anybody been to a fertility specialist?

[comet1234]

As the title said, what was your first appointment like? Any experience or advice you can give is very welcome!

X

 

[han17]

Hey,
Have a look at the post I started a few weeks ago... Anyone had any fertility treatment on the nhs... Got loads of info xx

 

[lxb]

have your list of questions ready!

our first visit to FS was a little overwhelming. She went through a list of questions for us to get our history/background. Don't be afraid to stop and ask questions. Or ask them to explain what certain things are if you don't know.

 

[comet1234]

Yeah I got questions ready, did they offer you any medical treatment straightaway?

Wondering if any had been turned away after the first appointment?

 

[comet1234]

Han: I had a look but I have already had testing done( ultrasound, bloods etc), we know I have pcos, I'm not ovulating regularly and hubby has low sperm count and morphology. X

 

[lxb]

Since I didn't have bloodwork/hsg done, she first put me on that. Then we had an ultrasound at that appointment and check the follicles. And then lined up a whole bunch of appointments/bloodwork. day21 bloodwork, hsg, etc.

how long have you been ttc?

 

[comet1234]

A year now , I have had bloods and 21 day bloods and an internal ultrasound, internal examination, swobs. My husband has had 2 sperm analysis. I just wanted to know because I have had everything required done will I get a course of treatment straightaway? X

 

[comet1234]

Anybody else?

 

[lxb]

then your fs should be able to answer those questions for you. since you said you're not ovulating regularly, perhaps he/she will put you on some medication and monitor the process. Perhaps have you track your cycle along with opk.

i dont think they will turn you away after the first appt since you've been actively trying for a year.

good luck

 

[comet1234]

Yeah i was thinking of taking my fertility friend charts and opk pictures i have. hopefully that will be a lot of evidence, so they will help me.

thank you for the advice x

 

[Ariannda]

We've had everything done, no one could find any issues until an HSG revealed both blocked tubes. I am furious with the treatment I received, i had a ton of questions and i was dismissed with "ivf is best, when can we sign you up ?". I ended up setting things up myself for the possibility of a tubal recannulization but i only needed a simpler procedure to reopen at least one tube.

If you can get yourself ovulating i suggest looking into insemination first over IVF due to cost factor as well as success rate

*edit* ah you're in the UK where things are done differently, but thats still my opinion

 

[comet1234]

Sorry you have had such a tough time, did you get your bfp or are you still trying?

Yeah in the uk we get certain things on the nhs. Haven't had a hsg but had an internal ultrasound so hopefully they could see if my tubes were blocked.

 

[Ariannda]

they can't tell if tubes are blocked from an US because they have to be able to track the dye. We tried for 18 months before being told about the blocked tubes. I had the second HSG which opened at least one in October but my husband was out of town, we haven't really tried since but this month we're back into TTC. We didn't want IVF for a lot of reasons so we're going other routes. I scheduled myself with a new OB and a Reproductive Endocrinology group for Feb, If i have at least one tube open then i think it's time to be looking at ultrasounds and other possibilities

 

[lxb]

yes~ definitely ask about hsg if they don't mention it.

I got my bfp the cycle after I got hsg done~ (not sure if it's coincident?)

 

[reshma11]

hi ,

i also visited FS . i gone thru 2 miscarriages and 1 Ectopic pregnancy . after i lost one tube we actively trying since may 2013 to till date but no success. all 3 times i got pregnant withing 2 tries. but this time taking long.

1.I had first appointment with FS on Nov 18th 2013. it was 1 hour appointment. she asked me about all my pregnancy loss. Then about my health she asked if i m having diabetics or any other medical history. plus if i m getting milky discharge from my breast or not, in past whether i gone thru any STD or any other infections. she also asked about my cycle is regular or not. She also asked family history. if you take any medicines then that also you have to tell.Then she did ultrasound to check reproductive organs and breast examination and she also did Pap smear test.

for husband we did sperm analysis test too and for me i was requested to do blood test for FSH,TSH(i m hypothyroid),plus test related to recurrent miscarriages, liver test, kidney test and some other was there but dont remember. she asked me to do ovulation chart.

2. the 2nd appointment was on 18th December 2013. it was about blood test results. for me and husband all the results were normal. and i saw her temping chart that she asked me to do in 1st appointment and after seeing chart she thought i might not be ovulating and then for 3rd appointment again she asked me to do charting. and i also got appointment for HSG test on 27th Dec and blood test for progesterone on CD27 that on 13th Jan.

3. on 27th Dec i went for HSG test and my one only tube was open so results for this test was normal.

4.on 13th Jan CD27 i went for blood test progesterone and result was 37 so indicated that i ovulating myself.so this month it shows on chart also that i ovulated. but last month cycle i did not see ovulation on chart.

5.on 20th Jan i again had appointment with FS and she told me that they did all possible test but results are normal. so they can not find anything why its taking time to conceive and why i gone thru miscarriages. she told me it is my bad luck that i gone thru all loses.
on her computer she had one program in which she entered my age and some other parameters and told me with one tube you have 47.8% fertility till 2015. and you chance for conceiving naturally is 84%. she asked me to come after May 2015 if we still not conceived. i felt bad after listening this. she told once your fertility comes under 30% then only we can go ahead not before. she asked me if u want u can go to other doctors also. so that was all.

now we will try for 2 months by own and then i will again ask my Home Doctor to look into this and give me other letter to some specialist.

this is my whole story to FS i stay in netherlands.

 

[popchick75]

Definitely bring your test results/paperwork from your previous doctor. It's helpful for them to see the actual numbers on the bloodwork and the ultrasound pictures. Some doctors will re-do them if you don't have the paperwork. If you have everything, they will probably get an idea of a plan. Depending on what the plan is, you may have to have more tests or they could start right away. Good luck

 

[291]

Yes, in June 2013, put on public treatment wait list for October 2014. Had some monitored cycles, paid over $1K, got some meds, still here with no real answers and we've still got no baby, and to see them again costs us $160, without meds.
Told I have pco on one side of my ovaries, and other side is fine. DH has antibodies and poor morph (1% only). Took us 11 months to fall pregnant with our first (no help) and now it's out 18th month of trying for #2. Our first will be at school before our second is even on the radar.

 

[mod19]

I'm wondering what to expect too. I'm not going to a fertility specialist yet but my obgyn is starting testing on me since I've been TTC for three years with no luck. I had two surgeries from one ectopic so we're doing the dye test thing before anything else, just waiting for the insurance to get back with what exactly they will cover. For both surgeries (the first one I wasn't sewed up right and had internal bleeding, leading to a second surgery the next day) they just repaired my tube and my dr wants to make sure those didn't block anything up. Hopefully that's what's wrong with me. I'm excited and scared for this. I'm finally going to get some answers, but I'm scared the only option for me could potentially be the ever debting ivf.

I do use a fertility monitor, and it says I ovulate, not really sure if that means I really do ov or not thought...