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.

Ladies don’t be disappointed with a FET option since some of the clinics are not doing fresh ET. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that FET is just as successful as fresh if not even slightly more so since your body has cleared all the stims drugs etc. I guess it’s all about where each of us in the journey. I would give an arm and a leg to get to egg retrieval as I’m on downregulation day 2 only! But I guess having an egg retrieved you are so close to the finish line all you can think of is the transfer.

Really unprecedented times we are facing. To think that we were so little prepared and the whole thing escalated to this in a space of a week is ridiculous!

My clinic are still saying business as usual today, however they are having a meeting tonight so at my scan Friday it could be different news. Fingers crossed i'll still have my egg collection as planned. I am still hoping for ET as i'm self employed so could still self isolate.

Congrats on today's transfers! xx

@Katiebooboo you are right! I will be grateful if I get as far as egg collection xx

Been following this for a few days as we have been on tenterhooks waiting to see if our FET would go ahead. Was due for transfer on Tuesday 24th and all has gone so well was feeling really positive. Had final scan to check lining yesterday and given go ahead for Tuesday but was advised they are not taking any new patients and things could change...got the dreaded call this morning to say cycle has been cancelled, to stop all hormones and they cannot go ahead with any transfers at this time due to uncertainty of effects in pregnancy.
Devastated is an understatement! So so upset but I do totally understand reasons behind it. It just feels so cruel as we were only 6 days away. Have been told will be put on a contact list for when they are back up and running but who knows when that will be?
Like everyone life has been put on hold and plans made for possible baby later this year.

Sending love to everyone on this journey whatever stage you’re at and thinking of everyone that has been affected by cancellations of treatment due to this awful virus. We all understand why it’s happening but it doesn’t make it any more devastating. Fingers crossed we won’t have to wait too long and positive thoughts for you all when we do get to try again xxx

Any less devastating I mean x

@Liliclaire - that is such a shame! So sorry to hear that. Stay postive! which clinic are you at?

Thank you. We’re with Leicester fertility.
So many people in the same situation at the moment. Very upsetting.
I’m not sure if they are continuing with any egg collection for those on a fresh cycle but definitely stopping at freezing embryos as they have said they can’t do any transfers.

@Katiebooboo thank you x fingers crossed for us all in future

Care have put this update on their website. It’s good news for some but my heart goes out to anyone who’s treatment has been cancelled, it really is heartbreaking.
I don’t know if Care are taking on new patients but might be worth calling.

www.carefertility.com/our-response-to-the-current-coronavirus-covid-19-situation/

Thanks @Owlz that's interesting. I'm with care, waiting for my period (any day) to book in baseline for my FET. I think whichever choice I make will end up being the wrong one. Carry on and they'll cancel part way through, cancel and then they'll stay open for long enough but will then close after for many months. There's just no way of knowing. Infertility is already bloody annoying enough!

My heart goes out to anyone who's been cancelled

Does anyone know if fertility clinics will be allowed to stay open if London is shut down on Friday evening as the papers say?

My treatment is now cancelled, such a blow.

Sorry to read that @mabel 😓

@mabel92 I'm sorry to read that.

We have got EC at the beginning of next week and then freeze all. Fingers crossed some fertilise and we get some good blastocysts to freeze. For whenever we're allowed to use them. It's just too frustrating and saddening, we had so many plans.

@jcurve

No I would think total lockdown means suspension of all treatment - from what I've heard the lockdown will means closure of all businesses - absolutely no travel except to supermarkets and pharmacies and they'll only be open during certain hours.

Those close to egg collection who can't stop may be able to get to collection but that's it's. No public travel means can't expect clinic staff to travel

Hi ladies

I've just seen that the British Fertility Society have recommended all fertility treatment except for fertility preservation for cancer patients is stopped. Here's the link:

www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk/2020/03/18/guidance-for-the-care-of-fertility-patients-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/

I'm thinking of you all, it's such a difficult time xx

@CarbsAndCheese

Most clinics follow HFEA and Royal College of Obstetricians guidelines rather than British Fertility Society so unless they come out with similar advice then some clinics will likely carry on

They also have staff to pay and cannot suspend indefinitely

Just reading on the HFEA website it basically says it's up to the clinic to manage professionally (and ethically I suppose). Although it "expects" clinics to suspend treatment it doesn't come straight out and say they MUST stop. And just says if they continue to stay open then advises working with safe limits.

It seems to be more relevant to NHS clinics as it talks about redeployment of staff and minimising impact on NHS eg due to OHSS

Gah I am meant to have FET today. I have no idea what to do.

@AliciaWhiskers
I'd go ahead - we are heading for a lockdown anyway which should see you through the 2ww

If you don't you don't know when you'll be able to do it especially if it's an NHS clinic x

I work for the nhs so I won’t be in the lockdown. That’s the problem. I can’t wfh, so I can’t self isolate for 12 weeks. It’s a private clinic so I know if he more likely to restart earlier but it’s the fact that I can’t be off work for this that worries me.

Hi ladies. Since having my transfer cancelled Monday I can say that every day I am getting my head around the situation more and accepting it a bit. Especially with everything going on it is starting to make sense that our procedures couldn’t go on as normal. I had a Skype session with a fertility counsellor yesterday and would really advise it. Most free on NHS. She really helped me grieve a bit then focus on the positives.

Not to scare people but I do think it’s worth knowing ... she said to me that sometimes it’s not even about the mother having coronavirus but others to pass to embryos. She worked with a couple who were pregnant with twins who had miscarried at 21 weeks due to them having pneumonia. The mum had never had pneumonia but it had got in the womb via the embryo - from the lab. Now this is obviously a very traumatic uncommon case - but it did open my mind massively to risks. Although it hurts to have our journey paused the professionals do know what they are doing.

Don’t get me wrong it is so painful when we are already on the hardest journey of our lives. And it seems like we are almost discriminated against due to being in this category. For all who have the option for egg collection - why not go for it and have the eggs freezed at this age ! Rather than miss out. I have read up on FET since Monday and learning this would be my option now and it all seems positive. Only top quality embryos frozen therefore better results. And our bodies will have recovered from egg collection. If it is 6 months then we have 6 months to try relax our minds and get back to being us again. And that will only do wonders for implantation if we are more chilled. We have done 6 months before ladies - it’s difficult - but we’ve done it and we can do it again !! We are so strong and we’ve got this !!

Love and energy to all

Oh @AliciaWhiskers that’s a really tough decision!

We want to postpone, but have just called the clinic and they may have started defrosting the embryo

In that case, Alicia, do go and have the transfer. Good luck.