Anyone With Westmead Fertility Centre???

Hi everyone...
I've just had a chat with FS yesterday,the last time I seen him was in 2002 when we had our last IVF cycle !!! We just passed another year of TTC,that makes it 10 years now. He say's because I'm now 34 I had better make up my mind to do something & that we have practically 0% chance of conceiving naturally. I have unexplained subfertility/ infertility. My issue is we cannot afford to go through SydneyIVF where our FS is located and we are wondering if anyone is using Westmead Fertlity Centre ??? If anyone can help with waiting times & in particular which specialist's they can recommend that would be super!! We are to do all the investigations all over again from scratch SIGH ! Oh well...look's like we will be getting on the rollercoaster again :doh:
But hey !! It would DEFINETELY be worth it for us to be cuddling our own bundle of joy!
Bring on the sleepless night's YAY
Thank's ladies & maybe even gent's :lol:
xxx Cheeky

Hey there

Im going throught West Mead in the public hospital. Im under Dr smith.
Ive had 1 IVF DD and now In my TWW .

You might be in the other West mead one. Is your one private and in Carolyne st or something like that.

We only paid $14oo and some thing and we should be about $900 and some thing back.

Missy, Westmead Fertility Centre is the clinic run through the public hospital.

Cheeky, I have a girlfriend who just had her second set of IVF twins (yikes!) and was in the same boat - they could not afford to go through a private clinic the second time so went with Westmead - obviously they fell prg, and it was on the first cycle.

There was a bit of an *ahem* stuff up during the transfer which resulted in her having twins - two embryos were transferred instead of one.

Hi Missy and Cheeky,

Just clarifying:

Westmead IVF is in Caroline St - it's affliated with Sydney IVF and is probably the same costs. That's the one I use.

Westmead Fertility Clinic is based in Westmead Hospital - so it's probably the one you go to Missy.

Thank's girls !!!!
Caroline Street is where hubby & I did our first 2 IVF attempts without success. I know of at least 4 ladies now who have fallen first go at Westmead Fertility centre. Well, I can't do anything until we do all the investigations again but I would appreciate it if anyone hear's any info regarding Westmead Fertility Centre to pass it along if possible.Looking like it could be the way to go for us if need be...
Wishing you all the very best wishes for your journey
:pray:
Cheeky

Ok Ladies....Im with the one in the public hospital. They are cheaper as Ive also went to the other ivf in carline st. That was about 10 years ago and had no luck.

Ive had a DS at the public hos and have had ectopic with them as well. (thats not there fault) and now im in my TWW. I can come back on today and let you know how much we got back from medicare as DH has gone to drop of DD to school and then go to medicare. We paid $1400 and some thing but only got a reciept for $1300 and some thing as the Syrenal isnt covered. I'll let you knw out of the $1300 how much we got back.

Hi again, ok DH just rang and said we got back $720 from the $1300 so thats not to bad.

Hope this helps!!!

Cheeky I went through Westmead Fertility Clinic and fell pregnant first time around. My FS works out of both SydneyIVF and WFC and gave us a choice between the 2 because the difference in costs were pretty significant. There was no waiting time for us at all. We basically got to start on my next cycle after seeing the FS. Her name is Nalini Gayer and we found her quite nice to deal with. All the nurses at the clinic were also great.

All the best Cheeky - hope it all works out for you this time :hug:

Im with westmead IVF too the cost is great on the pocket.

Hi girls...
Thankyou so much for the info... I never thought I would be so excited to say I want to try IVF again. Only a few months ago I shuddered at the thought. I was only 24 when we tried our first go & I believe now that I was too young & immature & just impatient for a bub. I think I was meant to go on this journey & although it's been bloody hard I can't help but smile at what the future may hold !!!
Just a moment to let go of some emotion if you don't mind... I went to a funeral today for a relative's premmie bub... she was born at 26 week's gestation & survived for 3 week's. I went to the viewing & cannot believe something so tiny & precious isn't going to give her mum her first smile. My nephew is only 8 week's old & I will never in my life forget my first smile from him...it was pure magic!!! I'm just feeling very sad & bewildered that this little angel was snatched away from us when we wanted her so badly !!!
Sorry guy's... I just needed to tell someone how I was feeling
Hope you all have a great weekend
I'll be working tomorrow so all you ladies & gent's who are getting a sleep in ENJOY!!!

Hi girls.

I just wanted to let you all know that I've just gone throught my first ivf cycle with Westmead Fertility Centre, based at Westmead Public Hospital and I cannot speak highly enough of their professionalism, service and kind support from all staff involved, especially the nurses. My doctor was Dr Lorance Melham (lady) and although I didn't see her during my cycle, the other doctors on duty that I did see were all wonderful.

I am a country patient (from Armidale) and they catered for us extremely well, ie, bt's and scans up here, posting drugs out to me etc. I only ended up being in Sydney for just under 2 weeks (and that was only because I wasn't responding to the injections very well and they wanted me to have some more growing time and upped my dosage- I've heard of private centres not changing doses, so therefore you get a cancelled cycle), which was very relieving for my hubby and myself, so the importance of having a reduced fee was high, considering all the travelling and accommodation we needed.

We ended up paying $1495 (it's $1995 for icsi) and got back $280 because we had reached our medicare threshold, but I didn't care about the small return, cos if we had gone through sudney ivf we would have been up for $10,000 up front (we aren't private patients) which we would have had to borrow. The medicare lady said our next return would be back up to the 80%.

Anyways, to anyone wishing to do ivf through them- go for it, we only waited a month for our initial FS appt, we signed the papers involved and waited for AF to arrive and we started pretty much straight away- the only regret we have now is waiting the 3 years to get off our buts to do it! ;)

I am onto Day 3 of my 2ww and living it up at home and milking it for all it's worth :p - my hubby has been great. To all of you out there TTC-ing, I wish you lots and lots of baby dust sticky vibes.

Love Sandy xoxo

PS- they give you the option of one or two embyros put back on Day 2, I'm not sure if they do blasties or not? I put back in two, cos only three fertilised, one was really good, one okay and the other died, so I'm hoping at least one of them will stick, but... bring on two sets of everything!!!!!

Firstly Cheeky , I am so sorry that your relatives baby girl didn't make it .How heartbreaking - I lost my first naturally conceived daughter @26weeks ~stillborn not premature though. I can imagine how painful it would have been.

Then we went to Westmead FC too (12years unexplained infertility) and I fell pregnant with twins on our #2 - with 2 Blasties ... they let me I guess as I was 39 (and our 3rd transfer)

:

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just wanted to let you all know that I've just gone throught my first ivf cycle with Westmead Fertility Centre, based at Westmead Public Hospital and I cannot speak highly enough of their professionalism, service and kind support from all staff involved, especially the nurses. My doctor was Dr Lorance Melham (lady) and although I didn't see her during my cycle, the other doctors on duty that I did see were all wonderful.

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I also agree that I have no hesitation in recommending them. Though I had Dr S and only saw him my inital appointment and in the corridors LOL.It was other Drs.I also saw Dr N Gayer mid cycle #1 for a laproscopy and clip my tube she was wonderful.

How quick to start - My first appointment ringing up to enquire ... I waited about 2 months for - then we started immediately the next cycle. I had first appointment mid May 2005 , started June first egg pickup/transfer mid July, another FET mid August , started fresh cycle in October (after our last embryo failed to thaw in mid Sept) successful #2 egg pickup /transfer mid Nov ... Twins born July 1st 2006 (1 month early). Woh to go with 2 cuddly babies 13.5 months.

Not all of ones I know were first go but certainly 1-3 goes.

Goodluck Sandy & Missy - sticky vibes :pray: and baby dust

Willow - OMG your friend ... though she is doubly blessed I send her my warmest regards and hope she has lots of help.


So go for it ... Westmead is a leader in the field Dr Smith told me and they train the other IVF nurses/Drs/scientiests etc. They are much cheaper not because they are public (they aren't public actually) but because they are not for profit I was told. I think they care just as much and are just as professional.

I recently help establish a local playgroup with our multiple birth assocation.One day we had three of us out of 4 attending mothers that were all there - thanks to Westmead fertility centre - babies 6wks to 9 months .One also had another single son (2yrs). Another member on BB just had twin sons @32wks is from Westmead FC. That is not to say WFC is just for twins - they are just some successful ones I know ;)

Oh Trish Id love to have twins...Was it hard??? I only saw Dr smith at my first appointment too. but I love them there. Well I heard that they can almost say 1 pg per cycle. SO, THIS IS MY SECOND, I WANT MY PG.......lol....:)oh and thanks for the good wishes.

I'm currently with Westmead Fertility Centre. I recommend them although in my experience you need to push very hard for what you want

My first cycle on 200 mg I was moderately OHSS and despite me telling them my symptoms and calling them, also being admitted to my local hospital for dehydration (despite 3L per day of water!) they didn't alter any dosage even though I requested and continued with the egg collection and trx. I was only ever told by Dr Moustafa (last name omitted) there (not my DR) to drink lots of milk and have lots of protein???. Continual bleeding and pain for the 2WW. Oh the pain.

Did a FET (natural) and no embryo's survived which is apparantly very common with OHSS I've since found out, but I also have a family history of failed thaws.

Second cycle I insisted that I would not talk with that Dr again. I saw a lovely Dr whose name is too hard to pronounce let alone spell who called my Dr (Dr Mobbs) and when they went through my notes found problem Dr failed to note my symptoms down and it was never reveiwed in their meetings. They had to backtrack through the telephone records to find where I told westmead my symptoms. Also with my levels - over 17,000??? 5 days before EPU I should have been admitted and cycle cancelled. In second cycle medication reduced and between both DR's continual monitoring cycle went well. I refused to take the 'pill' as I react badly to it which they didn't have a problem with. Became mildly OHSS and coasted at end of cycle. Head scientist Dr Stephen ?? stayed in touch due to failure in thawing. He recommeded blast due to high no. of good quality embryo's. All Dr's recommened trx of 2 day 2 embryo, then take other embryos to blast. AF arrived on day 15 of 2WW and developed late onset OHSS. What fun. Despite a request for one nurses refused to do a BT as stated I wasn't pregnant as AF arrived. A bit emotional on that day and no DH there to help so didn't force the issue. Instead went to my GP and did BT. The headaches vomiting and nausea which were side effects of crinone were exactly the same as my first pregnancy.

Now again despite my protests I am on a reduced programmed cycle (I react badly to estrogen, progesterone, crinone, synarel, puregon and the 'pill') with all the side effects and really unhappy about it. I would much prefer natural cycle but I've only just found that WFC won't do a natural cycle with blast. Also with my family history of failed thaws I don't hold much hope with this FET. The headaches, tremors, vomiting, nausea, cramping and pain even on reduced estrogen are just not fun. I'm not looking forward to the progesterone which will push my hyperthyroidism up and make my symptoms more acute either.

The nurses are a bit hesitant with me as I refuse any contact with the problem Dr and as he is an assistant Dr there he mainly does the transfers and books patients in for their EPU. Thank goodness he doesn't do EPU. On my last trx I was very happy when I spoke with 2 other ladies waiting as the three of us had to do a late afternoon trx as we all refused to have problem Dr do the trx.

My SIL also used Dr Mobbs at WFC and had a mix up on first EPU where hers and another ladies eggs were contaminated. She did a back to back cycle at WFC expense and fell pregnant first go.

The costs are 1950 for icsi and after you reach the medicare limit you get back 1453. (approx).

I thoroughly recommend Dr Gayer, Dr Thinsyangonguo (???) and Dr Mobbs. I personally do not recommend problem Dr as treated only with milk and eggs my OHSS would have become severe and I was only lucky I took myself to hospital.

The nurses are helpful but only if you ask the right questions and push hard for what you want. But then my SIL is adamant the nurses were fantastic with her.

If you really want to do something a particular way, tell the nurses you are doing it, and argue as you need to be in control of yourself and only you know how your body works and reacts to things.

The chief scientist is also very excited about moving to new premises at end 2007 (still at Westmead hospital) with better facilities and ability to freeze and thaw at a slower and much more successful rate. Apparantly this is only done with people who regularly have failed thaws (my SIL and I in same boat) and gives a 90% success rate for thawing compared to 40% with conventional freezing.

SHEESH ! My goodness my head is spinning...you poor thing!!!
Thankyou so much for the heads up everyone !!!
I pray my journey is going to be as problem free medically as my first attempts 5 years ago !! My issues back then were definetely mentally & not physically !!! I am feeling really positive this time & I'm older & I feel wiser. I usually have a good intuition for how comfortable I am around new people so if any of the Dr's give me a bad feeling I'm not going to let them push me around !!!
I am going to my GP next week to get my referral then I will be booking my app. so I will keep you posted as to how it's going.
Thank's again everyone, you are all superheroes in my eyes :D

I am currently with WFC in my 1st cycle, with EPU planned for Tues. They have been really good so far. I had little wait time to get in with nurses interview and despite a few communication problems, the nurses have been lovely and try to do what they can. I don't know anyone else who has been through WFC but because i didn't know any better, went with them due to convenience of location more than anything else! Am glad to hear they are cheaper than other Centres! :lol:

goodluck Kimbe - I can't thank them enough for my twin boys.

Im with westmead as well and I agree you have to push for ansewrs. I have unexplained infertility and although my GP thinks its to do with my thyroid antibodies Dr Mobbs refuses to acknowledge that as a posible problem. I found the whole process wasnt explained to me very well at all it was here are youe drugs and off you go. So when I got to 18 days past transfer and got really ill and had the worst period ever and wound up in hospital I didnt even know what was going on. It was a mis carriage and when I told the nurse she said oh dear !!!!! So still no answers. We doing another transfer at the end of the month and if I still dont get some doctor or nurse to listen to me Im going to scream. so good luck

Is was wondering, you girls who are going to WFC did you ring them to get an appointment or did you ring one of the Doctors from the clinic. What sort of a time frame did it take for you to get into the Doctors? I have also been told that you gone on a waiting list? Is this true? I am doing my research as to where to go for IVF and had not considered WFC until you girls mentioned it. There is also a clinic at RPA as well isn't there?

I rang Dr S and made an appointment with him - took 6 weeks 2 years ago. You can ring any of the Drs I am told and book in but generally you see any of the Drs for the procedures - after my first appointment I didn't see him again except in the corridor.They are all excellent.
I had friends at RPA and they were very happy there too ... depends on your transport arrangements.

Hi Racey,
I had no idea either, so just went with who the local GP referred which was WFC cause it was closest to home and work. The process was simple, I rang them and they gave me the name and contact of each of the Dr's who are they are aligned with. From there, they offered to book me into 2, but there was a 6 week wait, or i could ring any of the others and try and get a meeting earlier. I rang Dr M and got an appointment that weekend. The appointment was scary, and we doubted our choice. He was in a freaky old house in the back of Westmead which needed a good clean, and wasn't cheap for the weekend visit, but he just talked with us, checked our GP's referral, sent us both for bloods and me for an ultrasound, then once that was done we were told to ring the fertility centre and book in for a nurses interview. Of course, within 2 weeks all the BT's and Ultrasound were done and i had phoned the nurses. Another 3-4 weeks later we were in at WFC for the nurses interview. We were lucky, my period started 3 days later which meant the IVF cycle could begin. I am impatient and the 4-6 weeks to get all that done seemed to take forever, but now, the cycle is near completion and the 2ww is all that's left (after egg transfer 2morrow!). I have found WFC both easy and difficult. I have not seen Dr M since the initial referral stage, other than in the halls of the hospital, when he didn't recognise me! We have met probably 7 nurses throughout the process, all which have been great, but i have felt at times that i was on the journey alone because i just didn't know what questions to ask - so was relying on the internet for most things! I do recommend them though. My EPU was yesterday and it was so smooth and relatively painless. I was unwell with one of the fert drugs, but that would have happened no matter where we went for treatment, and as a bonus, the WFC is about to move into new premises with the upgrade of the hospital, so you will be in a great environment for your first cycle.
Hope this has helped with the difficult decision making, good luck!

Thanks Kimbee
Congratulations on your EPU If you don't mind me asking. Was the price $1950 as they say on there website, and then the price of the Medications. Was there any cost involved for the EPU or Transfer? I have already seen a Gyno and he has said that I need to have my Fallopian tube removed that goes to my only ovary I have left, so I am trying to work out a plan. As I don't have PHI I have to wait to have the tube removed, so I was thinking if I have to wait for that, should I try and book into the clinic now or wait until it is all over. i am a little like you I HATE waiting

The price is what they say and all drugs are covered by this which is a great thing. I rang my FS and got in 3 days after inital phone call. After all the blood tests results came back I rang the clininc and they said I could Start in my next cycle. So F.S Appoinmnet 10th of march Started IVF 29th of March and did one cycle which failed on May 12th. So it was a 2 month process for me. Good luck with everything but make sure you have a list of questions you want to ask like what to expect from drugs and what they are used for and why, egg pick up, TWW symptoms and what to expect when it fails because that last part really freaked me out because I wasnt expecting what happened, I didnt know if what I went through was normal. I got really ill when it failed I was just told that I would get a normal period. So make sure you ask lots of questions otherwise the information is not very forthcoming. Otherwise they are good at know their jobs.

Just wanted to say hi - noticed a few Blue Mountains gals on here! I have seen Dr Melham, just waiting on AF to get started. We are doing IVF/ICSI. I'm quite worried about it all, don't really know what to expect, how I'll handle the drugs, etc. Wonder if I can do blood tests up here somewhere?

Kimbe good luck with your transfer today!!

Hey Racey - price was as advertised. Still awaiting medicare rebate through cause you have to do the threshold business, but after $1950, they never asked for any more, but kept giving me the med's and then some of the fertilised eggs hadn't developed and they're going to be 'blasted' before possible freezing and there was no extra cost on that either. The PESA for DH was only $85 too cause it's now covered under medicare which was a nice surprise when we were expecting $350.

Hi topcat,
You sound like me back in April...i can say it's all worth it. I'm in the 2WW period now and only had a few bad side effects from pregnyl injections...they've told me now though that it was prob dehydration from gonal F, so make sure whatever you do you keep up the fluids! I drove down for the BT's cause it was only a slight diversion from my general way to work (30minutes out of the way). I think all up i visited 9 times and that includes EPU and egg transfer which wasn't too bad. Good Luck what ever you do!

Hey Kimbe,
Wow - good luck in your TWW! Is it as anxious as I've heard? When you said 9 visits all up - it really makes me feel better! I had been imagining daily visits for weeks. I'm actually quite freaked out about starting, but impatient too. Bring it on!!
Let us know how you go with it, how exciting!

Hey Cheeky

I am pleased to hear that you and DH are giving IVF another go and that things are better for you now.

You have my email if you need to talk.

Best wishes

Saffi

I used westmead fertility centre and they are great. I got pregnant first go using IVF and am currently 34 wks and 6 days pregnant after 12yrs of trying natural methods.
I saw Dr Nalini Gayer and she was great and recommend her. We basically started our treatment as soon as the tests were done and I was on my next period cycle. I had irregular periods but Dr Gayer seemed to know what my body was up to.
Good luck.
P:S- the staff at WFC are very professional and caring.