TWO year wait for initial ttc tests in UK?

[charbaby]

hey ladies i'm in london. i have a fs in sep. had all of the bloodwork done, sa for dh done and an ultrasound, all normal. it has taken about 6 months in total for all of that which is not too bad i don't think. its so strange how much it differs between areas it should be one set rule for all.

This postcode lottery crap is a joke! I feel lucky to live in my area as they seem to be so much better than some places. Like you said there should be 1 rule for everyone no exceptions x

 

[laustiredttc]

I agree its heartbreaking for every woman who has problems conceiving so it should be the same amount of help for all. The nhs really annoys me. We are in the process of buying our first home so if we could afford to go private we would. I really feel for the ladies who have to wait longer, its torture!!!

 

[timeforababy]

we went after a year, got blood tests for hormones done and a sperm analysis.

I know I O late from BBT but because the NHS don't recommend it, she only took my bloods on d21 so their results show I don't ovulate. We should be referred for treatment but my PCT has decided that because my husband has children from a previous marriage we aren't eligible for anything.

Now saving money to go private.

 

[charbaby]

we went after a year, got blood tests for hormones done and a sperm analysis.

I know I O late from BBT but because the NHS don't recommend it, she only took my bloods on d21 so their results show I don't ovulate. We should be referred for treatment but my PCT has decided that because my husband has children from a previous marriage we aren't eligible for anything.

Now saving money to go private.

This is another prime example of a fucked up pct!! I have 2 children already yet this has not stopped me from getting help :/ xx

 

[laustiredttc]

wtf? i really think the nhs is bloody awful.!! i hope though girls that everything works out well for all of you

 

[timeforababy]

thanks all. I just want to be given clomid. I know that IVF etc is expensive but at least I should be given a full workup and proper advice from a specialist rather than just a GP and stopped.

 

[Mooster]

Hiya, we have been TTC our first for 27 months, I am also a GP which makes things more difficult sometimes!

NICE guidance in the UK defines infertility as 2 years of unprotected sex and no pregnancy but it also says that it is reasonable to do initial tests such as semen analysis and checking ovulation after a year. Your own GP can do this, if these are normal then they could tell you to wait until 2 years before you are referred. I do the initial tests for my patients after a year.

I saw my GP after trying for 15 months, we had all of our initial investigations, my bloods and husband's semen analysis and then I was referred and had my first hospital appointment in October, 3 months after seeing my GP. I went on to have USS and HSG a few months later. We have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility and I was given clomid to try for 6 months 2 weeks ago, which was a whole year after first seeing my GP. Nothing moves quickly unfortunately. It is certainly worth going back to your GP and asking about the NICE guidelines on investigation of infertility. Good luck x

 

[mojo86]

Hello, we have been ttc for nearly a year. We decided to go to the doctor and told him about our situation. I was expecting some kind of 'solution' in the sense that they would start carrying out the initial tests that everyone seems to talk about on B&B. But the doctor said because my periods are regular and we both seem healthy it's perfectly normal to take up to two years and no tests would be carried out until then! I couldn't believe it. We got a second opinion that is the same. One part of me is relieved that we don't have to do the tests and we are within the 'normal' range. The other part is scared that something may be wrong and we won't know until a whole year away - it already feels like a life time. Just wondering what other people's NHS experiences are in the UK please?

Hey hun can you not move doctors surgery? I was given initial tests 7 months after coming off the pill, granted I had only had one period and this was the original complaint. I was diagnosed with PCOS in the August which was 10 months ttc and we were ref to the FS at that point. While we were waiting to be seen the GP did further bloods, swabs and 2x semen analysis which are basic tests a FS will normally want you to have before seeing you anyway. (or at least thats how it works where I am) I really hope you can get someone to take you more seriously and get you ref as unfortunately for some of us, this ttc journey can be quite a long one xxx

 

[tommyg]

My GP agreed to the inital hormone blood tests about 6 months and I'm hoping she will refer me when I get my results tomorrow but I have irregular periods and I'm 37 so that is probably a huge part of it.

But she did warn me they're would be a limit to what they would do for me as I already have a child which I fully understand but I am also fairly sure some help ovulating is all that I actually need.

Go back and ask to see another GP in the practice.

 

[Victory78]

I went to see our GP after 9 months TTC - she wasn't at all helpful and thought I was overreacting and told me to continue trying for another year.

3 months later (after 12 months TTC) I asked to see a different GP at the practice. She was far more sympathetic about the TTC journey and arranged for me to have hormone blood tests and vaginal scan at the local hospital as the first step. My hormones were normal and my scan showed suspected mild PSOS.

She said that I would have had to wait another 12 months for the next stage of tests if the first results had been 100% normal, but because of the 'suspected mild PSOS' it gave her the green light to arrange further tests (HSG x-ray, internal swabs, and semen analysis for my husband) and appointments with the fertility specialist at the hospital. This process took around 6 months to complete

At our final appointment with the fertility specialist, he informed us that all results were fine, and we fell into the 'unexplained infertility' category. He said the next step was IVF or IUI but we'd have to wait until we'd been trying for 3 years before it could be NHS-funded

After 2 years we decided to save our money and go for IVF privately. We had a failed cycle in May and will be trying again in October

I imagine its a bit of a postcode lottery but I strongly believe it depends on the GP too. (either unsympathetic ones, ones that don't know the NHS guidelines, or one's without the correct knowledge - for example, I had to have a doctor apt to book the post-ovulation blood test done on D21 as standard. It took me ages to explain to him that it wouldn't show ovulation if I had the blood test on D21 as I have long cycles and ovulate on D23, and that I didn't ovulate in the middle of my cycle but always 14 days before AF. Irritates me when I have to explain things to GP's but I suppose we learn a lot when LTTTC and become semi-specialist!)

 

[laustiredttc]

I went to see our GP after 9 months TTC - she wasn't at all helpful and thought I was overreacting and told me to continue trying for another year.

3 months later (after 12 months TTC) I asked to see a different GP at the practice. She was far more sympathetic about the TTC journey and arranged for me to have hormone blood tests and vaginal scan at the local hospital as the first step. My hormones were normal and my scan showed suspected mild PSOS.

She said that I would have had to wait another 12 months for the next stage of tests if the first results had been 100% normal, but because of the 'suspected mild PSOS' it gave her the green light to arrange further tests (HSG x-ray, internal swabs, and semen analysis for my husband) and appointments with the fertility specialist at the hospital. This process took around 6 months to complete

At our final appointment with the fertility specialist, he informed us that all results were fine, and we fell into the 'unexplained infertility' category. He said the next step was IVF or IUI but we'd have to wait until we'd been trying for 3 years before it could be NHS-funded

After 2 years we decided to save our money and go for IVF privately. We had a failed cycle in May and will be trying again in October

I imagine its a bit of a postcode lottery but I strongly believe it depends on the GP too. (either unsympathetic ones, ones that don't know the NHS guidelines, or one's without the correct knowledge - for example, I had to have a doctor apt to book the post-ovulation blood test done on D21 as standard. It took me ages to explain to him that it wouldn't show ovulation if I had the blood test on D21 as I have long cycles and ovulate on D23, and that I didn't ovulate in the middle of my cycle but always 14 days before AF. Irritates me when I have to explain things to GP's but I suppose we learn a lot when LTTTC and become semi-specialist!)

hey hun i am sorry that the gp has been less than helpful and i hope you get that magical soon. Question: and i fully understand if you dont want to answer it, how much did it cost for you and dh to have the ivf. Just in case me and the dh have to go down the same route which i suspect we will.

 

[Victory78]

laustiredttc - IVF can be anywhere between £3,000-£5,000 depending on the prescribed protocol, drugs required, blood tests required, and clinic

 

[laustiredttc]

Gosh that's quite a bit! Guess we would have to wait as we just dont have that type of money with us just buying our first home! Can i ask victory what part of the country you are from, no specific locations of course. I live london ways and my gp is a bit of a pain in the bum!

 

[Victory78]

Gosh that's quite a bit! Guess we would have to wait as we just dont have that type of money with us just buying our first home! Can i ask victory what part of the country you are from, no specific locations of course. I live london ways and my gp is a bit of a pain in the bum!

i know how you feel - we bought our first house recently, and now have no savings! but we were very fortunate that mine and hubby's families (2 sets of parents each so 8 in total) helped with the ivf costs, which took away the stress - i think they are all desperate for grandchildren!

we did a short protocol with less drugs (started gonal on day 5)

i live just outside sw london

 

[laustiredttc]

your very lucky huni i hope everything goes well for you hun

 

[tommyg]

Im so lucky my GP has refered me so we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.