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From start to finish, dealing with fertility issues can be stressful. We’ve put together this blog to outline the processes leading up to IVF and other fertility treatments, helping to put your mind at ease and make you feel more confident going forward.
12 months, still not pregnant
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ll have been trying to conceive for some time now and are starting to worry that something may be wrong. 1 in 7 people across the UK struggle with low fertility, but do not worry, in the vast majority of cases, fertility treatments, lifestyle changes and drug therapies can help you to overcome those issues.
If after 12 months of having regular unprotected sex (6 months if you are over 35), you are still not pregnant, we would recommend visiting your GP and requesting a referral to us at The Hewitt Fertility Centre so we can book you in for a consultation with one of our clinicians.
While awaiting your first consultation, positive lifestyle changes can be made to give you a better chance of conceiving as well as making sure that, if you are to undergo treatment, you are starting off on the right foot. Achieving a good BMI, quitting smoking and reducing your alcohol intake are all mandated by the NHS if you are eligible to undergo NHS funded treatment. Even if you will be self- funding your treatment, these changes are important as they will help to increase your fertility and your wellbeing.
Diagnosis
If you have spoken to your GP about your concerns and difficulties in conceiving and your referral has been made, you will be booked in for an appointment to see one of our fertility specialists here at the clinic; medical forms will then be given to you to complete. This will give us a good understanding of what your situation is as well as enabling us to start thinking about what fertility treatment may be best for you.
Here at the Hewitt Fertility Centre, we offer a full range of testing to ensure that, if there is a problem, we will find it and be able proceed with the most effective form of treatment for you.
Once we have completed tests with you and your partner, a follow up consultation will be arranged, where one of our senior clinicians will discuss with you the results of the tests, what issues we may have found and what the best course of treatment is depending on your situation.
Our most common course of treatment if you or your partner is found to have low fertility is IVF treatment.
Run up to treatment
Once the decision has been made to refer you for IVF treatment or any of our other procedures, you will be booked in for an additional clinic appointment where you’ll see one of the doctors or the nurse practitioners. More information will be gathered from you and the information about what happens next in terms of the process will be explained.
In the run up to treatment and hopefully pregnancy, a healthy lifestyle is important. This means cutting out things that are harmful for pregnancy, such as smoking and drinking excessively. Obtaining a good weight (a body mass index between 20 and 30) is recommended and is mandated by the NHS to be eligible for treatment.
Once all consent forms have been completed and medical criteria have been met, you will be registered as a patient and your journey can begin.
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