Your fertility journey

We understand that beginning fertility treatment is a big decision and there are a lot of things to consider. We have described this as a fertility journey as you move forward through your treatment. We will signpost and guide you along the way.

This section is set out like a patient journey so you can read about what to expect at each stage, who you may meet and talk to and what types of tests and treatments may be recommended for you.

You can also read some personal stories and reviews that our patients have shared with us which, we hope, provide real insight about what it is to be a patient receiving fertility patient.

If you do think that you may require fertility treatment, particularly if you have followed guidance about increasing the chance of getting pregnant and it hasn’t worked for you, the very first thing you should do is visit your GP for some basic fertility tests.

Referrals

If you choose to start your fertility journey with the Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine on the NHS, first you will need to meet with your own GP and ask for a referral letter. Your GP will need to carry out some initial tests and include the results with your referral letter to the clinic. Information for your GP on making a referral is available on the Leeds Health Pathways website.

It is possible to self-refer directly on a private basis to CARE Fertility Leeds although a referral from your GP can be helpful to establish the background to your situation. However, it is not essential.

You may need further assessments and specialist tests before we can advise you on what fertility options are right for you.

Funding and costs

Many patients live in areas where the local fund-holding Integrated Care Board (ICB) pay for a certain number of assisted conception cycles per year. If you meet certain criteria, they will cover the cycle and medication costs. All ICBs have their own funding policies, so it is worth checking the website of the ICB in your area (in Leeds this is West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership) for more information on their policy. You can also consult with your GP.

If you do not meet the criteria set by your local ICB, you can choose to fund your own treatment with Care Fertility Leeds. You would become a private patient and cover all costs of each cycle of treatment, including the medication.

Appointments

At your first visit, you will have an appointment with a Doctor to gather your background history information and organise the baseline tests.

Tests are performed on both female and male partners to get a better understanding of their fertility.

Other tests may be offered for specific and personalised reasons:

These are likely to include a test to check whether the fallopian tubes are open and that there is no mechanical reason why the sperm may not be reaching the egg. These tests will be booked for a separate day.

Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine offers a comprehensive service providing full surgical expertise for the management of fibroids, endometriosis, polyps, damaged fallopian tubes, ovarian cysts, abnormalities of the development of the womb since birth, problems with the cervix and other issues. We are also able to coordinate and collaborate with medical specialists in the wider Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to manage fertility and pregnancy safely in the context of other illnesses.

If it is clear that tertiary level care e.g. IVF treatment, is the most appropriate option, you will be referred on to Care Fertility Leeds.

Patient support

We will do our best to ensure you receive first class care with us. This begins with your first meeting. Having difficulty in conceiving when you really want to, is frustrating and can be very upsetting. We will do all we can to listen, find and treat any identifiable causes and offer treatment options that might help. We do not have all of the answers all of the time. A significant proportion of couples who struggle to get pregnant naturally will have no obvious or identifiable cause, despite extensive investigation. This is labelled as ‘unexplained subfertility’. We will explain the tests you have had, what they mean and what we recommend we do together to move you towards your goal.

It is quite common for IVF to be offered, for many different types and combinations of fertility issues. The IVF process generally increases the chances of a sperm fertilising an egg because the timing and environment are precisely controlled and the interaction between the egg and the sperm is observed for the first time under the microscope (problems may be revealed with this part of the process). Furthermore, most IVF cycles will expose multiple eggs to sperm at the same time, on the same day. Under natural circumstances only one egg per month has the chance to be fertilised. Not all eggs are good enough to produce a pregnancy. If the quality of that monthly egg is not good enough, it will not progress. The odds of a good egg being present in the batch of IVF eggs is higher and so the chances of fertilisation and potential pregnancy are higher.

If we recommend that you consider assisted conception such as IVF, Care Fertility will provide access to a team of counsellors if you feel you need extra support to help you through your assisted conception journey. They also have online patient to patient support / buddying.