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?

@Viletta I took a small cold bag in my hand luggage with a cold pack in it. I also asked the clinic for a letter saying that I was flying with sharps for a clinical need. In the event Stansted didn't want the letter, they just wanted to make sure the names on the meds prescription matched my passport.

I'm only going for egg collection not egg transfer so hoping that's enough as Michaela (my coordinator) said egg collection is day 11-14.

@twinkledag my EC was pushed back when I got there, to optimise the chances of mature eggs. They made that decision once they'd seen a scan in person. I didn't book my flights home until after the ET had been scheduled.

@Si1ver - that's a good point, same thing happened to me last year when I cycled in Greece. Very stressful.

Is anyone else eating healthily? Trying to lose weight etc??

@twinkledag both DH and I are trying to eat organic and healthy. I tried to lose some weight but as the cycle got closer I started eating lots. I generally eat when I'm stressed and nervous, so gained all back within a matter of few weeks. I'm 163cm and 71kg at the moment.

We're about the same weight and height!

We've tried the organic food etc in the past but not this time. We've switched over to BPA-free plastic and I use natural moisturiser because of chemicals. We're just eating normally - ie we have good and bad days like everyone else.

I'm a bit gutted I haven't lost any weight before this cycle but my heart hasn't been in it.

My DH brought me a facial and massage voucher for Mother's Day, wondering if I can use it next Saturday or could their be a problem with the oils etc they use? I know some aren't suitable for pregnancy, wondering if same for IVF?

@twinkledag how funny! I think our weight is healthy enough to be honest:) we are also trying to avoid plastic, I've been shopping in whole food sales that sell grains and nuts without packaging and got glass food containers. I don't think oils are bad. I stopped retinol in my creams as it's not allowed during pregnancy and use a cream that says organic and paraben/sulfate free shower gel. Also taking some vitamins like omega 3, D and folic acid. Have you stopped alcohol for a while?

I don't drink much anyway nowadays. I did allow myself a Baileys coffee today though, figured I'm only on CD4 so can't do much harm!

I eat a lot of salad and vegetables so not sure why I'm not skinnier 😆

Do you like avocado? They're supposed to be mega healthy so I'll be having them for breakfast from now on!

I think I'm going to try and be healthier from tomorrow!

@Si1ver - how did you know how long to book accommodation for if you hadn't booked your flight back?

Also any tips on where to stay as the Barcelo is sold out ☹️

@twinkledag we booked a Airbnb at short notice for two weeks. It was cheap so the extra days didn't really matter and we could cancel/amend days when we knew more about when we were coming home. It wasn't great though and I wouldn't recommend it.

I think there's a thread on Fertility Friends about Reprofit Brno and that has some good recommendations of places to stay. But also, check out Trip advisor for places to stay. Aim for somewhere near a a tram line.

Thanks @Si1ver 😊

I've had a healthy day apart from a handful of chippy chips. And I had 3/4 of an avocado with dinner. Houmous and falafels for lunch - full of healthy fats - and Greek yoghurt for the protein.

Today is very bittersweet for me. This day last year I found out my 3rd IVF cycle had finally worked only to miscarry 2 weeks later. Felt like such an April Fool to believe that it was actually going to happen for us.

I booked 2 weeks on airbnb and then amended the dates. It's schools holiday season and lots of flights we were planning to take are sold out.. had to book one from London to Bratislava and back from Vienna. We are planning to look around when we are there and travel a bit. There is an app in Brno for taxi called Liftago (it's like Uber), very cheap and nice!

@twinkledag I love avocados! Since injections though I eat lots of rubbish, cakes, etc.. my focus is elsewhere I guess.

I was recently listening to lots of techniques on how to make your wishes come true and think positively. It made me much calmer. I find it useful to concentrate on the final results - having a child - rather than on how I'm going to get there - when and how I'd get pregnant or how I'll feel when I see bfp. All of this doesn't matter but only the final results. Then imagine best case scenario how you want your wish to come true, then even better case scenario, imagine your wish came 1000 times better than expected, then what are your biggest fears, realize they are only fears and not reality. Let go of all that happened in the past. Then imagine your wish doesn't come true at all, accept all 3 scenarios and switch your thoughts on something else, like whatever you were doing - cooking dinner. Let the wish go and the universe to make it come true.

@twinkledag I know it might sound rubbish, but think positively, the fact that you had bfp means you are one step ahead! You had an implantation and it's amazing! Next time one small leap forward and all will work out!

How are the injections going? I'm having second scan on Saturday and flying to Brno on Sunday. Looks like eg might be on Monday.

Thank you @Viletta. We travel on Sunday too! Still need to book accommodation and travel insurance 😆

Injections are going fine - you?

@twinkledag all good! Where are you traveling to? I've found the flights that I wanted are all sold out so flying from Luton to Bratislava now!

Travelling to Brno from Stansted.



@twinkledag I think this flight was sold out when I looked, we traveled from Stansted last time. This time going from Luton to Bratislava. My eg is pushed back to Wednesday. Good luck with everything!

@twinkledag how do you find Reprofit so far?

We had SUCH a nightmare getting here. We got delayed at Stansted (they are so busy!) and missed our flight!!

Ended up on standby for a flight to Prague later that day that we managed to get on but we had to pay £100 each to change the flight then £170 for a taxi from Prague to Brno.

All this with a 4-yr-old in tow 🤦‍♀️

Brno is nice what we've seen so far! We may go to the zoo tomorrow. My egg collection is going to be on Friday not Wednesday as they previously thought which means changing our return ticket, getting extra night in our hotel and adding our parking cost at Stansted.

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

@twinkledag oh no!! This sounds terrible! Prague is quite faraway from Brno. We got a flight back from Vienna to Gatwick. Bratislava and Vienna to are 1.35 min by train. Hope your journey back is easier. I heard science museum is interesting for children as well. On the up side the weather this week is great!

Weather is great, I did pack light stuff as well as jumpers so pleased i did!

Oh and these people who say eat healthily for ivf obviously never combine it with a holiday 😂.

Good luck for egg collection tomorrow!

Hey ladies! For those going to IVI Alicante I can highly recommend it. We got our BFP on our second round with a day 5 FET. He's now 4 years old and the best thing ever x

Please can i join in? I am currently in Salzburg for work, on my way to an FET donor embryo at Gynem in Prague on the 20th April. Whatever they are giving me pills wise is making me very weepy. I am 40, 3 years in to TTC, miscarried from first IUI 2 years ago, never been pregnant since. Now 3IVF's later - never had an embryo transferred so this is our first chance to be pregnant until proven otherwise. I'm mostly scared and hysterical and very occasionally a little bit hopeful.

@mumsey2be hi there! Hope all goes well this time around! Where in Czech is the clinic?