How do you navigate IVF clinics, costs and treatment recommendations?

[LostLadyBug]

Please help. I’m new and so lost in the world of infertility and IVF. We’ve had some fertility checks at TFP Wessex and been given a costed plan - ICSI and PGT-A testing. We were told to bank a couple of rounds of egg gathering to maximise chances of best eggs (we’re both 40). From what I can tell there is no way to do this other than direct to the clinic with possibly endlessly sprawling fees. How do you navigate the whole process when all the clinics seem to offer different things and their financing partners don’t seem to remotely align with what you’re being recommended as a patient!? I’m so lost.

Hmm, we’ve agreed with my clinic to do 2 x full rounds of IVF, but with back to back egg collections. We’ll then PGT-A them in one batch. I’ve confirmed with them that I’ll then have two ‘free’ transfers to use (from the two cycles). So for me the cost is 2 x full IVF cycles and 1 x PGT-A. (Obviously all subject to change dependent on results at any stage).

@overwork that sounds like a great plan of action! I feel like something similar would work well for us. You’re paying the clinic direct I assume?

Yes, the Access option (only one I looked into as that was all my clinic offered) you had to use all the embryos from the first go before you could have your second round. So with having to do PGT-A twice, that became similar in price to paying the clinic direct (not to mention more lengthy). The upside to the Access package is that transfers are unlimited (and I think there’s a money back option for younger people!)

First, you should shortlist a few clinics by asking about success rates for your specific age and condition, how long it may take to achieve success, and the total expected cost. Clinics that are not patient-oriented may send general success rates, which can be misleading because they’re often based on younger patients. A transparent clinic will share data relevant to your individual case.
It’s also important to understand how success rates are calculated—whether they refer to cumulative success, clinical pregnancy, or live birth rates.
On the MyIVFanswers website, you can find helpful webinars on how to choose a clinic.
Once you’ve chosen a clinic, ask which doctor is best suited for your age and condition. FertilityIQ highlights that results can vary significantly between doctors within the same clinic. After shortlisting a doctor, that’s the right time to discuss pricing.
Without this research, it’s easy to misjudge costs. For example, Clinic A may quote £7,000 and Clinic B £11,000, but if Clinic A has lower success rates, you might need two cycles (£14,000 total), making it more expensive than Clinic B in the long run. I hope this helps a little.

@overwork @sirensong wanted to check in on how you guys are going?!

Hello @LostLadyBug! I had to delay a month for outside reasons, but I am now on day 5 of stims, about to start whatever the other injection is tomorrow, and egg collection will be mid next week. What did you decide in the end? It all moves very quickly once you’re ready to go!

oh wow @overwork right in the thick of it all. How are you feeling? Really wishing you all the positive vibes for next week!!

We’re going with two rounds of egg collection (long protocol) before we implant anything and are solidly in down regulation. Going ok - stims probably start next week…

Oh we’re quite similar then, I’m planning 2 x egg collections fairly close together, but short protocol for me! I feel fine actually. Belly area is a bit twingy, sometimes my back hurts, sometimes it’s my pelvis. I can feel that something is happening but it’s quite none specific and certainly very bearable!

On a transfer cycle! Going in for monitoring on Monday (doing natural) and transfer will likely be the following week.

Good luck with your stims!

@overwork @sirensong how are you both doing??

Hello! My first egg collection went reasonably well at first, but none of the embryos made it to day 5. We are trying again at the end of this month, with a few tweaks including PICSI to try and get them over the line. How are you doing @LostLadyBug?

Hi @overwork sorry to hear that the first round didn’t have a positive outcome in the end. Tweaks for the next collection sound good and targeted though. Wishing you all the best with this round.

Our first collection a week or so after yours went much better than anticipated. Dr suspected originally AMH level might have been a false reading. Ended up by day 6 with 4 embryos to send for PGT-A testing. Keeping everything crossed that at least one of those is normal

Oh that’s amazing @LostLadyBug! Congratulations, what a great start! I can’t remember did you go for an Access plan in the end? One one where you can bank a free embryos and then start implanting them?

@overwork we had to go direct to the clinic because we wanted to have an embryo batching protocol and access has their use or destroy protocol. We nearly managed to get something lined up with Assured fertility who have that protocol available on their plans at one of their London clinics but they couldn’t get it for us locally (their patient coordinator though is LOVELY). Those inconsistencies I found really frustrating !