IVF abroad

[Viletta]

Hi all,

There was a lovely thread for all ladies trying IVF abroad. Anyone has any plans yet?
We are planning to go to Reprofit in Czech in April. Actually going there this March for some tests. DH was prescribed DNA fragmentation test by Mr Ramsey, can you imagine flights to Czech, hotel for 3 nights, parking in London for 4 days and DNA fragmentation test turns out cheaper than doing this test here in the UK on its own. I think it's good for us to see the clinic before we start too. Anyone is planning their cycle abroad? How do you find it?

[LASH38]

Argh, I’m double posting again!

I had decided that infertility had been the back/front drop to my 30s so I’d be damned if it was going to continue into my 40s.
This helped me to keep going.
Deep down would I have stopped at 40? I cannot say that for certain, I really do not know.

I had toyed with the idea of stopping during real periods of trauma (after MC’s) and came to the conclusion that it takes a stronger person than I to say ‘I’m not doing this anymore’ than it was to continue.

Don’t get me wrong, I also still had/have an amazing marriage, work, friend, social life and had plenty of other things to enjoy but I would periodically go to ground quite severely.

[BahamaLlama]

@LASH38

Honestly, I think you're really brave and I'm genuinely pleased you're nearly at your 'happy ending' finally.
I also really appreciate your input and honesty to these posts. Even just to know there are others out there in a very similar situation as I've found the whole infertility thing and IVF very isolating at times - and just to know I'm not the only one suffering from the huge low's that at times can just feel way too much.

It's also really considerate your downplaying your own good news to consider the feelings of others. I have to admit 70% hearing others BFP stories is great and really encouraging that there can be a silver lining. But the other 30% it can sometimes have the effect of cutting as sharp as a knife where you feel the huge despair that it'll never be you.

However you've really helped to give me some hope again that despite the huge IVF financial and emotional costs, determinationis able to pay off eventually

[WillHappenSoon]

@Viletta - good luck for your appointment! hope it all goes well for you x

Reprofit got back to our initial inquiries faster than all the other Czech clinics we approached and have been consistent in e-mailing back within one day - so, even though a little trickier to get to for us, we have decided to try them.

Initially in contact with Tiina and having to complete and send across some test results and then we have a skype meeting with one of the doctor's there

@Si1ver - Congratulations on your baby!!! that is so positive to hear, thanks for sharing - taking you up on your offer of answering questions...where did you stay whilst out there? how many days did you stay? Were you happy with the doctor, did you feel they were thorough? thanks!

@KatnissMellark - thanks for the info on the facebook group - whilst I don't have facebook, I might get an account for this!

@twinkledag - we are also looking to cycle there in a couple of months (waiting 2 bleeds from the previous failed cycle) - fingers crossed for you and for us all xx

[WillHappenSoon]

@Lash38 - so so good to hear of your happy ending...after so many years!!! Congratulations!!!! reading your thread has been my pick-me-up today ;)

[XstephanieX]

Hi Ladies,

We've had 1 MC and 2 further failed cycles in the UK and are now making tracks to go to Reprofit in the next couple of months to try treatment with Donor Eggs.
I'm only 30 but we've only had 1 or 0 eggs from each cycle due to low AMH and my body seems to just not react to stimms :(
It's sad to think I won't be genetically linked to our child but when I think of the reasons I want a baby I think of family days out and reading bedtime stories and days at the beach etc...not passing my genes on!
Is anyone else going for DE treatment soon and have similar feelings? Would be lovely to hear from people in the same boat :)
Does anyone know the step by step process from start to finish?
X

[ViolaD77]

Hi all, just had my 2nd failed cycle in Essex, London. Hubby and I are thinking if Cyprus as we've heard good things. Has anyone used them and if so which one? Xx

[WillHappenSoon]

@ViolaD77 - really sorry to hear about your cycle. I was in your position last week. Trying to think of next steps and focusing on a plan has helped me a little with the sense of devastation. Don't know much about Cyprus, sorry. We are looking to the Czech Republic for two reasons: 1) price 2) a friend had a positive experience there (though we have opted for a different city).
best of luck xx

@XstephanieX - sorry to hear about your difficult journey. Same boat as you insofar as going down the DE route. Don't know the whole process yet, as just started to look into it after failed OE cycle. So far, I have e-mailed Reprofit, been assigned a coordinator (Tina, who deals with International Patients), have filled out their questionnaire. Will send Blood Type test results and DH's semen analysis when we have those results. I have a skype appointment with a doctor in a couple of weeks.

It is such a difficult decision - I've focused on the practical side of next-steps xx

[ViolaD77]

@willhappensoon thanku... I have heard of the profit one in Prague. I've never been to Prague so the unknown scares me. I had a look at their prices but can't see about meds. We've spent about £17000 on two cycles so far as I needed so much meds so realistically adding on top flights etc to go abroad we probably won't save anything 😕 so Much to work out isn't there! Very overwhelming. Nice that you know someone who's been though xx

[Viletta]

Hi all, I'm off to Reprofit for tests. Will let you know what I think about the place and might take a sneaky picture for you all. Appointment is on Friday.

Glad to hear about happy endings, it gives so much hope to the ones who are trying!

[Si1ver]

@ViolaD77 meds are bought independently when you get treatment abroad. My meds came to £550 when I had treatment with Reprofit, I bought them from their partner online pharmacy Fertility2u. The meds were substantially cheaper from there compared to Asda etc.

[Si1ver]

@WillHappenSoon thanks for the congratulations.

where did you stay whilst out there? We got an Airbnb. Honestly the one we got wasn't great. In the end we moved to a hotel for the night before the treatment. But it had a fridge for the meds and it was cheap which helped keep the costs down. The hotel was the Barceló Brno Palace and that was great.

how many days did you stay? Ten days. My cycle was extended before the EC to give my eggs a bit longer to mature. So we were there for four days when I had a few extra scans and more meds, then my EC, five days then ET. I flew home the day of my transfer.

Were you happy with the doctor, did you feel they were thorough? Yes. The doctors were good. They gave us good advice and it really felt like everyone was working in our best interests. I think it was probably a translation issue, but on ET day the doctor said to me "first we'll do this, then you'll do this, then you will be pregnant" and it sounded so absolute and so convinced that it was going to work that I completely believed her. It was a wonderful positive start.

[SnappedandFartedagain]

If anyone fancies two weeks in an idyllic location and a clinic with better success rates than the ARGC, please look at Barbados Fertility Centre. Absolutely amazing clinic started up by doctors from Ireland. It’s as stress free as you can get.

[XstephanieX]

Hi @WillHappenSoon, thanks for the reply and sorry you find yourself in this place too! It sounds like we’re at the exact same place, I’ve sent our questionnaire off and had a scan done at Ultrasound Direct on the 14th day of my cycle (as requested by coordinator Monika) and am going to send the results of that over today.
How did you get your blood type tested? We bought testing kits from amazon but I’m now worried about their accuracy!

Hi @Si1ver, do you mind me asking if those meds were for a OE or DE cycle? We’re looking at accommodation now and I’ve been checking out AirB&B but worried incase we have a similar experience! What was wrong with yours?

Xx

[ViolaD77]

Thanks @si1ver £550! Wow, mine were about £6k for both cycles in Essex. I have 3 frosties left that I will use this year and if unsuccessful then Next year I will go abroad.... Work is just such an issue for me as I don't want to tell them what I'm doing! 😔

Does anyone know, with regards to initial checks, semen , bloods etc can I take my results from the UK clinic with me so I don't have to pay to have them done again?

Xx

[Viletta]

@ViolaD77 normally they should accept all your tests done in the UK. They might re-do infections as it's their policy but that's cheap

[XstephanieX]

Hi @Viletta I asked Reprofit and they advised me that semen analysis results have to be no older than 6 months and STD results are completed by the clinic when you're there x

[XstephanieX]

Oops sorry meant for @ViolaD77! X

[ViolaD77]

Thanks ladies... I'm definitely going to look into this, please keep us updated with your visits xx

[Si1ver]

@XstephanieX it was OE cycle. Short but aggressive protocol to counter my low AMH.

The bed was terrible, the bedroom had no blind so I woke up with the sun at 5am every morning and the sofa was broken. I think we just picked a bad one.

[WillHappenSoon]

@Si1ver – thanks so much for taking the time – especially with a little one ;) really kind of you xx Will be sure to check out Barceló Brno Palace

@ViolaD77 - I know what you mean about the cost of medication, this last round, my medicine alone was 3200 pounds, I was on the highest doses and also needed the progesterone injections. The time before was similar too. I would have been much more hesitant about going for a clinic abroad if it had not been for hearing about my friend’s experiences in Prague. It’s hugely daunting on top of the general stress and emotional strains of ivf. Reprofit is in Brno, just outside of Prague, 2 hours by train. I’ve never been to the Czech Republic, but Prague is a city I have always wanted to visit

@XstephanieX – we did our bloody type tests at Virgin Medical Practice – I read somewhere on the home test kits that you shouldn’t rely on them if you are going for blood transfusion and that just made me quite nervous about the validity of the results. It cost 84 pounds for the test at the Virgin clinic.

@Viletta – hope your visit goes swimmingly today and you feel happy with the clinic and enjoy some of Brno ;)

[Viletta]

Hi all, Brno is lovely, everyone is very friendly. The clinic is very big, lots of departments, andrology, gunecology, IVF.. very clean. The nurses were helpful. Feels more like a holiday! I don't think it's as stressful as the IVF we had in the UK. Nice food too and everything is quite cheap!

[WillHappenSoon]

@Viletta - great pic ;) So pleased you are happy with the clinic. I'd never heard of Brno before research ivf clinics abroad!

[WillHappenSoon]

How's everyone getting on?
Must admit I'm reading about Brexit and wondering if/how this will impact our cycle if we go ahead in April...as if IVF wasn't stressful enough....

[Viletta]

@WillHappenSoon Brexit shouldn't affect us traveling to Czech however it got me thinking if in case of a no deal would UK pharmacies still accept EU prescriptions..
I will try to find out!

At the moment I'm waiting for my blood tests to come through and get a prescription. Hoping to go there in April for the whole IVF party. How are you doing?

[WillHappenSoon]

@Viletta - the availability of medication was my key concern re: the possible impacts of Brexit and cycling in the coming months...if there is an extension to the deadline, then maybe we just miss out on the possible chaos...then again, who knows?!

I have my consultation with a doctor on Monday, I might just ask what he thinks. I'm getting excited and impatient to just get on with things now...It's all the waiting around which is tedious. I'll be pleased to have a sense of what the doctor thinks and a plan to to proceed.

Not long for you now. How are you feeling? Is it quite different from your UK experience? xx