Advice please, first IVF cycle.

[Nelly0405]

Hi everyone, been scrolling through some questions, profiles and reading peoples stories.It is just amazing to see the response you get off people and the support.

I don't find it easy to talk, and I've found this journey extremely difficult as it hasn't yet been smooth and I worry as I'm so early on in it. I also panic how it's going to effect me mentally if it doesn't work.

My partner and I are 27 and It has been nearly a year since we was referred from our GP for our investigations (may 2018), we had our results September time; My partner has low morphology yet has high sperm count and therefore they wasnt too concerned and I have good fertility. At our first initial appt my partner asked if he had to pack in smoking and we was told 'only the female' then once they had the results of our investigations we couldn't be referred until my partner was smoke free for at least 3 months which lead us to December. Referral to Women's Hospital then done in December, first appt beginning of March, sent away again in March for my partner to loose weight (only 4lbs) as this was also part of the criteria. Not once during this journey had anyone explained to us what exactly was expected of us.

We are back tomorrow and hopefully we will be accepted to get the go ahead our first cycle of IVF.

We get married July next year, have been trying for nearly 3 years so my first question is more of a timeline of events please if anyone could shed some light.

I've been informed that the funding could take 2-4 months to come through in that time do you have your first initial group session or do you have to wait until the funding is through? As appts are taking typically 3 months at a time.

Look forward to hearing peoples advice/journey.

I'll continue to read, its comforting knowing I'm not alone in this especially as it feels everyone around me is pregnant.

Thank you

L x

[Drives]

Hi 👋 I can completely understand your frustration with waiting for appointments and being given incorrect information (or changing parameters). Your post could have been my story - we had a really frustrating 18 months where my husband had to be smoke free for 6 months and lose weight. To say he struggled was an understatement!!

I can't give you any advice about NHS waiting times as we've now self funded but just wanted to say hi and you're not alone. Hoping someone else can reassure you about timings and funding. Good luck 🍀💕

[Nelly0405 in reply to Drives]

Thank you 🤗

Just hoping today brings more positivity than anything else.

We've gone away and proven how driven we are! We just wish on our first consultation someone sat us down and told us exactly what we had to do, would of saved us so much time!

Xx

[SVAK]

Hi Nelly, I cant really offer a great deal of advice but just to say hang on in there, it can be a very long journey and a very frustrating one as well. I would just make sure you are both as healthy as you can be that way you are doing all you can. I know that criteria can be different from trust to trust. My journey has taken 2 years on different fertility treatments but 4 years trying and we are now going through our first round of IVF so everyone is different. I wish you lots of luck stay strong xx

[Nelly0405 in reply to SVAK]

Hi SVAK, thank you!

We have done & just hoping when we go today there isn't anything else stopping us from going ahead and getting the funding.

We've haven't been offered different fertility treatment just put forward for IVF. How far in your IVF journey are you?

Wishing you both lots of luck too💕

[SVAK in reply to Nelly0405]

Hi Nelly, It might be that because of your results that other treatments wouldn't have worked so they bumped you straight to IVF. Just have faith that they are the experts and know what they are doing. Make sure you have any questions written down before you go. I find appointments very overwhelming because you are given a lot of information however it isn't always what you need to know to be able to function day to day. I'm on a long protocol and hopefully will have my eggs collected on Friday for transfer the following week. I hope your appointment goes well keep us posted xx

[Nelly0405 in reply to SVAK]

Is your IVF cycle funded by the NHS or have you funded yourself?

If it is funded by NHS how long did you have to wait for it to come through?

We've been told we can conceive naturally, and that our investigations were fine. My partner did have low morphology however, produced a lot and was informed that counteracts it as he is still producing a lot of healthy sperm with it.

Ah, how exciting for you! Will do and you the same! Xx

[SVAK in reply to Nelly0405]

Hi Nelly, This is my one and only round for NHS funded IVF. I have however had 6 months on Clomid and 3 months of IUI previously without success. Maybe ask them about treatments you could try before IVF, it might be a funding thing or there might be a medical reason why not but you are young and if there is no obvious issue then you may be successful without IVF. There is nothing lost in asking? From sign up to actual start date it was around 4 months, however it took 6 weeks or so to actually get an appointment with the consultant and then you have to wait for the right time in your cycle. Also I had to wait an additional month as when I rang up on my first day of my period they couldn't fit me in for an appointment in time to start the protocol. The difference is that following IUI, IVF was always the next option for us so I have been tested so many times for everything that it may have been a quicker process than if I had gone into IVF with no previous interventions. I really would ask the question, or at least find out why other treatments haven't been considered. I'm being treated at Leicester and I can honestly say they have been amazing. Let me know how you get on xx

[Nelly0405 in reply to SVAK]

Sorry for the late reply SVAK,

We had our appointment yesterday and got the go ahead thankfully no set backs regarding that so will just be a waiting game now until our funding comes through! Xx

[SVAK in reply to Nelly0405]

Oh that's good, well fingers crossed xx