I'm a newbie. I have an IVF consulting appointment tomorrow. My husband and I know this is a long process, but we just can afford 2 cycles (£10,000). Since we still stay in the UK on a working visa, we have to pay for everything. We have an option to wait for three years to get citizenship and start the process, but it is another 3 years to come. By that time, I am already 38 years old. I think a lot about what we should do. Also, my current job is very busy, I'm not sure I'm in a good situation to do the IVF. Your advice means the world to me. Thank you!
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rabbit_21
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If I could give myself any advice looking back it would be ‘if you want a family and you need IVF then crack on asap’. There are all these miracle stories out there, and you may well be one, and honestly I thought at any moment I would be one (!) but I’ve been at this game 6 years or so now, and moving onto donor eggs, and I haven’t been that miracle lucky one, and I so wish we had just got on with stuff sooner, because you never really feel ready (my sixth (failed) pregnancy at 43 I thought ‘I am not ready yet’ and panicked!?) … so do it now.
Oh and I have a crazy busy high stress job. You just make it work, I am not sure how - you just do!
My view is that the longer you leave it the less chance of success. It took me a few years to get there. Did you check with work if they can cover some costs? If you want to chat more, please feel free to PM me. Good luck with the consultation tomorrow x
Without trying to scare you I would try the earliest that your finances allow. Fertility as I’ve discovered is fragile and can change from year to year for the male and female. Since you know you want to start a family then the sooner the better. You never know you might be lucky and get pregnant first time or still be trying for many years that by then you can go in the nhs waiting list. You just never know. I’d at least get a few cycles fertilised and freeze them and pay for an FET later if I couldn’t afford everything. As for your job , don’t sweat it. You’ll become an expert in manoeuvring ivf around you job - just as you’ll have to do when you become a parent. If you can go for it. Good luck in whatever decision you make.
Without wanting to scare you i was pretty naïve about the cost of IVF - we initially had a pot of £25k and thought we’d get 3 cycles out of that - it only stretched as far as 2 including 3 transfers. So £10k will likely only get you one cycle x
Thats interesting, I think it depends a little bit where your clinic is. We averaged about 6.5k per round and that was with top dose drugs.. but agree its more expensive than you think! x
Have you looked into Access Fertility? They do packages, prices vary depending on your clinic. It often proves cheaper than paying directly at the clinic.Our clinic is quite expensive so buying a package meant we almost got 2 rounds for the price of 1 round.
I would also advise to just get started if you can. It can be such a long journey. However, I don’t think you can go back to nhs after going private so just have that in mind.
Hi Rabbit_21,as SR90 mentioned, try Access Fertility. They have various packages., depending on your age, medical history, etc. I'm currently using one of their package. It already worked for me better financially then if I would have to pay to clinic for each separate cycle.
I highly recommend them. If you would want to know more pm me.
Hi rabbit21 I agree with the other ladies, if you can manage to afford it go for it now don’t delay. I’m 37 about to turn 38 and been going through IVF the past year, I wouldn’t want to wait any longer than I had to. See how you get one with work, I worked through my first cycle which sadly ended in a miscarriage - I then reassessed everything and left that job (mainly due to unsupportive and horrible management) and it was the best thing I could have done for me. But everyone is different. Best of luck and I would bite the bullet and get started xx
Hi,I put off ivf treatment because of my job (and money - although I could have got a loan), I would not do that again if I had the opportunity to change my past! I’m now 41 going through ivf! My chances are so much smaller than if I’d have started years ago. Having said that I have recently had a positive pregnancy test, so it can work later in life but the likelihood is much less (I still have viability scan to come, I’ve had previous miscarriage and ectopic so can’t allow myself to get too excited yet). I tell all my female colleagues to have a baby whenever they want and not to allow the job to get in the way. I wish someone would have offered me that reassurance when I was younger in service.
Heya. Most has been said already… Things to think about :
(A) I wouldn’t wait - success rates start dropping after 35, so don’t wait if you can avoid it. I started at 35, finally got pregnant at 36, I’m now trying for a sibling at 39 and it’s harder….
(B) definitely look at packages, access fertility or some clinics have their own
(C) If you do two rounds of private paid IVF, chances are you then wouldn’t qualify fir NHS funding even if you became citizens - NHS funding often say they won’t fund beyond two rounds , even if they didn’t pay for those first two - so worth keeping in mind.
Even though I’d still start immediately if I were you - if you wait and then struggle you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you started sooner…. I wished we started trying rather than waiting to be married! 🤦♀️
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