Belfast Fertility Clinics

[Sunshine180]

does anyone here have any experience with fertility clinics in Belfast. For background my husband and I have been TTC for 2 years now and my dr has referred me to gynae but the waitlist is currently 3 years. My husband has booked for his semen analysis and if it comes back ok I assume the nhs will just tell us we have to wait on my gynae appointment so I was going to look into going private.

I have seen In Ovo do an IVF package for £5k has anyone with experience of them experienced are there many hidden costs on top of this please?

@StillTTC7 do you have a day for transfer all being well? Monday is it?

@Sunshine180 yeah it is provisionally Monday, but it really seems to go to the wire. They said even up to Monday morning it could change and then would be Tuesday latest. Thankfully my work is flexible otherwise I’d be past myself worrying about the constant changes of appointments!

@StillTTC7 it sounds frustrating being left in limbo not knowing but not too much longer to go. Will they just ring you in the morning then? Are you feeling back to normal again after EC or still a bit tender?

@Sunshine180 yeah it’s a bit of a faff with trying to get the dog organised lol. She’s the most important after all haha.

They said they’d only ring today or tomorrow if the embryos hadn’t kept developing as they were, so no news is good news! My ovaries still feel a bit tender but they already were with the stim injections. Everything else pretty much okay now 😀

@StillTTC7 we’re the same with our dog and that was the only thing we were worried about with the last min appointments too haha. He goes to a daycare two days a week though and my mum and dad are usually good at being able to look after him if we need lol.

Oh that’s good at least you’re all set for tomorrow then. Hope it goes well for you but from what I’ve read it seems to be a quick and painless process! I imagine it takes a while for your ovaries to fully recover after being enlarged so much but glad you’re feeling almost back to normal 😊

@Sunshine180 our next follow up appointment is the start of march so hopefully as soon as my cycles allow me after that.

good luck this week @StillTTC7 i hear it’s very straightforward and wish you all the best. Hopefully it’s great news. I imagine the wait after to be the most difficult part of the process

@Anna531 aw was that a wee bit of a wait between the EC and potential FET then? It hasn’t been mentioned to us about a freeze all but I had 30 follicles at my scan so I am worried we will have to have a freeze all but was hoping they would do it after one period. I’m just so impatient with everything!

@StillTTC7 good luck for tomorrow! ❤️

@Sunshine180 haha literally the exact same here! Didn’t want to say doggy daycare in case you thought we were mad 😆 glad to hear you’re the same!
I heard today actually your ovaries are about the size of an almond, and by the end of IVF they’re the size of a small fist! So any wonder they’re tender.
And hopefully won’t be a freeze all, who knows what the treatment will bring 🤞🏻

@Anna531 I hope your cycle aligns the way you want it to and you get cracking in March, that would be great.

Thank you both so much, here’s hoping tomorrow goes well and you’re putting my mind at ease with the thought of it.

@StillTTC7 some people definitely do think we’re mad when you mention it but they’re so popular now too! Lol.

I think I may have watched the same video on tik tok? I’ve been following her for a while so interesting to see their journey too! But from an almond to a fist does not sound comfortable at all, so much to look forward to haha.

Yes it definitely sounds like the collection is tougher than the transfer physically so I’m sure you’ll do fine! Do they show you it on the screen as well? They will be nice to see if they do

@Sunshine180 Haha same here! She absolutely loves it and means she doesn’t have to be at home alone for a whole day!

Yes that’s the one! My friend saw it and told me to check it out, it made me feel not mad that my ovaries were so on fire! Lol are there other videos relating to it? Must have a look!

Yeah they show you it on the tv screen apparently and my hubby is allowed in too which is cute!

@StillTTC7 yes and they always come home so tired from playing all day 😂

I think she’s maybe only posted a couple about it but did say she would be documenting the journey!

That will be lovely for you both to be able to see it together. Was he able to come in for the collection too or do they just wait outside since you’re pretty much asleep anyway?

@StillTTC7 unfortunately- we had 39 retrieved and risk of OHSS so had to change to freeze all. But we’re getting ever closer to a first attempt so it’s not as frustrating now as back at the start.
good luck!!!! 🤞🏽everything crossed for you

@Anna531 it really does probably work out better in the long run as you got the best chance at having more embryos just hard when you don’t want to wait any longer! That’s great that you’re almost there though, hopefully it will go in quickly for you!

Are there many meds to take with the FET or will you not know until you have your next appointment?

Can I also ask when you got your meds at RFC did they give them to you at your appointment or did you have to go somewhere else and get them afterwards? The hospital seems so huge feel like we’ll get lost lol.

@Sunshine180 a tired dog is the best dog 😆 no not allowed in for the collection as it’s like going into theatre. But at least he gets one!

Still a great result @Anna531, very annoying it’s delayed though and probably hard to accept at the time, but at least you’re safe and getting your body back to best health for FET! Thank you ☺️

Hey ladies @Sunshine180 @Anna531 just thought I’d give you a wee update. We had 2 blastocysts this morning, 1 A graded and 1 A-, so the second has been frozen! We have another which might develop by tomorrow but if not we still got one transferred and one to freeze!

I found it worse than a smear test but still not bad if that makes sense? And it’s very quick and we even got a little photo of our blastocyst in place! So here’s hoping ☺️

@StillTTC7 thats great you had 1/potentially 2 to freeze also!! Congrats! That’s so good they give you a photo of it too. How exciting! Did they tell you to wait 2 weeks before testing then? Will you just be taking it easy the next two weeks?

I had my nurse appointment and picked up all my medication today so the fridge is loaded and ready to go. Just want to get started!

@Sunshine180 yeah we’re super chuffed as we were just going to be happy with the one for transfer! Yes two weeks to test, and I’m definitely going to wait. It will take all my might but hubby will be raging if I do it early 😂 yeah they said to swim and walk for exercise, so it’ll be sticking to walking as my swimming isn’t great lol.

Oh my gosh how exciting! Im sure the fridge is well stocked 😀 the days will just fly in! Did you get the drugs at your appointment then or have to go hunting for the hospital pharmacy? Lol

@StillTTC7 I imagine the wait is a hard mix between trying to relax but also trying to keep busy enough so that you don’t just think about it constantly! But hopefully it will go in quick enough for you. Yes we’ll be the same I will probably want to test a day or two early and he’ll make us follow the rules and wait 😂

First tablet on Friday so at least will feel like we’re making progress then but I don’t think it will feel real until the injections start. we did have to go to the pharmacy but it wasn’t hard to find and wasn’t too far away from where we had our appointment thankfully.

@Sunshine180 I think you’ve hit the nail on the head! It’s so weird, I told myself not to be like this but I find myself thing about it all day and it’s only day 1! Haha I think the men have the right idea, we don’t want false hope after all! We’ll have to listen to them…lol

Aw that will really feel like you’ve started, it’s only a 2 week ish wait in between is it?

@StillTTC7 i find it hard not to obsess over and I haven’t even started yet so I’ve no hope in the 2ww! Lol. Yes it definitely is the right thing to wait until the day you’re given to test and then at least you know the result is correct.

yes tablets for 1 week then break for 1 week to have period then injections will start. I think I might try and take the week of egg collection off work as I already had the end of the week off anyway and will need two days for the collection and also won’t know exactly what day it will be until closer to the time so would be nice just to have the full week

Hey does anyone know had failed icsi on nhs at rfc belfast no frozen embyros so cant do a frozen transfer. Are you only allowed one full cycle in Northern ireland? 3 months untill review with consultant and told it would be discussed then but like to know as will go private with TFP if have too...

@Snowdrop131 sorry to hear about your failed transfer. Was it just recently you had treatment at RFC?

Unfortunately we are only entitled to one free round in NI so you would have to go private. Feels so unfair that it’s a complete postcode lottery. RFC do private treatments as well but I’m not sure if there’s a waiting list for it, I think it is cheaper than TFP though.

Thats really frustrating that you’re not getting to speak to them about it for so long! I thought you would have a follow up appointment pretty much straight away

Hi ladies
@Sunshine180 apologies I missed your Q about meds but you’re all sorted. So exciting. I know there’s still a fair bit to go but it feels like progress when you get them and know you’re starting!!! Brilliant!

@StillTTC7 thats fantastic! Reassuring to have frozen, fingers crossed it won’t be needed right now and potentially for the future.
isn’t it amazing to think they’re just waiting on an opportunity. I hope tww flies in with great news come the end!!!

@Snowdrop131 sorry i don’t know. So sorry to hear about your failed transfer.
I hope you can get an answer before your appointment just to put your mind at rest and give you time to plan

@Anna531 yes that’s exactly it, feels like we’re definitely starting now that we’ve got them!