Experience with Create - b'gham

[KB2209]

Hello all the gorgeous mums / mums to be out there...

I am doing an initial consultation with Create at their b'gham clinic to explore my options; I have gone through 3 unsuccessful cycles with CRM - Univ Hosp Coventry.

1. I wanted to see if someone had an experience with Create - b'gham

personally and wouldn't mind sharing.

1. Any docs to specifically request or completely avoid?

1. My session is with Dr Adrija Dattar. Anyone had him for their treatment?

1. Anything else I should be aware of or be mindful of as I explore options with them? I am considering looking at receptivity test, uterine inflammation test and implanting PGS tested embryos to try and give us the best chance next time around

Thanks for taking the time; really appreciate the supportive community here which has given me the motivation to move fwd after feeling heartbroken after the last cycle failed.

Hey so I had 5 rounds at Create Birmingham and am 21 weeks with twins

I'll try and answer your questions one by one!

1. General experience was great. The staff were relaxed and friendly. Didn't feel like a walking cheque book. Felt they genuinely cared - a few were actually really emotional when I had my twins confirmed. I also got pregnant naturally in between cycles and they did all they could to prevent a miscarriage (sadly didn't work but I have a history of recurrent miscarriage). I also had an ectopic and when I was fobbed off by heartlands hospital I spoke to Create in a panic. They scanned me within 30 mins and called an ambulance and I ruptured only hours later

1. There is Dr D (Datta) Dr Felix and a Dr Singh I think - he is fairly new. They are all pretty much the same

1. I had Dr D for most of my cycles. Very kind and doesn't come across as overly clinical. Would humour me when I went in with all my google research 🤣

1. On additional testing.....they don't really offer many add ons. I think because they believe they have little merit and this is supported by the HFEAA and how it ranks add ons. I asked about ERA and told wouldn't need it unless had multiple failed cycles. But don't think they do it in Birmingham anyway (probably have to go to their London clinic), same with uterine inflammation

I did do PGS - I pushed for it - I got the impression Create Birmingham were sceptical of it but went along with my wishes. They were proved right though in a sense as even at age 36 I didn't get any normal blastocysts. If any come back complex abnormal then legally not allowed to transfer them so you could end up having to destroy the lot. I didn't bother testing again and got my twins on my next egg collection

Other good things

• location - plenty of parking, easy to get to
• scans etc start at 730am so doesn't impact work
• egg collections and transfers happen 7 days per week
• embryology team great - had several hour long conversations with the embryologists discussing what embryos to transfer etc. Felt listened to and supported

The not so great stuff

• I felt had I not pushed for certain things they would have just carried out with the same protocol - I had 2 rubbish mild short protocol cycles. It was me who wanted to try natural modified and they agreed. They didn't propose it themselves. I did wonder what I was paying for when it was me going in with loads of research and questions about how to improve my egg quality (I had less than 30% fertilisation rates even with ICSI - which when I changed to natural modified suddenly increased to 100%!)

But I think you get this at every clinic (except ARGC but you'll pay £20k for a single cycle there!)

• final cycle felt rushed and I was actually disappointed and started looking at CRM ironically as they have higher success rates 🤣 BUT this was the first week they reopened after lockdown and they were very busy and were also dealing with patients from their sister clinic ABC. I didn't get any blastocysts from the 5th cycle so i transferred 2 from January (I was doing a 3 cycle package where you bank embryos and transfer on the last one). I still also have another 2 top quality frozen

• English is a second language for many of the staff so often felt like things could have been lost in translation. But if it wasn't sure about anything I was told I made sure to follow it up with an email asking for confirmation

Thank you soooo much; it was really useful to read through your experience. Really appreciate you taking the time to provide all this detail. I have the consultations in 3 weeks, gives me a little bit of time to do some research and prepare for the meeting.

And so glad you were successful. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the pregnancy and a smooth delivery with the twins.