# Where to start?



## ClaireCupcake (Jun 12, 2018)

Can anyone let me know where I should start please? My GP is worse than unhelpful.

I don't have finances for IVF. I was hoping a clinic or hospital could do fertility testing and give me fertility meds. But it doesn't seem that simple.

I'm single. But I have found my own sperm donor. He doesn't wish to be named on official paperwork. Does this mean they won't allow me to use him? 

I also don't want the cost driven up by IUI. I think my issue is low quality eggs. As I've been trying for over 15 years for baby #2. I feel ovulation happen and get an ovulation surge on tests. But I never get a positive pregnancy test. Despite having used different donors. Who have no fertility issues and have been successful with other recipients. 

I was hoping a fertility specialist can do superovulation of 3 eggs and let me use my own sperm donor for home insemination. Would that be possible? I feel clinics would probably refuse because they'd make much less money. Just minimum fertility testing, monitoring and meds. I live in the South of England.


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## London Hopeful (Sep 6, 2021)

I have a similar issue, so I will summarise my quest which is similar to yours. I don't think I need/want IVF - I'm not looking for an egg/eggs to be taken out of me and matched up and put back in, but I am looking for help to ensure that my ovulation is good (and twins wouldn't go amiss) 

I don't think I'm ovlating well, but I'm not keen on nurses exclaiming gloomily over me while they ultrasound my tragically small number of follicles.

I am just looking for ovulation stimulation since I can tell I am not always ovulating. So I think the answer is to have a consultation with a gynaecologist outside of a fertility clinic setting - e.g. in his/her private capacity or non-fertility clinic capacity and ask what they can offer outside of the clinic. These are my thoughts. I remember once seeing a gynaecologist at the Lister, not at the fertility clinic but on a different floor of the same building. And then I did go back to the Lister fertility clinic itself and there he was again. So I am thinking myself of making an appointment to see him at the Lister, but not the fertility clinic side.

My friend from abroad said that she used to inject herself every month to increase the chances of good ovulation. I am trying to replicate that process for myself here.


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## London Hopeful (Sep 6, 2021)

Incidentally, I tried to find a clinic in London that would offer IUI on the basis of me saying I was ovulating and without the drama of baseline ultrasound scans and/or bloodworks to monitor progress. Not a single clinic in London (and I wrote to 23) was prepared to offer me IUI without these add-ons.


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## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

I am sorry you are going through this, all the best with yr search


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## ClaireCupcake (Jun 12, 2018)

London Hopeful said:


> I have a similar issue, so I will summarise my quest which is similar to yours. I don't think I need/want IVF - I'm not looking for an egg/eggs to be taken out of me and matched up and put back in, but I am looking for help to ensure that my ovulation is good (and twins wouldn't go amiss)
> 
> I don't think I'm ovlating well, but I'm not keen on nurses exclaiming gloomily over me while they ultrasound my tragically small number of follicles.
> 
> ...



Thank you for your replies.

I've heard that seeing a gynecologist could help. But I was always told I'd need a referral. And I know my GP wouldn't help.

I think my issue is egg quality. And ovulation drugs could potentially help with that. The problem is that national guidelines allow women over 40 to put back 3 embryos. But in practice most clinics refuse to allow this or to ovulate more than 1, maximum 2 follicles. Not because over 40s have a higher risk of multiples, but because it means the clinic will get less repeat business. It would become clearer quicker when putting back 3 embryos/ovulating 3 follicles, if something is seriously off. I can't believe they actually try to tell us that putting back 3/ovulating 3 follicles won't increase the chances of pregnancy. It should be illegal for them to blatantly lie like that.

The chances of twins or more is very low for over 40s. Even if ovulating 3 follicles, the odds of them all containing eggs is pretty low. Then the chance of them fertilizing is lower with older eggs. Of those that do fertilize, around 80% may not be viable. So even if twins are conceived, the chances of one vanishing is greatly increased. Of course this will vary by person. And some lucky women conceive first try.

My friend went abroad to America. She was 33 with no known fertility issues. They gave her fertility meds to aim to produce 4 good quality follicles. Which she did each time. She had 4 negative pregnancy cycles. And conceived a singleton on the 5th try.

I hope you manage to find a doctor willing to help you. It doesn't seem like much to ask of them.

Good luck


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