IVF Overseas

[MomaJoni]

Hi Everyone,

One of the topics of discussion between myself and my partner has been, if it comes to it, we can have IVF abroad. But something I don't understand about this process is, how do you obtain the required medication? And, how do you know when you are ready to go over there for the collection?

If anyone has experience of IVF overseas, can you please post your stories below? that would be very helpful.

Thank you so much

Jo

[JA-fnuk Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

If mentioning clinics by name please use PM Thank you Have you had a look at the following website hfea.gov.uk has excellent chapter on Fertility Treatment Abroad you might find helpful- it might help you reach an informed decision .

Good luck

Janet

[DJ202]

Hi Moma, lots of clinics abroad collaborate with UK pharmacies which can send you your prescribed medications. You will have scans in the UK during your treatment, and the results of these will be used by your doctor abroad to determine when you will need to visit the clinic. I hope this helps! x

[ClaudiaS]

Greece is a nice destination for ivf and searching for reviews will help you choose easily ! I had succeeded in athens!

[Hopecontinues]

Hi, Medication is easy. They do this all the time. I went to a big supermarket (not sure if I'm allowed to say which one) with my prescription and they knew the clinic. Just check that the amounts are on the prescription and strength. My clinic missed the strength off and the pharmacy wouldn't administer the drugs. It was all sorted in the end though.

The tricky bit is knowing when you need to take time off work and book flights. The clinic you choose should give you a plan and will ask you to come out for 10 days, so they can monitor you. I held out and went on day 13 and had collection on day 14, so I was only out there for 6 days, but I'd had previous ivf treatments and knew how I would react.

It's a lot easier to do it in your own country, but it's cheaper abroad, they treat you really well in my experience and give you an individual plan with lots of extras included as standard. Some clinics provide transport when you are there and help you with hotel bookings.

I hope that helps.

X

[marthasmum]

I went abroad disheartened by the lack of help or guidance by my local highly thought of clinic. They wrote me off because of my age even though we would be paying and weren’t funded. So with me like everything I shopped around and this clinic in Prague came highly recommended. They were amazing sent me the protocol well in advance and I sourced meds dead easy from a pharmacy in London even though I’m north west. Everything was send special delivery. Mine was DE IVF and we stayed in Prague a week. Cost was around £5k inc flights hotel ivf icsi and storage as opposed to £9k here. No brainer for us! Good luck on your journey x

[MomaJoni in reply to marthasmum]

That all sounds so perfect. We have 3 eggs to use here first, but if none of those work, this sounds like something we will definitely be doing.

[May37]

Hi so I went to Greece, my friend recommended an English nurse out there that coordinates the treatment. She sends the prescription to you or a designated pharmacy. I was a sceptical but first round went well. I had donor eggs as was over 40 so don't know about collection, but when I was looking into own eggs, she coordinated all the medication and collection date, happy to share details, ps 1sy cycke was chemical. Pregnancy, 2bd Didnt work but 3rd worked and I have a baby

[MomaJoni]

Thank you so much for your answer. I will inbox you if that is okay?

[marthasmum]

If that’s directed at me of course x

[MomaJoni in reply to marthasmum]

Yes, sorry! haha

[MrsSarahC]

Hi. I went to Greece (Thessaloniki) in May 2021 after 6 failures in the UK. I used donor eggs as I was 40, and it worked on the first try - my 3 week old son is currently asleep on my chest! A friend of mine went to the same clinic, using her own eggs, and she got pregnant on her first try. Me and my husband had to go out together for 3 days (his semen was frozen) and I went back on my own for only 3 days to have the embryo transfer.

I cannot recommend them enough - even adding up the cost of flights and hotels, it's cheaper than the UK. More than that, the chances of success are so much higher - probably due to their drug protocols. As for drugs, they gave us a prescription which I took to Asda Pharmacy.

Good luck!

[MomaJoni in reply to MrsSarahC]

Thats so helpful. Thank you so much. I can hopefully have my FET in this country but if they are unsuccessful we will be looking into going overseas next year for IVF.