Abroad or uk

[Strawberryshortcake28]

Me and dh are based in Northern Ireland
I am 29 and he is 30 been TTC for 2 years
Diagnosed with unexplained infertility

We have decided to go private our budget is 15k hoping to get 3 rounds out of this

This is our life savings so I want to spend it wisely I am just torn if we should go abroad or remain in the UK I am thinking about abroad as i am told it is higher success rates particularly Prague ? But I have also heard good things about Scotland ?

Any advice ? Im hoping to start in the new year

What interventions / tests have you already had?

It might help you to break down your question to staying in NI for treatment versus going elsewhere in the UK or abroad as with either of those you'd need to factor in flights and accommodation, unless you have friends or relatives you would be staying with elsewhere in the UK.
(I wouldn't recommend that unless they have the space to host you with no hassle, you might be tired, emotional and not feeling very sociable.)

I know friends who had private treatment in NI, I remember that there weren't many clinics but they were successful so in the end it didn't matter to them.

If staying within the UK you could look at Access Fertility refund programmes. It is a gamble as if it works first time you have paid over the odds, but if not the cycles are relatively better value.

When travelling for IVF you need to consider time off work, possible short notice flights and accommodation, preferably avoid flights at expensive times like Christmas.
You would probably need to arrange a few ultrasound scans where you live and send results to whatever clinic you go for.

I'm currently with a clinic in Spain. It's not any cheaper, the exchange rate is pretty much pound=euro, but I'm older and have had a few unsuccessful attempts in the UK and in my opinion feel I'll have more chance of success there.

There are people who get pregnant first time, statistically less likely to work first time than not, but there are people behind statistics.

Bear in mind pretty much wherever you go the medication costs will be additional to the IVF cycle costs as they don't know until you start how you will respond.

I just went with NHS cost 5k and my baby is 16 week tomorrow 🍀

I have to be honest with you and say that in most places £15k isn't going to get you 3 rounds....I thought I'd get 3 out of £20k and we ve got 2 plus 3 transfers (short protocol so cheaper drugs, but with ICSI)

Even people who have gone abroad for treatment find it's not hugely cheaper especially if you time it wrong for hotels and flights

There is ABC in the U.K. which charges circa £3.5k all in but you have to meet quite strict criteria in terms of AMH levels, age and BMI

If you end up with a freeze all cycle for medical reasons the cost of extra transfers, freezing and storage all add up.

We were looking at Reprofit in Czech Republic and ABC in UK. In the end we are going with Uk, it would have been slightly cheaper in the Czech Republic, but you have to organise your medication and your scans/blood tests in the UK at extra cost so it becomes more stressful with travel etc too.
I like the idea of just handing all the organisation over to the clinic even though it costs a bit more. We are going to try our first round there and if it fails and we get no frosties we will go over to Czech Republic.

Hello. I hope you don't mind if I join this group.
I'm also checking the possibilities in Prague
I've found a clinic that they do a combination of my eggs and donor egg at the same time base on my age which is 41
But there's a clinic in Bristol (BCRM)
I don't know if good or not
But both will be around the same cost
I really don't know what is the best.

After 2 failed I’m jk we went abroad. ivi Madrid

Def Cheaper abroad imo and their technology and freezing methods are superior plus did icsi as part of treatment

Where in UK didn’t even offer it , plus would have been extra when I looked at prices later

Abroad you obv have hotel costs and flights

I did a price reply once. Will go and find it and repost. But for us abroad was cheaper as long as don’t fly Xmas time Dec /jan

after 2 failed in uk, and £12k - we used ivi in madrid

we spent £15k abroad, this includes everything, flights 6 times going over for chat,op,cycle 3,attempt 4 fet, era,attempt 5 fet

airport parking, taxis to clinic, all blood tests and cf and sperm freezing, hotels, scans for fets, 2 era, fresh cycle, freezing for 2yrs, 2 fets, cervival dilation (800 in madrid,£3.5k in uk)

looking at my notes, as we flew in and out rather stay there for a week as both se, the first cycle there but 3rd in all,if worked would have cost

3.5k ivf icsi
367 flights for ec return for 2 adults
100 taxi from airport to ivi
80 hotel night in madrid
60 scan home to check lining before flying for ec
30 gatwick parking
657 flights for et (never do xmas/ny lol) for 2 adults
100 taxi airport/ivi return
34 hotel night in madrid
30 gatwick parking

total £4858

tho as said above we flew over for ec dec 28th and back again for etc jan2 so spent 1024 on flights and double on taxi/parking/hotel

when we went for fet month later was 203 return for both of us and did in a day sono hotel costs

so flight prices really do vary

moral of story,dont start down reg in oct as ec/et will be end of dec/jan and bloody costly on flights

so take off silly money for flights and i say you could do do ivf icsi abroad for £4300/4400 including everything

you have to think about flights,parking, hotels etc in your budget

Approx 13k would you give you 3 rounds including PGS at Care Fertility in Northampton / Birmingham. But medication would be extra (not usually a problem as you can shop around for this and going to Asda / online pharmacies can keep costs down). Alternatively there is now the option to have Unlimited cycles if you are under a certain age for not much more.

Abc Fertility (I think that’s the name) in London offer low budget but full 2-3K cycles which are amazing but you need to meet age / health hurdles. This is the same cost as the mild cycles in the Netherlands.

Alternatively if you just want a baby and don’t mind getting aggressive treatment to make it happen, India is an option. Most of my friends who have been to India have managed to get on aggressive but carefully monitored clomid and injectable cycles - they use much larger doses but monitor you once or twice a day. IVF / ICSI is approx the same cost as the UK.

Thank you are successful rates higher abroad do you wish you had of gone abroad from the start ?

I know someone who went to IVI Alicante.
Have two beautiful children. Used egg donor DH sperm. . 1st round failed however 10 maths later round 2 was successful. 3 years later round 3 successful.

Alicante flights are more reasonable than Madrid and you can pick up an Air b n b reasonable to. No language barrier all communication excellent.
I’m not sure as to the cost though they said success rate was much better than any UK figures.

You can call or email them to find out costs etc

Good luck to you both.

Yes I wish I had not done ivf in the UK and just did abroad

Could have saved us £12k.

Or maybe would have still taken 5 attempts

Flights were only silly money Dec time

All other flights were £50/100 return

But didn’t even think of abroad and used nearest clinic to us