# bit of advice please : )



## catherine238 (Mar 13, 2011)

hi all my name is Catherine I'm a newbee to all this so here it goes!!
my DP and i  have been together for 2 and half years. living in northern ireland. 
we both knew from the start we both wanted kids. so 6 months ago we went to GP about the NHS route to getting pregnant.
He was honest that he did not have a clue about fertility help on NHS for lesbians ( i know  ...) he refereed us to the fertility clinic in our local hospital. Just the other day i received a letter for an appointment. Of course i want all to go well so was wondering if anyone could help with what criteria we need to meet and basically what to expect??
The next option is clinic for iui but trying this route first.
my main concern is that we were to buy a house this year together but deposit prices are high so we moved home to save for that other half and this might hinder our chances as well as everything else that could go wrong lol

any help would be grateful

reading all these personal stories is really inspiring and gives great hope!!

Catherine xx


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## BobbyS (Sep 23, 2010)

Hi Catherine

Firstly welcome to the site   and good luck with your journey! 

I was referred to a NHS fertility clinic and got some basic tests done on the first appointment - a scan and a couple of blood tests (FSH and Estrogen?). When I had a follow-up appt with the consultant, he said that they didn't offer funding for any treatment involving donor sperm so that basically ruled everything out for us - IUI/IVF. 

Every PCT is different though (which is why everything is a postcode lottery) so wishing you lots of luck for your appointment  

Bobbyx


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## Strawbs78 (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi Catherine

Im the same as Bobby..  We were referred to NHS but told there was no funding avail to anyone needing donor sperm.. I have heard some noises around that that has changed but I cant say for sure..

good luck!

Jules


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## catherine238 (Mar 13, 2011)

Thank you so much bobby and jules. I will keep this post updated at every opportunity 
Catherine x


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## snagglepat (Sep 13, 2004)

We got excellent support from our local NHS fertility clinics both time - in two different PCTs (Birmingham and Shropshire) - but only to deal with my own fertility problems. It seemed, for us at least, that as I had a diagnosed fertility issue (PCOS) I was entitled to help to get that under control, but we wouldn't have been any better off than a lesbian couple with no fertility issues if we'd needed them to source sperm for us. As it was we had our own known donor and we inseminated at home once we knew I was ovulating thanks to the treatment I got on the NHS. So there are two things here, one is your own fertility which they'll check and treat, to a degree, if needed and the other is the provision of sperm, which I don't think anyone gets for free (at least not through a clinic - we never paid a penny but going the known donor route is a whole other ball game).

Good luck, and do keep us posted. 

Gina. x


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## Jen xx (Mar 14, 2011)

sorry im no help to this but wanna wish u all best of luck..its such an emotional time and can only   that each and every woman on here gets their BFP

Jenna xx


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## catherine238 (Mar 13, 2011)

Thank you all for your support I feel a bit more clues up   
Catherine xx


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