Do you have questions about conceiving or fertility? Ask The Fertility Partnership - £200 voucher to be won

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Whether you’ve experienced problems conceiving in the past or you’re exploring IVF options for the first time, finding the right fertility treatment for you or your partner can seem like a confusing and difficult process. With this in mind, the Fertility Partnership’s expert, Professor Tim Child, is on hand to help answer your questions.

Meet Professor Tim Child:
Tim Child is Medical Director of Oxford Fertility and Group Medical Director of The Fertility Partnership, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, and Honorary Consultant Gynaecologist at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. As of 2021, he was appointed to the board of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) - the Government regulator responsible for making sure fertility clinics and research centres comply with the law.

Here’s what The Fertility Partnership has to say:
“Thinking about fertility treatment can be daunting at the best of times and it's natural to have lots of questions. While there are plenty of small changes you can make to help you conceive, if you need advice about fertility treatment, we’re here to offer understanding and expertise.”

So whatever your question about conceiving or understanding the fertility treatments available to you, please post your questions on this thread for Tim to answer. Tim will be back on the 20th April to answer your questions.

All who share a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

*Please note this thread does not constitute personal medical advice, and please do not disclose personal health information on this forum. You should always speak to a GP/healthcare professional in person for advice specific to your situation.

How long is the average time a couple conceives ?

Do you think that when the NHS starts to recover from the pandemic that IVF treatments will be harder to get on the NHS - there will be a backlog of treatment and illnesses to catch up - and to take the funding away from this would be an easy target.

Is there a way to measure your fertility level at home or through the GP? I'm in a same sex relationship so will definitely need fertility treatment but would love to know how much time I have left and whether it's best to go straight for IVF.

How common is secondary infertility?

What's the main thing you can do to help with your fertility?

As someone who had IVF to conceive their first child (due to PCOS), I also ended up needing a C-section. Is this likely to subsequently negatively effect my already poor fertility?

Why does losing weight help some women with conceiving, however has no effect on other women?

In cases of unexplained fertility in someone over 40, is IVF really worth trying (given low success rates)?

Are all IVF treatments similar - do they use the same hormones ? if so are there different strengths of hormone - and of there are different treatments - is there data available on success rates ?

Does breastfeeding affect frozen embryo transfer? Is it typically a requirement to have stopped breastfeeding before beginning fertility treatment?

Has the waiting list for IVF increased due to the pandemic, and if so, can I opt to get treatment from a CCG with the lowest waiting list through referral ? (if not can I be referred anyway to the lowest waiting list)

Is IVF still worth trying if you have low AMH? (Mine is 2.2, age 39)

How old is too old for ivf? Or does it just depend on amh and afc?

Is there more to PCOS than a failure to ovulate?

I have PCOS and my luteal phase seemed short although I did appear to ovulate as I could occasionally get pregnant. I couldn't sustain a pregnancy past 5 weeks though. When I was put onto clomid I got pregnant and did manage to sustain the second pregnancy that I achieved on it.

The NHS don't seem to 'believe' in progesterone issues and I was to be sent for IVF next. I wonder what the consensus is more widely about PCOS?

Why is it that taking things like Pregnacare help with conceiving?

What tips can you give to help with conception?

Can you explain how different medication protocols are decided when the woman is otherwise healthy? And how much input does the patient have in deciding on these (on the NHS)?

I am asking specifically because we are only undergoing ICSI treatment due to male factor issues (unexplained low count, mobility, morphology). I am very curious about this difference between 'long' and 'short' and 'mild' and 'natural modified' protocols and so forth. But the only information I can find, is about a woman's age, or if she has PCOS, or endometriosis, etc. What if everything is just average: average age, average AMH, healthy lifestyle, healthy BMI? Available information generally focusses on women's (potential) health issues, which just does not apply to our situation.

Second question (and thank you for taking the time for this by the way): how does having short but regular menstrual cycles affect IVF/ICSI?

I only see information about long or irregular cycles, but what if your cycle is regularly between 21-26 days? Are additional medications recommended during the 'two week wait' (to make sure it even gets to two weeks!), and if so, which, and what do they do?

When testing for ovulation, what is likely to be the optimal time to try and conceive? Most test kits show fertile days before the anticipated time of ovulation, but when is fertilisation actually likely to take place?

Could catching Covid-19 pre-conception impact epigenetics and cause issues or potential defects in a baby that is conceived after (either from the male or female)

I've had two early losses. Are there any downsides to taking low dose aspirin and/or progesterone to aid implantation?

Hi Prof Tim! I'm awaiting the start of my next cycle to begin my first round of IVF at OFU. What are your tips to improve chances of a good IVF cycle (lifestyle, diet, exercise, supplements etc)?

Is it true that eating protein is important for follicle growth in an ivf cycle? I'm a vegetarian so don't get as much protein very easily, would you recommend supplementing with protein shakes during stims? Thank you for taking the time to do this!

Is it only the first trimester where miscarriage is most likely? What would you suggest to lower the chances of miscarriage?