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Infertility

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.

Original poster

ABC Infertility

683 replies

Bubblegum89 · 10/03/2018 09:51

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

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Marmite83 · 15/04/2019 20:21

Hi @TryingForMyRainbow they did talk to us about the risk of OHSS and the additional £750 cost because apparently my high AMH makes me at quite high risk of it. At least £750 is less than the £1350 we were told it would be for a frozen egg transfer following a failed first cycle (plus the £995 freezing fee and medication costs). Still extra money you weren't expecting though and I can imagine it's frustrating and upsetting. Hopefully you'll have a great outcome and it'll all be worth it.

Sarahloub1 · 15/04/2019 21:10

Wow this is so much to take in I feel so un prepared for this I haven't a clue what questions to ask no nothing I feel so silly hoping and feeling positive it's going to work first time.

The freezing part do I say that I want them freezing straight away from the first consultation or wait until I get to that stage?

Marmite83 · 15/04/2019 21:17

Everything I wrote was following my initial consultation today at ABC @Sarahloub1

Marmite83 · 15/04/2019 21:21

They said that we'd have to decide (and pay) if we want embryos freezing before we know if we have any to freeze. Can't remember exactly when they said it would be. They did say that if we then didn't have any to freeze we would be refunded.

Ttcat30 · 15/04/2019 21:58

Hi ladies I just wanted to join the group and add my experience with abc as I started treatment end of January and am now 12 weeks pregnant ! I couldn’t fault abc if I’m honest I know the treatment worked first time however just wanted to let people know that 3 of my embryos made it to day 5 so they can make it past day 3 ..... the only additional costs I incurred was the pesseries an additional say £200 and the embryo freezing £1000 which they did say would be refunded if none made it to day 6 which I trust they would have done ..... this clinc is so affordable and because at the moment I don’t think many people are aware of it it’s not as busy as some of the Well known ones so you really get a good experience with nurses etc even if my first round haven’t had been successful I would have stayed with abc for my 2nd round

Marmite83 · 16/04/2019 08:42

Thanks for sharing your positive story @Ttcat30, hopefully we'll all have our own positive stories soon Smile

MrsSharp29 · 16/04/2019 15:07

@ttcat30

Thank you for sharing your experience with them - and so happy that you have a little one on the way.

Did you do anything specific to get your body ready re egg collection / transfer? Any particular diet or additional supplements?

Sarahloub1 · 16/04/2019 15:38

@ttcat30

Hi
Congrats on your news
I'm feeling obsessed with this now if you don't mind me asking was your bmi way below 30

Sorry guys I know I'm been a pain with this simple answer is to lose more weight but I am crash dieting out running every other day cut out all junk food drinking 6 green teas a day

Ttcat30 · 16/04/2019 21:14

Hi all

@MrsSharp29
Thank you! So I was taking pregnecare pre conception months before and throughout the treatment during the treatment and about a month before I had acupuncture which I think really did prepare my body the lady I went to specialised in fertility think it’s Chinese’s acupuncture specialist your after with IVF / fertility I went to that once a week and a few days after transfer .... tbh I didn’t know if any of it was going to help / work but I really did feel like I was doing good going to the acupuncture.... other than that I didn’t change much else apart from I drank pomegranate juice during my 2ww which is meant to help the embryo stick and ate pineapple .... I also took a week off work after transfer just to relax totally as that first week is when it implants or not .

With us it was male factor only, but you still never know if it will work I was so so adamant it hadn’t the whole 2ww that is by far the worst part mentally.

@Sarahloub1
As for my BMI I think I was mid 20s like 25 tbh I don’t think it has to be loads below 30 even if it was 30 think they would still take u on i can’t remember what the BMI criteria was is it 30? it’s also ur egg reserve more than anything that they look at as part of the criteria this was done by an internal scan they count your follicles.

Ttcat30 · 16/04/2019 21:19

@Sarahloub1 it actually says on the website it needs to be 30 or below so they would take patients on with a BMI of 30

Sarahloub1 · 16/04/2019 22:06

Yeah I just wasn't sure if it had to be below 30 mines 27 but just wasn't sure, think I'm just panicking and over thinking everything at this stage

Ouryear19 · 16/04/2019 23:19

@Ttcat30

Thanks for sharing your good news with us! Congratulations!!

Do you mind if I ask how old you are? Did you have any symptoms or inkling during your 2ww? This is definitely the hardest part for me - the 2ww

@Sarahloub1
My BMI was 28 and they accepted me.

I've just started my 2nd cycle with Abc. I just took my first Bemfola injection this evening. Hopefully it will work this time.

Ouryear19 · 16/04/2019 23:27

We will be going with ICSI again on this cycle. So the total cost for the cycle will be £3,600. You pay £500 of the cost before the treatment consultation with the nurse, and then the rest on the day of the treatment consultation.

We did not have to pay the £190 initial consultant fee for the second cycle as we are already with Abc.
All the staff there are very nice, especially the two nurses.

TryingForMyRainbow · 18/04/2019 14:50

@ouryear19
I wish you the best of luck and really hoping and praying it works this time for you! 🤞🏻

I was just wondering have any of you ladies ever done IVF through NHS?

Sarahloub1 · 20/04/2019 19:23

@TryingForMyRainbow

No we haven't tried for nhs abc is our first shot at ivf.

I was just wondering can you pay the £500 deposit for the treatment on your first consultation??

Also does anyone know if there is a specific time in the month you can go to your gp to check your ovarian reserve the blood test one I already had one and my FSH is 8.5 not sure if that's good bad but I don't know my amh level

TryingForMyRainbow · 21/04/2019 16:19

@sarahloub1

I don’t remember exactly but I believe we were asked to pay the £500 at the treatment consultation and then paid the remaining £2000 the next time we went.

I actually didn’t have my AMH level checked I was told by my GP that is not offered through the NHS and would need to do that privately but I did not have it done in the end and went to ABC without it, however on my consultation the nurse never asked me about that results as she did an internal scan and was able to see my antral follicle count which was okay so she never asked about that blood test at all. So maybe you’ll be fine

I’m not too sure about the FSH sorry x

Sarahloub1 · 21/04/2019 16:56

@TryingForMyRainbow

Thanks we was going to take the cash with us just in case,
I will give gp a ring on Tuesday see what he says.

Is it safe to take XLS Medical tablets for 2 weeks just to see if I can get my bmi a bit lower

TryingForMyRainbow · 21/04/2019 17:05

I don’t know but I wouldn’t personally use any tablet for weight loss. Don’t stress you will be fine as long as you are below 30 they will accept you, even if 29!

Good luck

Ouryear19 · 21/04/2019 19:25

Thanks @TryingForMyRainbow.

We did our first round of IVF on the NHS, at Homerton hospital. We were on the waiting list for 9 months. As we live in the Borough of Haringay we were only entittled to one fresh cycle and one frozen (We had nothing to freeze, so we only got one cycle in the NHS). To be hobest which I'd gone private straight away, each step is much quicker.

Ouryear19 · 21/04/2019 19:34

@Sarahloub1
I got my FSH blood test done through abc and paid £35, it's a lot quicker than getting it done through my GP. My hormones levels were slighty high. Can't remember the number. The consultant has perscribed me Levothryroxine which I need to continue taking though IVF and all the through my pregnancy (if I'm successful!)

I'm on a lower dose of bemfola this time round as the nurse is monitoring my estrogen levels.

Ouryear19 · 21/04/2019 19:38

@Sarahloub1
I meant my *Thyroid levels were high after the FSH blood test.

TryingForMyRainbow · 21/04/2019 19:52

@ouryear19
Thanks I live in London and have my appointment in June- I was referred by my gp last year and had my first appointment around September.... just contemplating whether to have a frozen with abc or start a new cycle with NHS

Also when I started with ABC I was also put on Levo for my thyroid levels and still taking it - 25mg each morning and glad to say my level came down to 2.3 from 3.5 the last time I had it checked!
I wonder if that was my problem for not conceiving / miscarriages

What is your bemfola dose this time around?? Was your Estrogen level too highl the first time?

Ouryear19 · 21/04/2019 20:04

My bemfola dose is 125 this time, (Just took my injection on a quite train, out of a cooler bag!) I'm going in for a scan tomorrow to check my foliciles and have a blood test. They'll let me know tomorrow if I need to increase it our not. I started my cetrotoid injections as well as my estrogen levels were high on Friday.

I got OHSS on my first cycle on the NHS, and had to have a frozen transfer (FET) because it was too risky to have a fresh transfer. I had to wait three months on the NHS before I had my emybro transfer. This would have been quicker than three months if it was private.

TryingForMyRainbow · 21/04/2019 20:08

I think it would be the same as I am having a fet with abc and said I need to wait 3 cycles as well before I can transfer which is just so long!
I was on 125 of bemfola but wish I was on less as they always told me I’m at risk of ohss because of my age and antral follicle count but what’s happened is happened. Just need to hope the FET works or will be going down the nhs route!

MrsSharp29 · 26/04/2019 20:08

Hi all

My initial meeting and scan is with ABC on Monday. Ive got mixed feelings as after a lot of missed opportunities (with testing etc etc on the NHS - my irregular cycles and lack of blood test appointments) that we are actually going to have some answers on Monday. We’ve been trying for 6 years (seriously for 3) and it all comes down to Monday. Both me and my husband are good people and we would be great parents to a baby. I hope that this is our way in to parenthood 💚💚💚