UK Infertility Investigations - the order of things

[Sizzles]

I'm hoping some of you might share your experiences of the order of investigations which have taken place when exploring infertility.

We've been ttc for 21 months now (22 cycles) with no BFPs. I saw GP after 9 months or so and he ran the necessary hormone bloods; one had to be re-done as the lab screwed up, but otherwise they came back normal, so GP suggested OH have SA. Well, nearly a year passed before OH finally did his thing last Friday and I've just had the results which have come back 'normal'. Unfortunately the surgery didn't have any more details than 'normal - no further action' and the hospital handout specified that results were only available through GP, therefore I don't have a breakdown to check and see whether I think it's normal! So anyway, I've booked an appointment with GP to discuss 'what next?' but it's not until 16th Jan and I'm impatient to know what they might suggest as the next investigation. Is there anything I can do/say to hurry things through? I have a feeling my mother had/has endo, but we're not really close so I don't want to ask and lay my ttc cards on the table.
Thanks for 'listening'!

 

[tonibzac]

I'm similar to you, mine so far has been:

Mid cycle bloods (hormones) - normal referred for scans and further bloods

Transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound - uterus and ovaries normal
7dpo bloods (hormones) - today
Hubby sperm analysis - 18th jan

Then I have to go back to GP with all those results and she will forward them and refer me to Fertility Specialist at the hospital who will decide what next - I'm hoping I just need clomid to regulate ovulation but I'm 7dpo and bleeding so may have a progesterone issue, which should show in today's bloods

You get 6 rounds of clomid on NHS then if no BFP, back to the drawing board

Hope that helps a bit. Doesn't LTTTC teach you patience!!!

 

[Bugbabe77]

I pretty much echo what tonibzac says - have been ltttc now for 2+ years. Have had ultrasounds, blood tests and 1st appt with fertility doc. Am now on clomid for 5 cycles, he wants to see me once those have run out if I have no BFP. Apparently then he will do 'tubal investigations'. All my tests came back as normal.

Good luck with your journey - know that u always have friends here that will listen x

 

[Sizzles]

Thanks guys.
I noticed yesterday Tonibzac, that you're in Wilts and teach. Me too on both counts! Where will you be referred to for FS if you don't mind me asking?

 

[sugarpuff]

i'm in the middle of my blood tests run by gp and am seeing her again in a couple of weeks to discuss referral, but this is my experience from my referral first time around (2008)

i saw my gp in may 2008 and he ran bloods for me and hubby plus SA
SA took 6 weeks to come back - we were told that all tests were fine but they referred me to the fertility/gynae clinic at our local hospital

i got my first appointment at the clinic in august 2008, where they repeated bloods and did swabs for me, plus repeated SA as apparently my surgery got it wrong and his results were actually very poor

i had a hycosy to check my tubes at the end of september 2008 where they discovered a mass on my left ovary

i was given 4 months of clomid to try (two without follicle tracking and two with). as my mass hadn't changed in that time i was booked in for a lap & dye plus cystectomy mid feb 2009 - it was discovered that i have severe endo and i was immediately referred for ivf with icsi. they gave me letrozole with follicle tracking to try in the meantime and i conceived on this in april 2009 (i was due to start ivf on my next cycle !)

so all in all it was pretty quick ! i just hope it will be as easy this time around

good luck xx

 

[tonibzac]

Hi Sizzles,
I'll be referred to Salisbury. That's where I had my scans and hubby will have SA. You? Xx

 

[Sizzles]

No idea really, but I guess Bath or Swindon, which are the 2 nearest 'proper' hospitals. I won't know until I visit the GP though, so I have a 2ww of a different variety to get through now!

 

[tonibzac]

Hope your referral is rapid xx

 

[LilMissHappy]

hi girls. just thought i would pop over from first tri to share my story. me and hubby decided to ttc in dec 2007. i was only 21 and thought i would get pregnant easily. how wrong was i. after 1 year and no bfp i went to my gp and got the whole " your only young, you have got plenty of time" etc etc. i was referred to the FS and they did the whole day 21 bloods and scans which came back that some months i did ovulate some months i didnt. very strange as i always had 28d cycles. i had a hysterosalpingogram to check my tubes werent blocked which they werent and hubbys sperm was normal. we were started on clomid and i ended up having 9 mnths of it over the next 18mnths. still no bfp. so i went on having the day 21 bloods then in nov 2010 i got my bfp- sadly i mc at 8 weeks and was devestated. i went back to gynae who told me to loose some weight and keep trying. they would see me in 6 months and give me more clomid if still no sucess. i joined weight watchers and lost 2 stone in that 6 months. 1 week before i went back to see my gynae i got my bfp (nov 2011). i was delighted but freaked out as it is almost 1 year to the day since i fell pregnant. i have been looked after really well and given a scan at 7 weeks to check all was ok. i had some spotting on thurs night and was rushed in for a scan friday morning and baba is fine. it is amazing to finally be pregnant. to get to this stage it has taken me 4 years. i am now 25 and living proof that it will happen when it is time. all the clomid in the world wouldnt have got me pregnant because i was stressing all the time. i just needed to relax and it happened. we were looking into ivf in the new year so forgot all about it on the run up to christmas and bang!!! do please never give up you will all get your miracle one day. hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[dinky]

I first had blood tests done which were fine, swabs taken which were fine and my ex had a SA which came back below average but fine. I then had a hsg done which showed my tubes were fully open, then I was given 6 months of clomid. They all failed so I went back to my fertility specialist who gave me another 4 rounds of clomid and booked me in to have a lap done in 4 months time. Those 4 months of clomid failed so I had the lap done and was given another 4 months of clomid! Me and my ex split up after that it was just to much, so I met my current partner! I went back to the specialist and told him I had a new partner so he gave me another 6 months worth of clomid, I fell pregnant on the 2nd cycle! I'm now on my 3rd trying for baby number 2 and I'm 25 years old.

 

[NellyVille]

I think there's a different order of things depending on where you are, judging by the different stories on here. We were ttc just over a year when I went to my gp. I was referred immediately to the fertility clinic but as the appointments took a while to come through the docs did 2 lots of 21 day bloods while I waited. Both were inconclusive. Saw FS in October and he ordered more 21 day bloods, an internal scan, hubby's SA and a chlamydia test.
Scan results were good, SA fantastic, bloods showed ovulation. Because I have had chlamydia in the past I didn't have the HSG I went straight on the list for lap & dye which I had yesterday and am pleased to report was all clear!!!
Next step is a follow up appointment with FS in February. Hope this helps! xxx

 

[StephieB]

I think I'm just going to mirror what has already been said but here's my experience...

Went to the GP in September after 14 months of TTC. GP immediately referred us to the fertility clinic, but ordered an SA, day 21 bloods and a TV scan for me as he knew how long the appointments take to come through.

We had out first fertility appointment on December 15th, and as our doctor was so proactive, she already all of the results in front of her. She did an internal swab there and then for chlamydia and rubella, and I am waiting for AF to arrive to schedule in my HSG.

I am being sent for another lot of blood tests as my prolactin levels were slightly elevated and we've just got our next appointment through for Match 29th.

The waiting times are long, and I am so so impatient, but I think if my levels come back normal and my HSG come back normal I will be prescribed Clomid in March, and take it from there.

 

[blueeyedgirl1]

In my area (Bristol) they won't refer you to a FS until you've been trying for 24 months unless they find something odd in your bloods or SA done by GP.

We've been trying since Sept 2010, I've had two lots of CD3 tests and one CD21. CD3 tests have come back with issues, so GP has referred us. OH has to do a SA, both of us have to do virology bloods (HIV, Hep, Chlamydia, etc) and I'm doing another CD3 at the same time. FS won't see you here unless GP has ordered all these tests and results are back.

We're waiting on OH's date to submit his SA, he's done his virology and I'm doing my CD3/virology on 3rd Jan. Once SA is done and back, GP will write our referral letter.

 

[LouTTC1]

Hi all.

After trying for just over 12 months we went to our GP. She sorted out an SA for my husband and for me to have bloods done. The results for my husband came back with a low count so she sent him for another one. That one came back with a low count and very low morphology.

We were then referred to the infertility section of the hospital.

The consultant there wanted my husband to do another SA and for me to have my bloods done again (she preferred for us to have them done through her hospital). I have had an ultrasound and an HSG done and we are now waiting for our next appointment to come round (mid-Jan) to find out where we go from here.

 

[cooch]

Good luck with the babe lilmisshappy.

I have found GPs to be severely lacking in fertility knowledge- I feel as though I know much more myself. I'm now going down the Napro route. If it hadn't have been for them requiring a Lap, the NHS would never have found my endo (didn't show on my scans) nor the scarring caused by it. The NHS would have been perfectly happy for me to continue TTC with progesterone results of 29, 34, 46 etc. Since following Napro (and on the drugs they prescribe) my most recent progesterone was up in the 60's!!! My estradiol was alspo spot on. Making it more likely for me to conceive and carry x