What stops you going abroad for IVF?

[Steph63]

God I am exactly the same as you, I want to do it and I want to do it now! My DF won't agree to having a private go at IVF before our NHS cycle, god knows when that will be! He said £5,000 (as we were looking at Origin) was too much money on something that has such a low success rate...He is happy to pay for egg-sharing IVF which I would be happy with too, but you must have had one previous IVF cycle to do this at Origin.

It feels like I have been on the tamoxifen for ever! It will be a full year by the time I finish the course, it was initally six months and then Prof McClure extended it for another six months. He said his reason for this is that I had responded "perfectly" 1 or 2 follies each month but simply hadn't got pg yet and he thought it was worth a longer go. Personally I think it was just because it is cheaper than whatever comes next and easier for him! I hate being on it, side effects are horrible! And to make things worse, I didn't respond last month, yet at the monitoring scan was told by another doc not to come back for any more monitoring scans, as I have never over-stimulated on the tamoxifen! But I thought that the point of the scans was not just to check whether you have over-stimulated, but to check you have responded to the drugs at all....Will have to ring them to double check, because I don't want to go back for my review apt and have them tell me "oh, you should have been monitored, you'll have to take it for another 6 months"! I feel like I have given it a long enough chance and I want to move on to something else!

 

[glitterqueen]

Hi Steph and \mrs R
I feel your pain-ref RFC they are shite i couldn'd agree more. Mrs R i was looking at norway as well -ran it past my Gp yesterday and he said go for it! he saw no reason why not
I had apt at RFC told them I had been trying for 5 years and I am now 40 the response was an SA for DP and another 9 month wait-no bloods to check ovulation, no day 3 or 21 bloods just a your a bit old now go away and try so I am getting a lap and dye in oct and trying for another few months then off to norway next Spring at latest. Did they tell you about the discount at hotel-from what i gather its good cuz its really expensive out there
Happy to share anything else I find out bout it anytime-good luck x

 

[subaru555]

I agree entirely with you Mrs R and glitterqueen, I would go if I had the dough!!!

This country has had it! With healthcare, money and just about everything. I would also move to another country in a heartbeat to escape our government.

All the very best

 

[Mrs R]

We looked at egg sharing as well Steph, but we're looking at CARE Fertility in Manchester. Maz pointed me in that direction and they seem to be a great clinic as well. I emailed them a week ago to enquire about how many trips to Manchester we would need being from N.I, and they still haven't replied!

Their egg sharing program is a whole lot more affordable that standard IVF, but I'm not particularly comfortable with the idea of egg sharing yet (but I've only been considering it for a week) DH seems to be ok with it, but I'd prefer to have a go at standard IVF without egg sharing, and then I would consider it for future treatments.

To be honest, I've totally given up all hope of ever getting pg at the Royal, they have so many different protocols, doctors, procedures etc. Every doctor tells me something different and we're so confused. I don't even want to go there anymore.

The doctors are so wishy washy about the whole thing, and even though it may only be their jobs, it's our whole lives they're putting on hold when they tell us to go away from 3 months, 9 months etc.

Glitterqueen, I really pleased to hear your GP thought Norway was a good idea, I would be really pooping myself about telling mine (but that's because he's a grumpy old man who told DH he would never have any children!) I think I would probably go to the female doctor as she seems to get it a bit more. I had visions of being laughed out of the office lol

And the email I got from the clinic had info about discount on local accommodation in Norway, they've thought of everything. They make it all so easy for you, it's so tempting to just go and book the flights now. But DH wants to wait for 3 weeks.......

 

[Brambletess]

Just to chip in, I will probably go abroad if my first two funded cycles don't work and would consider Norway as an option or Portugal as my dad lives there. I wouldn't consider India purely because i would be worried about getting deli belly. The same would go for Turkey as had a jippy stomach there too and wouldn't want to deal with that on top of everything else. My reasons for going abroad would be mainly to do with cost, if i can save a grand in the process all well and good. As long as you do the research and feel comfortable being away from home, there is absoloutely nothing to worry about with it. In Norway especially the language barrier would most likely not be an issue at all. Good luck to those who are thinking of giving it a go, its so hard to wait for these things.

 

[x_Rainbow_x]

MRS R care fertility has clinics all over the UK not just manchester. if might be easier for you to try nottingham as the flight from belfast to nottingham is 45 mins and only about 20 mins from the clinic to the airport.

 

[Mrs R]

Thanks tracie, but we're looking at Manchester as my sister will be at uni close by so we'd have free accommodation and a bit of family support whilst there x

 

[glitterqueen]

Mrs R
Great news that you have an option in Manchester-to be honest I never even thought about uk cuz I thought it was just as expensive as here
I had checed out Dublin-won't be doing that again really expensive!
I have heard good things bout Barcelona as well but there was just something about Norway.......
lol
x

 

[vineyard]

I seriously considered the Czech Republic. I priced it out and it would cost me the same to do it there (food and travel included) as it would to do it in the US. But, I figured if it didn't work at least I got a vacation out of it. But, overall I decided it would be stressful to do something like that away from home. Now, after doing it here in the US and experiencing the stress it all brought, I couldn't imagine doing it in a foreign country away from support and friends and familiarity.

If my first go here wouldn't have worked though I think I'd consider it again simply for the reason stated above, if it didn't work again at least I got a vacation out of it.

 

[Farie]

My tuppence worth ...

If you are comfortable with going abroad then I'd say go for it, as long as you have done your research (which you obv have )
If it facilitates you getting a BFP sooner, keeping you more relaxed and positive it can only seem to be a positive thing.

We emigrated and are now going through the private system in a whole new country, TBH I'm finding it a great experience! Kind, happy staff, willing to answer all questions and never ever patronizing.

just MHO

 

[Mrs R]

Mrs R
Great news that you have an option in Manchester-to be honest I never even thought about uk cuz I thought it was just as expensive as here
I had checed out Dublin-won't be doing that again really expensive!
I have heard good things bout Barcelona as well but there was just something about Norway.......
lol
x

UK isn't quite as expensive as here, we found it's about £1000 less than in Northern Ireland. It's still a lot of money, but to be honest, it's more about the success rates. N.I's success rates aren't the best, and as you say, there is just something about Norway I think it's the right choice for us. 3 weeks, 1 day and counting til I find out if I can go............

 

[reallyready]

hey you all
i found this blog about ivf costs in a lot of diff countries. seems very helpful with a lot of info: https://www.ivfcost.net/

ciao xx

 

[glitterqueen]

Mrs R
I am so excited for you I really hope you can go I am serious bout going but will wait til after my op but defo in the new year if no sucess so if you go you can keep the couch warm for me!!!!! Loads of luck xx

 

[x_Rainbow_x]

i take it all back im considering it!!!

 

[glitterqueen]

Yeah do they do group discounts!!!! lol

 

[Mrs R]

That's what my DH asked lol

He told me to get a bunch of girls together from here and he would negotiate us a deal

Tracie87, if you are seriously thinking about it, PM me and I'll email you what I've got so far. It's really exciting to know that other options are available, even if you're not planning on persuing them right away.

I think I'll start an IVF revolution

 

[subaru555]

I would be interested

 

[x_Rainbow_x]

ill let you no chick gimmie a few months see if my apeal works if not im seriously thinking about it

 

[krissi]

I would say no, I found my clinic which is luckily near to home, I did not have to wait and in had my inital consultation yest and now on cd24 and start down regging cd1. The clinic has a 50% sucess rate for women my age and the total treatment including scans and drugs is estimated to be somewhere between £3500 and £4000 which is cheaper than abroad for me.

Having said that if I could not find what I wanted then yes I would travel abroad but I have found it all very stressful so far and not even really started yet so would think being abroad may increase the stress.

 

[Mrs R]

I'm really pleased you've found a clinic you're happy with so close to home krissi. We just have such a limited choice in N.I, we have no choice but to look elsewhere for options.

Going abroad will save us thousands on prices here, and I've heard it described as an 'IVF holiday'! For me, I would find the fact that I'm away from home and work to be less stressful, not having to worry about getting to work on time after an appointment, and not being surrounded by people asking questions of how it's going.

I love the idea of going away for 10 days, and coming back with it all over. Of course everybody's different, but DH and I are big into travelling and are happiest and most relaxed when away from daily stresses. This is one of the big deciders for us (that and the dosh involved and success rates lol)