any experiences of CARE Manchester or Manchester Fertility?

[bearsarah]

Hi I'm looking into going private and these seem to be the only two near me. Does anyone have any experience of either?

[KosherBacon]

I had treatment at Care. They are a baby making factory where personalised care doesn't matter. We had one successful cycle.

[givemeaclue]

Had treatment at care although not in Manchester. They were fantastic, now have two children.

[bearsarah]

I'm trying to get away from the impersonal experience I've had with the NHS. Anyone know if Manchester fertility is any better?

[KosherBacon]

BearSarah- I have friends who loved Care and thought it was miles better than St Marys- maybe I just had a bad experience. Prof Lieberman at MFS is meant to be lovely.

[rabbitonthemoon]

My current experience (whilst not going very well due to my eggs) is that the majority of staff at care Manc are caring, givers of time and genuinely interested in me. My nhs fertility experience was horrendous and being at Care has shown me just how awful my previous treatment really was. It can be busy and can feel production line ish sometimes but often it is quiet and calm. This is just my experience so far. I guess they are a business at the end if the day but I will continue to go there until I get pregnant (please) or draw a line.

[Gemoh]

Hi Bearsarah and all of you,

I'm in a similar position. I have had lots of tests done at St Mary's and have been sent an appointment to see the consultant in Jan. but I've read that at CARE they have a brand new technique involving time lapse imaging which means they don't have to take the embryos out of the incubator to examine them? I read it increases success rates. As we only get one NHS try in our postcode lottery obviously I want the best chances.

Also st Mary's tend to only put one embryo in while private clinics will be happier to put in two -

But I have heard mixed things about all three places!

Does anyone have anything to add?

[cinnamonbunny]

Just wanted to post here many years later, because it was reading this thread that made me choose Care over going elsewhere. REALLY really happy we did. It's been an amazing experience so far, I've felt so cared for and we had a long meeting with a doctor who explained everything clearly, everything he said made sense and we felt like we were listened to as people. Just wanted to say thanks for the posters for feedback.

[2014newme]

Went to care Nottingham.
They were brilliant. I had 3 previous failed cycles at a different private clinic. 4th cycle at care I had twins.
I find it weird that pp said they are a baby making factory as that sounds positive to me, lf you want a baby then a baby making factory is surely perfect!

[cinnamonbunny]

Just wanted to update on my previous post: got pregnant with my first IVF cycle at Care, after 4 years of infertility, and going well at 11 weeks now, with a good chance of a live birth at this stage. The whole process was smooth and relatively easy and they also found out the real reason why I wasn't getting pregnant (we had been misdiagnosed before). If I hadn't gone to Care, (transferred our NHS funding there) I would still be waiting to start in a fully booked NHS clinic and still have the wrong diagnosis. It was THIS thread that first mentioned Care and convinced me to look them up and when I called them I found out about the NHS funding. So THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for sharing your experiences.

[Sam0000]

Hi everyone. I’m considering Care Manchester or Manchester Fertility but can’t decide. Seems everyone has spoke about Care more on this thread. I have just had a failed ICSI cycle elsewhere but unfortunately I wasn’t impressed with the service so would like to try somewhere else next time. I also feel like I need a second opinion before deciding to go again. I have no confidence in my last clinic. I have a low ovarian reserve 5.4 AMH and have been a 10% chance of success. I feel less hopeful now than I was in the beginning :(

[FingersXssd83]

I'm on my first cycle with Care as an NHS patient and I think they're fab! Very flexible, very caring, expert advice.

Our friends have been to Mcr Fertility and also highly recommend.

Care is bigger than MF and I would always elect to go a bigger centre as just like the NHS they become more expert with the more cases they do.

Good luck in your journey xx

[Talkwhilstyouwalk]

Agree with kosher bacon. I had 2 cycles at care and they were pretty shocking on the care side of things.

They have good results on the whole but I know of many ladies who had terribly managed cycles at Care. Two of my friends were clearly given the final trigger too early (due to the clinics being shut at weekends) and only got a couple of mature eggs when they would have had more if they had stimmed for a few more days. They triggered before many follicles had hit 18. Don't know about Manchester but Northampton Care don't do egg collections every weekday or on weekends and I believe this is to the detriment of many.....

We had a very specific issue but they were not interested in investigating further. Just said I must have an intrinsic egg quality problem and would need donor eggs. I was 29 at the time. Turns out we had a sperm issue and with the appropriate treatment we were able to conceive a health baby girl on the first round at a different clinic that specialises in our issue (they are based in Belgium).

I'd try and find a clinic that is open most days of the week. Timing is really key with IVF.

Good luck!

[Talkwhilstyouwalk]

Just to note, I was with Care
Northampton, not Manchester. I have heard that Manchester and Nottingham are amongst the better ones so could be a
different experience to what we had.

[TalkingasFastasIcan]

@Sam0000

Hi everyone. I’m considering Care Manchester or Manchester Fertility but can’t decide. Seems everyone has spoke about Care more on this thread. I have just had a failed ICSI cycle elsewhere but unfortunately I wasn’t impressed with the service so would like to try somewhere else next time. I also feel like I need a second opinion before deciding to go again. I have no confidence in my last clinic. I have a low ovarian reserve 5.4 AMH and have been a 10% chance of success. I feel less hopeful now than I was in the beginning :(

Hi, I am in a similar position. Waiting to hear from the Manchester CCG, I applied for funding transfer to Care Manchester, just because I had a consultation with a doctor there, and he advised us to try that. I have a low ovarian reserve (AMH 9) and my partner azoospermia, so we are looking at IVF with donor sperm. Still unsure whether to go to Care or Manchester Fertility. Any current experiences? People here seem quite positive about Care. I only went once for a scan and I liked the way they treated me, we really liked the doctor we talked to (phone appointment in the current times). Just looking at prices now, and try to decide based on that, having no other clues. Care is a bit more convenient from our house, but not sure if that is enough of a good reason. Thank you all, just reading through the posts helped!

[Gardenlady543]

I’m with a different Care clinic and I’ve considered moving to Manchester Fertility, even though it is 3 hours from me and Care is around the corner. The main reasons I’d be keen to move are that:

1. Manchester Fertility is open 7 days a week (You might not think this is important now, but by the time you face the best time for a scan, collection, transfer falling on a Sunday- you will. And if you have a problem like you’re bleeding and scared, you’ll be waiting all weekend to get help).
   
2. Manchester fertility prioritise natural FET, so they are likely to schedule you when you need treatment, not when it fits with their schedule.
   

I can completely understand what people mean by Care being a baby factory, Care take on far too many patients, so many so that the scheduling is dependent on when they have availability, not when it is clinically the most appropriate time for you. You’ll be staying on suppression meds for too long or too short a period depending on when they want to stagger you with the other patients, you’ll be on estradiol for far longer than you need to be, because if they can’t schedule you in for a transfer when you should have it, any day will do. Some of the staff at Care just don’t care (ironically), I’ve been spoken to in a horrendous manner by one particular nurse, who lacks empathy, and it’s so heartbreaking when there are so many difficult parts to this treatment.

Care is a national clinic and I feel like I’m just a number, it’s difficult because they dominate so much of the country. If I could choose again, I would research the kind of treatments each clinic prioritize and pick the one that aligns with the experience I want, even if it means travelling further.

[TalkingasFastasIcan]

@Gardenlady543

I’m with a different Care clinic and I’ve considered moving to Manchester Fertility, even though it is 3 hours from me and Care is around the corner. The main reasons I’d be keen to move are that:

1. Manchester Fertility is open 7 days a week (You might not think this is important now, but by the time you face the best time for a scan, collection, transfer falling on a Sunday- you will. And if you have a problem like you’re bleeding and scared, you’ll be waiting all weekend to get help).
2. Manchester fertility prioritise natural FET, so they are likely to schedule you when you need treatment, not when it fits with their schedule.

I can completely understand what people mean by Care being a baby factory, Care take on far too many patients, so many so that the scheduling is dependent on when they have availability, not when it is clinically the most appropriate time for you. You’ll be staying on suppression meds for too long or too short a period depending on when they want to stagger you with the other patients, you’ll be on estradiol for far longer than you need to be, because if they can’t schedule you in for a transfer when you should have it, any day will do. Some of the staff at Care just don’t care (ironically), I’ve been spoken to in a horrendous manner by one particular nurse, who lacks empathy, and it’s so heartbreaking when there are so many difficult parts to this treatment.

Care is a national clinic and I feel like I’m just a number, it’s difficult because they dominate so much of the country. If I could choose again, I would research the kind of treatments each clinic prioritize and pick the one that aligns with the experience I want, even if it means travelling further.

Thank you so much for your reply. It really helps and it gives me some light. It makes perfect sense what you explain and I have read before the 7 days a week which makes sense. The very little experience I have had so far with Care has been good, but I have not started treatment, so it has literally just been a scan and a phone appointment. I think I need to get in touch with Manchester fertility before making a decision. Thank you so much. I hope your next cycle is successful ❤️

[Furmummy]

I’m in the process of treatment with care and found them fantastic so far. I start injections soon and have found them really caring and supportive.

[TalkingasFastasIcan]

@Furmummy

I’m in the process of treatment with care and found them fantastic so far. I start injections soon and have found them really caring and supportive.

Thank you so much for your message. Are you with Care Manchester? That's reassuring. I wish you all the very best in your process ❤️

[Egghatcher]

@TalkingasFastasIcan, I’m currently in the process of deciding between these two clinics too. I’ve read lots of good stuff about both.

[TalkingasFastasIcan]

[quote Egghatcher]@TalkingasFastasIcan, I’m currently in the process of deciding between these two clinics too. I’ve read lots of good stuff about both.[/quote]
Hi! Thank you for your comment! I spoke to someone yesterday who told me she has heard both have very good reputation, and any of them would be a good option. It didnt help the decision-making process, but it was good to hear they are both strong. I am leaning a bit more towards Care at the moment. We had a phone doctor consultation in December, and we liked the fact that he was very honest and blunt. We needed that, as he was very clear. We are waiting for the CCG response on transferring funding to Care. But in case they say no, I want to have reached a decision about the clinics.

[Egghatcher]

That sounds like a good idea. A plan B is always good.
We’ve been referred for an NHS appointment, a 4 month wait and then they’ve cancelled it. We’re still in the very early stages. I spoke to someone at care yesterday who talked me through the initial tests they’d do and said I’d be seen in about 3 weeks. I think I’m just going to go for it. Scared to death but like you, I need to feel I’m being proactive.

[Furmummy]

Yep I am with Care Manchester - everything been spot on 👍

[TalkingasFastasIcan]

@Egghatcher

That sounds like a good idea. A plan B is always good.
We’ve been referred for an NHS appointment, a 4 month wait and then they’ve cancelled it. We’re still in the very early stages. I spoke to someone at care yesterday who talked me through the initial tests they’d do and said I’d be seen in about 3 weeks. I think I’m just going to go for it. Scared to death but like you, I need to feel I’m being proactive.

That's really bad about the cancellation after 4 months' wait! I totally relate, the waits in this process are awful, and adding the pandemic delays just makes everything a lot harder. I hope you get another appointment soon, but it's good to have the appointment at Care just in case. I hope things work out well! I am still waiting for the CCG, but I made my decision to go with Care once we heard from them. My best wishes!

[MMum2b]

Had an appointment with NHS , to drop off sperm samples for analysis , got there exactly the time of my appointment only to be told they didn’t have anyone at the time to examine the samples ,and the results may not be accurate and might be called back to drop off another sample , i and my husband felt discouraged , so we now like to try care Manchester or Manchester fertility, I’m finding it difficult to pick but from the comments I have read I’m leaning towards care Manchester

[SVer]

Looking for recommendations for IVF with ICSI which clinic to choose? Care fertility Manchester or Manchester fertility?