Fertility treatment abroad?

[soloedition]

Hi all!

I’m currently saving up to have fertility treatment as a single woman. I’ve been exploring the possibility of having treatment abroad and was wondering if anyone could share their experiences/recommend any clinics/how long they spent travelling and staying abroad etc...

Thanks so much!

[user1471604848]

Firstly go to the Fertilityfriends.co.uk site. There is a subsection there on treatment abroad. It will answer all your questions.

I did IVF in both Ukraine and Greece, and had a successful cycle in Greece. The clinic was called Ovum.
I used a service called IVF Treatment Abroad, where you have a british nurse as your contact. Her name is Ruth Pellow, and website is : ivftreatmentabroad.com
No connection to the clinic, other that as a very grateful customer. She liaises with clinics in Spain and Greece, and takes care of all the logistics.
I found her details on the Fertility Friends website,and recommend her highly.

For the successful cycle, I just had to travel once for a couple of days, since I used donor eggs. If you use your own eggs, you'll have to stay about a week.

[PinkGold]

@soloedition not sure if you're still considering treatment abroad but travelling is pretty difficult right now, I've been having treatment abroad and covid situation has added heaps of stress.
It has also made it more difficult to have any monitoring scans in the UK.

What is your motivation for going abroad? Happy to answer any practical questions if I can.

@user1471604848 do you mind me asking if you had a fresh or frozen transfer?

[user1471604848]

@PinkGold I had a frozen transfer.
In 2018, they transferred 2 frozen embryos. One took, but I miscarried at 8 weeks.
In 2019, they transferred two remaining frozen embryos from the same batch, and I gave birth to twins.

[PinkGold]

Sorry to hear about the MC but congratulations on your twins @user1471604848, thank you for your reply.

My clinic are keen to do a fresh transfer but I'd prefer frozen. The thought of travelling there again and potentially ending up with nothing on day 5 is a worry, it's not like it's easy to travel at present. (I'm not single so it wouldn't be donor sperm, DH would need to travel too).

[user1471604848]

If the clinic would prefer a fresh transfer, I'd ask them why? Eg do they have better success rates with fresh?
My clinic have better success rates with frozen, which was one of the reasons I did frozen.

[PinkGold]

Thanks User, I will ask them regarding success rates with each option. I thought most places had better success with FETs although this may be in part because those embryos are good enough to freeze and survived thawing.

I suspect there reason for fresh is partly in case on day 5 there is nothing considered good enough to freeze but might be considered good enough for transfer.
Also partly because my package doesn't include freezing costs (but would be prepared to pay them).
In any case they are also insisting on a mock cycle with monitoring (more time and money for me although if this will genuinely add anything to the chance of success then I will have to do so, cannot have them saying that maybe the day of transfer wasn't the optimal day ).
I think we will have to park this for a while until travel is easier.