IVF at 37 and Husband has had a Vasectomy

[Ottimista2020]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to mumsnet and need some advice. I'm 37 and overweight and my husband has had a vasectomy after having children with previous relationships. We'd like to start a family very soon and IVF is our only option. Is anyone able to give me some advice about which clinic to choose, what the process is, how to prepare for IVF, the costs, if you've been through a similar situation?

Thanks so much in advance!

Choosing a clinic is very personal and what works for one person doesn't for another - eg my clinic is on a business park but when I read some reviews someone said they didn't like that! (Not sure why when it's close to train stations, good road network and lots free parking? 🤷‍♀️)

I chose mine because I specifically wanted to do a gentler form of IVF - short protocol or natural modified. Most clinics don't offer those options. I also got a good feeling when I went to the open evening and felt they genuinely cared about getting me pregnant and not treating me like a walking credit card

I'd arrange some consultations (all online at the moment due to covid) with a few clinics and see if any one doctor gives you confidence

The weight is a big issue - many clinics do have a cut off above which they won't treat and if you want the best chance of this working then you need to be the healthiest you can be?

Cost wise it varies - my short protocol IVF with ICSI (which you'll most likely need) cost around £7k each, my natural Modified cycles with ICSI around £4K each

I'm sure you are aware of vasectomy reversal costs - I believe around £3k and it can take several months to get the sperm back in action

If you have to have surgical sperm retrieval that's about £2k

Thanks so much for your reply, it's really helpful. Hopefully, the weight barrier should be sorted soon.

I'm generally finding it really difficult to absorb all the information on the websites I've visited. I just don't know where to start. Although we'd like to do our treatment in the UK, we may also consider going abroad as the prices for what we'll need seem to be astronomical! Do you have any experience with clinics abroad or any recommendations?

No we decided not to go abroad - for a couple reasons really - we have lots of good clinics local to us. We needed to fit treatment in around work and I do my scans at 730 in the morning and had a day off here and there for egg collections and my boss has been none the wiser. Don't underestimate the value of local clinics - when I've needed extra scans or changes in medication it's been sorted immediately. Secondly cost wise depending on where and when you go by the time you factor in flights and hotels for 2 people and potentially 2-3 weeks off work of flying back and forward the cost saving isn't actually that much

The ones in Barcelona and Prague tend to be mentioned all the time as good clinics

BUT covid restrictions are obviously an issue at the moment and most clinics have you sign social distancing agreements to start treatment - but difficult to do that if you are taking a flight?

I'd start with a look on the HFEA website - clinics in your local area. Sort them by success rates. Then have a look on some review sites about what people say about them. Then contact them to email price lists

Consider whether if you're prepared to travel abroad where you'd travel to In the U.K. - the big names are Nurture, CARE, CREATE, ARGC etc

Then your budget? Most clinics offer 12-24 months finance. Others like Care are partnered with a company which offers up to 100% refunds or unlimited cycles if you meet the medical criteria .

There are no frills clinics like ABC that cost about £2.5k per round and they are actually the sister clinic of Create but only take younger women with good AMH levels

Be aware waiting lists due to covid are longer than normal at the moment

Thanks so much for your insight and support!