Coronavirus and fertility clinics.

[mabel92]

Has anyone’s fertility clinic told them they will close due to Coronavirus? I’m due to start treatment and now confused as what to do or whether I’ll be able to start. Thanks.

I'm so sorry to anyone who has had theirs cancelled or is in limbo.

I'm due my baseline scan with care (not one linked to a nhs hospital) later this week in prep for FET in early-mid April. I just want to know one way or another if it will go ahead, but obviously no one can know that! It would wipe out a month of natural trying - I had a miscarriage 2 years ago so it's not entirely impossible. The backlog of patients will be so huge and we're not getting younger!

@Xx40yearsyoungxx
I rechecked my clinics website and no change to their stance

I don't think they'll be too concerned - their job is to get us pregnant and a BFP test = successful round for them in terms of results

If you think about it many more people will be falling pregnant naturally in the next couple of weeks - more than via IVF especially with nothing else to do!

I'm sorry @Lemongrass1 that I missed you're having an FET. I completely understand what you mean- I'm using all my savings and a loan to pay for this third and final cycle and could also not waste another 1000 pounds. I also have a few boxes of lubion but luckily with a use by date far in the future. We've been having such bad luck: after referral we had to wait more than a year to actually get started with IVF (with lots of test and a consultant who couldn't work for 6 months after an accident). We are that 1% couple where there is absolutely no way to proceed without donor sperm, we had the wrong postcode for NHS funding, a FET was already cancelled because our clinic had a training day (only happens once in 5 years the consultant said) and then the last round I had 10 eggs but only one fertilised-badly with no embryos (just bad luck the clinic said). When I first heard of the virus in China- I thought well there goes the next round. I feel doomed. Xxx

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted - was that an updated stance on the website or pre government’s advice tonight ( is it a case that the clinic was out of hours so it was not the latest update ?)

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My consultant emailed me to say he's been told to cancel all stims cycles as the chances are they'll be cancelled, even ones already started.

Apparently the staff will be redeployed to help deal with CV19 patients.

@matilda128 - my heart goes out to you . It’s so difficult and stressful .
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Thank you Xx40yearsyoungxx I'm supposed to work from home but I've done nothing but reading the news and working out how this will affect us. I'm hoping I could do a freeze all cycle if there is no other option. The jokes going round that there will be a baby boom just makes me so sad- it just feels so unfair. Xxx

I was just thinking the exact same thing about the baby boom jokes 😢

I've known this was coming for a while but it's so heartbreaking. I was planning to start my second cycle after my next period in a few weeks. I haven't contacted my clinic yet but I'm pretty sure they will all be suspended to one degree or another. I know IVF is low in most people's priority list at the moment but it's so important to those of us in the process. Time is so precious and I can't bear to think of it ticking away for months to come 😢 I feel so hopeless, like it's just fate that I will never have a baby.

I'm so sorry everyone
I just had a failed transfer and am waiting for my follow up, wonder if even that will go ahead.
This sucks - though if it had worked I'd be a bag of nerves now so trying to look on the bright side.

I agree re the memes about the baby boom. So upsetting 😓

I received a call from the clinic today cancelling my FET which is so heartbreaking 😢 I am 2 weeks into taking Buserlin and was due to go for my baseline scan tomorrow with the transfer taking place hopefully at the end of the month. The rational part of my brain understands why they need to cancel but I can’t help feeling so upset by it all.

I had my first fresh transfer last year but had a mmc at 12 weeks from that cycle and have been waiting for this FET cycle for ages. 😢

It is totaly the not the same thing as treatments being cancelled but one of the IVF clinic open days i booked just go cancelled

@Xx40yearsyoungxx
I'm not too sure but will check again in the morning - the govt haven't actually said to self isolate if you are pregnant just to avoid unnecessary social contact so I think if private clinics interpret this correctly then they will continue to treat

If you're in an NHS clinic you're stuffed as the doctors/nurses/anaesthetist will be redeployed

I was still in the losing weight for IVF camp and I have low amh for my age (33) so I'm starting to think is that it for me now:/

We had a scan this morning and are supposed to be having an embryo transfer on Saturday. I'm almost scared to check my emails or call...

Private in London so maybe ok but not sure, plus worrying if it's even a good idea or not while also feeling like time is running out. It's so stressful!

I also got told the reason is that we shouldn’t be getting pregnant which I found very upsetting as the WHO haven’t come out and said for everyone to put their TTC plans on hold but the clinics get to tell us we aren’t allowed to get pregnant. It’s very unfair.

If they said it’s to prevent spread or they can’t guarantee their staff won’t get it and cancel cycles that would be ok but I’ve been very upset all day that it’s ‘we aren’t letting you get pregnant’ when there will be a baby boom in 9 months time.

It’s so unfair.

Exactly @Aspoonfullofjam Imagine the outcry if the whole world was told to avoid getting pregnant on the tiny bit of evidence there is. If they need to see the effect of the virus on early stage pregnancy it would be at least another 7 months. I would be more than happy to self isolate for as long as it takes to avoid getting ill. But as we rely on fertility treatment we are no longer given a choice. This virus is hell for everyone but to be denied your chance of having a child is an additional nightmare. I'm really sorry to hear everyone's stress and pain- take care x

I’ve woken today with so much anger and pain :( I feel like this has been grabbed from us. People dealing with infertility really get put through it in the journey as it is. This is just pushing me over the edge :( I spoke to the embryologist yesterday afternoon and she was updating me on progress of freezing embryos. I said to her I felt so disappointed and this was really hard. And her response was “ yes it’s really difficult for everyone. I mean, we don’t know where we will be working next week. It’s affecting everyone. “ yes I’m aware of that... but that’s not very helpful. This is my infertility and I just needed you to support me for a second !

@SarahDx - my heart goes out to you

I didn’t sleep a wink - feel the same as you - and had to be at work for 5:30 am . This is so sad

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Has anyone else spoken to their clinics today ? X

I dont know what your stories are but for us, everytime I say "I am ready", something shitty happens that turns our plans upside down...

Does universe trying to tell me something? And is it ok to say "shut the F up" to it

Hi all, I am due to push the button to start my first IVF cycle when AF arrives sometime this week. So far my private clinic is saying they’re still going ahead until advised otherwise by HFEA but am nervous about starting the process and it being cancelled part way through (especially if I don’t get any refund on my drugs etc as am privately funded!). Similarly am worried that if I don’t start whilst I can they might cancel new cycles only and then I’ll have missed out for who knows how long! Hard to know what to do but think, if I can, I will give it the go ahead then have a couple of weeks before I have to start down reg during which time hopefully we’ll know more. My NHS clinic who’ve been monitoring me on letrozole called yesterday to say that they’re cancelling all treatment for the next 4 weeks but suspect it’s more resource based as it’s the NHS and private IVF clinics will hold out until told otherwise by HFEA.

So much extra stress which none of us need but I especially feel for those of you who are part way in and unsure of what’s going to happen. Look after yourselves and fingers crossed! x

Hi all, I'm in same boat - due to start next week (private patient).I think one of the things I'm especially anxious about is going so far as stimming, but then not being able to have the egg retrieval. Anybody else relate? My clinic has tried to reassure me that my body would just re-absorb the follicles (or something like that) and there would be no L/T health implications, but it's a bit of a mental block for me at the mo.

Thinking of everyone - tough time. Good luck all Xx

@mbizzles - is your clinic saying they will continue tho ?

I’m about to start sims but don’t want to to fall at last hurdle