Bank holiday frustration

[Ccopo]

Hi 👋 anyone else frustrated about the bank holidays this month and next month? I’m so annoyed that I didn’t see this coming.

We’ve been teeing up to start IVF again since January, after our frozen embryo failed to thaw in December. Managed to get all the necessary appts and consents done again in time to start stims next week and clinic has just said likely not to be possible due to the Easter bank holidays so will have to wait another month… but I’m pretty sure the same is going to happen next month with the last bank holiday in May, if we are lucky to have an embryo and do a fresh transfer.

We are private paying at an NHS clinic but presumably the delays due to bank holidays happen whether it’s an NHS clinic or not?

[GranolaHippo]

My NHS clinic is open for require procedures (transfer/retrieval/embryo culture) throughout bank holidays. They wouldn't do a baseline scan on the bank holiday itself, I think, but they scan days 1-3, so pretty much always able to slot you in.

Eggs are ready when they're ready!

It's a question worth asking of clinics but there isn't always much choice. I'm based in London, so more options about. I don't know if this means they feel they have to be more competitive...

[Ccopo in reply to GranolaHippo]

Hmm they’ve since said it’s anaesthetic cover for the egg collections. Not a great answer really… thanks for sharing your experience 🙏 I’m in Wales and I don’t think there’s a lot of choice here unfortunately.

[GranolaHippo in reply to Ccopo]

I'm so sorry. It's such a lottery!

Personally, I feel its unethical not to offer cover 7 days a week. You can't exactly time these things! But, sadly, I don't hand out the clinic licenses! Might be worth asking if they have reciprocal cover with another clinic or whether there is another clinic who could do collection.

The below poster's suggestion sounds more doable though.

Also, I'm just going through long protocol -down regulation after ovulation. It's supposed to give best chance of follicles developing at same rate. So, could be worth asking about downreg too. It's done with a nasal spray (4 puffs a day, one in each nostril AM/PM) so wouldn't be much more in way of cost, but you may need an additional 1-2 scans. so, another option, if they won't delay period.

Fingers crossed for you. xx

[MiniCeeCee]

sorry to hear this- is it possible you could ask if they would be willing to put you on the period delay tablets (Norethisterone) to delay your cycle for a few days, so could time it to ensure transfer wouldn’t land on a bank holiday? That way wouldn’t have to wait a whole extra cycle? Not sure if this is the done thing, but worth an ask perhaps

[Ccopo in reply to MiniCeeCee]

Great point and thanks so much for responding - definitely going to ask at my appt on Monday. They said if my period is 2 days late, they can go ahead…. So it may be an option if I can go into these tablets! There is hope 🙏

[Twiglet2]

never had an issue with bank holidays nhs clinic disrupting things! The don’t collect on weekends but they’ve went ahead as normal on bank hols etc 😢 if it’s anethitist issue for egg collection day in may shouldn’ t be an issue maybe it’s because it’s a full 4 days though weekend in Easter? So hopefully this month only xx