Referral for ivf

[mummy_smurf2b]

Hi everyone

I’m just looking for advice. Me and my partner have just been refered for ivf because of his sperm doctors said our chances was low naturally. I am wandering what can we expect to happen now? How long is the process before you get the transfer? I read a little on the nhs website about it but also wandering, it says they will check everything is up to date. So what exactly do I need to have up to date, I have booked in for my smear on 5th January, will I need to have had flu vaccine or can I get that once I am pregnant? What about covid vaccines do you need to have had so many of them or are they not a requirement? I have booked in for it but obviously that will take ages to get all 3. I never managed to get them in the past cause the booking kept telling me the second one had to be miles away. I appreciate all info you can give me. Are we looking at months or can it be pretty quick?

thanks in advance

Sarah

 

[Megan0625]

Hi Sarah,

I can only tell you info based on my personal experience so I hope it helps! I was already doing fertility treatments/IUIs since December 2019, but am doing IVF prep now. My doctor did not require the flu or COVID vaccine but he did a recommend the COVID vaccine. He did leave that up to personal choice. It could be a fairly quick process in prepping for IVF depending on your clinic, but it will probably be at least a few months. For me, it started with the initial diagnostic testing (I did this prior to IUI, but it would be the same prior to IVF) to test hormone levels, etc. Typically this would have to be on a specific day of your cycle (I think day 10 or 11 but I don't remember, it's been a while for me). It would be best to have an up-to-date Pap smear prior as well, but they could also do this at the same time. They would do an ultrasound to check follicles, etc. as well and to determine what kind of med doses you may need. When they determine your health and come up with a plan, they will start prepping your body for IVF by having you start taking birth control. I was first on birth control for 14 days the month before, started my period a few days later, and will now be on birth control for 2-3 weeks.This helps so you produce your follicles at an equal rate on both sides and saves your reserve so you can produce as many as possible during your follicle stimulations. After that, you go in for a baseline ultrasound and bloodwork and learn how to give yourself the injections and you start your daily injections. I think this continues for 12 days if I'm correct. In that time, you would be going in every other day for blood work and ultrasounds to see your follicle growth rate and make sure your dosage is okay. Then you would go in for your egg retrieval, and then hopefully about 3-5 days later, you would go in for your fresh embryo transfer. I hope this answered all your questions!

Megan