IVF Clinics in Melbourne?

[Charlotte]

Hi, I am going to Monash IVF at present and am not happy with it. Has anyone else had bad experiences there, as I feel like it's just me; and or Melbourne IvF, on my research I see that looks better, but not sure. thanks Charlotte.

[Visitor9]

Welcome Charlotte,
I'm a MIVF patient and pretty happy with everything that has gone on in my tainted reproductive experience. I have had alot of procedures done and at one stage went to meet the "other" clinic as I started to feel I had to know what I was doing was the best for me and pleasantly I found out that I had the treatment that was for me. My MIVF doctors have always treated me as an person and never as a "cycle" , never had I had to wait till multiple ladies were ready for an OPU and been down regged for that reason, when I was ready he was ready.
They were also alot more open to doing more cycles than the 3 that monash suggested a year..lol I did about 10 FET's and a Stim.
My current FET cycles are part of a trial, the first time I did this I fell preg with DD and love that they often look for other "cycles" that will suit your body not just IVF ICSI GIFT
I have never had any other doctor scheduled to do OPU's unless it fell on public holidays or weekends..it was more continous care and personal care... back to my cattle call scenario with cycles.
What more can I say, although never experiencing a cycle thru Monash, I am more than happy with my current situation.

[Baby Bliss]

I am with MIVF, first cycle. So far, I have been really happy with them. Had a minor hiccup at the start but it was sorted out immediately. I think my Dr is the best FS I have ever encountered - she listens and takes on board what I say, and vice versa. We're a team I reckon! So far my experiences have all been positive. I have not been to Monash though, so have no basis for comparison. I am sorry you are feeling like that, I imagine it must be dreadful to feel that way when this is so important to us. Take care.

[Charlotte]

Thank you for replying. I have until the 16th to see if im pregnant, but this morning I have made an aptmt with my GP to refer me to Melb IVF instead. I think you get to keep the same dr at Melb IVF and ive google my dr Burmeister and see she has more bad reports than good with the IVF -not so much her work, but her manner is referred to as cold and direct and i cant hack that on these drugs especially.
thanks again.

[Visitor9]

Charlotte,
You will find you will have to change FS as they dont work out of both it is either one or the other..I think it is a conflict of interest.
If you need a name PM me I'd be happy to give you mine..he has helped a few ladies here out but pretty much they are all good
Bec

[Charlotte]

Hi Bec- i am intending to swap specialists and centres entirely. The staff at Mon IVF were cold and abrupt from the specialist to the nurse allocated to the Dr and the ultrasound woman. The only people who were nice were the day surgery staff, who are employed by epworth and nothing to do with the ivf. What they did wrong to me, was leave my lying uncovered on the table while they went looking for correct tools. This was at the implant stage, and i have to question why they would want to make this more stressful than i already felt, after lining up for my procedure. Thats the other issue i have and didn't realise till the first and only one egg collection i had done that the Specialist i use is a figurehead only. Anyway, I could go on about how I think they handle patients badly, but I feel better today, but on friday when i had the procedure and they were so mean, i felt very depressed and angry for the rest of the day. thank you for your advice. I will see my GP next week, as she's away and get a referral to Melb IVF.

[bokkie]

Hi Charlotte,

I went through MIVF too and they were wonderful. No complaints there at all. I also wondered which was better and actually drove out to Monash one day to get some information from them about the clinic. The snooty receptionist declared in front of every body in the waiting room that she wouldn't give me their information pack "until I was registered with them!" Well I walked out of there so happy that I never would be registered with them. By the way, MIVF gave me a lovely thick booklet and a DVD about themselves and the entire process 1 year before I even started the IVF with them! My doc was wonderful with MIVF too, so if you need his name, PM me too. GOOD LUCK!!!!

[Visitor9]

LOL Bokkie they are nice..I had to make an appointment to talk to the nurse and it was a day they replaced the carpet in the office. I sat on a chair with workman pulling up carpet beside me..it was a overall picture that never left my mind..if you have tradesman in a room I aint going to tell you about my foofa problems. And to be told "How" could you poosibly have 14 FET's frozen from one cycle!!
And I cannot believe you are 27 weeks OMG girl you are two blocks on your ticker away from motherhood!
Bec

[Charlotte]

Hi thanks very much for your comments. I have called Melb IVF and left a msg to make an apmt. I think it all sounds better to me thank the one i am doing. I guess there are diffent requirements for different people, and i must be a sooky la la as I can't stand the production line at Monash and seriously feel that these centres need nice dolphin mood music and happy happy nice hippy like people in them, not cold clinical ones. You may like to know that I intend on getting a few copies of the movie "WIT" by Emma Thompson and posting to them.

[Visitor9]

Great decision Charlotte.. hope it works out fantastic !!
Bec

[Charlotte]

Hi -yes that sounds like a very nice specialist. Which one is he if you dont mind saying? As I called before, but I need to nominate one, so I am trying to decide. I thought you may like to know that my own mother had four miscarriages before I was born, two at 5 months and two at 2 months. That was a long time ago. If anyone mentions baby probs these days she goes on for ages, it still upsets her. I haven't told her mine as i dont want to bring the past up for her. I suppose the lucky thing for you is that you have have a nice dr. Mum says that when she lost hers, they just said get out of bed, go home, you've lost another. Things are different now, but not always, as I have experienced I got a cold Dr. but can change. Mum couldn't. I was the fifth you may like to know that my Mother had. So there is hope always.

[diva det]

i am with Melb IVF as well and have nothing but praise- i see Dr Mc Bain and he is great
it was acutally at the clinic today getting an frostie emby put back . . . . .

would highly recommend them and I have had 7 cycles over 5 years with them and all the nurses and
my FS have been flawless!!!
Good luck and let us know how you go!!!
odette

[Baby Bliss]

Oh Odette, how do you find Dr McBain? I see his significant other - Dr Foster! She is fantastic!

[Emmalina]

Hi Charlotte, just adding in another vote for Melb IVF. I saw Kate Stern (back again to see her at the end of this month)! She was ace and the nurses and reception staff at MIVF were always great, really helpful and supportive. I did four stim cycles and one FET and only the first one was a down reg, I didn't like it so I didn't have to do it again, KS was willing to try different cycles to see which worked best. Thoroughly recommend her and MIVF!

Emmalina

37 y.o.
M/C 12wks TTTS 2002
2 x OI, 2 X IUI 2003
Lap with dx endometriosis 2004
4 x IVF, 1 FET 2004-5
DD b Jan 2006
M/C 7 wks May 2007

[diva det]

kell
Dr Mc Bain is awesome- very calm, and have had good success with him. I have only seen Dr Foster once when Dr Mc Bain wasn't going to be in and i had a post-coital exam done- so no biggie that he needed to be there for.
Would highly recommend Dr Mc Bain
Odette

[farmgirl77]

Hi Charlotte,
DH and I are about to start IVF with MIVF. We have been seeing a FS with MIVF for the past year and she has been great - even my DH likes her (and he hates drs) and she does not bat an eyelid at some of DH 'testy' comments. Our FS is Julie Whitehead - really down to earth, not pushy and was always available for usto call her - even before we had decided to do IVF - and never pushy. We went to MIVF on the advice of a friend who had gone to Kate Stern, who she thought was great...so i think the choices at MIVF are all good.
Good luck

[Charlotte]

Thank you both for you advice on Melb IVF and Drs referrals. I will look into this. I have left a msg on answering m/cs. I assume they had today off. Thanks again and best of luck with yours.

[Charlotte]

Hi to all who replied. I have now made an aptmt with MelbIVF and will go there, as the advice from you all is overwhelmingly for support for MElb IVF. I had a long chat today with Melb IVF and the person I spoke with was very nice and took her time explaining how they work. Out of interest, I did voice my concerns to Monash and tell them I won't go back again, that I can't see how I can get pregnant when their process stresses me out and they want me to put in writing for them so they can learn from my experience. I am thinking about, but probably won't, as I feel I am not here to assist in their how to act as professionals sessions. I already told them what I feel is wrong with their Doctor Roster system and their staff being a bit abrupt and the Specialists not doing their own procedures, so that's it from me . I am not their personal training ground. I am a human being. I do realise we are playing with nature, but some respect is still required. I did suggest they google themselves though, as I notice that Monash are mentioned in lots of neg ways way back and not one person has given any positive feedback here at all. Thank you all again, I really appreciate your comments.