Red, you can have one private cycle without it affecting your NHS eligibility.
And in any case, they only know what you tell them. An IVF clinic has to get your express permission to share details of the treatment you've had with a GP...

Does anyone have any experiences of Dr Nikolaou based at C&W ACU? I have been done several rounds of clomid / gonal f but not the next step is IVF (private as I won't get funding). Unsure if I should stick with C&W or go to the Lister given I have been treated at C&W to date and have my follow up appointment with them already scheduled.

I also wanted to add if you can afford to wait it's worth trying to get treatment on the NHS first before funding privately. If you have already had a treatment privately you may lose your NHS funding which is why we are doing it this way around.

Thanks to all the lovely ladies who responded to my initial message! We are hopefully on our way there now.

In the end we moved out of London, after first appointment with new local NHS doctor we have been referred for fertility treatment. I'm so grateful as we were getting absolutely NOWHERE with Dr Patel at the Thurleigh Surgery who's useful advice amounted to "How long is a piece of string" and "it took my wife and I 9 years to conceive".

My advice would be, if you are getting nowhere with your doctor, try a new doctor and keep pushing - if you live in Wandsworth you will fall under Wandsworth CCG which entitles you to treatment after 2 years, unless you have a pre existing condition (endometriosis/PCOS) in which case you are entitled to treatment straight away which I should have been given as I had all the symptoms of endometriosis and a scan that showed up an endometrioma which I must have told this doctor 200 times! If you are still getting nowhere, just pay the money and get a fertility check up, I recommend Dr Raef Faris at the Lister who is just brilliant and very funny too!

OF COURSE PRIVATE if you want the result and not to wait for 3 years with NHS.

Lister Hospital fertility center and Dr Marie Wren helped us. We have got an amazing boy from the first attempt. They have very high success rate and in general they make all this complicated process easy and comfortable. In terms of costs you are looking in approx 5k for one cycle. It worth every penny!

We were living in SW11 when we went to the NHS for IVF. We waited 2 years and got 2 free goes. Good Luck!

I already had one cycle of ivf, unsuccessful unfortunately, but I'm not desperate yet, waiting for the 2nd, hope it'll work out at last.

Hello szerma, I'm 41 and have done 2 IVF cycles, both of which resulted in pregnancies at the Lister (I have a DD aged 2). I also have a low ovarian reserve, in fact it's fairly low for my age, so everyone (from nurses to sonographer to consultant) were so pleased that a) we got viable eggs out of me, b) they all fertilised and c) it resulted in a pregnancy! I would definitely recommend the Lister as they have been unfailingly professional and courteous every time, and I think also their success rate is better for women in our age group.

Re appointments: at the Lister they do scans in the morning for follicle growth and then blood test so that they can analyse the results of the test and then let you know later that day if you need to adjust your meds so that you can do it immediately later that day (my appointments were usually 8.45-9am).

Also as you're BTC (I'm in CC Northside) then the Lister is pretty good in terms of getting to work if your office is in central London as it's quite close to Victoria. Oh, and getting there is a doodle, quick bus ride and walkable too!

WRT IVF itself, I think it depends on each woman but to be honest the process wasn't that bad for me. Once I got into the routine the injections just become another thing I had to do every night. And I wasn't any more grumpy, hormonal or tired than I usually am

Good luck, I hope it all works out and please feel free to PM me.

Gosh I think it is really tricky one...I was also in the same boat...fell pregnant really easily first time round (although I was 33) but second time round it was very tricky (I was 36). In the end we did tests and the results were not good for my age - my ovarian reserve was low for a 36 year old so after another 6 months we did IVF at the Lister and got pregnant at the first attempt. The appointments were generally in the morning - I am not sure if they are open late but I remember doing a lot of juggling at work and with my toddler to make them but in the end it was a small sacrifice for our beautiful boy. It is a really a very personal thing but even at 36/37 I was advised time wasn't on my side (by other medical professionals outside of the Lister) and I guess I started to feel the pressure a bit. I am not an expert but obv encouraging your tests came back with good results. I have not heard of the concept clinic but I can 100% recommend the Lister.
Good luck!

Hello ladies,
I have been lurking here, it's more of a ramble and wanting a bit of reassurance that I am not alone and other women have been successful in a similar situation!

I am 42 and we have a 1.5 year old daughter. We got pregnant easily the last time around and all was well so expected the same this time. Nope! We have been trying since January. I think I had at least one "chemical pregnancy" which dissolved 3 days after my period due date but now, looking back, I can't be 100% sure if I didn't imagine a faint blue line which was hardly there. Every month about a week after ovulation / TTC I develop nausea.. exactly like I did when I got pregnant like I did last time, but then my period comes on time or even early! (this never happened before I was pregnant). Hard to believe I would actually be conceiving and miscarrying every month (the nausea continues basically until the moment my period starts) so I have to conclude I now have weird pre-period symptoms.

We have been to an IVF clinic and have done all the tests which look all good, relatively speaking for my age (low ovarian reserve but normal for when it should be at my age, follicles developing, sperm normal...) Our view was to continue trying the "traditional" method for a few more months and then try IVF, and even consider donor eggs if that is not successful. Part of the reason we don't want to do IVF right away is I know just how onerous the process is and I work full-time, this is a relatively new job for me and I don't feel like I can yet ask them to be understanding whilst I haven't yet fully proved myself.

Just wanted to know if there are other women out there in a similar situation who have been successful. We would look at donor eggs abroad, due to no waiting list and confidentially issues here.

Finally, one real question - has anyone had experiences at Concept Fertility? What attracted us to them was that they are open and willing to see patients late in the evening.

If you are not comfortable posting here, please PM me. If you are willing to, would be great to meet for a (confidential if you prefer!) coffee if you live BTC. Just feeling really stressed and down every month. I know I should feel blessed we have an amazing little one already, but I would really like another one - we don't have any family in the UK and would really like her to have a family when she grows up and we are no longer around.

Many thanks for any responses,

M

Hi Red1981,

I know your posts were from a couple of months ago but thought I'd check in and see how you are getting on. I was in the exact same situation as you - same age and all tests came back totally normal (other than I had PCOS). So we were in the unexplained bracket.
After a few trys of IUI we went straight to IVF - didnt consider doing it on the NHS. We were in a lucky position to be able to go privately straight away and I didnt want to have to wait around. Did consultations with both the Lister and ARGC. We felt each had pros and cons but from what we wanted out of the process we chose ARGC. It is incredibly intense and not for the faint hearted but we had a very successful first cycle and twins due soon!! I definitely buy into their approach re immunology.

Anyway hope your process is moving along ok (if indeed things arent already happening for you). Feel free to reach out if you want any feedback on clinics at all!

xx

I know you've said you've already made an appointment to see Lister, but can I also recommend the Create clinic?
We chose them over Lister because they use a low drug approach, which is kinder to your body but is also cheaper than the high-dose drug approach of other clinics, because you don't have to buy as many drugs.

The clinic was founded by the professor who heads up the assisted fertility unit at St George's, and if you become eligible for NHS treatment, you can transfer your funding to them. They have branches in Wimbledon, the City and Harley Street so it was very easy for us to fit the appointments around work and home life, and the staff as hugely kind and compassionate.

As a starting point, I can also recommend their couples Fertility MOT which immediately picked up two issues that our NHS tests had missed and gave us a clear diagnosis and therefore treatment plan.

We got pregnant on our first round of treatment and had additional embryos to freeze for future use.

Hi there - I am so sorry to hear of the difficulties you are having. Lots of useful replies I am sure. I just wanted to let you know that when you get to the point of being able to go ahead there is a Natal Hypnotherapy CD which helps improve the success of the procedure
http://www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk/shop ... d-IVF.html

I have taught a woman on one of my workshops who used it and felt it really kept her calm, making such a difference.

All the best and I wish you well.

Hi
I am sorry to hear that. GPs don't always know the criteria for funding
I work in a NHS IVF unit. Wandsworth funds after three years of unexplained infertility but if there is substantial problem From either side then there is no waiting list
The treatment is quite expensive and I would advise you to go through NHS especially that you've been waiting for 18 months do you all the tests through the NHS via your GP surgery or they can refer you for more investigation in a NHS hospital then if there is any problem you would go straight away to treatment if there is no problem you can then decide to go with a privately or wait for NHS funding.
Good luck

I've been overwhelmed with all your replies, and relieved that I'm not the only person going through this - thank you!

We are in the process of looking for a house to buy in Mid Sussex area and it looks like the PCT there allows 3 cycles on NHS with 6 weeks to referral which sounds far better than what you can get in Wandsworth!

I tried Duo Fertility but found the sensor (as it was external) wasn't accurately displaying my temperature so now I use a basic bbt thermometer combined with OvuSense (which I'd definitely recommend, particularly for women with PCOS).

I'm also currently getting acupuncture with the amazing Kate Freemantle.

I have booked an initial consultation at the Lister with Dr Shabana Bora so we'll go from there.

Thanks again!