IVF at Leeds Fertility or Care Sheffield

[BeaCat]

Hello, we've just been referred for our first round of IVF (on the Nhs) the doctor said we could choose between Leeds Fertility and Care Sheffield- just wondering if anyone has had experiences of either of these clinics? Leeds is closer but HFEA website suggests results are better at Sheffield. Thank you X

I had treatment at both and would recommend Care Sheffield. They are very very thorough and treatment feels very bespoke to your own situation.

Additionally, the environment is very different than in Leeds. At Seacroft it is a hospital with huge busy waiting room (and very busy staff.) We would frequently be kept waiting for up to an hour for appointments which added to the stress of IVF as I was constantly worried about getting back to work, my DH too. At Care, it is a small building with small waiting room. When we had to have egg collection we were given a private room which was so much better.

The final reason I would choose Sheffield over Leeds is because we successfully conceived our daughter there after a failed round at Leeds. Maybe this makes me biased!

Hope this helps anyway.

We were successful at both but would definitely recommend Care over Leeds. It was worth the travel for all the reasons PP said. So much less stressful, much more personal care.

Care has a better reputation

Jenbot78 Thanks for your reply, that's good to know the differences between the two from someone who has experienced both. I think Sheffield is the one to go for if we can get in. Congratulations on your daughter!

MoMondaS thanks for your response, if it's less stressful and a more relaxed environment that definitely sounds like the one to go for.

Hi all,
Want to know which clinic is best between Care Sheffield vs Leeds fertility hospital going as private patient.
Success rates on hfea looks same for both but most of the reviews are good for Care . Also Leeds fertility website says it was rated in top 5 clinic in entire uk last year. Any help/reviews/suggestions is appreciated as I am really confused.

Thanks

Hi, I don’t have any experience of Sheffield but have nothing but positive words to say about Leeds. I was an NHS patient, but things were fast and efficient throughout my journey with them. If you do want to go in to lots of detail looking in to clinics go to their inspection reports on the hfea website, I found out on there that Leeds had statistically significant higher success rates for ICSI for my age group than national average. That’s why I chose them over Manchester or Hewitt (my other choices for NHS as I am an east lancs patient)

My first round was successful, and I am currently 25 weeks pregnant, I had bleeding about a week after my 6 week scan and called Leeds despite being “discharged” to normal maternity care. They got me back in straight away for another scan to check things were ok, when they could have just said “go to your local early pregnancy unit”

I did really feel they had our best interests at heart all the time! 😊

Good luck! Emily x

@embri wow thank you so much for responding , this clears so many things for me :) i hope you have a lovely baby safely , wish you luck hun xoxo may I mind asking your age (if not too personal just to understand what my chances are for first round )
I am more confident now to go ahead with them . I had initial nurse consultation on phone (due to corona) , which didn’t not clear many things so was bit upset , although I had one call earlier with consultant and he was quite positive about my case as our all reports are normal.
I am so glad to find this community to speak and get to know experiences of all. A girl-to-girl word is so much comforting and relaxing. I didn’t want to share it with my friends yet and honestly my DH Is good and supportive but still it needs a real girl to talk to who is going through same exp. thank you

Successful twice at Leeds

@shazzz1xx that’s good to hear.
I have been trying to reach them since yesterday but no luck.
Communication is such a bad service they should improve upon.
We can reach God if we try so much but the Leeds fertility doctors :(

Hi, I’m 30 (literally turned 30 3 days before I started my meds!)
It was fairly severe male factor so we did ICSI, I also had what I think a low amh for my age (12) and only got 9 mature eggs from the cycle, only 3 fertilised but they managed to get a hatching day 5 blastocyst and a good quality day 6 that they froze! The last one unfortunately didn’t make it to be a good enough quality to be frozen.

I found that before I was a patient I really struggled to get in contact with them, as soon as I was a patient I had problem at all. I’m not sure if you’re given a different phone line or if it was pure luck but it was definitely better then!
If you have any more questions just ask! I completely get it about having someone to talk to, I was open about what was going on but no one understood. All of my friends have become pregnant within 2 months of coming off birth control, they don’t understand how infertility makes you feel emotions you have never felt before when hearing a pregnancy announcement!
Emily

@Embri thank you so much hun xoxo
Yes it’s bit hard to connect to them but hopefully they would be great. The reason I choose them over Sheffield is I had consultation with Prof. Balen , if you know who he is, I googled about him and he seem to be very renowned in this field.
I have low Vitamin d level , have a blood test schedule , if it’s still not within normal range might have to wait a month. My plan was to start this treatment in start of year , but due to corona nothing could be done.
I am 33 and my amh(21) look ok. I am positive and hopeful that my first round would be successful.
Although didn’t understood much in nurse consultation hopefully would become better with future appointments.
How many days after your nurse consultation your treatment started like medication etc and how many times do they call to check eggs are mature enough or not.
Also is egg collection painful( I know it’s under anaesthesia but once you get normal ) , does all this medication cause nausea , tiredness etc. I am bit scared .
Anything which you would like to suggest/advice :)

My vitamin d was low as well, I got the 3000 strength spray from amazon, it was over 90 within a month! (I also went on my dog walks with alternate sleeves rolled up to get sun on them, alternate as I couldn’t cope with the coldness of January!!)

I had my consultation with prof balen as well, he was very good! (I didn’t see him again, dr Rutherford did my egg collection and embryo transfer, but he was fab and put me at ease during the embryo transfer!)

The nurse consultation (after signing online paperwork and agreeing ivf was needed) was the 16th jan, I got my meds delivered within the week and started meds just after my next period started (this will be different depending on what protocol you are on, I was on short protocol)

If I remember correct I had a progress scan at day 9, then another on day 11, then egg collection day 13.

I don’t remember anything about the collection, but I did pass out once I came around and started eating my tuna sandwich and then threw up for the rest of the day! I had my egg collection at 8:30am and was allowed home at about 3pm. Everyone else could go home as soon as they ate something and passed urine, I knew my body wasn’t going to cope well with it, so I had requested to be first in the day just in case!
Meds and injections generally were ok, fyremedal was a stingy little thing, but not unbearable! The bloating after egg collection was the worst pain, I looked 6 months pregnant for about 2 weeks.

Some Advice: I had the day off after egg collection, I wish I had taken the day after that as well. I also took official test day off, we were really strict in not testing until official test day and I didn’t want to be in work that day.

I did a really high protein diet as soon as we had the nurse consultation, then continued until I got my positive test.

@Embri thanks for sharing your experience,
I am having 3000 IU tablets for vitamin D , hopefully it should be alright.
I wasn’t thinking of taking a day off except on my egg collection day but thank you for information now, I might have to consider more day offs after egg collection . Let’s c , hoping for the best :)

Had vitamin D test today, came out again low 53 nmol, normal range is 75 and above. Leeds fertility informed me it’s my decision if I want to strat my next cycle which is next week but there can be chances of miscarriage :( not sure what to do..I have seen people conceiving with 50 and above
Really upset :( any suggestions welcome