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Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

Infertility

Cycled/cycling with Victoria Wing Nuffield Woking for IVF - come join us!

999 replies

geeup · 16/01/2017 17:20

Hello. Looking for other ladies (or men!) who are IVF cycling with the Victoria Wing at Nuffield Woking either privately or NHS to share what happens, how it's going, any tips (what's the car parking like?!), to support one another and success stories of course. My stats:
Geeup
Aged 34
Ttc #1 for 22 cycles so far (4 with Clomid)
OH has low morphology MFI (but it's varied)
NHS cycle - first appt 31st Jan with Dr Riddle
One question to get us going, anyone know what the policy is about having 2 embryos put in on first cycle? Thanks!

OP posts:
user1471548233 · 16/01/2017 17:42

Hello!

I cycled at Woking Nuffield last Summer (NHS) and got pregnant on our first cycle.

I was keen to put in 2 embryos but Dr Riddle basically said no as we had unexplained infertility and odds were in our favour.

They are SO lovely there, always let me book scans to fit in with work. Parking was never a problem, could always find a space in the car park.

Let me know if you have any other questions I can help with! Good luck!

Tigresswoods · 16/01/2017 17:45

I don't know the answer but I got pregnant on clomid under Mr Riddle (if you see what I mean!) 7 years ago.

Good luck xxx

TammySwanson · 16/01/2017 17:53

I have also cycled with Woking and am about to start my second one. I think that they are unlikely to let you put two back in given your age - I was over 40 when I cycled and they did put two back in on my first go but I think below 40 and they probably wouldn't on the first go (but there are probably more factors they take into account). Also bear in mind that putting two back in doesn't really improve your odds of a successful pregnancy that much (if it all, I forget the stats) and by putting two back in your might be preventing one from being frozen and potentially used later.

MrsDarcy4092 · 16/01/2017 18:20

Hello!! We have our initial appointment with Victoria wing 13 th march, were private and it's our first cycle anywhere.

Me:32
DH: 38
Ttc for 3 years With no previous pregnancies
My fertility seems ok we have male factor - severe OATs so we're hoping to be able to icsi but there's a chance that Won't be possible.
We're booked to see Mr Curtis.

We're trying one private cycle first as my BmI is 34 (reduced from 46). I will continue losing weight while we try this private one to reduce bmi to 29 for NHS ivf should we need it.

It's really hard for me to get time off work so hoping I can get early morning appointments if this is possible.

I'm currently waiting for my period so I can call up for my uss, I have a day off on Friday so keeping fingers crossed they can fit me in on Friday!

geeup · 16/01/2017 18:37

Good to see you here darcy. Thanks so much to all of you for posting and very helpful advice user re embryos and parking!
I'm having my AMH test done this week and OH is having is SA done the week after. Otherwise I'm assuming they have all the test results they need. Can anyone tell me to expect in terms of what happens after my first consultation? They've told me to expect an implications appointment after that one but I assume after that I wait for my next day 21 and then getting going on down regging? Any steps I'm missing? Thanks again!!

OP posts:
icy121 · 16/01/2017 23:16

Currently 20+3 c/o messers Curtis and Riddle. Mr C was my consultant, Mr R did the EC and FET (had a freeze all due to OHSS).

Mr R's son was in school & is still good mates with my brother; we have a very unique surname so both times I saw him I knew he knew who I was! Very professional, didn't say anything.

Been under Mr C care since first investigations c 18 months ago at the Surrey park clinic. He was very step by step and avoid ivf if possible. Which is absolutely the right way to do it, albeit expensive when self funding. Now I'm pregnant it's amazing getting paid and not having a few hundred here, a few thousand there bills dropping in.

Implications meeting is 2 hours, sign all the forms and take away your buserelin. DR begins for however long and in for a scan and blood test. They'll then give you your stimms (I was on menopur), enough for a couple of days until next scan. They drip feed the drugs as if you need to cancel for whatever reason, you can't return unused ones. Each appt takes c 40 mins including scan, bloods and pharmacy. Then when you're ready to trigger you'll get the shot, do it and a very set time and in the next day for EC. Get in for 7am, book in, get your room and then go down under a GA when you're in for EC. Wake up and gibber at the consultant in recovery. Nice sarnie, cup of tea and then your OH can take you home. Hopefully don't develop OHSS!

I found appts run well first thing but it all details around lunchtime and I've been known to sit waiting around for 40 mins plus for appt running late. Can be frustrating. Just badger them.

icy121 · 16/01/2017 23:19

I put one blast back in btw. The first 2 didn't thaw properly, 3rd did. When I got in for ET the 2nd had developed signs of life but I didn't want a multiples pregnancy (and bigger risk of mc - the weak one dragging the good one down) and Mr R nodded approvingly when I said one for us please. One at a time really is the best way.

geeup · 17/01/2017 08:29

That's incredibly helpful icy. Thank you. Starting to feel more real. Just trying to find one interesting thing a day now to keep me busy till the 31st when my appt is.
What advice did the clinic give you re diet and exercise? I saw online they recommend 2 litres of water a day plus 1 litre of whole organic milk. I take ubiquinol and multivit and folic acid with vit d already. Anything else they'll want me to do I can start now? Husband is on Proxeed.

OP posts:
icy121 · 17/01/2017 13:37

I asked about the milk, the nurse said to drink it if you like milk but not to worry and that the point is to get enough protein. Mr C big on the pcos high protein diet. So I was very good, tracking macros etc whilst DR and stinking but frankly who knows if it made a difference because I've only done one stim cycle so nothing to compare it to. Bananafish who's on these forums had a night of fucked up boozy and the rest carnage prior to unexpectedly starting a stim cycle and it was her most successful one, so really who can tell..... I'd say do what you have to do to make yourself feel (as) good (as you can) about it.

I'm not one for alternative medicines, but some people go for it and find it makes them feel they're chucking everything at it all, so honestly just go with whatever makes you and your OH feel right. There are no hard and fasts in the infertility shit storm.

icy121 · 17/01/2017 13:40

stinking = stimming obviously 😁

geeup · 17/01/2017 16:59

Thanks - again really helpful. A litre is a LOT of milk. Where can I find details of the pcos protein diet or do they give it to me?

OP posts:
icy121 · 17/01/2017 17:18

He'll give you the sheets you need. But it's basically a higher protein lower sugar/starch diet, so eggs/kippers for breakfast with a slice of toast, tuna salad for lunch with nuts and extra tuna and chicken and veg for tea with. No snacking, so eat 3 big meals. its good for insulin resistance so if you're pcos he'd want you on it.

geeup · 17/01/2017 18:22

Rightio. We do relatively ok in terms of protein but will try harder to reduce carbs!

OP posts:
geeup · 17/01/2017 22:58

Sorry another question. Are you allowed to pay for extras with an NHS cycle, namely for the endometrial scratch? I know a few people are getting it as part of a trial but wondering if you can choose something like that at Victoria Wing? Thanks!

OP posts:
icy121 · 18/01/2017 08:42

Sorry no idea on that, I was entirely self-funded. You'll have to ask the clinic!

geeup · 18/01/2017 09:11

Thanks. Answers in another thread appear that sometimes you can pay for extras even when NHS which is good for thought.

OP posts:
drinkyourmilk · 18/01/2017 17:06

Hi.
I'm now 29+4 as a result of my first ivf cycle under Dr Riddle. Private patient. I'm 39, dh 35. We travelled 2 hours each way to use VW as their live birth rate was so good.
The process etc has been explained very well by others, so I won't go into that.
As mentioned parking was never an issue, but if needs be you can park on the road and reception will give you a parking ticket to display. I found they ran late a fair bit, so we always planned for 1.5 hour visits.
Their out of hours nurse line was great too when we had a couple of questions (urgent obviously !). We also used their counselling service a couple of times, and they were great with fitting it in with our appointments.
I asked Dr Riddle specifically about diet and vitamins, he said the best thing I could do is to do my best to stay relaxed and if that involved an occasional glass of wine then so be it.

geeup · 19/01/2017 07:48

Thanks drinkyourmilk. Amazing it worked first time for you - congratulations! Did you have one embryo put in or two?

OP posts:
moggle · 19/01/2017 11:44

Hiya, we got pregnant first time at VW back in 2014 under Mr Riddle. I was 32 with unexplained infertility, straight IVF. DD turned 2 in november.

We were lucky to get a good crop of frozen embryos, so now we're back for FETs and have had two medicated FETs so far - first one in August worked initially but sadly i lost it after a week, second one in November was the faintest chemical you've ever seen (didn't even get my hopes up and they fit me in for a blood test same day so by 3pm I knew it hadn't worked). Currently halfway through our third go. Really hoping it works this time. Getting a bit bored of all the visits now but they are lovely and kind there. Going there the second time around is more interesting as I often have to take DD along which can be tricky!

We have only ever had one put back in. Even with these FET failures. From reading up it seems that having two put back in only increases your chance of a positive by 5%, that isn't enough for me, to outweigh the possibility of having twins. I struggled at times with DD and can't imagine the thought of two babies plus her to look after. We will keep plodding on with one at a time, I'm sure one will take properly eventually.

Agree on parking, I have only ever had to park on the road once in our many visits. I couldn't really make a single negative point about them even if I tried. I know Mr Riddle is quite sceptical of the 'extra' treatments that have not yet been proven (the type that were highlighted in the panorama program) so lots of that kind of stuff isn't available there, although I think the scratch might be and I think they have an embryoscope.

Good luck geeup. Maybe I'll see you in the waiting room sometime :-)

drinkyourmilk · 19/01/2017 11:55

I had one embryo transferred. We were given a welcome pack alongside our initial appointment letter which had practicalities etc in it. At the initial consult with Dr Riddle he explained that the clinic strongly favours one embryo transfer at a time, if you are over 40, or have complicating factors then they may consider 2.

Moggle how do you find taking your dd with you to the clinic? If everything goes well we are planning to try again ASAP, but didn't want to tell family, which would make childcare difficult. I am concerned that taking baby will upset others at the clinic who haven't been so lucky- but not sure how we will make it work otherwise.

drinkyourmilk · 19/01/2017 11:56

BTW aware my cycles need to be back to normal, and I can't be bf. So in reality baby would be 14-18 months.

moggle · 19/01/2017 12:08

drinkyourmilk it's been fine. I was really worried the first FET cycle - put her in extra nursery sessions - but it got too expensive £70 a day on top of the cost of the cycle. The way they schedule the FETs it seems all the scans are on mondays or fridays which are my days off work. This time and the last cycle I brought her in with me for scans (she goes into nursery for transfer day). She's very sociable and if someone smiles at her she likes to go up and 'talk' to them. I watch their body language with this as obviously some people do not want this (I would have been one of those people at certain times of our fresh cycle TBH). But most of the time people have seemed happy and often she ends up playing peekaboo or waving at others waiting. I try and keep her sitting on my lap in the waiting room quietly rather than her toddling about and I bring toys and snacks for her and they have some books and toys there. I'm actually planning to give them some new things as some are getting a bit old, covers falling off etc. (she is generally pretty 'good' though for a toddler ... I can imagine some friends' kids would not go so well!)

Luckily the times of the scans being in the morning means she's usually pretty happy and we haven't had any nightmare scenarios yet, even when things are running late - we can often spend an hour plus there. I have some Peppa pig on my phone and she sits and watches that while I actually have the scans, I think if she got troublesome the nurses would be only too happy to entertain her in the corridor for a few minutes. I'm just glad she isn't very clear at talking yet so she can't tell nursery workers or my parents about going to the doctor with mummy and then they stuck a stick up her bum and it was on the TV...

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geeup · 19/01/2017 18:51

Hi moggle! Thanks for joining the thread!
Sorry I have another question. If I'm NHS cycling and I usually pay for prescriptions, does anyone know will I have to pay for my IVF drugs or will the clinic just give them to me? Not sure whether nearly all of you were private patients. Thank you!

OP posts:
drinkyourmilk · 20/01/2017 19:08

No idea, but a quick Google suggests that you need to pay for the drugs. It also suggests this is at normal prescription charges. However I could be wrong.

drinkyourmilk · 20/01/2017 19:09

Thanks for the info moogle

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