Diagnosed with endo - how do I choose an IVF clinic?

[happylittlebear]

I have recently been diagnosed with stage IV endo after having a laparoscopy to drain some very large ovarian cysts.
At my follow up appointment the consultant explained that my chances of conceiving naturally are (although not impossible), pretty much non existent .

We already have a DS who is 4 and was conceived on our second cycle of TTC so I have no experience of fertility issues or treatment before this.
We naively assumed we would have another with no trouble when he was about 18 months...2.5 years down the line, here we are...

The consultant seems to think that as I was on the pill for so long before having DS, my body was "protected" from the endo which enabled me to fall pregnant. I have now not been taking any contraceptives for 2.5 years so the endo has now gotten very severe.

I feel a mixture of upset and anger that no one was listening to me and I kept getting fobbed off by the doctors with "you've had one child, you'll have another, keep trying.." , but also a bit relieved that I've at least got an answer and I know I'm not crazy!

We have been told by the consultant that IVF is the only way for us to go now and DH and I are agreed that we would like to at least give it a try.

We are not eligible for NHS funding due to already having our DS, so we now need to choose a clinic.

I am completely lost as to where to start. How do you choose?
What questions should I be asking?
Do clinics specialise in different areas? i.e. would there be a clinic that's better for someone with endo?

Grateful for any advice or experience anyone can share with me.
I am in Kent so if anyone has any experience of Kent clinics that would be great.

Bump?

Poor you!

I am in a similar position, DD conceived quite easily but #2 not happening but I have high FSH instead of endo.

Have a look at the HFEA website. I personally have decided to go for the ARGC clinic as it has the best success rates and they are very thorough.
Its very intense and they don't spend money on the flowers if you know what I mean but at the end of the day, I just want a baby!

Most of the best clinics are in London I think so it might be worth travelling for treatment. IVF is stressful and expensive so you may as well just try and do it only once!

Good luck.

As Farfallarocks says, try the hfea website to get an idea of best places. It really depends on your location and how much you are able to spend. You will probably find the best clinics in London if you have access to them but the top ones can get very pricey. You have had a child before so technically you shouldn't need a lot of the expensive immune treatment. And hopefully you won't be a complicated case or have quality problems so I am sure you will have great success. Best of luck.

Hello,
sorry to hear about what's happening..
My advice is:
-ask friends who have had fertility treatment
-personally i'd only look at local clinics, as there is a lot of going backwards and forwards, and if it is a long way away it adds to the stress

• looks at their live birth rates
• lastly, look at costs - some are "all inclusive" - others end up having everything added on

Whereabouts do you live? It may help with people being able to recommend somewhere on here x

So sorry to hear of your diagnosis, endometriosis is such a PITA (sometimes literally). But its great you're being proactive about it.

Firstly, did you know there is a National charity for endo: Endometriosis UK? And even better local support groups are run through it. I highly recommend going, you'll meet other women going through similar issues and they often have talks with guest speakers on topics such as fertility.

Secondly, if you'd prefer you can call their helpline and ask if you could speak to volunteer with experience of fertility issues. You'll be given a specific time to call back when that person's 'on call'.

Finally, there's an online forum linked via their website; healthunlocked. Its a bit hit and miss IMO but you might find some valuable information on there.

Good luck on your journey.

www.fertilityzone.co.uk - might help you get sone answers too.

Thank you for all your replies...

Butterfly, I am in West Kent - I think you are right about going to one nearby, I don't think it's practical for us to need to go in to central London for treatment, its not an easy commute from where we live and we have a 4 year old to organise too, so on a practical level I'd probably rule out London clinics....

I have looked at the hfea website and think that Chelsfield in Orpington and CARE Fertility in Tunbridge Wells are probably closest to me. I'm pretty much in the middle of them. Their success rates look pretty similar so if anyone can share any personal experience of either I would be really grateful?

Jubjub, thanks so much for the endo information, especially the helpline...my diagnosis is a bit of a shock and I definitely think it would help to know more about the condition