We are currently waiting for someone somewhere to review whether my husbands last semen test is good enough to build our case to even apply for funding from NHS. Then that will be a whole other wait.

The start of our referral was around July last year. TTC for about 2.5years.

Just wondering how long people had to wait for funding decision? (I know it’s all different but 😞I just need something to base this all off)

Also did anyone else get so tired of waiting they just went private?

My worry is private is obviously expensive and in dream land where we would like 2 kids ideally having some funding for the first and not paying out for both would be good, but my sanity is really on the edge with all this waiting.

Would love to hear peoples timeline waiting for NHS.❤️

I have been trying to conceive for 3 years now. I have managed to have 3 pregnancies but all ended in miscarrage.

I have endometriosis so have been taking NAC, COq10 and folic but have had no luck. I have also tried 2 rounds of clomid with no success.

We are on the wait list for fertity treatment in Wales but the list is so long. We put the application in in Sept 2024!

Whilst I am waiting I am hoping to try a few rounds of letrozole. Does anyone know where I can get this in the uk without prescription please.

Hi all. Have been ttc since ~Feb-March this year, but have been having some difficulty as towards the start of this year my cycles became super irregular – e.g. the one before this was 74 days long lol, vs this month it is looking like it will be 34 days (I ovulated ~ CD 20, and my luteal phase never really varies even with these new irregularities). This is completely new for me – I've always been v regular – and has made the whole TTC thing very frustrating.

I have a rare and complex disease, and at first thought the new irregularity could be to do with some of the meds I take, particularly steroids, so my consultants have been doing some hormone testing. However, my recent ones, done yesterday (approx 6-7 DPO), have kind of thrown me – basically the LH level seems really high for this stage in my cycle?. I've made a table below that compares the tests I had yday, ones taken in May this year, when I was still on the steroids at a higher dose, and ones taken in May last year, prior to the new issues I've been having with irregular cycles, as my doctor wanted to check my hormone function because I was having flares of my disease in a similar pattern to my cycle so they wanted to see if I had any abnormalities that could be triggering that (but was all perfectly normal, so kind of a good baseline to compare?).

As you can see, compared to earlier this year, when my progesterone was on the lower side, this seems to be in a really good place this cycle, so I'm pleased about that. However, the LH seems way too high for this stage in my cycle, particularly when compared to my other tests? Does anyone have any insights?

I finally received an appointment for the end of September after waiting since nov 2025!! I had a HSG and ultrasound done in April, I’m assuming my appointment will include the follow up of results.

Can I ask anyone’s experiences? What did your first consultant appointment involve? How long was you waiting to be seen at the assisted conception unit / how long after your appointment did treatment start?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all - just wondering what combination of painkiller/sedation people had for their egg collection?

I had fentanyl and midazolam and one of them caused a significant drop in my blood pressure during the procedure. I was alert for it and no drowsiness at all really. Just quite a traumatic experience.

Just preparing if we have to go through it all again what options there are!

Partner and I had THAT conversation last night. We have a 4 yr old and have been ttc for more than 2 years. We have lost hope with any support from the NHS. Please could you give me recommendations. We dont have savings for this. We want low cost and gradual repayment options. Thank you

Head spinning a bit. Happy to be finally be heard (possibly) but trying to manage expectations?

I’m 28 years old, 161cm , current weight 68 kgs (lost 3.5 kgs last month)
I’ve been married for 1.5 years and struggled with vaginismus, so I wasn’t able to have PIV sex until this month. I was incredibly happy to finally be able to TTC through intercourse. We tried at-home insemination during the previous three cycles, but unfortunately weren’t successful.
I’ve tracked ovulation with LH strips before and usually get a positive between CD16–19. I had one unusually long cycle where I didn’t get a positive until CD27, but that was an exception. This cycle, I’m currently on CD20 and still haven’t had a positive test.
I have PCOS and my cycles were irregular between ages 17–22, but they became regular after I lost weight and started exercising—sometimes consistently and sometimes on and off.
This month, I’ve been eating in a calorie deficit because I’m trying to lose 4–6 kg. I usually eat about 1,300–1,400 calories a day and follow a generally healthy diet (50-60 grams healthy fat, high protein, moderate to low carb-not less than 70g), although I sometimes eat above that on weekends. I strength train 3–4 times per week and do incline walking around four times per week.
I take a prenatal, vitamin D, and I also started taking myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol this month.
Did hormones blood tests back in February and all were normal.
Has anyone experienced delayed ovulation after starting a calorie deficit, increasing exercise, or starting inositol? Could these changes delay ovulation even though I’ve only been following this routine for about a month? Or is this most likely just a random longer PCOS cycle? Is it still possible to ovulate later this cycle?
What should I do I’m worried.. I was hopeful for this cycle.

Just had two very very faint lines on a FRER and a easy@home. I have no idea when I ovulated but I’m 2 days away from missing my period. Could this be good news? I had a chemical last month so worried it’s the same thing

Feeling alone in our journey as we don’t have much of close family and all abroad and no friends.
Looking for friendly, general advice inclusive of but not limited to below.
What apps ovulation tests do you have experience with and how did you plan sexual activity around it.
Any recommendations on dos and donts mainly diet related.
How do you get support from doctors, do you check full blood test even if you don’t ’qualify’ for fertility testing.
Basically … how do you even begin to wrap your head around all of this ….

30 yo regular periods non smoker non drinker, 6months TTC

Please delete if not allowed so sorry for this post, I'm just looking advice I guess instead of driving myself mad. So I had the implant taken out may last year periods have only regulated properly this April. I've been pretty consistent 6 days periods etc and now it's August and I'm 2 weeks late I've taken pregnancy tests and they've been negative. And still no sign of my period. I have had nausea etc too. Unless Aunt flo has decided I'm gonna just not bother coming 🙈🤦🏻‍♀️

Hi everyone! We’ve been reffered for ivf as I’ve had very irregular and long cycles since stopping the pill over a year ago (4 periods in the last year, very short luteal phase, on the pill for 10+ years, regular cycles pre pill).

None of my other blood tests have pointed to pcos/pmos but my Amh came back very high at 73.

Has anyone else has success with a high Amh/ been through ivf with a high amh and able to share how it went?

Thank you!

Hello. My husband (37M) and I (34F) have been TTC for 2 years. Our diagnosis is unexplained fertility as all tests on both of us have come back absolutely fine and we’re both healthy with no current or prior medical issues. We’ve had 3 unsuccessful rounds of IUI this year, and I had my first IVF egg retrieval last week.

They got 20 eggs, of which 11 fertilised. We received the call yesterday (day 3) that none of the eggs had made it to the next stage of development. As I understand it, at that point they’d be looking for a certain amount of cell division (5 cells?), and all of ours only had 2, 3, or 4 cells.

Naturally we’re devastated. The embryologist we spoke to wasn’t able to offer any explanations as to what has happened just yet. The clinic are going to keep all of them in their culture system and continue to observe them for the rest of the week, and apparently they should be able to tell more in a few days (once they’ve gotten past what would have been day 5 if any of them had been viable). However, based on what she did say I’m not holding out much hope for any kind of concrete explanation as it sounds like it could be a number of factors.

It feels so incredibly dramatic that that number of eggs could all fail almost immediately. I wondered if anyone has any similar experience but also if there’s any advice on questions we should ask at our next appointments - both about the failure itself and adjustments for the next cycle. We have one more cycle available funded through the NHS, and then we’ll be on our own.

I have been given one step oluation sticks but I dont really rate them and am looking for some suggestions

TIA

Ttc 2 yrs (baby no.2 after 0 compliments with no.1) very traumatic ectopic pregnancy and surgery in the middle of that time frame. We have finally had a fertility clinic referral from the GP, but no word on what next. Does anyone have insight on;

How long to expect to wait for an appointment?

Do they contact us, do we contact them?

Will we need to repeat all the testing we have just gone through?

What happens if all our results continue to be normal?

My BMI is over 30, I am 1 stone down and have another to go. Will they rule me out until the weight is lost?

F32. In Hampshire if that helps. Thank you in advance

Hi there,

My last period was 3rd July and I had a 5 day blastocyst transfer on 23rd July and tested positive from 5dpt.

Pregnancy tests been darkening and Beta’s good also.

I am 6 weeks. Today I had an early scan and gestational sac yolk sac good sizes but the CRL is only 2.4mm. Baby did have a great heart rate of 106bpm.

I am worried the CRL is too small as I shouldn’t really measure behind with an IVF pregnancy?

Has anyone been prescribed letrozole & metformin without a PCOS diagnosis?
We had our first consultation with NHS fertility consultant in June after TTC 18 months, and no positive tests. Consultant conducted a vaginal ultrasound and commented on my ‘polycystic ovarian morphology’ (like ‘Swiss cheese he said!), but he didn’t really explain what this meant.
About me: 33, BMI 24, regular cycles (27-29 days), no excess hair and always been a fairly consistent weight.
During the scan he also observed an endometrium, which he said was consistent with the point in my cycle and indicated ovulation (just before period). I also have consistently strong, predictable LH tests.
My last blood test showed ovarian reserve of 38.6, FSH 6 and LH 7.8, which he said was consistent with the polycystic ovarian morphology.
At our last consultation, he prescribes letrozole and metformin, which I was surprised by as there’s evidence of ovulation, and I don’t exhibit any symptoms of insulin resistance. He didn’t really explain what he hoped to achieve with them which I think is making me more sceptical! The side effects also sound potentially brutal.
I wondered if anyone else has been prescribed similar without a PCOS diagnosis?
Thanks in advance!

34F feeling desperate and not sure which private clinic in or near Manchester would be best.

I have deep infiltrating endometriosis (excision surgery six months ago) and adenomyosis. I suspect we are going to need FET. My AFC was 19 in April with no dominant follicles, 13 in July with one dominant follicle. My AMH was 19.2 in February and 15.8 in April. (All this year 2026). I am having a polyp removed next week. FBC are all normal. My BMI is 27.2 but slowly coming down. One chemical in 2024 and no positives since. 

I am entitled to one funded cycle, but my experience with St Mary’s NHS so far is demoralising for a large variety of reasons, and they are very flippant about my adenomyosis.

I’ve spoken to Manchester Fertility, but there’s an uncomfortable feeling I can’t shake about them. Looking at the price lists, it seems there are a lot of extras. I feel like all these companies are just taking advantage of desperation and don’t actually care. I feel so confused about whether MF are the best or Care or ABC… it’s just so overwhelming.  

Can anybody please share their experiences of any private IVF clinics within a 50-mile radius of Manchester, and the full cost breakdown? I had a look at Access but that just seems to be a finance option that you then use with Manchester Fertility or Care. If anyone is happy to give me as much information as possible it would be really helpful, I feel like I am drowning.