Now 10 weeks and have felt confident enough to cancel it myself. GP are aware of pregnancy but didn't cancel referral.

Congrats x

We were due to begin IVF the same week as 9 week booking appointment - we were advised by private scan company to absolutely not tell the GP until the very last second possible as most locations once the NHS know you've fallen naturally you're off the cards for any fertility help if things don't go as hoped.

Our maternity referral was direct with the hospital and at 14 weeks GP still doesn't have a clue about my pregnancy as no details have been shared even though it's same trust as hospital which is bizzare, but we did cancel the referral on way home from the booking appointment.

Are you going to have a reassurance early scan privately - I really recommend it to put your mind at ease and check viability before cancelling referral x

That seems quite risky for them to not let your GP know you're pregnant when you're as far along as 14 weeks!

I can understand the dilemma OP, having been through 5 years of fertility treatments myself, I totally understand waiting list anxiety!

Is your appointment actually booked in, and how far along will you be by then?

I think it would be very difficult to actually have the fertility appointment whilst you are pregnant, because you would basically have to lie and pretend that you have been unable to fall pregnant... they will then start investigations etc as if you were infertile... but you're not. And the thing is, as soon as they do the blood tests and start looking at your hormones, and do a pelvic ultrasound, they will know you're pregnant anyway.

Personally I think I'd struggle to do all that with a clear conscious, so if the appointment is coming up soon, I'd be tempted to just delay it for a few weeks, say I was out of the country etc.

Once you get to the 8-10 week mark in your pregnancy it would be risky for your GP not to know, and also by then, the risk of miscarriage is vastly reduced. You will also need to see a midwife (presuming you are going to have NHS care).

Finally have you considered that if you are in some kind of accident or medical emergency, the fact that you are pregnant wouldn't be on your medical record, so they may give you drugs/ treatments etc that are not suitable and could harm you/ baby? It's worth thinking about - you need to weigh up these things.

I don't envy your position though. I think if you're quite early and your appointment isn't for a while, I'd be tempted to keep it... but not beyond 8-10 weeks. By then you will really need to get things moving with your maternity care.

@PregnantAtLast they've only just done the referral so according to the waiting times the appointment will probably be June at the earliest (not booked yet). I'm now 4w, I'd like to wait until at least the 12w combined results to be back before cancelling this referral appt, so around April I'd be able to cancel the appointment well in time for them to offer it to someone else. So I wouldn't go to the appointment pregnant, it would be a waste of time. I just want to stay in the queue until I see what happens with this pregnancy.

It would really stress me out if there is a loss and I'd have to deal with the grief and with the fact that I'm back to square one when I don't have much time left. So I just want that reassurance that there is a plan B. But of course I'm hoping this is the baby I will raise and I won't need any of that.

I don't think I can wait much longer to tell the GP/hospital. I can self-refer to the hospital directly rather than going to the GP but they will probably inform the GP and besides it's the same trust as the fertility clinic so if they share notes they will be able to see.

I think I will wait for the 5w mark and call the GP and the hospital and explain and beg not to cancel it. I don't see any other way... First pregnancy so I really need that midwife/GP support and advice :/ just hoping for the best now.

@Mae2B Yes it's so hard to weigh up because even though the appointment isn't until June, as you say, you do need the midwife support - and that is more important.

I would say though, for me, I had a midwife appointment at 10 weeks and that was the first time I actually got the info about support and advice etc.

Before that point there wasn't any midwife involvement, so I think you'd be safe to not worry too much about it until then. Although, of course, you do need to get that midwife appointment booked in - so I would say maybe you could safely leave it until 8 weeks to inform them and make the appointment.

By 8 weeks, your risk of miscarriage has substantially reduced compared to 5/6 weeks, especially if you are in a position to pay for a private early scan and see a heartbeat (you can do this from 6 weeks), so that is what I would do.

Congrats on your pregnancy and good luck!

Congratulations @Mae2B!

I was in the same position as you back in May. I’ve got a son already but had been trying for a second baby for 3years and 3months. We’d been referred to the fertility clinic and had been on the waiting list for 6 months when I found out I was pregnant. I was over the moon (and so shocked!) to have conceived naturally. I also knew that things don’t always work out so I rang my GP to register my pregnancy but I
asked them not to cancel the fertility clinic referral and promised that I would do it after my 12 week scan or before if they sent me an appointment letter. The GP was really understanding.

Unfortunately on my 12 week scan I was told that my baby was really poorly and that I was high risk of miscarriage. Long story short, I ended up having a late miscarriage and gave birth to a tiny baby girl at 15 weeks. Turns out I’d caught parvovirus in early pregnancy.
The fertility clinic sent me an appointment, by text, for just before my 12 week scan and there was on option to reply and say ‘rearrange’ which I did, and they just sent me another appointment for about a month later. I rearranged a second time before cancelling the appointment altogether when I found out I was pregnant again. I’m 12w+4d now and so far so good this time round 🤞🏻.

I was incredibly unlucky to get parvovirus and for it to lead to miscarriage. I’m sure your pregnancy will be absolutely fine. I completely understand why you don’t want to cancel your fertility clinic referral, the wait times can be so long! Obviously depending where abouts you are you might not get text appointments? I’m from Nottinghamshire and I also have an NHS app on my phone where I can see all of my medical/doctor appointment details, so maybe I’ve opted in for texts at some point?
as long as you either cancel or rearrange as soon as your appointment is made then I don’t see it being an issue because they’ll just give that appointment to someone else.

Good luck with your pregnancy, I wish you all the best xxx

@SoReadyForAHoliday thank you for sharing, I'm so sorry for your loss, it must have been so sad and disappointing after so long trying. But I'm SO glad you got naturally pregnant again and all is going well! 🥹

I really hope my GP is understanding, I really wouldn't take anyone's place, if I don't need the appointment I'll cancel it well in time. Fingers crossed they keep it and I don't need it, it would be a good sign ☺️

Thank you and wishing you all the best too, may this be your healthy baby! x