IVF: Does your clinic do blood HCG tests?

[waitingforarainbow]

I keep reading about women having IVF and, at the end of the cycle, having bloods done every other day to check their HCG levels are rising at the right rate (meaning the pregnancy is more likely to be viable.) A lot of them seem to be in the US. I'm starting IVF in February and our (UK) clinic just gives you a home pregnancy test, then if it's positive you have a scan at 7 weeks.

Just wondering whether any of the UK IVF clinics offer the HCG bloods or whether it's something we could ask to have. I have a history of miscarriages (three in total) so for me, it would be so reassuring to have things monitored this way. And even if it wasn't good news, I'd rather know from the start.

TIA! x

My clinic (UK) does 1 blood test at 9/10dp5dt and if it looks good then that's it. It does seem more of a US thing to do several blood tests a few days apart.

I had 2 blood tests after positive urine test in the uk

Mine is the same as yours. Home test and nothing until the 7 week scan. I agree it would definitely be reassuring to have the blood tests.

Hi. No personal experience with IVF however there is a company called medichecks where you can post your own blood samples and get results next day or so - so you could do these yourself (you would obviously have to pay) hope this helps x

I think my clinic's new pricing structure does include one beta HCG blood test (and I'm sure if one were to badger them + pay for it, a second one could be obtained). My most recent cycle was on the old pricing, though, so I didn't get this included.

The cycle did get me pregnant, and I used medichecks to do two tests after I got a positive result on home tests (I got the medichecks tests on special offer). It was somewhat reassuring but I will say, it was a deeply unpleasant experience getting the blood out - it's basically like the kind of finger-prick test you'd use for a blood sugar test, or to test your iron levels, except you have to keep squeezing and squeezing to get out a whole vial of blood. I would strongly recommend that anyone contemplating using this service watch the videos they provide of how to do this (and then envisage the reality being about ten times messier and more frustrating) before going ahead. I am very, very unbothered by blood etc and usually pretty unflappable, and I was practically in hysterics by the end and almost threw the kit away.

Mine only offered HCG if you paid for it. After a ruptured ectopic I wangled it for free (showed a blighted ovum that time, sadly).

Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like it probably wouldn't be unreasonable to ask to have these bloods done, even if it means paying extra.

@Persipan I know exactly what you mean! I've done tons of Medichecks tests over the years (mainly TTC-related) and yeah, it really is hideous! Although you do get more used to it once you've done a few. I'd definitely consider using Medichecks if I had to. I think you can also pay £25 extra to have blood drawn at a nearby clinic, instead of doing the finger prick sample.

I'm UK and my clinic did just one blood test to confirm pregnancy at 14+1/2 after egg collection

Thanks again for all the replies.

If it helps anyone else, I managed to get hold of someone from my clinic and they said they can offer HCG testing, at £30 a test. They recommended doing them 48 hours apart, and 2-3 tests seems to be standard. So for £60 or £90 I'd say it's worth it for a bit of extra information (and hopefully reassurance). X

No mine didn't, no idea why because some people don't show hcg in urine. Makes me shudder to think about it.