I promised On Fecund Thought that I would share our list of questions with her, so here they are! It’s proving to be quite a long list already and our appointment isn’t until 10 September.

• How many fresh and/or frozen cycles will be funded by the NHS? How much do you charge for private IVF and FET?
• Why do you think IUI hasn’t worked for me? What percentage of apparently fertile women using donor sperm will end up needing IVF?
• Should we be concerned about the miscarriages, or are they just ‘one of those things’? Does the fact that I have been pregnant still increase my chances?
• Is there an increased risk of miscarriage with IVF? I’m aware that IVF pregnancies are more likely to miscarry than natural ones, but I believe this is thought to be because infertile women are more likely to have miscarriages rather than because of the IVF itself – is that correct? Is there any chance that selecting the healthiest embryos will actually reduce my risk of an early miscarriage?
• What do you think our chances of success are, and what can we do to maximise these? What is the likelihood of no viable pregnancy after several IVF cycles?
• I’m concerned about my cervix making embryo transfer difficult and reducing our chances. How do you plan to address this? Do you do a mock transfer? Should I be concerned about my tilted uterus for any other reason?
• What’s my AMH and antral follicle count? (I remember being told my AMH was fine, but I’m starting to worry about my age…)
• Do I need any further investigations? If not, how soon can we start?
• Is it safe for me to take a prenatal vitamin, magnesium and omega 3s? Are there any supplements you would or wouldn’t recommend?
• Do you use the long protocol or the short protocol? I’m concerned about down-regulation – since I have a history of depression, would the short protocol be better?
• How often would I need to come in for scans?
• Do you use sedation or GA for egg collection, and can OH be in theatre with me?
• Do you intend to use standard IVF or ICSI, or does it depend on the quality of the sperm once defrosted?
• At what stage of development do you transfer the embryos, and do we get a choice in how many are transferred?
• Is it OK for me to use the progesterone pessaries PR?
• If a cycle is unsuccessful, how long are we likely to have to wait for a review appointment, and how long before we can try again?
• If a cycle is cancelled, does it still ‘count’ as an NHS cycle? If a privately funded cycle is cancelled, what are the charges?
• What are the contact details for your counselling service?
• How much would it cost to store any remaining embryos for a sibling? Would it be feasible to use these embryos in OH?
• Is it possible to donate any spare embryos to another couple?

I feel rather sorry for whichever doctor will be on the receiving end of these!