Doctors on Thursday - what to expect?

[Ber]

Hiya, Hubby and I have been TTC for just over 2 years now with no luck apart from a suspected chemical back in Feb this year. We are both 33.

We have booked a Drs appointment to find out if there is anything physically wrong that is preventing us getting pregnant.

What normally happens with these initial appointments? Will the doctor take us "seriously" and book blood tests, etc. or will we just be fobbed off with advice to eat healthily, lose weight, give up drinking, etc. and come back in 6 months if nothing happens!

What kind of information will the Dr need from us? I have been keeping notes on my cycle and when we do the deed but I haven't gone into details like temps and CM.

 

[floofymad]

My doc didn't ask anything really about my cycles, but I just said that my cycles were fairly regular, we'd been DTD regularly and trying for a year with no luck.
Think they should say they're going to refer you to a fertility specialist and in the meantime, they'll do bloods etc. My OH has to wait until we go to the FS to do a sperm analysis, but I've heard of people getting this done before the FS.
Good luck. Really don't think they can fob you off as you've been ttc 2 years. I think they'll refer you straight away. x

p.s. don't think the doc will ask about your temps or cm or anything. The FS will probably go into that. x

 

[susan_1981]

I went to the doctors after trying for 8 months after my miscarriage. I wasn't expecting to be taken seriously as we hadn't been trying for a year (although technically we had because it was just over a year from when we first started TTC). They definitely took my seriously. She said that, generally, if you haven't fallen pregnant within 7/8 months, she will refer you for testing. So she referred me for a CD21 (or 7dpo) blood test to check I ovulate and I think it also checks your hormone levels. She also recomended that my husband have a sperm assessment to check he was all ok. I came back fine, he came back slightly lower than average but, like my doctor said, it only takes one sperm to fertilise the egg. But she then referred me to a fertility specialist at the hospital. She had me have a CD5 blood test which checks the quality and quantity of your eggs, then I had an HSG to check my tubes weren't blocked which they weren't, I also had an internal ultrasound to check my ovaries and then she said she would put me on the IVF register because there was nothing wrong and also recommended I have the HSG which checks for endometriosis and cysts, etc, which also came back all clear.

So here I am in the waiting game but hoping it happens naturally as it has twice before, first time ended in miscarriage, second time as a chemical.

My appointments dragged out over the space of probably a year and it is quite draining but once you get the all clear or even a diagnosis, it does help you to relax a bit more. I know I feel a hell of a lot more relaxed now that I know nothing is wrong.

Good luck with it all. Hope you get some answers xxx

 

[Ebony_Blaze]

Hi Hun

I went to gp after 7 months, was told to come back after 12 months so your gp should def refer you, if not be persistant ! ( something I have learnt I have to be on this process )

anyway before referring me my gp insisted I had cd 21 bloods, dh's sa, my swabs to check for examination, dh examination, and a pelvic scan ( which showed I had polycystic ovaries ) which was a shock as I have NO symptoms and have reg cycles, so now I'm awaiting my fs app which is next Thursday.

I'm not sure why my gp wouldn't refer me until I had all these tests because when I got the paperwork to tell me what will happen next it said I need all of the above ! So I'm hoping when we get to fs it will speed things along rather than having them again, infact dh has had 2 sa's.

Good luck hope this helps

X

 

[Ber]

Thanks for the answers guys - very reassuring

From experience with going to the doctors with ilnesses and being told to come back in two weeks I was convinced it was going to be the same thing with this, but you have put my mind at rest that they do (generally!) start tests straight away.

 

[Sbee]

Hi Ber, here's what my GP has done so far testing wise,

First up is blood tests (day 21 and day 3)
Swabs taken (to check there are no infections - even thrush can hinder falling preggers)
Time for OH to have semen analysis (we had to do 2 over a period of 2 months for them to compare the results).

If all come back fine, then ref to a GP with gyno interests who takes all case history and advises a HSG. This is the stage we're at at the moment and Dr has said that if that comes back clear and normal then we're unexplained and will need to think about IVF.

Good luck, hope your appointment goes well x

 

[Ber]

How to they determine what is day 1 of your cycle? I am sad enough to have actually noted the time I first notice blood and its always late afternoon/early evening

Would that day still be classed as day 1?

 

[Sbee]

My gyno has said that if you start late in the afternoon/evening then you should class the next day as day 1 x

 

[Ber]

So we had the appointment today...

Told the doctor what the problem was and he asked our ages and then went on to say that they don't usually fund fertility treatments unless you are over 35 - my heart dropped and I thought I was gong to burst our crying there and then but what he meant was that we wouldn't be referred for IVF until then

So to start with hubby is being looked at first and needs to provide a sample to the hospital and I am having a preliminary blood test to check thyroid and glucose levels. I am also having a full blood count and ESR.

So the first steps are underway. I did have to laugh when the doctor gace hubby a tiny little container for his sample - I hope his aim will be good enough...

 

[Sbee]

Glad it went well for you today x

 

[Ebony_Blaze]

Glad to hear Hun

Back to the waiting game now

Think positive

XX

 

[Ber]

Thanks guys - hopefully there will be nothing wrong and we have just been unlucky so far. But if there is an issue then I would rather know about it. All this waiting and hoping is getting really tiring!

 

[anytimenow]

It is a very tiring time - I think we will all end up stronger in the end for what we have endured day to day, month to month. Best of Luck!!

 

[Ber]

So hubbys sperm test is back and the result given over the phone was "nearly normal"

DOes that phrase have a specific meaning - good or bad, or is it just a case of many variables that add up to it?

We have another appointment on Thursday to discuss things further with the doctor (alongside the results of my blood tests) so it would be nice if we had a small idea of what to expect - I imagine I will be sent for more tests regardless?

Have no idea what my results are as they wouldn't tell hubby over the phone!

 

[Ber]

Hubby has the all-clear as far as his sperm is concernced, and my initial tests came back OK. I need to go for day 3 and day 21 tests now and am also being referred to a gyno for a lap and dye.

Unfortunately my day 21 is on a saturday so will have to go on day 20 - will that mae much difference