IVF suspended due to coronavirus

[peasoup8]

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/12/thousands-lose-last-hope-of-having-a-baby-as-lockdown-closes-ivf-clinics

Sorry but this is so wrong and unfair. Thousands of people could lose out permanently on their chance to have children because of a virus that most people survive if they get it anyway! The restrictions have now gone way too far.

Many people have had very important (potentially life saving) medical procedures cancelled or put on hold because of coronavirus patients taking priority and that shouldn't be allowed to happen either.

IVF is a nice to have.

Nice to have - ugh. What a demeaning word to use. IVF can be the difference between someone having a family and never having kids. It goes way beyond fucking “nice to have”.

I'm sorry but this is not about you.

I’m not undergoing IVF or planning to, so no, it’s not about me at all. But I’m still allowed to feel desperately sorry for people who are in that situation and are now facing this heartbreaking situation.

I don't know what the treatment my MIL gets for blood cancer is called. It might not be chemo. It invovled blood being taken out and put through some external machine and then pump back into her blood stream afterwards. Apologies for anyone more medically informed than me that I got the name of things wrong!

It is sad, but you have to accept it.
We are strugging to save lives.

Sorry for repetition in previous post.

YABVU given how many people are getting their treatments cancelled and you are talking about IVF.

Did you not see the second paragraph of my opening post? I’m very sorry about your MIL.

I agree that “nice to have” is a grotesque way of describing IVF. It totally dismisses the trauma those undergoing it experience - and no I haven’t ever had it or needed fertility treatment.

@notgenerationalpha I hope your MIL’s treatment is reinstated soon and she recovers

I do see it as covid taking priority because they could admit fewer covid patients and keep the beds for the cancer patients. I’m not saying no thought has gone into it, and I’m sure people far cleverer than me made the decision. But I do fear it is literally a case of the very sick covid patients that die will die now, and the cancer patients down the line.

Sorry as someone affected by this I have to disagree. The lives of millions have to come first before my need to have a family. I will get over it in time. But the families of those who lose their lives may not.

Of course during a pandemic saving lives is being put before creating more lives. It sucks sure but that’s the alternative let people die so you can have a baby? Common.

I think this is appropriate at the moment to be honest. Of course it’s terribly hard for the families that this is affecting but saving lives has to be the priority.

While having every sympathy with families needing ivf I really don’t think it’s an appropriate way to spend public money when the economy is going to be ruined over cv and the world is so massively over populated. It’s also not fair the way that the funding is allocated either. I would prefer to see any funding redirected to investment in mental health services as I fear many more in the country is going to need them.

Say they did carry on IVF. Say this virus is still going on when you need various appointments and goodness forbid you had to give birth with it ongoing....wouldn’t you want to avoid the possibility of you and your baby getting it?? It’s awful but right now the NHS is doing what it was set up to do and it’s harsh but right now is to save lives.

It's horribly sad I hope there can be special dispensation for those who lose out due to age limit solely because of the pandemic. If someone was due to start a cycle and now can't and won't be eligible when the process resumes, their cycle should be honoured when this is over IMO. And yes, I believe IVF should be available on the NHS and it should be like Scotland where everyone eligible gets three cycles regardless of postcode.

I had years of miscarriages and never had a child, sadly. I'm not being trite when I say I understand the pain and longing - but yes, comparatively this is a "nice to have". It's not lifesaving surgery like cancer treatment. A close relative has just been diagnosed with cancer and its a terrifying time.

goodness forbid you had to give birth with it ongoing....wouldn’t you want to avoid the possibility of you and your baby getting it??

I will be giving birth soon so I'm well aware how that feels. It's terrifying. But if the options were either to go through the nightmare of giving birth during a pandemic or never have a family, I'm sure many people would choose the first one. Especially because like I say, even if you were to get the virus the likelihood of dying from it is minimal. It's not the Black Death (which incidentally also originated from China).

If someone was due to start a cycle and now can't and won't be eligible when the process resumes, their cycle should be honoured when this is over IMO.

I agree with this. Let's hope it's an oversight and they do decide to do this - though if it is an oversight it's a bloody massive one.

I agree it’s awful but most IVF clinics rely on NHS nurses / consultants and if they are busy or unavailable it’s not safe to keep them open. I am sure they will still be offering non-invasive treatments where possible or needed like clomid / steroids / blood thinners / injectable hormones - so not all infertile women will be impacted.

Yeah, IVF is certainly not 'nice to have'

Presumably those who are saying that women should just suck this up are also advising people who can get pregnant naturally not do do so? Maternity services also use up valuable resources and medical staff, after all?

Nice to have - ugh. What a demeaning word to use. IVF can be the difference between someone having a family and never having kids. It goes way beyond fucking “nice to have”.

It’s not demeaning at all though.. I get you are upset and affected personally but ivf is a nice thing to have because it isn’t a necessity and doesn’t save lives etc. During the current times it makes sense to stop the treatment and focus on more life saving ones. I do feel awful for you but there’s no need to make it out to be more than it is. Something not needed but nice to have for those that want the services.

Pregnancy is a lifestyle choice and therefore not a priority and quite rightly so given the huge pressure the NHS is under

I think you would be very stupid to plan to get pregnant right now yes. I also think women deciding to ship their existing children off to relatives who should be isolating during labour are being selfish as well. A hand to hold is again nice but not essential to giving birth and many women do it alone due to partners working away or just not getting there fast enough.

It’s not demeaning at all though.. I get you are upset and affected personally but ivf is a nice thing to have because it isn’t a necessity and doesn’t save lives etc. During the current times it makes sense to stop the treatment and focus on more life saving ones. I do feel awful for you but there’s no need to make it out to be more than it is. Something not needed but nice to have for those that want the services.

Just as an information piece...the extra embryos patients decide to donate once IVF has proved successful are often used in STEM cell research. When there is a halt in IVF treatment there is a halt on STEM cell research which means a halt on a whole heap of lifesaving medical treatments. So it’s not as simple as it seems.

A friend has just completed chemo for aggressive cancer & can not attend to have tests etc. To see if he has the all clear, if he doesn’t & goes months without treatment the outcome won’t be good.

As for IVF, it is heartbreaking, it’s someone’s last chance due to their age. I think the government needs to take another look over & see if they can extend by 12 months for those affected. I know people have said it’s small on the scale because of life and death situations at the moment but we can’t be ignorant to how other people are suffering due to this

It’s heartbreaking for the couples and people affected, so painful and terrifying to have the prospect of a desperately wanted baby being taken away.

for everyone on here going through it

My bad, I read more and you personally aren’t affected op. But the rest of my comment stands.

Nice to have is a prickish thing to say, dismissing the misery of desperately wanting a family. Only someone who has no empathy and already has kids would say that.

It sucks. Mine's been cancelled. My AMH is 1.1, AFC is 7. By the time this is over it'll be too late.

Saying a service is nice to have when it’s not a necessity, is not being a prick or dismissing the misery of someone that cannot have kids. I get it’s emotional but let’s not make stuff up. Any service (in the NHS) that isn’t needed but is a nice thing to have given how advanced medicine can be, shouldn’t be running right now, ivf included.

I’m surprised that anyone is thinking that now is a good time to conceive whether that’s naturally or assisted. I think it’s absolutely the right decision for many reasons right now. However, at whatever point in the future it’s safe to consider restarting ivf then eligibility needs to be re-evaluated.