First things first, I can only speak from my experience on this and since day 1 of my fertility journey my treatment has been with private clinics so this post focuses on this. There is nothing wrong with the NHS route, but I know through talking to many ladies they have had no option having to embark on IVF privately due to a postcode lottery on NHS or infertility after their first child. Due to the postcode lottery and generally being an incredibly impatient person particularly after years of trying to conceive we went down the private route. I appreciate this is not an option for everyone, and if someone had told me exactly how much my treatments would of cost to date I would of probably choked on my Pret sandwich. BUT what I will say is when all you want in the world is a baby, you will do anything it takes. SO if your just embarking on this journey, take a look at your finances, find out costs from different clinics and look into using savings or taking a loan with family or the bank. If you are paying for a clinic, you want to make sure you choose the right one. After all, IVF is one of the most invasive and expensive treatments and depending on your circumstances can be one of the most successful.
Choosing a clinic is literally a minefield. I do nor mean to freak you out, but it is, so if you feel completely overwhelmed you are not alone. Getting to grips with the world of fertility clinics and terminology whilst coming to terms with the fact that it is happening to you is a lot so be kind to yourself and take your time. There are so many clinics, especially in London, saying all the things you want to hear. How THEY are a 'leading clinic' for 'x number of years' with success stories, testimonials and figures on their success rates for fresh and frozen transfers showing their results are higher than the national average. Just remember at the end of the day they are a business so although of course these stories are true, it is a sales pitch and no clinic is perfect. They all say they are amazing, and this is all new to you so where on earth do you begin?
A great starting point is the Human Fertilisation & Embrology Authority's website. The HFEA are the UK's governing body for fertility treatment and research. Their website is full of free, impartial advice and is 100% worth checking out. They have a whole section on how to choose a fertility clinic, where you can type the postcode or area of where your looking and it opens up a full review on the clinic. Bear in mind, every clinic is on here so give yourself some time to look through them or perhaps you have heard the names of a few specific clinics and you can research them on the HFEA website.
Important factors I would consider when looking at a specific clinic are for example, how many days a week are the clinic open? This sounds silly but not all clinics are open 7 days a week or on a bank holiday. My first clinic for example was shut on Sundays. It is all good and well that they will have a emergency direct line number you can call, but your body does not know its the weekend, and you may require a monitoring blood test or scan on a Sunday or A bank holiday during the stimulation phase which may not be possible if your clinic is shut. It can be hard to pinpoint timings of when your cycle will be depending on whether your on a short or long protocol so just be mindful of this. This was a factor that made me change clinics between my first and second round.
Where is the clinic located? Your life will be revolving around going in and out of that clinic for consultations, a monitoring cycle and anything from 3-6 weeks during your IVF cycle depending if your put on a short or long protocol. This will involve consultations, visits for blood tests, scans and procedures if your embarking on IVF, so it is important to take this into consideration. I know many women who travel from all over the UK especially to London because it has the best clinics in the country. They relocate their lives, many renting Air B n B accommodation (some with children) for their IVF cycles because they want to get the best possible medical care and do not want the stress of commuting. Alternatively, a clinic in your home town may be the best place for you if all of the above is just going to stress you out. Bear in mind that most large cities will have multiple clinics, and if you live in a suburban or rural area you may not have a clinic near you.
The type of clinic, is also an important factor. Smaller clinics may guarantee you will see the same doctor throughout your treatment. This initially felt like an important factor for me personally during my first round where I felt very fragile and nervous about the whole process, however my second clinic was a larger size clinic with many different doctors who I saw and they were all fabulous. The downside to small practices are that one doctor cannot be everywhere at once. Doctors are people too, with lives and the good ones will have many patients so you cannot be at the top of their list 24/7 and guarantee in an emergency he or she will be available. If you choose a large, multi-doctor clinic it may feel less personal and business like however there is often more availability for appointments and emergency visits with longer opening times.
It is worth speaking to others that have been through fertility treatment and hearing what they have to say about clinics and recommendations. If you do not know anyone personally, social media can be a great place to connect with other ladies and the community particularly on instagram is awesome. I did not want anyone who personally knew me to know what we were going through so I set up an anonymous instagram and met some amazing women who had been through fertility treatments and were at the same stage as me which really helped with the process. Listen to the reviews and what others have to say who have been through treatment but do not let it be the bees all and end all. If a clinic works for them that is brilliant, but it may not work for you, find out why exactly they are recommending the said clinic and book a consultation to find out more.
The best approach I can recommend is to check out success rates, read reviews and book a consultation with your favoured clinics to make an informed decision. Looking at the success rates of clinics is a good indicator of how well they do things but ultimately it all comes down to which of the factors discussed is important to you. Every clinic has its pros and cons. No doctor is perfect. Decide what is most important and go with your gut feeling on the the right clinic for you upon meeting a few. My priorities and perspective between my two cycles were completely different. I actually went for a consultation at the second clinic initially before starting IVF where I left in tears because I felt so utterly overwhelmed at how intense a larger clinic was however with a deeper understanding of fertility treatments and after a failed round I was ready for this. Your head space and how you are feeling overall about the fertility treatment is incredibly important so it is important to work on your positive affirmations and mindfulness if you are struggling with this.
I hope this article helps and if you want to get in contact to discuss anything further please feel free to email me directly on lisapenny.blog@gmail.com
Lisa x
