IVF at Create Fertility - process and timeline?

[ohsheglows]

Hello all, I used to post on the conception thread but I think it's time I now moved to the infertility section instead.

I've been trying for over a year now and have decided to go down the IVF route. I have low AMH and low antral follicle count (3) and I'm 32 years old. After so many days of feeling down and crying, I now feel like I need to get into gear and try to be more positive about it!

Is anyone on here currently with Create Fertility for their IVF or have been in the past? Can someone give me an idea of costs, general timeline and the process?

Thank you all 🙏

Unless it's changed in last 2 years you can't use Access etc at Create - they only have their own finance options. access are linked more with Care and other specific clinics

@Sunflower360 My AMH was 2.53pmol 5 months before I started with Create, they said they don't really monitor AMH levels because once you start treatment is kind of irrelevant.

Thanks @MrsMary78 If you don't mind me asking, would it be possible to know what your cycles were like with Create? Meds, duration, AFC etc

Hi, we've just had our egg collection at Create and hope to transfer over the weekend. Has anyone managed to get an embryo photo pre transfer when going through treatment at create. We'd love to get an embryo water colour done for our nursery, as and when we have a successful cycle.

@MrsFTTC I can't remember if I recieved my embryoscope footage before or after transfer. But I did recieve it and was able to screenshot and print some images. Good luck

Thanks @SantoPalo. We didn't opt for embryo scope. I've sent an email to our patient coordinator so 🤞 we can get an image a different way. How are you doing? Have you finished your cycle?

I said in the previous comments, I took the package of 3 Mild cycles, but I tried Nat Modified on the 3rd one which was a waste of time. I started in Dec 2020 and by March 2021 I was pregnant. Meds only for 4 days, nothing like traditional IVF which it lasts for weeks and weeks. Wishing you lots of good luck in your journey! x

@MrsFTTC I'm sure you will get a beautiful pic.
I did my cycles in 2020 and had my DS in 2021 x

Hello everyone!

This thread has been so helpful for reading everyone’s positive experience at Create. I’ve done 2 cycles at another clinic using the conventional ivf method as they felt this was the best way to maximise getting eggs.

I’m now considering Create but from reading this thread it seems that you have 3 collections and 1 transfer if you do the multi package, is that right?

Just not sure what to do, first cycle got 3 eggs - positive test but was ectopic so I lost my right tube. Second cycle just completed - 4 eggs and only 1 fertilised but slowed by day 3. I have low AMH and suspect my quality isn’t that great even though I’ve been taking all the supplements and Impryl for soo many months now.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

@Hopesandsunshine sorry to hear about your previous cycles. I had a similar situation where I did a max stims cycle at another clinic for my funded NHS cycle and it was a disaster-abadoned cycle in the first instance and then failed fertilisation whey I got restarted the following month. I was on 450 Gonal-F.

I have since just completed cycle 2 of my 3 natural modified cycles with Create and am very sold on the quality over quantity idea, but that is more personal viewpoints after doing some reading on it and my past experience on high stims earlier this year.

So far I have 2 x day 5's and a day 3 in the freezer, whether they are chromosomally ok is yet to be seen when I come to transfer them but I do not want to do genetic testing as its not like I have a large number of embryos, so would rather just give them a shot at this point.

My experience with Create has been much better than my NHS cycle but then each journey is so different.

I too have low AMH, and found this research useful when it came to deciding on natural modified (again it comes down to personal views, if you're not bought in on the 'quality over quantity' approach then Create may not be the right clinic as they only specialise in mild and natural modified IVF):

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6822952/

Thankyou so much for message @Sunflower360 it’s been really helpful.

I think the more I read the more I’m inclined to go with the quality rather than quantity approach. Can I ask which Create clinic you are with?

Can I ask if natural modified is where there is only one egg? Or is that completely natural? I’m deciding between mild or natural modified…also not sure how long to wait on when to start?

I’ve just had my withdrawal bleed so should I start from next natural bleed - November or the one after that which would be December. What did you do when you came to Create? Did you start straightaway (concerned about my low AMH)

congratulations on your brilliant results on embryos that sounds very promising, did you take any supplements or do anything different to get such good results?

thank you so much for responding, just trying to hold onto hope when days like today can feel difficult and bleak…Xx

@Hopesandsunshine no problem at all, I know what it's like when you're at a crossroads and need to make decisions!

Can I ask what is your AMH? As that may indicate what you go for between mild or natural modified. I was advised natural modified as my AMH in the summer was 4.3 pmol (anything under 5 is usually advised as natural modified, or so I was advised by Create, but there have been people who have had mild with lower AMH).

With natural modfied in my first cycle I had 5 eggs collected of which 4 were mature, 3 fertilised and from that we got 1 x day 5 and 1 x day 3 in the freezer. 2nd round got 2 mature eggs. There were another possible 2 follicles but they were not big enough and I didn't stimulate longer due to being on natural modfied. I really don't want to lose the quality over a couple more eggs, I had 2 eggs in my high stims cycle and neither fertilised so I'm quite sold on the quality over quantity science. Also, I don't know if there would have been any eggs in those 2 other follicles, but the Dr said it was unknown and they don't extract smaller follicles as they'll highly likely have immature eggs. From those 2 eggs we got our 2nd day 5 in the freezer.

Supplement wise there is so much but I read It Starts with The Egg to decide what I thought would be best for me so I'm taking the following:

• 3800 IU vitamin D as separate tablets and in Proceive
• 620mg CoQ10 as seperate tablets and in Proceive
• 400ug Folic Acid in Proceive
• 650g Vitamin C as seperate tablets and in Proceive
• Others supplements in Proceive
• 1000 IU Omega-3

I have also tried to follow a higher protein diet/lower carb diet than I had before starting this IVF journey

@Hopesandsunshine also be mindful that Create may advise some more preliminary tests, we had some to rule some things out, and that added a month to timescales to start so it may be following your next period you can start, unless you get an appt soon. Also Create clinics (I think most if not all) limit egg collections over December. I got advised with it being the festive period they take the opportunity to deep clean the theatres etc

@Hopesandsunshine need to also add the aim of natural modfied is one egg (dominant follicle), anything else is a bonus or so I got told quite a few times before and during my 1st cycle. They have suggested I could perhaps consider mild after my 1st and 2nd cycle but I am going to push with sticking with natural modified. For the sake of 1 or 2 more eggs In not sure if it's worth if it means the dominant one is 'over done' so to speak. But that is just my personal view

@Sunflower360 I am not sure how I could ever thank you for the detailed answers you’ve given (not sure if it’s me being emotional but the gesture of taking the time to respond to all my queries was very thoughtful and appreciated- massive thank you!)

My AMH last year was 5.2pmol so I’m guessing it might have gone down since then possibly, which makes me think natural modified might be better. Your results are amazing - I can’t even imagine having anything to freeze let alone day 5 embryos which is brilliant!

I’ve also read the it starts with the egg and started all the supplements again as I was previously just taking Impryl and your not allowed to take any other antioxidants with it, which means you basically can’t add any others in. I might scale it back though because it feels like I’m literally taking 15+ supplements a day which is too much. Interestingly I was taking Proceive last year (the sachet form not the tablets) and did get the one good egg…thank you for sharing the supplements you take, seems like you have a good balance. It can become overwhelming can’t it?

so I’m guessing you’ve got one cycle left and then it’s transfer? It’s so different to my previous clinic which is one collection and then transfer etc. I think the way you’ve been doing it is great and wouldn’t change anything for the sake of an additional egg like you said it’s more important to have quality.

in terms of timing, I will make enquiries and go from there and see what they say.

you’ve been a real life saver today. Thank you so much, it really means a lot, please keep me updated and will have everything crossed for you xxx

@Hopesandsunshine no problem, know it can hard to navigate through all this and it's good to hear different experiences so you can make an informed decision that works for you. As I said it's very personal, what works for one may not work for another but it's good to have the information so you decide what's best for you.

Yep 3rd cycle will include the transfer but not holding my breath as I've read quite a few stories of first transfers not working so we'll see what happens

Thank you @Hopesandsunshine and all the best on your journey!

Hi @Sunflower360 and @Hopesandsunshine I'm just about to start a 3 cycle package with Create. We've just had all our tests redone, waiting for amh and sperm dna fragmentation results.

I've previously done mild ivf with them under the nhs. We got 3 top quality blastocysts when my amh was 5, which resulted in 2 losses sadly. I've got immune issues and had multiple natural losses as well. We've decided not to pgta test as I don't think we'll get many embryos. I think I'm on track to start in my December cycle.

@Sunflower360 good luck for your last cycle - will you do a fresh transfer?

@Hopesandsunshine we might end up starting at similar times. My protocol consultation is in 3 weeks (we had our initial discussion at the end of August but needed time to do all our bloods and tests again). Had my baseline scan on Friday and my AFC is 8, which is the same as it was in 2021 when we did our first round.

@VenusStarr sorry to hear about your losses. Hope your next cycle goes well.

I am hoping for a fresh transfer, but just depends if I produce a suitable embryo. Otherwise, it'll be a case of thawing one of our frozen ones

@VenusStarr did they indicate what could be causing the losses? Especially as you had top quality embryos

@Sunflower360 thank you.

We think it is immune issues (overactive nk cells). I'm under Dr Shehata for my losses. They always stop in week 6. But since my diagnosis (in 2020) we haven't conceived naturally. So did ivf in 2021 and got the 3 embryos. My first loss after fresh trasfer was low progesterone and late implantation as I bled heavily at 7dp and then tested positive. So checked for infections and inflammation- did the endometrio tests and all normal, so just added lubion daily and 2x cyclogest. My FET was textbook and we got to a heartbeat but stopped growing at 6+2 (was on steroids, intralipids and hydroxychloroquine for immunes, clexane and aspirin plus 2 progesterone). We tested the baby and she was chromosomally healthy. So we think my immune system caused it. I'm also on 75mcg levothyroxine. I definitely rattle in ivf cycles!

Then last year we spent nearly 9 months trying to transfer the last embryo but had really bad lining issues and stopped responding to estrogen, had 3 cycles cancelled. Finally got it up with low dose stims, converted to egg collection but ended up with a morula. Defrosted my embryo and it deteriorated, double transfer was a bfn.

We took6 months off ttc then my dh got really ill and that now seems to have caused low motility so will also need icsi. Sorry its long!

Sorry to hear that @VenusStarr sounds like you've had quite an emotional rollercoaster. Hope it all works out with these next cycles

I’m so sorry to hear of your losses @VenusStarr and hope this next cycle is the one! And it seems as if you’ve had everything thrown at you meds wise, have you had intralipids? Or the level 1 blood tests done in think they’re called which look into recurrent losses, apologies if you already have. I think I took the plunge after reading @Sunflower360 story and booked my scan and consultation which will be in the next two weeks so that’s something to look forward to.

hopefully all goes well and they think I’m a suitable candidate to go ahead, if we get the green light and there’s no additional testing it could December but I’ll know more in the next two weeks.

i hope you get another good quality embryo @Sunflower360 and fingers crossed it all goes well.

this journey is brutal and it feels really nice to have connected with you two 😊 xx

Thank you @Hopesandsunshine and hope your consultation goes ok!

Thank you @Hopesandsunshine I was under Tommy's initially and did all the tests and everything was clear. Have since redone them and still ok. The only thing is my immune system in pregnancy seems to go into overdrive 😕 I've done intralipids, steroids, hdroxychloroquine nothings helped so far.

Hope your scan and consultation go well in a couple of weeks. Let us know.

Thank you @Sunflower360 where are you up to this cycle?