Paying for fertility treatment (IVF)

memoryoftrees

Has anybody ever had IVF privately? The whole thing is so expensive and costly that I am just wondering if there is any way to reduce the costs or at least spread them out a bit Have enough saved but that's just one go and it might take more than one (pray it doesn't!)

Where did you go and how much did it cost you?

becca0417

Could you save between tries if it doesn't work first time? We are on round 2 of clomid and have started to save for IVF (which I'm hoping turns into our baby fund before we need it ) and I think we would save between tries if needed as you wouldn't have one Ivf straight on top of another (looking into it think most clinics like to leave it at least one full natural cycle but most more) x

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

I brought a package at the Cromwell Hospital in London 16 years ago.

I paid in advance 10k and for this you got up to 3 cycles of IVF - I conceived in the third attempt.

Also, my drugs were about 4k per IVF attempt but my GP paid for those fortunately.

I would say, firstly shop around for packages - yes seriously, there are deals at there and secondly persuade your gp to pay for the medication, which often costs more than the IVF itself.

nottslass_2

I managed to reduce the costs by shopping around for my drugs !

You don't necessarily have to get them from your clinic - I got a private prescription .

I was nearly 4 years ago,so memory is a bit hazy,but I can remember that there was a massive difference of about £1000 between my highest and lowest quote !!!

In the end I got them direct from the drug suppliers - had to send script to them,they then telephoned me with delivery details and they were couriered packed in ice. It was a very efficent.professional service and I used the same company for both attempts.

There's also the option off egg sharing (if you meet the criteria) and that might be worth considering,although it obviously isn't for everyone.

Each attempt cost about 4.5k - We were lucky and it worked on our second attempt,which considering we were given a less that 10 % chance off success its one heck of a gamble !

Good luck

memoryoftrees

Thanks, very helpful!

Becca - yes, will have to save between cycles but obviously this isn't ideal as it just delays everything and as we all know it's something that you just want to get on with!

That's really interesting about the drugs. Do the clinics mind if you want to get your drugs from elsewhere or are they quite used to it and still support you?

I am really hoping to egg-share :A it's a massive financial benefit as well as enabling me to help another lady, which I am pleased about!

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

I think they do egg sharing at the Cromwell. /whereabouts do you live, roughly

julie2710

Definitely shop around for the drugs. My consultant was great and actually encouraged me to do so. The cheapest place I found for the drugs was the local NHS hospital. Just took the prescription to the pharmacy department.
If you have embryos left over from the first attempt that don't get put back in these can be frozen for a second attempt which is then obviously significantly cheaper. I would ask your clinic about this option early on.

I had most of my treatment locally at my local Nuffield then went to Harley Street for the egg harvesting etc only.

Good luck.

memoryoftrees

I think I've chosen the clinic. I live in the West Midlands.

I went to Harley Street for a consultation (was it LWC?) but wasn't so sure after coming out. Doctor was lovely, though!

julie2710

It was the one in Devonshire Place. They were lovely there I had two cycles plus one frozen cycle for my DS1 and luckily just the one cycle for DS2 three years later.

neverdespairgirl

I don't know anything about IVF, but my mother was treated at the Cromwell from September last year until last month for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a type of cancer) and it is an utterly fantastic hospital.

FatVonD

I had my IVF at the London Women's Clinic (LWC?) on Harley Street. I was 15/16 years ago now but they were doing a 'Buy 2 get 1 free' deal so I paid £4,000 (the rate for 1 treatment at the time was £2,000.)

It worked first time for me so effectively the second treatment I'd already paid for funded the third treatment for someone who was having more difficulty which is a lovely thought.

I think it was definitely worthwhile doing it that way as it took some of the stress out of the whole process knowing that the first attempt wasn't the be all and end all and less stress can only help.

I was too old for egg donation and, while i think it's a lovely thing to do (and can considerably bring down your costs) I'm not sure how I'd have felt if my own treatment hadn't resulted in a pregnancy and I knew that somebody else was pregnant with one of 'my' eggs.

I had a lovely GP at the time who agreed to prescribe all the drugs for me on the NHS for 3 treatments so that saved me an enormous amount of money.