Choosing where to have IVF

[jade1003]

Have just been referred for IVF and on advice of consultant looked on HFEA website to research where we may wish to have treatment. My question is, can you choose where to be treated, (NHS), once you've been accepted? Based London/Essex.

Thanks

[NDE1987]

Hi I'm in the same position as you! I had my appointment yesterday and on the nhs I have been given 4 choices. UCLA, guys and St Thomas, Chelsea and westminster and lastly Hammersmith. We're going to go with Chelsea and westminster as I had my iui's there. It's best to call the hospitals to see if there open on the weekends and if scans will be done at the hospital etc x

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

Hi, Thank you for your reply. Which area do you live in if you don't mind me asking? We are in Dagenham Essex so am looking into our closest clinics and their results. xx

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

I like in the borough of Hounslow, I grew up in Ilford! My aunt lives in Chadwell heath and from what I remember she had treatment in central London x

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

Thank you, we have researched alot of the clinics and hospitals on the HFEA website and have a few in mind that we hope we will be offered! Good luck xx

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

That's good best to call them up and maybe visit. As I say the only reason why we have chosen chelsea and westminster is because we're familiar with the hospital now due to our iui treatments. Good luck to you to. Hopefully we will have good news this year do you get 1 free cycle? X

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

We have our first meeting on the 13th June for our assessment but my husband has been diagnosed with infertility so we have been told we should be accepted straight away so fingers crossed. The Chelsea and Westminster has great reviews on the website. Yes hopefully this year, feels like I've been waiting a lifetime already. Have you been given 1 free cycle?

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

Good luck! We had our appointment yesterday after our failed iui's. We were told to make the application but it can take u to 18 weeks for it to be accepted. I am hoping that they accept our case because the nurse said I'm young (29) but I have endromestosis so that's not in our favour to concieve. X

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

18 weeks isn't as long as i expected so that's a positive. I'm sure you will be accepted. They think it is a possibility that I may have endromestosis as my cycles are a little crazy and odd at times but they cannot explain why as of yet. So far my scans seem ok tho. I'm only 26 so age defiantly goes in our favor. Do they know why your previous iui's failed? xx

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

I am praying that they will accept it. They don't know why the iui's have failed I responded well to the injections and my husband count was OK. I guess it's just not our time yet. We have been trying for a baby since 2014 and iv had 2 operations to treat the endromestosis. I was actually diagnosed at the age of 25. They have checked my tubes and they are clear to. X

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

There's no reasons why they wouldn't accept you. Especially when you have been trying so long. We have been trying for 2 years now since we got married. My husband was diagnosed with a low count and he also is having an op to treat a enlarged vein that was picked up when he was Referred. Can I ask what type of things they ask and check for on you first initial appointment when they assess you before accepting? I'm a little nervous as I am a little overweigh and am loosing so that my BMI is perfect x

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

The nurse basically said because I am 29 that they might say I'm young! I was thinking in my head that's not young lol. She said to stress the point of endromestosis to the panel etc. Basically when I was first started having my checks done they completed 3 sets of blood tests during my cycle to see if I was ovulating. Then I was sent for a scan to check I didn't have cysts etc. My husband had his sperm checked. And then I was told to have a HSG lap which was completed in October 2015. I was then told I bad 3 months to see if I conceived naturally. When I didn't conceive we were referred to a fertility specialist and then we're told we can try iui 4 times and if hat fails then we get 1 fresh cycle on the nhs and 1 frozen cycle. After my second failed iui we were told that we can apply for ivf while we still continue with the iui's because the ivf process is long and can take time. I'm on a rest month now so treatment will start again at the end of June x

[NDE1987 in reply to NDE1987]

Also in reply to your other question they do want the bmi to be between 19 and 30 and you shouldn't have smoked within the last 6 months. X

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

We are both non smokers so that is a bonus. just need to get bmi down a little! Thank you for all your advice/info I'll Keep updated on here once we have our first assessment in a weeks time ! X good luck with your next cycle xx

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

Such a long process isn't it. I'm hoping that as my husband has had all his tests done already and I've had 2 pelvic and 2 internal scans and bloods it may cut out some of the time.

Only time will tell I guess ! You've been through a lot of tests. So they should really know your cycles well now! Hoping your successful this time! Xx

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

Yeh it's very good to be as healthy as possiable. I have cut out suger in my tea etc and I'm going to try accupunture. Hoping these changes work!! X

[jade1003 in reply to NDE1987]

I might look into a few things too. There's a lot of good ideas that people share on this forum. Such as yoga and massages. X

[NDE1987 in reply to jade1003]

Yeh I like this forum to. Hopefully all the things we do will help! X

[Hollibob]

Sometimes if you google the ccg area that you come under and IVF referral forms it finds the form and the options you might have.

Most clinics have open days to have a look around. We'd had recommendations for the clinic nearest to us by friends and they had good statistics in comparison to others. When we looked around it had a friendly feeling so we opted for that one.

[jade1003]

Hi Thank you for the information. My husband is just looking into this now.

[Mrsdurbs]

Yes you can choose - we were referred by the hosp - we had the choice of 2 clinics, xxxxx

[pritsko2011]

Ive been given 5 clinics to choose from.im in Harlow

We choosed St.Barts at st.Pauls in London.We had suvh a random selection... Oxford, cambridge,Hamerton in Hackney,

I only choosed st.Barts as work near Bethnal Green and its easy to access.

Just remembered its really liads of appointments and last minute ones too!

Good luck!

[kkrr]

Hi, I spoke to a digital IVF Advisor on Facebook Messenger:

m.me/advisorclinic

It has all statistics about fertility clinics in the UK and can provide personalised success rates based on your age, etc.

Hope it helps, cheers.