Evewell, ARGC, Sara Matthews

[Presently83]

I've been hedging my bets a bit meeting different clinics to chat about treatment for recurrent miscarriage / the possibility of doing ivf in the future / managing natural pregnancies (so far I can get pregnant fairly easily but not stay pregnant) and am SO confused.

I'm currently probably going through yet another miscarriage - second in 7 months - diagnosed by ARGC (who I did NOT like) from blood tests (plateauing HCG). Then an NHS scan showed a heartbeat but measuring a week behind on Monday, then today (Friday) I had meetings at Evewell (who found strong heartbeat and looking fine) and Sara Matthews (who found barely any heartbeat and told me to brace myself for the end).

I have another scan with the NHS on Monday but how can two ultrasounds and two doctors find such different things on the same day??

Does anyone have any strong opinions, good or bad, about ARGC, Evewell or Sara Matthews? Think this pregnancy is doomed but do not know who to give all my money if we have to go down the ivf route....

I'm in early pregnancy with the Evewell. I rate them highly even if this pregnancy doesn't work out. They have made the whole process effortless and I feel like they genuinely care.
That is very strange re the differing opinions. How many weeks are you? Wishing you all the best.

I have the same issue - ten pregnancies, in about 1.5 years, recurrent losses that never got past 6 weeks. I’m in my 3rd round of IVF at the Evewell right now and very happy with them so far. Bot done any transfers yet - we are embryo banking and pgta testing and only get 1-2 blasts per round. We have one normal and one usable mosaic in the freezer so far. I had a poor round 1 and saw real improvements in round 2 after a change in protocol, and far more follicles are growing now in round 3. Evewell definitely tailor to your personal circumstances, will look at immunes and treat them as well as offer human growth hormone. The latter two are definitely relevant to my losses and have changed things up for the better so far.

good luck and sorry for all your losses.

@Scottishgirl85 I'm nearly 8 week but measuring a week behind and while Montse found a heartbeat and didn't seem overly concerned, Sara said it was definitely doomed just an hour later. So I just don't know who to believe!

That's so stressful for you. Is there a chance your dates are wrong and you're actually only 7 weeks? I hope you get reassurance soon xx

@Scottishgirl85 the Evewell made me think there was a chance I had perhaps ovulated and implanted late - though the blood tests from ARGC were quite worrying - but then the scan Sara did was SO beyond bleak. She said the sac was too small, she couldn't find a heartbeat (later did but said it was too slow) and just looked so sombre saying 'sweetheart, this just isn't viable'. But I just don't see how two doctors can see SUCH different things. Unless the Evewell we're just being nice and trying to give me some small amount of hope. I don't feel pregnant at all anymore - not tired or bloated or weeing a lot - despite still technically being pregnant.

I guess I'll find out more on Monday, and perhaps which doctor was right. Though I expect the worst 😔

How did you get on @Presently83? I’m also with The Evewell and headed for FET in August. Can’t fault them from a clinical perspective. But I’m interested to know what your experience has been since you posted. You got lots of mixed messages and I hope you’re doing okay.

@MyEasterEggs hi there, sadly I was diagnosed with another MMC at 10+5 (baby died measuring 7+5 but was always a week behind so probably 2wks before diagnosis) and had a d&c at st Thomas's (who are excellent btw). Recovered physically but emotionally a bit all over the place! My BF is now having dna tests with the Evewell because his nhs semen analysis came back v poor, so we'll see. I think if they advise IVF we'll go down that route with them because I do feel very taken care of and seen there. Found the argc a bit impersonal and Sara Matthews inordinately expensive and 'glam' if that makes sense??

Hi op I’m sorry for your loss. Look into immunes. I know Argc do them but you might need increased medication from what they offer. Gorgy and Shehata for example. Good luck

Evewell do immunes too - I am taking and will take steroids and intralipids etc, although they don’t specialise in it in detail like some.

@Presently83 - sorry to hear about your loss. I saw Sara M for three rounds of ivf. I have one baby and am 34 weeks with twins. The twins were actually made from round 2 embryos but I lost faith after a few failed transfers and wanted to make more to have pgt a tested.

I've never been anywhere else so not sure how Sara compares but yes it costs a fricking bomb. That said your money goes on scans in her little room and medication. She has rarely recommended any additional procedures other than pgt a to me. She was dead against era Emma Alice etc.

I found her to be very good, she certainly backs herself. And yes ridiculously glam, lol.

I also think she is sometimes more witch than doctor. She seems to "just know" various things. I'll update to let you know if she is correct in her extremely bold assertion (at 6 week scan) that one of my twins is a girl. I didn't want to comment on your earlier post when you were still in limbo but it doesn't surprise me at all that she was right and Evewell doc wrong about the outcome, very unfortunately.

@applecrumbler oh interesting. Hanks for your message and congratulations on all your babies!

I did think she was very good, and knew what she was talking about, and quite reassuring in some ways saying 'oh I'm sure you'll have babies it just depends how you want to go about it'.

Hard to tell though whether Evewell were just trying not to worry me in the face of impending miscarriage, because there's nothing you can do but wait for it to happen.

Still undecided about who to go with. Ugh. So hard.

@applecrumbler can I ask what one full round of ivf with embryo testing ended up costing with Sara? And if you found the clinic she works with (is it Care?) good?

Sorry for your loss @Presently83. Sending you lots of love as you take your next steps. I’ve had multiple losses too and know how hard it can be to hold onto hope, pick yourself up and carry on.

@Phrenologistsfinger did you have all of your immune tests with The Evewell? I’m due to have them on Wednesday along with hysteroscopy and endometrio but I’m querying CD 16/56 as I think they might be good markers to include in addition to CD 69.

I’ve been found to have endometritis which needed treatment in the past so I rate the endometrio tests, especially with the rise of investigations into the microbiome. So many women remain in the unexplained category which, to be frank, isn’t a diagnosis just a ‘we don’t know yet’ so I have faith that we’ll get some answers and treat the remaining issues. Leaving no stone unturned feels like the way forward.

Sperm DNA testing is worthwhile but also consider a check up with a urologist such as Jonathan Ramsay in case your partner has a varicocele. My partner had normal sperm sample but high DNA damage so it was worth it for us.

Hi! Would you be able to tell me who you are seeing at the evewell? My consultant (Dimitri) is on leave and am due to start my first round in September. We just had two chemical pregnancies in June and July (following my husband’s embolization in May) and I suspect that there could be some inmune issues on my end so curious on who would be the best consultant to work with in his absence based on our profile

@Phrenologistsfinger Hi! Would you be able to tell me who you are seeing at the evewell? My consultant (Dimitri) is on leave and am due to start my first round in September. We just had two chemical pregnancies in June and July (following my husband’s embolization in May) and I suspect that there could be some inmune issues on my end so curious on who would be the best consultant to work with in his absence based on our profile

@ANJ25 I’m under Colin Davies (the heqd of the clinic - but have seen a few Drs for scans etc as he is so busy). I have immune issues too. Because they have their daily review meeting, I think you get all
their input anyway.