Waiting time for IVF

I'm starting to get my head around the fact that perhaps I should prepare for the fact that we might need to go down the IVF route. Hopefully not of course, but the FA nurses were rather pessimistic about my chances of oving with another (even more) increased clomid dose, when my body has shown in the past that it can ov on a 25mg dose. Although I don't want it to be the case, it makes sense to me that we might need more than just more clomid.

So, how does the funding system work? What I really want to know is how long I'm likely to have to wait, if we do need to go down that track! I know no-one can really answer that question, since they have the whole points system, and even I don't know where we sit with that, but what's kind of average for a couple in their mid- to late- twenties with my PCOS being the only complicating factor? I know the waiting list is a year or so long, but am not sure how long I'm likely to have to wait to go on that list, if that makes sense?

Any help you can give - particularly examples of how long it's taken for those of you who are already on that road - would be really appreciated, thanks!

Yea, their website is helpful, thanks. The parts I'm a little uncertain about are:

FA website wrote: Typical scenarios, which gain a score of at least 65, include: >   A couple with severe infertility, no children, who have been trying for a year or more

We've been trying for a year or more, but what is severe infertility? How many unsuccessful clomid cycles do you need to be classed as 'severe'?

It also says later on that

FA website wrote: Factors associated with a higher CPAC score: >   Severe cause of infertility - such as no or very poor sperm, severe endometriosis, damage to both the fallopian tubes, anovular or not pregnant after clomiphene treatment >   Longer duration of infertility

That indicates that the time you've been trying (once you've got past that all-important year) does play a part - how much of a part?

Hi Hopes,

For us initially it was DH's vasectomy and my PCOS that put us on the waitlist for IVF. We didn't qualify with enough points as we hadn't been 'trying' for long enough and they took the 'trying from' date as the first day we saw the specialist. (I do wonder how you're supposed to try when there's no sperm!!). It was going to be about 4 years before we made the list.

A year later DH had a failed VR but we still didn't get enough points. Now after funding ourselves through IVF privately (about to start 2nd cycle) and finding out I have very low fertility also, the specialist has determined that we'll probably have enough points to go on the waitlist so we might get a publicly funded cycle next year.

I guess each area is different, but my recommendation is to get on the 'pre-waitlist list' ASAP for public funding to kick in!!

Good luck with the natural attempts

Hi Hopes

Just lurking round this website and thought maybe able to shed some light for you hopefully. We just went thru FA Hamilton. We originally had an appt in Dec last year and we were told we were not eligible for public funding for another 18 months. They took the 'trying' time from the date we got married - not that they asked for that date, the Dr just asked how long we had been trying, and I took it back to the date we got married (cause we hadn't been 'trying' before that). DH then had to have some further tests and we had another appt with FA in Jan and were then told due to the results of that test we are now eligible for public funding. Within a week we got a letter stating that we were on the waiting list for public funding and we would start Feb 2010. They then phoned up a few months later and brought it forward to Jan 2010. We have since gone private but still on the public list as if this fails we are still eligible for public. I found a website that actually what the drs use to get your score. If I can find it again I will post the link here. All the best.

Thanks Hopes. We had been married 2 years. Im going to look for that chart now see if I can find it for you. I had saved it to my computer but must have deleted it in the last week when I did a clean up. Are you currently with FA Hamilton now. I did read your first post but we are doing the full IVF ICSI so not too familiar with other types of treatments as was never an option for us .

Ooh, thanks heaps for that - I will go have a read. Yes, we're with FA Hamilton; we've got a follow-up appointment in December since the clomid doesn't seem to be working (earliest they could do).

I know! I'm on the cancellation list, so hopefully we'll get in a bit earlier...

Nah, lets just hope they're cancelling cos they got a BFP - good news all round