1st round of IVF failed

[IVF2024]

Hi all today we had the result of our first and last round (Northern Ireland) of NHS IVF. Which was negative. Everything went so completely seamless without a hiccup and the process was so quick to end with a negative result is just devastating. But I guess it all was too good to be truE. What a difficult day.


i am just wondering if anyone knows of funding available to us in Northern Ireland to attempt IVF again? So unfair that we only get one chance at it via NHS!

[Ilovebees]

Hey did you have any frozen embryos ? I guess you only had 1 if this is your last go ? Xx

[IVF2024]

Unfortunately none were suitable for freezing 😭 I am based in Northern Ireland and we only get one round of NHS IVF. So unfair

[LongerthanMrTicklesarms]

Sorry to hear your cycle hasn’t been successful, it’s horrible.

I would recommend you look at clinics abroad for your next attempt.

IVF provision across the UK is a postcode lottery, I think Scotland has the best. Some areas of England don’t fund IVF at all and I don’t know about Wales.
I know people who’ve had IVF in NI when one of them has an existing child which would preclude them from treatment in many places.
I suppose I’m trying to say none of this is fair. Take your time to process what has happened, but also looking to the future request your notes so you can pass them to the next clinic. If I were self-funding I would bypass the NI clinics and go abroad for more chance of success, when the time is right. Things will feel very raw right now so take care of yourself.

[IVF2024]

May I ask, have you had any experience yourself or know of any one who has had experiences with Northern Ireland clinics? This is the second time someone has said to go abroad and not bother with NI clinics

[LongerthanMrTicklesarms]

There is a thread on here for Belfast fertility clinics. I have no personal experience but DH’s cousin lives in NI and even paying privately at the clinics the waiting times were so much longer, many add-ons weren’t available and the service was pretty basic.

I had treatment in England and then in Spain. There are some very good clinics in England and some okay ones. I think most of the Spanish clinics are very good. I hear good things about Czech and Greek clinics too though have no experience of those. Flying from NI the clinics target international patients with clinics in Alicante, Benidorm, Mallorca as often people combine it with a holiday or at least have regular flights available.

[LiIacMoon]

@IVF2024 tfp do work with access funding , although it's quite a hefty sum upfront but you do qualify for a refund if not successful . They also offer payment plans. I don't have any experience of working with tfp tho but I know one of the consultants at rfc also works at tfp and he was lovely.
If we were to do another round we'd probably go back to rfc tho. We had John mcmanus and thought he was absolutely brilliant and everything went seamlessly and stress free. Their communication was fantastic. No chasing them up and nurses nurses responded to all my queries promptly. Our round was successful so well definitely use them again hopefully in near future. Private treatment with them is also cheaper than using private clinics.

[Snowdrop131]

@IVF2024 hi I'm exact same situation failed 1st cycle with rfc and no frozen embyros to transfer. We are currently going go with tfp in Belfast had been talking to them before our nhs cycle more expensive than private at rfc but no waiting list. So depends what ur situation is but 1 consultant that works in rfc works in tfp and he's lovely. Iv heard of Prague, malaga and Greece as options for abroad but we're trying belfast before looking abroad but if 2nd cycle fails then due cost may have look abroad.

[IVF2024]

@Snowdrop131 yes we had some tests done with TFP a few years ago to check if everything was ok which it was. We then went with our notes to NHS and ended up in RFC. Sorry to hear you are going through it also. My goodness it is a tough station. We just found out yesterday our first round failed.

TFP seems so much more expensive than RFC but if it is a success it for sure is worth it. Today I am not sure if I can face another round but I am sure that feeling will pass with time. How soon after your first failed round did you start with TFP? Wishing you well for round 2 xx

[Snowdrop131]

@IVF2024 yeah it's such a roller coaster of emtions. everything seemed going smoothly until test day which was start of Feb, we are meeting consultant fri at tfp all of our bloods tests still within the year so ok to go on ahead they estimate 2/3 weeks after that then start by way cycle falls. So it'll only prob be 2/3 months after failed round but I didn't want wait has already been 5 years trying..
Is so tough but I always think of the possible outcome would be worth every tear and penny. xx

[IVF2024]

Your journey sounds so similar to ours. The ivf process was so smooth sailing the shock of the negative result but harder than I thought it would. We are 8 years trying. I will contact TFP next week once my period passes and I get a chance to catch my breath after round 1

forgot to ask, did you get a timeline date for a second round with RFC or did you not bother asking?x

[Snowdrop131]

@IVF2024 I asked through the portal how long for 2nd time but they just said the consultant would discuss this at your review appointment which going by the return slip would be nearly 12 weeks. I checked online and waiting time for private rfc was 6 months so I took that as another 9.months to start again when we had been near start treatment with TFP we decided just go back to them but still keep our review appointment with rfc .

[IVF2024]

@Snowdrop131 that sounds like a good plan. I hope it all goes to well for you this time around. Do let us know how you get on xx

[TTC12]

I would recommend checking out Therapie fertility. You can do your scans in Dundalk and then egg collection is in Dublin. Their price list is online.

[IVF2024]

@TTC12 thankyou. Have you had success with them previously?

[TTC12]

@IVF2024 ive just had egg collection today, so no success yet. I’ve gone the opposite way from you. I’ve just been added to the NHS waiting list, but told it could be a year until I get treatment with RFC, so have done this first. All interactions, scans etc so far have been positive experiences, and would recommend them so far!

[IVF2024]

@TTC12 wishing you a positive result. Keep us posted on your journey. And thankyou for the recommendation x

[Cloclo93]

Hey how is your fertility journey? Did you do a second cycle? My 1st failed too! Hoping to do another cycle soon

[IVF2024]

@Cloclo93 hi sorry to hear you also had an unsuccessful round. Was it in Belfast? Or are you based somewhere else.

we haven’t done our second one yet we haven’t had th energy for it to be honest. We had one nhs paid round so we have to fund any future

[Snowdrop131]

@Cloclo93 sorry hear ur 1st cycle failed. Id no frozen for another round on nhs failed preg test was start feb and no word yet from rfc. I'm 37 so going ahead starting 2nd full cycle with TFP end this month and see how that goes hopefully we get some frozen for the future too 🤞

[IVF2024]

@Snowdrop131 our situation is identical. No word from RFC and there won’t be either apparently until the 3month review which I think is an awful long time to have ppl wait

[Cloclo93]

Hi @IVF2024 I'm based in republic if Ireland my 1st round was with therapie fertility I had zero fertilization so we are going to do a round if icsi next with them! There prices are cheapest on the market right now so we have taken out a loan for this second cycle 🙃 i really hope this works as i know its so easy to get into death with money, you could probably go to the Dublin one ?

@Snowdrop131 sorry to hear that! To even know you have a frozen embros after a failed implantation would be comforting:( i only had 4 mature eggs when i got the call to say none of them fertilized i was so upset! They say the 1st cycle can just be trail and error. Im starting the priming on the 30th of this month! Then injections 1st week of May, are we on the same time line?

[Snowdrop131]

@Cloclo93 ah that's heart breaking we'd 4 fertilised using icsi, 2 transferred day 5 but didn't stick other 2 weren't developed enough day 6 to be frozen under nhs.. have nurse appt nxt wk to confirm dates but hoping start end this month too! 🤞 is such a rollercoaster of emotions the ivf journey!!