ABC Infertility

[Bubblegum89]

Looking at potential IVF options and to stay with our current fertility clinic, we’re looking in the region of about £6k for IVF including medication. I have come across ABC in London a few times and I’ve also seen women on ttc/infertility fb groups talking about having their IVF done there.

I understand it’s known as “shoebox” IVF which is why it only costs £2500 including meds, scans etc. Which is amazing to be honest when you don’t have thousands and thousands to spare like we don’t. I was just wondering if anyone on here was considering going, is currently or has been through IVF with them and if they’re worth it? I feel like it may be a “too good to be true” situation but if it’s not, it would really be a step in the right direction for us money-wise

Hi all, I'm just catching up with everyone's updates.
@Jessloug I'm so sorry, I was really hoping for you when I read your post about another positive, I hope you get some adequate answers so you can decide where to go from here. Are you thinking you may change clinic if they don't give you a good enough answer?

@Blessed1234 congratulations on your good news. Fingers crossed for you!

An update this end, I finally got AF after finishing my meds and started stims. You were absolutely right @Jessloug I didn't feel them at all. I went for my day 4 scan at my appointment time and we was left sitting there for an hour having been told they were a little behind.
When the nurse came out she went and enquired with the others as to why I was still sat there and they then admitted to her that although my appointment had been made via the contact centre, it had not been booked in with the nurse so they had basically just forgotten to slot me in between others. Gwinny was lovely and really apologetic but I just feel its yet another let down in a list of them.
Anyway I've been given a mobile number so hopefully that's the end of the hick ups!

I had my scan and my left ovary is up high and I've been told this could leave a small chance they won't be able to collect from it unless it drops down with the weight of the growing follicles in the next week or so, has anyone else had this happen? x

Hi... Yes thats what my left ovary did at every single scan. The nurse had to keep pushing on my abdomen really hard to get a view of it. I was warned the same as you that it might be difficult for them to access anything that side, but when they did the egg retrieval it wasn't an issue. Try not to worry :) I hope it all works out okay for you. Xxx

@Kelbell86 I was also told this because my ovary was also behind the uterus but again was fine on collection day - fingers crossed

@hopeful and @Hopeful1990 thank you very much for that. Hopefully pesky lefty will behave then 😊
How are you guys getting on? x

Hi I'm new to this thread. Hope everyone is well.

We had a zoom consultation at the end of June with ABC. Had a scan 14th July and hoping to start beginning of September period cycle.

only issue we have been having is with the transports team as we are having frozen sperm transferred from UCLH. the transports team are at create, they don't have a direct number so everything is done by email and their response is very delayed. has anyone else done this with ABC ?
we want the sperm transferred asap so we can have our treatment consult in a couple weeks and so we don't get delayed starting in September. Both UCLH and the transporting company are ready but can't do anything till create say they are ready to accept paperwork. very frustrating and slight off putting.
has anyone had any experiences with this at all?

@misty20 I don't have any experience unfortunately, but I am interested to know how you get on as we have sperm stored at the LWC which we may want to use at ABC. I hope everything goes well for you and you can start as planned.

@lawandgin
I hope we get a response soon as ive just realised my period is due end of august so few days earlier then expected. Dont want to delay anymore. I've been told to wait for 4 working days for an email response so giving it till tomorrow morning and contacting the central line again.
how you started the process up yet?
thank you and will let you know when and if the transport happens!

@misty20 no, we haven't started the process yet. I only came off the pill at the end of May so I am waiting for my cycles to settle down before I get everything booked in, plus we have a few other things to sort out first. I think in all honesty it will probably be late this year before we start (but I will be 33 next year so not too long!) We always knew we would need IVF, so it's just a case of choosing a clinic and getting going. I hope you hear back soon. Do you mind me asking, is the transport/clinic fees horrendous? Trying to weigh up the cost of using a 'younger' (but not very good) sample versus the cost of another sperm aspiration!

@lawandgin
Ah I see. Have you had any cycles on the NHS? I'm 33 this year so sure you will be fine 🤞
The one we picked is £150. Most reasonable. Its so close by and we can't even have it transported ourselves by a cab as neither side will provide us with the shipper.
On the day of collection, my husband will still produce but we know the frozen sperm will be better quality where he has since had a testicle removed beacuse of cancer. But they said they would compare on the day. When we eventually get there lol

@misty20 unfortunately we aren't entitled to any treatment on the NHS as DH had a vasectomy during his first marriage. A bit gutting for me, but I get it. The transport cost is very reasonable - I was worried it was going to be £500+, so thank you for sharing that.

Hi Everyone, just wanted to jump on this thread. I’m all set to go with ABC, just waiting for the meds to arrive in the post. I’m having so much anxiety about whether I’m doing the right thing or not. I already have a son who’s almost 3. Took 20 months to conceive him so tried for DC2 straight after his birth but here we are almost 3 years later with not even a hint of a pregnancy. It’s unexplained fertility and husbands tests have come back normal although morphology was slightly on the low side and my periods are fairly regular but do have the odd late one. My husbands latest sperm analysis has shown a marked increase in every area of sperm testing (he has quit smoking and been taking supplements for a while). Now I wonder whether we should really give it a try naturally as things have improved or whether I should go ahead with the ivf as Iv paid the deposit. Also I’m a teacher so this is the only time I can do it without taking so much time off work. I have so much pressure not to take time off work because we are so behind since school closure and it’s making me feel rushed into ivf. I’m also about to turn 34 and never wanted such a big gap between kids. I have such anxiety about what I’m doing - sorry for the long post!

Hi Everyone,

Well I'm feeling between really gutted and furious at the moment.
All they ever talked about was how I was high risk of over stimulating due to my pcos and now I've had my cycle abandoned on day 11 of stims because it appears they didn't stimulate me enough. I was only on a low dose of 125 bemfola, the hilarious part is I have had to pay £850 for all scans and meds to keep the next cycle which I paid for in full at the beginning.

Am I right to be annoyed that I have to pay for what I feel was their mistake? I know there are always risks in ivf but I just feel this is so naughty of them. I now have to wait for a withdrawal bleed and then start again on the cycle after 😔

@MiggieR sorry I just realised I totally missed your good news last time, congratulations on your scan going so well 😊 xx

@lawandgin
ahh I see. hope It all works out for you.
Yeh I was surprised too with the cost. just as soon as you know you are going to go ahead, start the transfer process. Create transports team only work on email so can take a while to respond, I filled and sent forms to all 3 ends on 17th and the transfer is only happening today (fingers crossed) so taken 3 weeks to arrange.

@BrownHoney
Hey that's a hard decision. Could you carry on trying and then if it doesn't happen arrange to do in Christmas holidays? if it worked out with your cycle? Is your anxiety to do with doing IVF or trying to sort it out so you don't have to have time off from work?

I wouldn't worry about your age too much, I was 28 when I did IVF with my first and turning 33 in November. my sister in law did at 30 and then again 33. Both our husbands (brothers) have issues with sperm etc so if you have no issues then you should be ok.

I always used to say I didn't want a huge age gap but here we are with a 3 year old about to start up again.
Was wishfully thinking it may by chance happen naturally but no luck especially now since husband had testicular cancer in Dec 18 so lessened our chances even more so now!

@Kelbell86

oh so sorry to heat this! I would definitely take this up with them as they are the ones that said you need to have a low dose! speak to someone about it and see what can be done as you shouldn't be paying extra for their mistake!

That’s really frustrating! I know it’s annoying as hell but imagine they had to abandon the whole thing anyway as you developed OHSS?! This IVF path is full of pain in the heart and pain in the pockets. I’m sorry it didn’t work out this month for you.

it’s interesting that you said they started you on 125 of bemfola - they have only given me 100!!! I think, it won’t work for me either.

@Kelbell86 so sorry to hear you had to abandon - can imagine how disappointing that must be. I would definitely take it up with them.

I was on 112.5 and dropped to 100 as well - I think they’re very very cautious about OHSS which is obviously a good thing but not if you don’t respond to the medication.

Really hoping you get a better outcome next time 🤞

@misty20 I asked them about it and they said that they wasn't to know how my ovaries would respond due to my pcos, I get it, I was just really disappointed about it but we've paid it so we can just move on from it and start looking forward to our next attempt.

@BrownHoney I wouldn't worry too much, you may be a really good responder, I'm told I have stubborn ovaries. Maybe just keep bombarding them with follicle size questions and ensure they are growing at a good rate. With it being my first cycle I didn't know what I was looking at but hopefully this better equips me to ask the right questions next time.

@MiggieR when I rang to pay them, they informed me I'll be put up to 187.5 bemfola on my next cycle, I really hope they have it right as we won't be in a position to pay straight away for another abandoned cycle if they get it wrong again 😢 xx

Little bit annoyed with the clinic. Told them we wanted to start 1st September when my period is due from ages ago and they said no problem just need to have treatment consultation 10 days to 2 weeks before. Finally got booked on after sperm was transfered and earliest they had is 26th September, so disappointed as she said it's doable but didn't sound convinced.
When did you all have treatment consultation before starting? what happens after and how long usually?

@misty20 my consultation was 4 weeks before. I think it is so they have enough time to chat to the consultant work out your dosage and order meds for delivery. I understand you being annoyed but try not to let is stress you out too much, I've realised now nothing is quick with this ivf lark and it's all a massive waiting game.

When is your consultation, how long before your next AF is due? Xx

@Kelbell86 I have started af so waiting to take my first shot tonight. So nervous! it doesn’t help that ABC has been rubbish with communication. We’ve had to chase them up for everything, they keep saying some one will call back and no one does and we send emails and there’s always such a delay is response. I have found Bex to be difficult to communicate with - she seems to be all over the place and can never remember what we’ve emailed and which couple we are!

We’ve had our second consultation with the nurse who was supposed to email us these leaflets and videos on how to do the Injections properly and when to take everything but she never did send that email! Now I’ve started AF and have to take these shot and am relying on some notes I made from my zoom call with her. We’ve been trying to reach them all day on the phone but we’re on holds for 2 hours (caller number ) I was) and when I finally talked to some one the call Cut and they never bothered calling back!
Has anyone else had negative communication experience with ABC?

@misty20 sorry to hear your husband has cancer back in 2018. Do you think it helps knowing exactly what’s wrong when it comes to your fertility? I have undiagnosed secondary fertility and both of our tests have been perfect for everything - it’s just not happening and it’s so frustrating not knowing what’s really wrong?!

@BrownHoney you can watch the bemfola injection video on you tube here

It is really straightforward but we watched this a few times before doing it.

Good luck and I hope the communication improves for you.

@Kelbell86 really hope that everything goes well for you with the next cycle.

@MiggieR thank you for sending this! It was really helpful and I just took my first shot. Fingers crossed. Hope your pregnancy is going really well! X

Please advise! I have done such a stupid thing - I took my bemfola injection a whole day too early. The clinic hadn’t sent the schedule or the information until very late this afternoon and I thought I was on day 2 of my cycle but I was only on day 1! I didn’t even realise until hours after taking the injection. Do you think Iv really messed this up and will have to abandon this cycle or do you think it will be ok?

Iv already emailed the clinic about what I’ve done (they will wonder how I will raise a child when I can’t even follow simple instructions properly) - waiting for their reply tomorrow.

Hope I haven’t messed this up before it’s even started! Has anyone else accidentally taken any of the meds incorrectly? Feel so stupid now.

@Kelbell86
so my period is due 1st September so was only a week before, then they called me yesterday to try change to 27th! didn't have a choice, they said would put as urgent then I get an email after I complained Friday after initial booking saying they have opened up 13th so in 2 days for appointments! so we are now booked for this Thursday after all that.
happy now as will definitely be starting September.

Yes it is. it took much longer when we did with NHS but I did a long protocol so from start to finish was about 2months