# Hello Newbie here :)



## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi,

I'm single, and  30 and 3/4 years old    I've wanted to be a mum for a long time and Mr right has just never turned up (or I scared him off!), so I hoping to conceive through DI.  Having made this decision I'm in a muddle as to what to do next.  I live in the north of Scotland and I don't think my nearest fertility clinic (Aberdeen) accepts single woman. I'm looking at Shawpark in Edinburgh or the Edinburgh arm of the GCRM. (I have family in Edinburgh I could stay with during any treatment).  I hate making phone calls and always get flustered, does anyone have any advice about questions to ask the clinics, or information to request before I call?

Also I suspect I have fertility problems as I have on average three periods a year which are very heavy and painful, my GP has referred me for fertility investigations but each time my referral was rejected because I wasn't ttc at the time.  Do you think it's worth going back to the doctor's now? I'm not sure how sympathetic they will be to a single woman.  Is there such a thing as a pre-pregnancy checkup?

I look forward to hearing from you.  Hopefully I can start moving forward soon


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## upsydaisy (May 9, 2009)

Big welcome Lis 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates making phone calls  It's a miracle I ever managed to get this far in life  . You definitely have grounds to be referred to a consultant. It makes me soooooooo mad that you were rejected on those grounds    . A bit of foot stamping is in order (although I guess like me foot stamping may also not be your strong point, it goes with the hating making phone calls territory  ). There are still some aged dinosaurs stomping around in the NHS who have missed the fact that every woman has a right to know whether she is fertile or not regardless of whether she has a partner. There is definitely such a thing as a basic fertility check up (to see if your ovulating) which you have a right too, especially as having so few periods has other health implications. I (eventually  ) had all my basic checks on the NHS and was then referred to a private clinic. No shifty phone calls required  until the phone calls that went along the lines of 'do you have any donor sperm available this month' AAARRRGGGGGHHHHHH  not sure how I ever managed to make those calls!! but soooooooo glad that I did.
So go back to your GP and get ready to stamp those feet, it's worth it  
take care
Upsyxxx


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## upsydaisy (May 9, 2009)

Just another thought, of course all those tests can be done privately (at a cost).  I'd email the clinic initially to find out if they treat single women etc.  Less flustering than a phone call and they are usually pretty good a replying   
x


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## morrigan (Dec 8, 2009)

Liswaiting- welcome- the organising of treatment is stressfull but it will become like booking an appointment at the hairdressers soon Im sure ! 

If you are decided you might find that the clinic will take care of some of the tests that you ve been referred for There is such a thing as preconception checks/ advice but it doesnt consist of much more than checking you weight bp maybe at a push your rubella immunity. Your gp should be able to to day 3 fsh/oestrodial/lh and day 3 progesterone blood tests for you without been refferred to anyone.

I actually used the body clock network to get a fertility mot which cost about 350 and conisisted of blood tests and internal scan and appointment with consultant but you will probably have to pay for inital consult from clinic so as I said if you are already decided maybe not worth the money,

Good luck.


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## Diesy (Jul 19, 2010)

Hi Lis,

Welcome to FF - boy have you come to the right place!  I'm in Scotland, Glasgow, so I can give you the skinny   I know someone who was in Dundee doing ttc as a singlie.  There are a couple of us down here, West of Scotland but we've both used GCRM and then gone abroad or going abroad for Tx.  I'm going to send you a PM, I hate the phone too sometimes, but the   ttc ones are nice to get over with.  And I can vouch for the private fertility companies, they want your dosh so much they are just lovely to you.

Go to your GP and stamp away!  I'm sending you one of these to help   If you need more back up think of me - I've just spent 7k on a surgery that is available on the NHS for health and ttc but it was refused to me because I'm single.  I couldn't hang off to fight them for it because of my age even though the ramifications are huge for me financially    Feel free to PM me any questions, until I get back to you.  I have to go up a friend's to put a load of washing on - the door snapped off my machine last week  

Bye for now - Diesy


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## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

Well going to the GP was a waste of time    I think I would've got blood tests etc done if I lied and said I was in a relationship but I'm too honest for my own good   . What I really wanted was a prescription for 5mg of folic Acid as I have coeliac's disease which means I have a restricted diet and don't get it through fortified bread cereal etc.  The GP's words were "400mcg should be good enough we will wait and see."  So annoyed   . I probably wasn't as forceful as I could've been I definitely need to develop a thicker skin.

Anyway I like the sound of the Spire Hospital in Edinburgh so I'm going to give them a ring and see if I can have a look around.

I'm glad i did go to the GP because it did give me the opportunity to tell someone outside of my family that I was "going it alone" and I won't be continually wondering if I could've saved money by going to see my GP first.

Lis


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## Lou-Ann (Apr 20, 2008)

Hi Lis, sorry to hear that your GP was a waste of time, they do seem to be a bit hit and miss with regard to what they are willing to do to help you along on this journey. Good luck choosing your clinic   

Lou-Ann x


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## Diesy (Jul 19, 2010)

That's a bit pants about your GP Lis, but glad to hear you are moving forward with Spire


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