IVF help where to begin...

[pinkrose001]

Looking to start IVF in the new year due to no fallopian tubes. Feeling overwhelmed as dont know anyone who has gone through IVF to ask these questions to.

1. What should I be looking for when picking a clinic? How often will I be there for scans etc? Is it easier to be somewhere I can drive to rather than travelling into London as I am around 40 min train ride away.
2. What should I be eating now to improve my chances? Supplements? I have PCOS.
3. Any specific questions I should be asking?
4. Recommended books / podcasts.

TIA x

Ivf when starting out can be really overwhelming and can be hard to wrap your head around but honestly just do one task and one step at a time and get through that before wondering whats next. In my experience the first thing to look for in a clinic is excellent communication between nurses, reception, drs, scientist and so forth. Clinics that arnt great responders that take too long to get back to you or dont share the case load between treating clinicians can make for a very stressful time especially if you need more meds, need to ask about meds, need times changed or the treatment plan needs adjusting. Also a good clinic will do an array of testing to make sure that you can proceed with ivf and arnt in need of additional treatments before starting your first cycle. I would also talk to the clinic you choose about the reality of ivf and the statistics for your situation and go into a cycle with knowledge and understanding that quite possibly the first stim cycle is a trial run and not always will it mean you will get to do an egg collection, transfer or walk away with a live baby and that sometimes it takes a few cycles to achieve the end goal. With diet and supplements dont go crazy about changing your entire life. A good prenatal of your liking is all you really need and start that roughly 3 months before starting a cycle. Your partner can also take a mens prenatal . With diet id say cut caffeine and alcohol but in the early days you dont necessarily need to stop it completely but just be mindful. Lower sugar intake and increase protiens , green leafy vegetables and foods packed with antioxidants is ideal. Some people say it makes no difference and others say it helped but you just do what you feel comfortable doing. So far for myself nothing iv done has changed my outcomes and in my opinion its really just the luck of the draw. Im sure someone else will comment and have some good tips and tricks and other personal experiences that could be helpful. But if you nothing else but find a great clinic to match with then most of the hard work is already done.

Hey! I’d keep it simple and focus on a few key questions:

• What experience do they have with cases like yours and patients of your age?
• What are their success rates for your specific situation and age group?
• How exactly do they calculate and report their success rates?

For more information, you might also find these websites helpful: Fertility Clinics Abroad and My IVF Answers. Hope this helps, and wishing you lots of luck on your journey! ❤️

I wish you luck. I tried everything especially diet wise under the sun and nothing worked for me. My advice would be to try and get at least 1 round on the NHS if possible. I myself had two rounds privately and a 3rd funded on the NHS. This was allowed in my area at the time.The NHS round was by far my best experience in terms of being told the truth and getting answers. In terms of what you can try I would say reducing stress is the biggest sense of achievement. Clear your schedule as much as you can, have time relaxing at home, allow as much time as you can for the commute. Watch videos and educate your self on the injections . If money is not a issue I would consider paying for the nurse service for the injections. If you have to do them I would put a lot of thought into what time is feasibly best to do them- won't get interrupted by a work call, the dog wanting feeding etc. Fingers crossed that you dream comes true x

1. What should I be looking for when picking a clinic? You normally have to go for your initial meetings, twice before implantation, day of egg extraction and for the implant. Therefore for me the feasibility of travel is super important and I feel part of the reason why so many people choose to do it abroad as it's not feasible to fit round most people's work. The dates and times of most of the scans you will not know far enough in advance to adequately manage work commitments.Apart from my 1st round I used annual leave for the rest.
2. What should I be eating now to improve my chances? Supplements? I have PCOS. What ever makes you happy.
3. Any specific questions I should be asking? What is the cost of the cycle and what is the cost of the medication. Is 3 or 5 day transfer recommended for me. How much is embryo storage. If you are lucky you will have 1 extraction with plenty of viable embryos that can be stored so any future rounds will be easier. What parts of the process will I be responsable for-medication delivery, needle injection, capsule insertions eg
4. Recommended books / podcasts. For your 1sr round I would recommend sticking to the bogs chains website and reading podcasting anything that makes you happy and relaxed. Eg carefertility.com/blog/ivf-basics-what-is-it-how-does-it-work?utm_term=ivf%20process%20timeline&utm_campaign={campaign}&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=8879845970&hsa_cam=23054292901&hsa_grp=196543582475&hsa_ad=806425987593&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-297215217088&hsa_kw=ivf%20process%20timeline&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23054292901&gbraid=0AAAAAD4hW6bHMYb4sKFMiaW3PLXxobnt3&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnsvXBhCqARIsAHKgGNbojvO3w5co80WhoRZmhIxlS3jIgUQp4ovPQDPuQ91rwFp0XpTo-UkaAukQEALw_wcB