IVF at over 40 - London

[Sp4rkle]

Hi everyone, my husband and I have been looking into the IVF route and finding it a complete minefield to navigate!

I am over 40 and aware that the success rates for IVF can make for some discouraging / grim reading - even for those of a younger age. Nevertheless, it's a route which we are interested in going down.

It's obviously not a cheap process and we don't want to waste time and money with a clinic which is not of good quality. The problem we find is in weeding out what is good and bad!

The HFEA site has very old data and clinics are not very forthcoming with information - considering they are the regulator I wish they did a better job at providing recent information! Google reviews can either be a bit sparse, or some hit and miss. It's a big decision which clinic to go with and seems word of mouth may be the best measure.

One clinic which stood out is ARGC. They claim to be one of the more successful clinics in over 40s. However, the Google reviews can be a bit critical and I recall seeing on mumsnet some comments which confirmed some of the negative feedback on Google.

Previously, I went to the London Women's Clinic for initial tests. At the time I decided not to go ahead. I made contact with them a few months ago and after a response they did not follow up. Some feedback on Google confirms the clinic is not very good with communication + on the pricey side compared to others so I am inclined not to use them.

We are London based and know that sometimes you get what you pay for. In the long run, paying a little more for a good quality clinic may save us money. I would be really grateful for any recommendations and advice about this.

Thanks

@YBABY2024 thank you so much for your reply. I will check CRGH and ARGC too. Xx

@Anastasia2024 - no problem - also recommend Dr Sami at PlanYourBaby (he’s ex ARGC and set up his own venture). Keep us posted.

@YBABY2024i have emailed them they quoted from £7000 - 10000 for one cycle not sure if i can pay that much for one cycle :( Is he really good? It’s so hard to choose one clinic as so many and I know that time is not in my favour :( really want this to work.

@Anastasia2024 - it’s really tough - my own view (who knows if it’s right) I would rather pay one round of excellent clinic than two cycles at an average clinic. Just my own thoughts. You have to look back and know you’ve done your best. Hope this helps. So tricky! keep the faith.

@Anastasia2024 - and go with your instincts! I’m rooting for you.

@YBABY2024 thank you so much for your advise. Have you heated of create fertility are they goof? They use natural ivf saying works better for anyone with low amh.

@Anastasia2024 - yes, I hated them. Hard selling and tried to rush me into cycling before my other consults. Underhand and unethical. I work in financial services- I’m no wall flower -create are a disgrace. If my sister were asking me where to go I would say ARGC or CRGH. Second to that Dr Sami (solely as the other two have been established longer).he’s truly excellent. Each of these clinics will adapt your stim for your AMG and follicle count. Create offer no advantage on this.

@YBABY2024 thank you again for your help I won’t use Create then, will consider ARGC or CRGH. Thank you again x

No worries - if I sound annoyingly emphatic - sorry. But I want for you what I want for me, ie a baby. I do think those clinics are the stand out and you get what you pay for. Keep us posted.@Anastasia2024

Was this including all costs like estimated medication and blood tests?

I am in your age group and at King's for 3 private rounds + PGTA rather than chasing my one NHS round entitlement. They are drastically cheaper than ARGC and CRGH and I'm having a good experience so far on my first cycle. Consultants have told me those two clinics do a lot of data massaging. I still have scans every other day or every day if needed and the opportunity for medication to be amended (so far it hasn't been).

If you don't want to bank embryos, you could look at Access packages to see if eligible for any.

@sirensong they didn’t mention that I guess I need to clarify that with them. Sorry I am new to this I though ivf package includes everything, but I guess it’s not :( I will check with Kings too. If you didn’t mind me asking how much is Kings for 3 cycles? Thank you

It's £10,395 for a 3 cycle frozen package inclusive of all blood tests throughout and x1 frozen transfer. Further transfers are £1600 but it's more like £2500 at other clinics.

Advanced embryology included (blastocyst culture/ glue etc) - most clinics charge extra. Most also charge extra for cycle blood tests.

The drugs are billed separately - around £1500 per round for me on short protocol high stimulation.

If you aren't expecting to do multiple cycles, one round is £3,850 + drugs. If I wasn't testing them all for chromosomal abnormalities I'd probably have considered a two cycle Access package somewhere that allows unlimited transfers.

I am seen by the same consultant each time for tracking scans at their new Canary Wharf clinic, as it's more convenient for me. I've never had to wait or even seen another patient. The main Denmark Hill site is also very nice though.

There are no figures published yet for this clinic as it is new.

I spoke on the phone with the woman who co-owns it, who was nice, but kept pushing me to arrange a £100 call with the Dr before I’d even got any preliminary information.

She initially quoted £8-9K on our call but after further probing and requesting treatment prices in writing the estimate was around £16k before any optional add ons (and I have high amh so would be expecting low doses of medication).

Did they give any further explanation about the data massaging!? These two come out very well on the hfea website which I would have assumed is all strictly standardised and audited? (Happy to be corrected on this!)

I don’t live anywhere near London so would save me a lot of hassle going somewhere closer by all things being equal.

Just to add as it’s lost in the quoting thread – the clinic I’m referring to is ‘Plan Your Baby’

Create fecked me about for months chasing an NHS referral when they had no partnership with my ICB and close to zero chance of using my NHS round there. They also claim in their sales events webinars to have superior results however this is not born out by their figures reported to the hfea. On this basis I would not recommend!

if money constrains go to Dr Sami at “Plan my Baby”

I was quoted more here (approx. £16K, one round) than other clinics.

Wow, the costs at Plan my Baby are a total piss take. £3800 for IVF theatre charges + £3195 for the scans and blood tests?! This latter sum is pure profiteering and doubles the cost before even looking at other add ons - these things are included in the standard IVF rate most places.

Plus charging £500 for blastocyst culture and £100 HFEA fee (both again included many other places).

@sirensong thank you, it’s definitely looks more affordable. I have reached out to Argc their waiting times about 3 weeks for new patient, but I don’t think I can afford them. Kings is more affordable.

@ShutTFUp thank you. Create are promoting natural ivf saying that works better for women over 40 with low amh, not sure if this is the case. Definable would be interesting to see if anyone had success with natural ivf.

Have a look at their live pregnancy rates on the hfea website. I was enthused by their webinar and their own quoted statistics and didn’t even realise they weren’t even close to the best option for my age group in my local area.

Thank you I won’t be considering create also have emailed Access fertility, but didn’t reply yet. I have attended Zita West webinar, they look promising , but I guess they all do as trying to sell. I think they will be expensive.

Thank you I will have a look. Don’t think I will be considering create then.

@ShutTFUp - I’ve heard criticisms of ARGC and CRGH - the criticism that they cherry pick women to get better numbers. For example, CRGH, as I have heard, get you to do certain tests and only let high prognosis patients move forward to cycle. ARGC don’t do this although they wait for a good FSH level but will let you start a natural cycle (low stims) if a high level is thought to be your normal after monitoring this. Therefore I’m not sure if that counts as massaging. To your point, the numbers are the numbers and can’t be counterfeited per se.

That being said a friend had a failed clinic at. ARGC and had an NHS kings cycle and had succes. Like they say, fertility treatments are part science and part magic.

recommend that you make a few consults. Then go with your gut. Hard agree on Create. One word: shady.

May your fertility clinic be brilliant and your ovaries be prolific and produce the euploids of euploids for a healthy happy baby.

Anastasia2024 I have been both to care fertility and Argc. I will honestly say Argc were worth every penny. I felt my money was wasted at care fertility around 16k two rounds with drugs etc. first round 1 egg fertilised, second round they got two embryos blastocyst which didn’t take. I spent around 40k at Argc .. I have had 1 round plus one duo stim round and got my embryos pgta tested. They monitored me every day and I have a good amount of embryos now to do FET. I feel my money was wasted at care fertility with Argc I feel I spent the money and it was worth it xxx

@Wildstar what kind of adjustments were made at your daily monitoring appointments?