Public vs Private IVF advice needed

Hi Ladies, I am in need of some advice and information.

I need to know how many ladies have done public ivf and how many
were successful is having babies. We are currently up to our #3 attempt and due
to financial reasons (my loss of job before xmas) we can't afford private system for
a few months. My doctor wants me to go after 1 full af which I am not sure if I will have
the money for in time. He has said if I act fast he will treat me in a public clinic which is great news but he said you get what you pay for. He didn't say my chances were better
private but I feel thats what he was trying to say, he also said that because I can fall pregnant that it is an odds game now and that I am already high risk being 40. Please ladies any information or as much as possible will be appreciated. I would also like to hear from any ladies who were successful after 40 as I am 40.

Thanks Tracey

Oct 06 :angel:
Jan 07:angel:

Hi Tracey

DH and I went through public IVF and have done 1 full cycle. We got 5 eggs and had 2 ET and fell pg first time with DS. He is almost 1. In Sept 06 we went back to have 1 more ET and it failed. Oct 06 had a Blastie ET and it took but ended up being Ectopic. So out of 3 ET we had 1 full turm pg and 1 ectopic. So I think that its not really a matter of public or private but if you have a good doc. The other good thing I liked was that when they did the ET it was done by ultrasound so you can see the cathata (think thats how you spell it) go into the womb and then we saw the embryo's go in as well. I went private once and they didnt us the ultrasound and I just felt better knowing that I Could see it going into the right place.

Good luck and hope your dreams come true

I didn't go public so I can't really comment but I'm not sure what your doctor was getting at with that remark. I can't imagine what would be different about going through IVF in a public hospital vs a private one except that you maybe don't have to wait as long in a private hospital. Perhaps he was referring to the odds of you having a greater chance of success with some continuity of treatment. It sounds like he is talking about you having to wait for a while if you don't fit into the slot he is now offering you. Just my guess.

If that's the case, go for it.

Just wanted to add my experiance as i have done both public and private IVF in Melbourne and although i did it with the same doc and clinic i found that my care was better with private.

I had to travell to the other side of the city when we went public to a public hosiptal and still had to pay a bed fee of about $250 (4 yrs ago) and i can remember how much cheaper the cycle was but it wasnt much. then when we opted for the private it was closer to home and ended up costing us cheaper as we didnt pay any bed fee due to PHI. i did have the ultra sound when i was private but not when i went public and fell pg both cycles i had there but early losses. i prefered having the ultra sound for the same reasons as the lady mentioned b4 and now having changed clinics they do NOT do the ultra sound even private, and thats all i dislike about this clinic. considering going back to Monash as they have offered me a bulk billed cycle (they stuffed up big, thats why we changed)

Hope that info helps just give me a nudge if you want any more

You can do public IVF? I wish I'd known that before spending so much money doing it privately.

Is there anyone out there in Qld who's done it publicly? I've still got 4 snowbubs which I'll want to have transferred at some stage, so maybe public would be a cheaper option.

The costs for IVF are the same for public and private generally speaking. The difference is in the hospital fees...public bed versus private and waiting lists. I know melbourne IVF do not differentiate for the actual cycle fee...it is the bed fees and aneasthetists that are different. Other IVF centres may be different however.

Thanks ladies, I am going to give public a try. I guess if its meant to be it won't matter if its public or private it will just be. :D Thanks Again. Tracey

Hi again

Just want to say that when I did ivf in private i was out of pocket 1700 after being covered and with public i was out of pocket $3oo and something. There is a big difference. Also had 2 pg and had the ultrasound with them. Just find out where ever you go if they do the ultrasound. I think its better. Good Luck hun!!!

I havent gone through public, but have close friends who currently are. The major difference I have noticed was in the length of time involved. They have had to wait a long time to get in, I think almost 6 months. They are in Sydney. The cost difference is fairly substantial but like others have said it is for the bed and anaesthesist, if you have PHI it is likely that will be covered.

I say if you have a chance of getting a cycle in through public and not through private then its a no-brainer, go for it :) and good luck with it - hope you have success!

Where does your friend go...It only took us a month from the time we started to the time i found out i was pg...i think we waited 2 weeks to get started...i have to ring again to make appoint for feb...ill see if i get in straight away...

c ya

Hey Missy, I will find out on Monday how long it will take so I will let you know. I am going to go to Westmead Fertility Clinic. Cheers Tracey

hi Tracey
I went to WFC and you can read my costs in costs of IVF. I was successful on cycle 2 - I turned 40 just before my sons were born. I had over 12yrs primary unexpalined infertility - fell pg naturally but our daughter passed away when I was 6 months pregnant.
Given my age we tried 5-6 months and then went to WFC.Six months later - BFP.

Goodluck WFC are very good and very cheap not including fact we also got 2 for price of 1. They do u/s guided transfers btw.

I think the care was excellent and couldn't be happier with them.

Waiting - I rang to make first appointment mid March 2005 -got it in mid/end May - started first cycle in June/July 2005 (though commenced birth control pill most of June)- BFN - had FET Aug 2005 BFN - 2nd full stim cycle Oct/NOv 2005 - BFP.

with hope Trish

Hey there

Yes Wm is were I go too. They are very good and I cant wait to go again as im pretty sure I will get another pgs out of it...goood luck