What’s next?

[NicolaLF]

A few years ago myself and my husband had all the test after struggling to conceive and the outcome was that my husband has lazy sperm. We were told to go away and keep trying. We’ve done that to no avail, so this month we are booked back in to see the gp.

If the next option is IVF, can anyone give me a run down of the process? And you’re experiences of it.

Is there a certain criteria that you have to meet up be eligible for ivf? I’m based in Lancashire, uk if that helps, I know it can be different for different areas.

I’m anxious about seeing the gp and what they will say, as I am overweight but in the process of losing weight (lost 2 stone last year prior to getting married)

TIA

[sanchia46]

I’m not sure why they told you to go away and keep trying with male sperm factor. Ivf sounds like the outcome to me.

[NicolaLF in reply to sanchia46]

They said because the sperm is lazy and not completely inactive there was a slim chance of it happening naturally. Essentially just fobbed us off. Hopefully we get a better outcome from this appointment

[Dunla]

Hi Nicola 👋🏻.

In my experience my GP first referred my husband and I to an infertility clinic at our local hospital for initial tests like internal ultrasound, hormone blood tests, X-ray of my Fallopian tubes and Semen analysis and physical exam for my husband. Husband also had some bloods to check chromosomes. I paid to see this consultant privately as there was 6month wait and I was anxious to move things along. Tests though were covered by NHS which was good as they all add up! I just knew something was wrong, call it a sixth sense maybe.

Following that, this consultant referred us to a bigger hospital when it was clear IVF was the only way we would conceive. We waited about 6months for this appointment. At that appointment we didn’t need to have any other tests done as it was clear from the first doctor’s work that we needed IVF, ICSI to be precise. So we were placed on the NHS waiting list. We live in Northern Ireland. At that time the wait was 9 - 12 months. There are certain criteria to be eligible for NHS treatment with regard to age, weight, smoking etc. You would have to ask GP about this though as I can’t remember the criteria exactly. In Northern Ireland you get one fresh cycle and one frozen cycle on the NHS. It’s a postcode lottery. Where you live it might be better or just the same.

We were lucky enough to be able to afford to go straight ahead with a privately funded cycle whilst we were on the NHS wait list.

If there is anything else you’d like to know, just shout.

Lots of luck for your GP appointment xx

[NicolaLF in reply to Dunla]

Thank you. Fingers crossed.

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK in reply to NicolaLF]

Hi NicolaLF. Even if sperm is the correct shape (pointy nose) it still needs to wiggle like crazy to get to the egg in your tube and annoy the egg to let it in, so I would have thought you should have been referred for investigations and treatment. Good luck! Diane

[NicolaLF in reply to DianeArnold]

I’m starting to feel like we were majorly fobbed off.

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK in reply to NicolaLF]

Hi. If it's not too late, I can email you in confidence, a list of questions for you to look through before you see your specialist. Email me at [e-mail] and I will send them to you, if you want. Diane

[NicolaLF in reply to DianeArnold]

Thank you

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

There are apparently 8 ccgs in Lancashire (clinical commissioning groups) so you’d need to know which one you come under to be able to look up their criteria for nhs IVF x

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Hopefully this link will help: fertilityfairness.co.uk/wp-...

[NicolaLF in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Thank you 😊