# Waiting for IVF first appointment



## banana85 (May 5, 2016)

Hi all,
I've been reading these sites for months getting so much advise during our investigations. We had our app at Birmingham womens last week and the lovely lady has refered us to IVF (MF) so we are just waiting for our letter to be told we have the funding (shouldn't be a problem) and then counselling, group meeting and nurses etc. Been told it's roughly 4/5 months wait and then if we need donor sperm about 6 weeks more for that. How have you all faired with timescales from the NHS funding letter to first fertility doctors. Any advise? I'm 30 and this would be first child for me and my husband. Thank you so much in advance. 
Banana


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## banana85 (May 5, 2016)

Anyone?


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## June2015 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi banana. 

I think it probably depends in where you live as to timescales.  I'm not going to be much help really as we were refused funding, but from our initial GP referral to seeing an NHS consultant for investigation to being told no treatment will be offered was a period of 5 months.  I think the timescales they've given you appears realistic. Very exciting.  Good luck with everything x


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## banana85 (May 5, 2016)

Thank you very much  
We have just had an appointment for our counselling session which means things are certainly moving and I'm so pleased. 
Can i ask why you was refused? 
We're in Birmingham X


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## lulo (Jan 14, 2014)

Hi Banana, it really is a post code lottery with IVF. The timescales you have been given seem pretty normal.

We didn't have as long to wait (think about 2 months at the time) but I kept postponing the appointment as my BMI wasn't as low as NHS require so was trying to lose weight to be eligible for the treatment, we are in the North East which I believe is more generous with the amount of funded rounds of IVF.

Good luck with everything and you will find a lot of support on here which will help


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## June2015 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi banana,. 

Yes of course you can ask. I've got very low ovarian reserve, which basically means they felt IVF would not work on the basis I have very few eggs left and the ones I do have may be poor quality, so no point wasting money on treatment that has a 5% chance of working.  That was a hard message to hear as not only were my chances of having a genetic child almost zero, they were not willing to help me try, not even with  donor egg/treatment. So in the end we went privately and you guessed it, treatment failed and now we're about to start a cycle to receive an egg from a donor. 

Good luck hun, hope you get things sorted soon, it's a positive sign you've already got counselling booked in xx


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## Bina K (Apr 29, 2016)

Hi banana and hi to all. 

This is my very first post, and like yourself (banana) I have been reading the posts on this site for awhile but never quite mustard the courage to write a post.

I'm 32 and DH is 35. We have been TTC for 4 years and last year we decided to get professional help. We, like yourself, were referred to Birmingham Women's Hospital. After all the tests (blood tests and scans) we were told that everything was okay with myself and DH so they had our infertility as 'unexplained'. 

Our app with the consultant was at the end of January (27th), when we were referred  for IVF. By the end of February we had received our letter for the funding and had our group session on the 3rd March. Our next appointment (consent signing) with the nurse was on 11th April and we were told to phone the hospital as soon as my period starts so they can give us the next two appointments whereby my treatments starts. 

My next appointment is just under 2 weeks away and honestly, I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. On my next app, I will be shown how to inject myself and essentially it all begins.

I hope this post is helpful as to what timescales you are looking at. And good luck with your IVF.

Also any advise on how I can prep myself for IVF? I have already cut out the caffeine and try to eat my five a day.  

Bina


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## Jengles (Mar 3, 2016)

Hi banana and everyone,

So we're all newbies, I've only just started posting too and seem to be in a similar situation to bina and banana. We've got our apt with the hospital in 2 weeks and I've been told at that point we get referred to our first. 

Ivf apt (if the doc is happy that my FSH is still low and my husband's morphology etc hasn't improved) although I know since the first apt in Feb we have definitely been healthier and have been taking fertility vitamins which I think has made a difference but it's not quite enough. 

I've been told from this next appointment depending on where we choose for treatment we could get seen straight away. All depends on where you go. Do you get a choice @banana? We're going to be getting ICSI treatment. What treatment have you guys been recommended?


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## Bina K (Apr 29, 2016)

Hi Jengles, 

I'm from birmingham and was advised that the best place here for infertility treatment was the Birmingham Women's Hospital, and hence I went ahead with the same. After all the tests were conducted on myself and DH,  the consultant recommend  we went for IVF.

Where will you be undertaking your treatment?


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## banana85 (May 5, 2016)

Thanks for all you replies, it seems the weather took me away from the constant googling I've been doing so it's been a nice distraction of all my thoughts.

We have been referred for IVF at Birmingham womens, and have been told to have a counselling session too, did anyone else have this? 

We was only trying for a year but my husband has an undecended testical so he went to get this looked at and I think we always knew we had problems.

When we was told it would never (and they mean NEVER!) happen naturally I really struggled with this, I was a mess! I really felt I grieved for this possibility of us having a natural baby you know like going on holiday and conceiving. Maybe that's just the romantic in me hey!

I feel a lot more positive knowing we have a timescale, we have an end to all the madness ... Well until the procedure starts and we have a new bag of worries!!

I'm struggling having nobody apart from my husband to talk to, who understands, who will get it all and office advise which is why I find Google and you lovely lot so helpful! 

I'm ready for what's to come x


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## Dory10 (Aug 6, 2013)

Welcome to FF 

There's a really friendly thread for ladies waiting to start IVF treatment, here's a link http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=337523.msg6308190#new it's a great place to chat to others in the same situation.

Dory
Xxx


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## Jengles (Mar 3, 2016)

Bina K said:


> Hi Jengles,
> 
> I'm from birmingham and was advised that the best place here for infertility treatment was the Birmingham Women's Hospital, and hence I went ahead with the same. After all the tests were conducted on myself and DH, the consultant recommend we went for IVF.
> 
> Where will you be undertaking your treatment?


Hi bina

Our treatment will be around Essex/East London. I think they will give us a list of places and then we decide.

Can't wait to get this apt and have some more idea of what's going to happen. We've been waiting since Feb. 
Fingers crossed for Wednesday.


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