It is worth doing ivf?

[fairgame84]

We have MFI and have been ttc for 2 years. We always said we wouldn't do ivf but now we're contemplating it but it's a massive risk.
DD was conceived after 14 months, we were told we would never conceive naturally so we are totally blessed to have her.
I'm 40 so our odds are against us because of my age. We've also said we would stop ttc when I'm 41 as 42 is my absolute cut off.
We would have to do icsi because of low sperm count.
It will cost around £7000 for one go, we would need to borrow this money. Obviously it's worth every penny if we conceive but the odds are around 20-30% so we could end up with debt and nothing else. We're not sure what to do, any advice?

I completely understand where you’re at — we were in the exact same place not long ago. We were dealing with male factor infertility too, and for a long time we said, “IVF just isn’t for us.” But as time went on, especially with my age creeping up, we started to feel like... if we didn’t at least try, we might regret it later.

We ended up doing IVF in Greece with Dr. Αthanasios Garavelas, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions we ever made. He’s a fertility specialist with a strong focus on male factor cases and women over 40, and he works with a top-tier lab that truly makes a difference — especially for ICSI, where the quality of the lab is absolutely critical.

What stood out wasn’t just his medical expertise — although that was immediately clear — but how calm, honest, and human he was with us. He didn’t sugarcoat things or promise miracles. He explained our real chances, and what we could do to improve them, step by step. I felt like, for the first time, someone had a real plan tailored to our situation.

Honestly, the whole experience at Ovagenesis in Greece exceeded our expectations. It was organised, supportive, and, in many ways, more professional and personal than what we had seen in private clinics in the UK.

If you’re at that point where you’re thinking, “Should we do this, or is it time to stop?”, I completely get it. But I really encourage you to consider looking outside the UK — especially Greece. Dr. Garavelas was the one person who made me feel like we had a real fighting chance, even with all the odds stacked against us.

Thanks for your reply. I hadn't considered going abroad. My husband isn't British so it might be worth looking into doing it in his home country as it's bound to be cheaper than the uk.
How long do you need to be abroad for treatment?

At Dr. Garavelas' clinic, we had a coordinator available 24/7 who was by our side throughout the entire process. At the beginning, she arranged a call consultation with the doctor and helped us with all the necessary paperwork and our medical records. We didn’t have to worry about anything — and believe me, it wasn’t easy, especially since translations and other formalities were required.

We did all our hormone tests and ultrasounds in London. The clinic has partnerships here and tells you exactly where to go and what to do. When it was time for the egg retrieval, they had everything arranged for us — appointments, tests, everything.
We also chose to do PGT to be sure of the quality of the embryos. At first, I was hesitant because of the cost, but when you consider how much you can save by avoiding unsuccessful cycles, it actually makes more financial sense in the long run.

We waited for the PGT results and then traveled back for the embryo transfer. So, in total, we only needed to travel twice. I imagine if someone is doing a fresh embryo transfer, they might only need to go once.

Ovagenesis offers free online consultations with coordinators, where you can get plenty of information if you're considering traveling abroad for treatment.

Thankyou. Unfortunately we can't travel to Greece as my husband would need a visa to go but we will look into the costs in his country. It's figuring out how to fit it in with annual leave as well. There's so much to think about.

it is expensive but I would say it’s worth it as your cut off is approaching. I am good friends with a couple who didn’t go for it and they are regretful now they are a bit older. It also may be a lot cheaper abroad

I met a couple during my egg retrieval who had come to Greece with a visa. They told me that Ovagenesis, sent them an official invitation letter, and the whole visa process was very easy. I haven’t personally gone through it myself, but from what they shared, it seemed like the clinic’s coordinator helped them a lot and made everything straightforward.

We would need a shengen visa. We're still in the midst of visas for the uk as his ILR is due next year so I really don't want the added stress of shengen visas on top of that.