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Your Fertility Journey

Your Fertility Journey

Helping you through yours

IVF -What to Expect

27th September 2021 · In: Blog, Fertility Coach, Fertility Facts, IVF

What to expect in IVF

Since the relaunch of The Fertility Podcast, we have been taking you through each step of your fertility journey. This blog, inspired by the podcast, is based on the next phase – what happens at the fertility clinic. Knowing what to expect in IVF is a huge topic in itself, but this guide covers the key points you won’t want to miss.

Your initial visit to the IVF clinic

Once you have an initial referral, it is likely that in both the NHS and private sector, you will have any tests needed done as ‘one-stop shop’ to try and identify the cause of your fertility struggles and decide on the appropriate treatment. This reduces the need of having to have multiple visits and waits for different results because you can get 2-3 diagnostic tests completed at once and have a follow up appointment with the consultant to discuss further plans.

What information should people bring with them?

Although fertility clinics will have some form of questionnaire, it is good to have as much information prepared as possible to aid your initial visit. Details such as how long have you been trying to conceive, any previous pregnancies and their outcomes, your menstrual history, and any other factors, be it surgical, gynaecological, or medical which could potentially affect your fertility.

It is also important to identify any other risk factors which could complicate treatment or potential pregnancies.

If you have had tests done elsewhere, it is worth bringing in the results as some tests may not need repeating.

What about IVF delays due to COVID?

If you have had previous tests done, it is important to consider the timeframe, especially with Covid causing delays or if you have had to delay your treatment for any reason.

In terms of key investigations, markers of egg reserve should be carried out, such as a transvaginal scan and AMH blood tests. If these have been done within the last 6 months, the results are unlikely to have changed much, so will still be valid.

Semen analysis likewise has a timeframe of 6 months unless there were signs of any significant abnormalities where it might need to be repeated.

These are the main 3 tests which will be carried out initially. Tests needed for IVF include HIV, Hep B, Hep C. These will be done within the first 3 months of treatment and every 2 years thereafter.

Home testing

Home testing can be done by people wanting to be well-informed, and with the addition of Covid, there has been increase in home blood tests. Resident expert Dr. James Nicopollus describes how home testing should be fine as long as the lab is using the correct forms of testing. As long as your doctor can see the results and who you did your test through, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Remember all clinics are different so check with your clinic on the expiry date of tests and if they will accept home testing.

How often should you expect to see the same IVF Dr?

It is understandable that you want to keep continuity throughout your treatment. Fertility clinics often work as a team. You will be under the care of the same doctor and probably have access to them. However, due to the nature of the treatment and timing of your embryos being ready, it might mean that your collection or transfer might not be at a time that your doctor is available. Fertility clinics will have team meetings and clinicians will speak to each other regularly, so it shouldn’t be something to worry about.

Starting your IVF treatment

Following your diagnostic tests, you prepare for treatment itself.

One of the reasons why IVF treatment can improve chances of getting pregnant and overcome fertility struggles is that you are stimulating the ovaries to produce more of the follicles than you would normally grow. Normally, only one egg will develop, but through infertility treatments, you are given the FSH hormone in higher doses. This is with a daily injection – an average of 12-14 days of injections. Due to the increased hormones, the aim is to have more than one egg grow.

In almost every cycle, the stimulation phase starts just after your period. For 2 weeks, you take an injection to make your eggs grow with 3 – 6 scans to see when you are ready for egg collection. Some clinics may also do blood tests and use hormone levels as a further measure to decide on your dose and egg collection.

There is also a second medication involved in IVF. If the only thing being done was stimulating more egg growth, you would ovulate normally, and the eggs wouldn’t be able to be collected. The second medication is to stop your body from releasing the eggs. This will either be a nasal spray a week before or an injection halfway through the process.

Overall, you will likely have 2 weeks of intensive monitoring. Your oestrogen level will go up which will make you feel good. Post embryo transfer is the time when the hormones can make you feel more under the weather.

Stress and your wellbeing

Going through IVF or any other fertility treatment is stressful. With the logistics of IVF and varying hormone levels, it’s important to not worry about the little things and worry about getting stressed itself, especially as life is still going on at the same time. Current research suggests that stress does not affect fertility, so you don’t need to feel bad about the way you are feeling. All your feelings are valid.

I hope you have found this helpful and feel more informed about what to expect during IVF.

By: Kate · In: Blog, Fertility Coach, Fertility Facts, IVF · Tagged: IVF

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Amy King
13:43 16 May 22
Kate is like a wonderfully kind Aunt and a fountain of all knowledge. She is the perfect balance of information and warmth that is needed to help you muddle through. I would highly recommend booking in with Kate at whatever point of your fertility journey you are in. Thank you Kate for your time!
Rachael Wilding
11:41 05 May 22
I had 5 sessions of coaching with Kate Davies prior to, during and in the 2 week wait following my 3rd round of IVF.I’d had a tough time over my 2nd cycle and was losing the hope following a loss earlier in the year and a bunch of very negative test results. I really needed something to help me to get back on track. Sessions with Kate were the perfect tonic. Over Christmas I took a break from treatment and gained techniques from Kate to help build up resilience and self care basket ready for starting a 3rd cycle in February.I started treatment in early February and it went very smoothly. We had a fresh day 5 embryo transfer on 19th February. This was also the due date for the baby we lost last year and the feelings surrounding this date were big and mixed but Kate helped me through it.We had several sessions during the 2 week wait and learnt techniques to try and keep as rational and calm as possible and this was so so so beneficial. On our final session I was able to share the lovely news that it had been successful and we talked about the emotions that came with pregnancy after loss.Being a nurse myself I really appreciated her clinical advice on top of her support and practical techniques she gave to help me through this cycle. The support from my clinic was amazing but they were busy. To be able to sit with a knowledgeable, kind and compassionate healthcare professional for an hour at a time during treatment really helped to keep my stress levels low and to be in the best shape for getting through one of the most challenging few weeks I have ever been through with hope and sanity still intact. My favourite bit of advice was to make a plan for test day to have the time with my husband to talk and reflect on the outcome. We went out for a meal together and just talked and took in the news.I’m now 2nd trimester pregnant with a healthy little baby boy on the way and I still have to pinch myself at times to believe that it worked. It was a dark period of hopelessness following my 2nd cycle and honestly feel that with each session everything got lighter and lighter. I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to and have a baby and having the extra support certainly helped me to throw everything at it too.
Loretta Collins
19:58 26 Apr 22
Kate was fantastic, supportive, understanding and extremely knowledgeable . After suffering from amenorrhea for 16 months I didn't know what to do and have been feeling quite lost. Kate has been able to assist me in trying to find answers and maximise my fertility.
Warren Delay
09:18 10 Apr 22
I’ve been working with Kate for a good six months now. First she’s helped me understand my options and some of the tests i need to work through - as I have secondary infertility I’m not going to get much help off the nhs so having Kate there for solid guidance has been great. More recently Kate has helped me with some fertility coaching following a miscarriage which has really helped me to put coping mechanisms in place and feel more hopeful! Thanks Kate!Katie delay (not warren)
L Porter
08:11 02 Feb 22
Kate is very approchable, answered all of our questions. Excellent advice for us both. Instagram page & podcasts also very infromative.

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