Call from clinic re: update

Had a call from my clinic as afternoon (before Matt Hancocks announcement) they said that they wanted to just touch base so that I didn’t think I had just been forgotten about. They have confirmed that they will be potentially re-opening but will only be doing fresh cycles and won’t be doing any transfers it will be freeze all only as they said they don’t have enough info to know if there is truly any impact on mother passing Covid to baby they said at the moment it looks like all those babies that have caught Covid have caught it post birth but they simply don’t have enough evidence to say 100%. Guessing until they do it will be wait for a vaccine. I am doing a frozen cycle so whilst I am really pleased for all those that can do a fresh cycle I still feel really sad I have to continue to wait, I am 43 and time is not on my side and whilst I am lucky enough to have 7 Frosties I just feel my life is on hold waiting to start another cycle. Sorry to be all doom and gloom I am not usually but just think the announcement today just reminds me of Ivf and makes me feel like I may never be a mum the thing I want most in the world. Good luck to all of you who will be starting treatment again soon I wish you all the best in your journeys xx

[PurplePiggie]

I hope this will be able to change ASAP for you 😘 xx

[Ivf2020A]

Im so sorry to hear you can not carry on yet, sorry to sound thick im new to this i have not had any ivf yet im at the consent signing stage will this mean any embryos will now be frozen? And transfers wont happen until vaccine?

[Hidden in reply to Ivf2020A]

Hey there, no worries this is what the forum is all about sharing experiences and answering questions 😘 not sure about all clinics but my clinic said today (pre Matt Hancocks government briefing) that they will be commencing fresh cycles in that you take medication to produce eggs, which then get retrieved process called egg collection then eggs put with the sperm and hopefully fertilise and go on to develop to either 3 or 5 day embryos which then get transferred back into you or you can choose to freeze the embryos and have them transferred back at another time. My clinic is saying they won’t do any transfers only freeze the embryo as they don’t know the effect the virus has on expectant mothers passing on to their babies if you were to get pregnant. I am only assuming that frozen transfers will start to happen once a vaccine has been developed no-one has told me that only because they said they don’t know the impact and really don’t want to help people get pregnant when they don’t know the affects the virus has. Clearly medial people may decide at some point they are 100% certain the mother can’t pass the virus on should they get it in which case I would hope and guess clinics would start frozen cycles again where they transfer the embryo that has been frozen back into us with the hope of pregnancy. I hope that helps !? Do feel free to ask me or any of us on here any questions about anything ivf related loads of brilliant people on here ready to help and support. Best of luck with your journey xx 😘

[Ivf2020A in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for that yes I understand now, i do hope that as they said this pre the hancock advice that this is still not the case for you and frozen can go ahead because as everyone is saying on here there not telling the general public dont get pregnant. I will take you up on the offer of any other questions il pop it in a private msg. Lets hope we can all move forward soon xx

[Hidden]

Hi Coral. Im also waiting for my frostie so i feel you its just not fair.

Are you private or nhs? I hope this is not the case because its not fair as people are conceiving naturally everyday.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes I agree, I am paying for treatment and have scans, get meds from local NHS hospital who partner with a private IVF hospital so am private and nhs really nothing straight forward with me 🤣 😳 x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Same here its a private satelite clinic attached to a hospital and does both private and nhs so time will tell x i hope we get our turn asap x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes keep me updated with ur clinics progress and urs 😘 x

[Southwestcat]

Hi - I am also 43 and had DD IVF cancelled . Bit confused after reading your post - I am hoping post HFEA anouncement today this is no longer the case with your clinic ? I dont see how they can say today that clinics can apply to be assessed ( for reopening ) from the 11th May but that clinics wont be able to do FET as for many/ most people this is a fundemental part of the treatment process in order to achieve pregnancy. I hope that since the HFEA announcement this would be changing ? Very best wishes x

[Hidden in reply to Southwestcat]

Sorry to hear ur cycle cancelled as well heartbreaking isn’t it. I got the feeling when I spoke to the clinic they may have known about the announcement ( that is just my assumption) and have decided to re-open with this approach agree Matt Hancock did say treatment resuming but guess my clinic has just perhaps decided that at the moment this is the stance they will be taking. I will wait and see if they call me I would imagine my local hospital may call me anyway at some point. As I say it may just be my clinic doing this and they said things changing day by day but they are guided more by medical side and the fact that they don’t know 100% if the virus can be passed on in pregnancy from mother to child if mother contracts it and they said on that basis that is why they don’t want to do transfers which could actively result in pregnancy. Good luck with you as well xx

[Hidden]

Would you mind messaging me the name of your clinic? Thanks so much xx

[Willow1976]

Hi Coral76

I have ‘t heard from my clinic. I am also 43 and we have one embryo left.... Our final attempt... after our 7th transfer and our 1st BFP but ended in an early miscarriage over Christmas. I was hoping to use the delay in picking myself up... but it hasn’t quite worked... so I need to get my act together....

I am also having the anxiety that I will never be a mum... someone close has been successful in their 1st transfer so I don’t think it has helped how I am feeling...

Wishing you all the luck and hope your dream comes true xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Willow1976]

So sorry to hear that that must have been really tough and heartbreaking especially over Xmas, it’s hard to pick yourself up sometimes especially when good things happen then end in what seems like a flash, I had a chemical from my last fresh cycle and it was my first BFP I was heartbroken still am and as much as we will be doing another frozen cycle i find it scary to start again as I start to think about the fact it may not work at the same time as hoping it will. Wishing you all the luck in the world for your next cycle and hope your dreams come true we deserve it right xx 😘

[Southwestcat in reply to Willow1976]

Hi, I am sorry also and am also 43 . I also share the fears you express, even though i was having double donor treatment (and single too) it feels like too many hoops to jumps , so much to go wrong. I can only speak for myself but i think after years of struggling , being out of control , dispair and then this cancellation i am surprised i am still standing sometimes tbh! However i have found the media including IVF throughout this outbreak heartening and the support knowing others understand and are going through this too. I hope for all of us some luck and strength moving onwards x

[Hidden in reply to Southwestcat]

Yes I agree some days I feel weak and others stronger so many people on here have had worse situations than me & keep going which I totally admire but each person deals with things differently hey we r all strong in our own way and agree this places like this is a massive source of help and support. Best of luck keep me posted on how things are going for u xx

[Southwestcat in reply to Hidden]

yes i just joined here recently , am on FF fertility friends ( gone v quiet) and DCN donor conception network. I will talk honestly to the clinic when things start and be honest with myself about how long is wise to physically and emotiionally keep hoping i guess - the donor issues are also massive to process and accept - i guess 45 would be for me some kind of finality tbh ( this is personal not for everyone of course ) but i keep going - yes support is soooo helpful esp as single and not easy issues to talk to others about xx

[Hidden]

Hi Coral I'm confused when you say they won't transfer frozens? Is it just your clinic saying this? Sorry you can't 😔 thats crazy because I thought Matt Hancock said we all can start going back to make a family. X

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes it is their stance atm, yes I know x

[Hidden]

I think that decision by the clinic is wrong. No one has advised the general population that are trying naturally or have caught during this time to terminate as they don’t know the effects. I had my transfer on 17th March and on the morning which was just before the HEFA advice came out the clinic asked me if I wanted to freeze or transfer as they said they didn’t know the effects, however it was completely my choice. I chose to transfer and luckily it worked for me but I would not have wanted them to make that decision on my life for me. If clinics are open then they should be offering full service and not making decisions on people’s lives. If a statement from the government advised all people to stop trying for a baby then fair enough but this is discrimination after the people struggling with fertility so for me this is just plain wrong.

I hope that the clinic starts to do the right thing and let people make that choice given the risk is so blooming low.

Fingers crossed it’s gets sorted for you soon ❤️

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you and totally agree, I guess they feel like they are trying to do the right thing. It is what it is and it’s unfortunately out of my control so can’t do anything about it. I had a large glass of gin and tonic and chocolate yesterday and that made me feel better 🤣 Massive congratulations that is wonderful news. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

So true xx

[Southwestcat in reply to Hidden]

Hi - i totally agree about the discrimination which i have been saying to my clinic ( and to the cat !) since this all started / cancellations started . I also am exhausted from having to continually check these kinds of details with the clinic , chase them up, preempt the next problem, get infomation...partly because they are partly closed ofcourse and partly because i am stressed. Sometimes i just feel we all need a break, some luck, something on our side ...we have enough hoops to jump, enough to cope with ......things will inevitable be a but bumpy with reopening but it is a start. I have a long drive on my own (2 hours) to the clinic which feels strange after almost no driving for so long.....and congratulations too x