# New to all this...



## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi,

We're new to all this and I just wanted a bit of advice / support. My OH and I (he's 48, I'm 29) have been TTC for almost a year. We went to see the drs in Dec as we were concerned due to his age and the gap between us. I had a progesterone test, he had a blood test - all came back fine. 7 months later and still nothing and it's ll getting a bit depressing - going through the same monthly cycle and 2ww, whilst I swear that EVERYONE else is pregnant with a week of starting to try! We took one of the Boots home sperm tests and it came back low sperm count, so we went back to the drs yesterday (different dr) but she was useless and really un-supportive - she just printed us a leaflet off the internet. I left in tears. DH is going back next week to see a different dr as he complained at the way she treated us.

Does anyone have any similar experiences? Do you know what the next steps are that we should take? ie should we start looking at IUI / IVF just yet? I don't think I can take many more months of the waiting game! I'm just looking for some advice and support really as it's not something you can talk to just anyone about!

Thank you in advance


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## Sheilaweb (Mar 21, 2006)

LittleStampde, so sorry you have found your way here - but you're in great company and will get great support.

First off you hubby needs to have a Sperm Analysis test done, then you get an indication of whats happening.  All sorts of things can reduce a mans erm potency - infections, diet, alcohol, stress, even occupation!  

If his count is on the low side, his gp may be able to prescribe a course of treatment to give him a boost.  My hubby had a zero sperm count.... and a few couples at the time mentioned multivitamins had made a big difference.  

If your hubbys count is low, or there is a problem with motility or morphology, IUI won't be a very viable option.  

Under nhs (Nice) Guidelines if  either of you have children from a previous relationship you will need to undergo treatment privately, and the other thing is that unless you have been actively trying to conceive for a minimum of 2 years, your gp won't refer you anyway.

Get the ball rolling with your hubbys SA - get an idea of what you're dealing with....but even when neither partner has fertility issues it can take some couples up to 2 years anyway to conceive - hence the referral period being this long before your next step.

Hope this helps.... but please keep us posted.

Sheila


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

Hello

It is worth calling your CCG and ask them to send you a copy of the assisted conception criteria for your area, as some ccgs differ and the GPs don't seem clued up, my CCG refer you after 12 months (or 6 months with known issues, although the home SA wouldn't count I don't think) my area also fund if you have a child as long as its not to your current partner, some of this info even my GP didn't know

The majority aren't as generous though its usually like Sheila says, I'm under Tameside and Glossop and was under Oldham both are the same

Good luck x


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## Sheilaweb (Mar 21, 2006)

I'll see if i can find a definitive answer to what criterias are- in the UK.....we came under Sunderland PCT and the criteria for assisted fertility was a minimum of 2 years trying to conceive and NO previous children under any circumstances - which was quite a widespread rule of thumb.  

Sheila


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

That's what I thought too, I got with my partner who has a child and thought we wouldn't get funding but we do, a lady I know just had ivf at St Marys who has 3 children! She had a new partner so got funded, the info available online for my area isn't accurate/is incomplete, so I called and got a copy emailed which I still have and it also states how they fund same sex, singles and donor, I had to speak to them loads as I ended up after my first OE cycle needing to swap to donor and had to transfer clinics.

I did also have a meeting with someone from the HFEA a few months back and they agreed the info online isn't enough and even GPs don't know the criteria exactly, some areas change too so the best thing to do is just ask for it to be emailed to you so you can quote it with your GP, the NICE guidelines are just suggestions for the ccgs to follow, they don't have to, so you are best going armed with the ACP for your area

L x


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

3.2 Where a woman is of reproductive age and having regular unprotected vaginal intercourse two to three times per week, failure to conceive within 12 months should be taken as an indication for further assessment and possible treatment. If the woman is aged 36 or over then such assessment should be considered after 6 months of unprotected regular intercourse since her chances of successful conception are lower and the window of opportunity for intervention is less. 

4.        DEFINITION OF CHILDLESSNESS 

4.1 Funding will be made available to patients who do not have a living child from their current relationship and where either of the partners does not have a living child from a previous relationship (i.e. one of the partners may have a child, the other must not).


That's a couple of pointers from it, I count myself lucky every day how generous the CCG is where I am 

L x


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## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi Sheila & Lilly,

Thank you very much for your replies. Sorry to be naive but what's a CCG? Neither of us have children so I'm hoping funding won't be an issue. We're in Cambridgeshire so hopefully their guidelines won't be too specific.

Hopefully the drs appt next week will end up in a SA referral and a discussion of the next steps, fingers crossed!


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

No probs

Have you heard of a PCT? Well PCTs became CCGs instead, clinical commissioning group, they make all the decisions on funding, each CCG will have multiple GP surgeries in it, and each nhs ivf clinic will serve people from different CCGs too so it does get a bit confusing, I had a GP refuse to refer me after having surgery for endo and a tube out even though I had previously been in the system with an ex partner and told i would never conceive naturally, she said come back in a year, the head of the ivf unit where I went was the Dr that did my surgery so he actually referred me himself (to himself oddly) and wrote to the GP saying her info was wrong, when I switched to donor we had to apply to the CCG to the 'effective use of resources' dept to transfer my funding from own egg at an nhs clinic to donor egg and a private clinic as the nhs clinic didn't have donors, they had a meeting and decided they would

Do call them and get it on Monday, there's so much conflicting advice x


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## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks Lilly, will have a little Google for the number and give them a bell. Hoping a little miracle comes along but always worth knowing about the options. I hope get your little miracle soon


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## Kitten36 (Jul 4, 2014)

Hi girls,
Im very new to this myself and was wondering if i can ask you smtg.
Im 35 hubby is 36 and been ttc for a year and a half. Bloods tests are fine and hubby SA fine but referal to fertility clinic came back and said we have to ttc for 2 yrs before they do anything. I just dont understand this as i thought due to our age we wld be seen sooner. Pointless to say that GP did warned me that the clinic might not see me yet. But why? I live in West Sussex area and read from your posts to ask for their CCG. Will this help at all? Has it helped you LittleStampede? Thx a lot.


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

Hi Mady

Speaking to the CCG won't help speed things up as they don't budge on the rules, but do clarify with them that it is 2 years, in the majority it is, it would be 1 year for you in my area, some ccgs do view patients over a certain age different and do refer them sooner but if yours isn't one of them you will end up waiting 

Worth a call to check though

L x


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

Just checked, in my area if you are over 36 (males ages is irrelevant) they will offer testing at 6 months instead of 12 x


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## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi Mady,

I would've thought you'd get seen sooner due to your age - keep pushing them and hopefully they'll be able to get you seen more quickly.

Update on our situation:

After the awful doctor we saw last week, we went back again this morning and saw a lovely male doctor, who seemed a lot more informed and like he actually wanted to help us. Hubby is going for a SA at the hospital next week, I'm booked in for some further blood tests on Fri and he's referring us to the Fertility Specialist at the hospital, once he's referred us we should get an appointment within the next 3-4 weeks. Then they'll discuss which treatment route, if any, we need to go down. I'm just so glad that we went back to see this doctor and have actually got some progress.

xx


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## Sheilaweb (Mar 21, 2006)

Thats great news Littlestampede - got everything crossed for you and hubby - let us know how you get on.

Woohoo

Sheila


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## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks Sheila, we've got everything crossed! X


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## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi everyone,

Well we've had some news although it's not great, merely a delay...

DH had his SA a couple of weeks ago, so phoned up this morning for the results and the hospital have NO RECORD of him. So, he has to go in again next Friday to do another one, which means another 2 week wait for the results, and only once we have the results can we then get referred to a fertility specialist. The Dr has also phoned the hospital up and told them of their incompetence, so it's good to know he's on our side and fighting our corner.

So we're just further behind, and it really doesn't give me much confidence for going forwards in our journey


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## LittleStampede (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi,

Finally had the results and SA came back a little on the low side but nothing to worry about - he just got told to keep them cool so am off to buy him some cotton boxers at lunchtime! Typical hubby didn't ask for a copy of the results so I don't know percent morphology, count or anything - going to make him phone up and get them as I'm a numbers kind of girl!

We've got an appt with the specialist on 19th Sept so fingers crossed 

x


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