Help...12 months of ttc 40 next year so looking at a private alternative

[Ismejustme]

Hi,
We've been trying to conceive for a year, but hubby works away on a permanent rotation, I'm coming up for 40 and we've naturally conceived before but it took 3 years of ntnp then We decided to protect as we had booked a wedding date and bam I fell.
We don't want to keep trying unsuccessfully for much longer as it is taking it out of us and we are thinking of calling it a day. We know our chances of Nhs assistance is nil (I have no problem with this we are super lucky to have a child so fully understand why someone with no children should have the funding) so what would be our best option privately?
I've looked at a few but it's heavy going and a bit confusing for some and because of hubbys work schedule it's difficult to choose one that needs a few months or several weeks of appointments (unless this can be done within a five week timeframe) or short time samples or transfers as he may be out of the country. Is there something where he can supply a sample and I then just go for the transfer? How much does this kind of thing cost?
(I'm ovulating normally every 14/15 days with a 28/26 cycle, never had a mc or any pregnancy complications)

 

[Hoody81]

Hi lovely,

If a clinic puts you on a 'short protocol', then from stims to embryo transfer can be as short as a month for sure (depending on how you react to the meds). I can only speak from experience of two short protocol treatments, I've never had a long one.

My husbands sperm was taken from him and frozen (because he had a vasectomy 18 years ago so this is the cause of our infertility)...but I'm not sure if clinics prefer to work with a fresh sample if they can (we would never have that choice).

Also, I think it's common practice that the partner needs to attend when the embryo transfer takes place, for consenting reasons. But I'm not 100% on that.

We've just paid £4,200 for ICSI. Meds were £520 and storage of blastocysts for one year is £800. This is at Guys hospital in London. It's not cheap, but I am currently five weeks pregnant so it's totally been worth it

I hope this helps a bit xx

 

[Ismejustme]

Thank you for your helpful information it was helpful and gives me something to go on.
Congratulations on your pregnancy x

 

[Syd43]

Hi, your partner can just do his sample at any stage, never needs to go back. He will have to have had all the relevant blood tests and these can be done by the clinic or elsewhere but the clinic will give you all the details.

I did IVF at Oxford Fertility Unit, we live in Hong Kong so my partner flew in, did his bit, I stayed in the UK and cycled the following month.

That failed and I had what was left of his frozen sperm transferred to the Lister clinic and I did an IUI cycle with them - he's never been to the Lister at all, wasn't required.

We're cycling with Serum in Athens next, we were there for a consultation in July and he did his sample then, he now won't go back to the clinic, I'll cycle there alone once my current miscarriage is over.

Although we live in Hong Kong I split my time between there and the UK so found it really easy with him just doing his bit at his convenience and me then cycling at mine, nowadays they say there's not really any difference between using a fresh and a frozen sample, and with a frozen sample he doesn't need to be there on any particular day, just to have signed the consent forms. You just need to think about which clinic you want to use - I had good experiences with all 3 that I've been to but felt that Serum have the most tailored approach and they also do some additional testing for things that could affect implantation. I'm guessing thought that a UK clinic will be more convenient for you as you already have a little one.

Good luck.