Concierge fertility imaging · London
Cycle monitoring, structured ultrasound and hormone tracking for fertility, PCOS and irregular cycles.
Cycle monitoring combines serial pelvic ultrasound (transvaginal follicle tracking) with hormone blood tests (LH, oestradiol, progesterone) across a menstrual cycle. Used for fertility investigation, PCOS management, ovulation induction and timed intercourse or IVF cycles.
Key facts
- 01
What it is
Serial ultrasound and hormone tracking across a menstrual cycle.
- 02
Follicle tracking
Transvaginal follicle tracking is the standard technique.
- 03
Hormone baseline
Combined with day-2 FSH, LH and AMH baseline blood tests.
- 04
Ovulation confirmed
Confirmed by follicle collapse and luteal progesterone.
- 05
All cycle types
Used for natural, letrozole, clomiphene and gonadotrophin cycles.
- 06
Foundation of treatment
Underpins timed intercourse, IUI and IVF planning.
How it works
From consultation to cycle report — what happens, in order.
One structured cycle, one team — from first consultation to a written report your fertility team and GP can act on.
Phase 1 · Before the cycle
Consultation and baseline
Phase 2 · During the cycle
Serial scans and trigger
Phase 3 · After
Ovulation, treatment, report
- 01
Before
Fertility consultation
A structured review with a reproductive endocrinologist to map the plan.
- 02
Before
Day-2 baseline bloods
FSH, LH, AMH and oestradiol on day 2 of the cycle to set the baseline.
- 03
During cycle
Transvaginal follicle tracking
Serial transvaginal ultrasound every 2–3 days to follow follicle growth and endometrial pattern.
- 04
During cycle
Trigger injection if mature
A trigger injection (hCG or GnRH agonist) is given once follicles are mature.
- 05
After
Luteal progesterone
A progesterone blood test in the luteal phase to confirm ovulation occurred.
- 06
After
Timed intercourse, IUI or IVF
The treatment step the whole cycle was built around — timed intercourse, IUI or IVF.
- 07
After
Structured written report
A full written report of the cycle, ready for your fertility team and GP.
Typical cycle length: 2–4 weeks. Urgent slots: next available cycle.
What it shows
When cycle monitoring is the right test.
Cycle monitoring answers a specific set of questions — is she ovulating, how is the endometrium responding, and what is the safest, most effective treatment plan.
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Antral follicle count (AFC)
The pool of resting follicles at the start of the cycle — a core reserve marker.
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Dominant follicle growth pattern
How the leading follicle grows day by day, cycle by cycle.
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Endometrial thickness and pattern
Whether the lining is thickening in a trilaminar pattern ready for implantation.
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Ovulation confirmation
Follicle collapse on ultrasound with a rise in luteal progesterone.
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Anovulation and PCOS pattern
Absent ovulation, or the classic multi-follicular PCOS appearance.
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Luteal-phase progesterone
The blood-test signature that ovulation has actually occurred.
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Hyperstimulation risk (OHSS)
Early warning signs of ovarian hyperstimulation on scan and bloods.
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Red flag: severe OHSS — urgent gynae review
Severe abdominal pain, bloating, breathlessness after stimulation — urgent gynaecology review.
Treatment options
What cycle monitoring makes possible.
The pathways cycle monitoring is designed to support — from natural cycles through to full IVF.
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Timed intercourse cycle
Natural or lightly-supported cycle with intercourse timed to ovulation.
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Ovulation induction
Letrozole or clomiphene to induce ovulation in anovulatory cycles.
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Gonadotrophin cycle
Injectable FSH cycle for controlled ovarian stimulation.
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Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
Prepared sperm placed into the uterus around ovulation.
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IVF
In-vitro fertilisation with a full stimulated cycle and embryo transfer.
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Genetic testing / PGT-A
Pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos before transfer.
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Endometrial receptivity array
Molecular assessment of the window of implantation.
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Multi-disciplinary fertility team
Reproductive endocrinology, embryology, andrology and counselling in one team.
Red flags and safety
What we watch for — and what needs urgent review.
Cycle monitoring is a safe process, but stimulation and pregnancy carry specific risks. These are the flags we build the monitoring plan around.
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Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
Severe bloating, pain and breathlessness after stimulation — urgent review.
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Ectopic pregnancy risk post-IUI/IVF
Any pregnancy after assisted conception needs early scan to exclude ectopic.
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Multiple pregnancy risk
Higher order pregnancies raise maternal and neonatal risk — carefully counselled.
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Undiagnosed hypothyroidism
Thyroid disease impairs ovulation and pregnancy — screened before cycles.
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Prolactinoma
High prolactin from a pituitary adenoma can suppress ovulation.
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Poor ovarian reserve
Low AMH or high day-2 FSH change the whole treatment plan.
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Endometrial polyp or fibroid
Intra-cavity lesions reduce implantation and may need hysteroscopy.
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Pelvic infection
Active infection is a contraindication to instrumentation and stimulation.
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Genetic infertility syndromes
Turner, fragile-X premutation and karyotype issues alter management.
Reading your report
A cycle-monitoring report can look intimidating. It isn’t.
Whatever the finding, the report keeps to the same four parts.
A quiet reminder
The report is written for your fertility team, not for you — and that’s normal.
If you would like us to talk you through it before your follow-up, just ask.
- 01 Header
Cycle context and baseline
Your details, cycle day, prior treatments and day-2 hormone baseline that frames interpretation.
- 02 Technique
Ultrasound and bloods used
Which scans were performed on which cycle days, and the hormones measured alongside.
- 03 Findings
Follicles, endometrium, hormones
Day-by-day follicle sizes, endometrial thickness and pattern, and the LH/oestradiol/progesterone trend.
- 04 Impression
The conclusion: read this first
Ovulatory or anovulatory, response class, and the concrete next step — read this first.
Sources
Clinically referenced.
- British Fertility Society. Clinical guidance on fertility investigation and treatment.
- NICE. Fertility problems: assessment and treatment (CG156).
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Guidelines.
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Practice guidelines.
Last reviewed 2026-07-30. Next review due 2027-07-30. Reviewer: Pulse Atlas Editorial Board, .
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about cycle monitoring.
Quick answers on how often you’re scanned, what hormones are measured, and when OHSS becomes a concern.
-
What is cycle monitoring?
Cycle monitoring combines serial pelvic ultrasound — usually transvaginal follicle tracking — with hormone blood tests (LH, oestradiol, progesterone) across a menstrual cycle, to plan fertility treatment or investigate irregular cycles.
-
How often will I be scanned during a cycle?
Typically every 2–3 days from around day 8 or 10, more frequently as follicles approach maturity. Most cycles need three to five scans in total.
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Is transvaginal follicle tracking uncomfortable?
It’s a slim probe scan, similar to a smear, and most people find it easily tolerated. It gives a much clearer view of the ovaries and endometrium than an abdominal scan.
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What hormones are checked and when?
Day-2 FSH, LH, oestradiol and AMH set the baseline. Oestradiol and LH are tracked with the scans, and a progesterone level in the luteal phase confirms ovulation.
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Can cycle monitoring be used without IVF?
Yes. It supports natural, letrozole, clomiphene, gonadotrophin and IUI cycles as well as full IVF, and is often used to investigate PCOS or irregular cycles.
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What is OHSS and how is it avoided?
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is an exaggerated response to stimulation. Careful monitoring of follicle numbers and oestradiol, tailored trigger choice, and freeze-all strategies reduce the risk — severe symptoms warrant urgent gynaecology review.
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Menopause
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Colposcopy With Lletz
Related treatment option.
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In practice, in London
Booking cycle monitoring privately in London — what actually happens
With cycle monitoring, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it — not whether the scan is available. The wait for cycle monitoring on the NHS depends heavily on where you live and how urgently the referral is graded. Central and West London private clinics can normally book within a week, with imaging or a procedure slot to follow shortly after. It’s worth being honest about the reason for going private: usually it’s time, not a fundamentally different test.
The mechanics are straightforward: a consultant appointment, any tests done at a nearby CQC-registered site, and a written report back within a few days. London’s density of private diagnostics — Marylebone, the City, Chelsea, Canary Wharf — means most patients can find something that fits around work without a cross-town trek. For cycle monitoring specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.
The value of going through a concierge for cycle monitoring isn’t access — anyone with an insurer or a credit card can get a private appointment in London. The value is knowing which consultant reads this particular presentation best, which unit turns reports around fastest, and which pathway won’t hit a dead end if the findings point somewhere unexpected.