Anyone had tests on nhs??

[han17]

Sorry me again - do you the percentage of positive results for iui?

Xx

 

[DBZ34]

Oh wow! Everything seems like it moving in the right direction then! So your iui appointment is the 8th jan then? I'll be thinking of you!
Can I ask how long did it take from your 3 day progesterone test to where you are now? I just ask because I'm waiting on my 3 day progesterone blood test results to come back to me.
Do you know how many treatMents of the iui you get?

Sorry for all my questions be put I can see myself going in this direction.

Xx

Sorry me again - do you the percentage of positive results for iui?

Xx

No problem. I'm here to help however I can. It's nice knowing what to expect, really.

On the 8th, we have the hour long intake appointment, where they make sure we're fit parents and go over the procedure and what to expect. Then we'll schedule the IUI. I'm really excited about that.

So, I had my first appointment with the FS on July 1st this year. I had my Day 3 on the 15th of July (on day 4 or 5 because day 3 was over the weekend) and the HSG on the 18th. Then I had to wait until the 28th of August for my follow-up appointment with the FS. With all the results in, he told us we were Unexplained and recommended IUI.

We could have called to get things started right after that appointment, and I think the doc thought we would, really, but DH wasn't ready to do the IUI just then. He wanted to try naturally for a few more months before starting the process. Plus we needed to save up for it.

IUIs aren't covered by the NHS. It's 600 pounds for the IUI and an additional 250 pounds for the medication. You pay for the IUI first and then when it's time to do the IUI, you pay for the medication. You only get one IUI treatment for that, but I think you can request back-to-back sperm insertion for later tries. You might have to pay more for that though (I'll ask at my appointment on the 8th).

The first thing I had to do was call the finance office and pay for the IUI. Then finance contacted the doctor's office to say we paid and they sent me an appointment time in the mail. Then, after that appointment, it's at least a month wait (but no more than two) for the actual IUI, since you've got to wait for AF to start the meds and there can be a waiting list.

As for percentages, I've been told it's a 10-15% success rate on top of the 20% chance you have every month. Less than IVF, but slightly more than I'd have naturally, especially since there should be more than one egg floating around in there. Higher chance of multiples, but that's a risk worth taking for me.

 

[DBZ34]

I should say, the percentage of success goes up the more IUIs you do. It something like 30% for 3 IUIs and over 50 percent of women nder 40 have success within 6 IUIs. It's a lot of tries, but it does seem like 3 is the magic number.

Plus, my PCT won't fund IVF until after 6 IUIs...or something like that..so it's worth trying that many times anyway.

 

[han17]

Thank u so much for ur thorough explaination that's so helpful, and ur right, it really does help to know what will happen.
Do u mind keeping me up to date on ur IUI progress - as I really hope it works out for u!!! Do u think u'll have more than one IUI!! (Although I pray u get pregnant with one try!!) I didn't realise IUI were not funded by nhs, is that the case throughout the uk??
Do u mind me asking how old u are please? Sorry - I just feel like we're going down such a similar path way!!

Anyway, I wish u all a very very happy New Year's Eve!! Let's pray that 2014 is that year we get our little beans

Xxx

 

[Gkmk]

I had CD5 and CD21 blood tests and both came back normal. I have a telephone appointment on Friday and will get to know what other tests GP will carry out further

 

[han17]

Yes do gkmk! It's nice to support each other in this, I'm just scared that if we are unexplained infertility that we may never had a child and that really upsets me.

I'm just waiting on my cd3 blood results... They have been a while which is worrying but I'm hoping it's due to the Xmas time

Xxx

 

[Gkmk]

To be honest with you, I am preparing myself to be happy even if nothing is diagnosed(unexplained infertility). It will be a relief to know that the obvious things are not wrong and I will wait till the end of 2014 for BFP (very difficult to wait I know). I heard that this whole TTC thing is like rolling a dice. Some unlucky people (like me)have to roll the dice more times than others to get a Six (BFP)
Did you have the dye test han17?

 

[han17]

That's a good attitude and I guess just because it might be unexplained infertility doesn't mean u can't have a child - just maybe a bit of help!!

No haven't had hsg yet, on the 1st day of my next period I have to call up and book it in for day 6-12 to ensure I'm not pregnant. Have u??

Xxx

 

[Gkmk]

Nope, I had only blood tests.

 

[DBZ34]

Thank u so much for ur thorough explaination that's so helpful, and ur right, it really does help to know what will happen.
Do u mind keeping me up to date on ur IUI progress - as I really hope it works out for u!!! Do u think u'll have more than one IUI!! (Although I pray u get pregnant with one try!!) I didn't realise IUI were not funded by nhs, is that the case throughout the uk??
Do u mind me asking how old u are please? Sorry - I just feel like we're going down such a similar path way!!

Anyway, I wish u all a very very happy New Year's Eve!! Let's pray that 2014 is that year we get our little beans

Xxx

Oh, no problem. I can keep you up to date. I'm 29, but I'll be 30 in a few months.

Yeah, IUIs aren't funded anywhere as of January 2013, which really kind of sucks because they used to fund unexplained infertility IUIs. The NHS will only fund IUIs if you're in a same sex relationship or have a disability/ disease that makes it hard to have sex.

Well, I'm trying to be positive and hope that it will only take one try, but I'm also being pretty realistic after TTC so long...so I'm fully prepared to do more than one. One working in three IUIs seems like good odds, so we're prepared to do at least three.

But, truthfully, I think the first one could be the lucky one for us. I've been questioning a few things, like if my CM is too acidic for DH's sperm or if I have mild endometriosis (though it's unlikely) and both of those problems can be overcome by the IUI. Plus if there is some problem with DH's swimmers (I think either his morphology or motility was on the low side, but not enough to be a problem), the sperm washing will select the best sperm and get them closer to the eggs, so that won't be a problem anymore. There should be more than one egg, so more chances of pregnancy. And I think we're going to do injectables, which have a better success rate (compared to clomid) as far as I can tell.

Put all that together and I'm feeling pretty positive about our IUI. DH just told me our FS said his success rate is 25%, which is much higher than the national average. Although, I'm not sure what he does differently to make such a difference.


But, try not to feel like there's no hope if you get an unexplained diagnosis. I mean, if there was something clearly wrong, maybe the path forward would be clearer...but there are so many women on BnB who have had to have surgery after surgery to remove polyps and things and have had to wait until they get the all clear, only to find out they need more surgery. And there are DH's with sperm issues that takes months to resolve and sometimes, even then, they still have sperm issues, so they end up doing IUI anyway or IUI with donor sperm.

With an unexplained diagnosis, it means that there's no real reason for you not to be able to get pregnant, and I'm hoping that means it will be easier to get pregnant with a little intervention. Maybe there's something underlying, but there are things that can help. Plus, you can move right to the IUI without having to wait for anything, if that's what you decide. So be positive! You're moving in the right direction!

Here's hoping 2014 will be it for all of us!

 

[han17]

Thank you so much for coming back and explaining everything. It sounds like we're really similar so would be great to keep in touch.
I'm just waiting to call the docs to see if I can get my Blood results back (Day 1 - 3). I'll let you know when they come in.

All my fingers and toes are crossed for your IUI treatment. After what you have said I think me and the hubbie might just save a little harder just incase we need to go down a similar route to you.
Can I ask where abouts you are located? Just quering because you said your FS has a higher success rate. Does that mean 25% chance on top of the 20% chance you get every cycle?? So like in total would that be 45% chance of conceiving in one cycle?

xxx

 

[DBZ34]

Thank you so much for coming back and explaining everything. It sounds like we're really similar so would be great to keep in touch.
I'm just waiting to call the docs to see if I can get my Blood results back (Day 1 - 3). I'll let you know when they come in.

All my fingers and toes are crossed for your IUI treatment. After what you have said I think me and the hubbie might just save a little harder just incase we need to go down a similar route to you.
Can I ask where abouts you are located? Just quering because you said your FS has a higher success rate. Does that mean 25% chance on top of the 20% chance you get every cycle?? So like in total would that be 45% chance of conceiving in one cycle?

xxx

I hope you get good blood results! Definitely keep in touch!

I'm down south in Hampshire.

After talking to hubby some more, I realize that what he meant is that 25% of women that have an IUI with my FS get pregnant and have a live birth, which is still above the national average.

So, I think that means that nationally, 10-15% of women who have an IUI make it to birth and that's not taking into consideration your chances every cycle.

Then I thought about what I had read before about success rates and I think what I read means that we normally have a 20% chance each month and IUI boosts that chance, so it's greater than 20% for unexplained women (or if you're sub-fertile, it brings it up to 20-25%). I've found stats where it says that IUI increases your chances to 35-40%, but I don't know if that's always the case.

 

[han17]

Would love too - my blood test results still haven't come through, I'm guessing its due to the Christmas period but it's worrying me. We have our appointment at 2:30 today with the FS, I can't honestly remember what this appointment is too... When we went there last time she through all these tests and dates at me it was hard to keep up.

That's great about the stats I really hope it all works for you... Please let me know how you get on - I will update you all when I get back from the FS today.

We're in bedfordshire I'm hoping that we have a good chance with iui too.... Apparently the Luton and Dunstable hospital is supposed to be really good for fertility issues too

Xxx

 

[welshgem]

Hi ladies, I thought I'd put my story forward as I'm also having treatment on the NHS.

We went to the Dr about our concerns back in 2011 and we're quickly referred to IVF Wales in Cardiff. I had Day3 & Day21 bloods done, hysteroscopy and HSG and OH had his SA. All came back great except that they discovered I had a minor bicornuate uterus. They don't think this is causing me my fertility problems but it's an increased risk of miscarriage if I ever do get a BFP.

Anyway it was determined that we had unexplained infertility and the FS prescribed 3 cycles of Clomid to see if this would work. It didn't and that was the last I heard from the clinic for over 2 years! Work stuff got in the way and we took a more relaxed approach with ttc whilst we were waiting for our turn on the waiting list. Then last month I had the call to say IVF Wales had amalgamated their services with another Clinic in West Wales and I had the option to stay on the local waiting list or be considered a priority patient with the W.Wales clinic. In the grand scheme of things, we figured an hours drive wasn't too bad so opted to get seen to ASAP.

So here we are now, just in the first steps of our first IUI cycle. OH had to give another SA sample which wasn't quite as good as the one a couple of years back but still ok. So now I'm having injections everyday before I go back in for two more scans next week to see how things are progressing!

DBZ34 - I'm surprised that you have to pay for your IUI if you're going through the NHS. I can only assume the difference being Wales/England clinics?

 

[han17]

Thanks gem it's always good to hear other peoples stories to see how they deal with things... So sorry to hear that it has taken so long, but it's such a relief when things are moving in the right direction! You must be pleased?

Am I right in thinking that you "have" to have iui before ivf?
I've just had a call from the fertility Clinic and I'm booked in for a scan today... Have you guys have this before? What should I expect?

 

[welshgem]

Yes, really pleased to be back on the ttc train! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much though. I don't know if you have to have IUI before IVF; I didn't ask to be honest. I'm quite happy to try IUI first because I wanted as many chances as possible. We only get 3 goes of the IUI so I didn't want to pass the opportunity.

Is it a vaginal scan? They'll probably be checking your lining and tubes just to make sure all is well. They're not too bad, you just sit on the edge of the bed and they put this little probe into you. It's well lubricated so it doesn't hurt. You just might feel a little pressure when they're checking each side.

 

[Gkmk]

i had a telephone appointment with the GP today but i did not receive any call.
when i called back, the lady said it was not telephone appointment and it is a face to face appointment. I cant believe it! i waited for a week for this appointment and i am 100% sure the lady who booked my telephone appointment asked me specifically what kind of appointment i prefer and i said telephone. anyways booked a telephone appointment for monday.

i have two questions. After the blood tests, i expected GP to carry out further tests like ultrasound and dye test without me having to ask for further tests. if the blood tests come back normal, do they not do dye test immediately?

Also if all my further tests come back normal, i am thinking of not taking medication or assistance till Dec 2014. if then i decide for IUI or IVF should i wait for years or will it be only a matter of couple of months i.e., lets say i decide i want IUI on Jan 2015, approx when can i have my first IUI? i am sure it varies from clinic to clinic, but just wanted to know if i should not wait till Dec 2014 to take that decision.

Sorry han17 if you felt i have hijacked your thread, i thought this thread is good for discussions on NHS tests.

 

[welshgem]

I would have thought they would do all tests as a standard but it might be worth double checking. My GP didn't do any tests and referred me to the FS for testing instead.

You're right that is differs from clinic to clinic. Have you had a look on the HFEA website? Most clinics have their waiting times on there. In my experience, I'm glad we got put onto the waiting list when we did. If we hadn't have pursued this until later on then we could still be waiting. Our local clinic has an 18 month waiting list at the moment and that actually went on to become 2+ years waiting for us.

 

[Gkmk]

Thanks gem, no I did not. I will have a look at that website

 

[han17]

Please don't apologise gkmk, I started this thread as it's good to get everyone's stories and will help us all in this process!
My gp referred us to a fertility clinic which I now deal with all the time, my gp doesn't get involved at all. My first appointment at the clinic she told me what to expect and told me that I will have hsg, but I have to book that on my first day of my period to ensure that if I was pregnant I wouldn't knocks anything out of the way. I am also having my scan today, not sure what type of scan but I'm having this done without having my blood test results back (day 1-3 blood test).

They should do the dye test regardless of Your blood test results.

If I were you I would inform your doc of what you know and push harder to have further tests, ur entitled to them so you should have them!