fertility centers / hormone stimulation

Hello
we are new here, so a big hello to to you :hello:
we have some questions regarding medical help to coneive.
After trying to have a hub for about 8 months with natural remedies, we decided
(mainly because of our age, both early 40's) to seek medical advice.
Have you had any experience with SydneyIVF, IVF Australia or Fertility East (in Eastern subs of Sydney, Dr. Lukic)?
We had a consultation with Sydney IVF, they sound more expensive than the other centers.
Also, we thought before going straight into IVF to have hormonal stimulation instead with Pregon or GonalF. Has anyone experienced pregnancies with this kind of stimulation only?
Thank you very much for your answers,
it will help my spinning head with all these questions:rolleyes:
beav

Hi Beav,

If you're in Sydney and are still looking at options for a fertility centre, we're currently going through Westmead Fertility Centre, located as part of Westmead Hospital. They have a great website, really informative and are the cheapest around in Sydney for fertility treatment. The nurses there are wonderful, really supportive.

Best of luck on your ttc journey.

thank you very much for this info. I am baffled about the difference with costs - australia ivf charges 12 ooo $ for one cycle, sydney ivf about 9000 $ (out of pocket). How can this difference be explained? (quality of treatment or facilities?) What made you decide to go with Westmead, and did you see other centers aswell?
westmead page is very informative, have you heard of this group called "access.org.au"? I wonder if it is of help to join them.
cheers beav

Beav,
We were referred to see Dr Smith by our Gyno in Penrith. He knew we didn't have health insurance and that Westmead Fertility was the best place to go, cost wise. I haven't had any experience with the other places so I don't know about differences but the experiences I've had with Westmead Fertility Clinic have all been good.. the nurses are lovely, available to answer questions 7 days a week, careful montioring of all treatment and I haven't any complaints at all.
I'm currently in my tww after my first ivf embryo transfer last week. Upfront cost was $1450 that includes everything, nothing else to pay along the way. After visiting medicare (we'd already reached our threshold from previous fertility treatments earlier on in the year) we've received a refund of $1085... so we're out of pocket $365.
I only realised how lucky we were finiancially to be going through Westmead Fertility Clinic after joining BB and realising the $$ some other girls unfortunately have to pay at their clinic.
I've heard of access, but haven't joined. The nurses at the clinic recommend it but I have found talking to others on BB really helpful. Access is another type of support network.

Beav just moved your thread over here as you may get more replies.
Good luck!

hi beav

welcome to BB!

given your age, i would think it's unlikely that a FS would suggest ovulation induction with drugs or anything like that. the chances of success are reduced with use of OI as opposed to IVF, so i would think they'd want to have you moving forward to increase your chances of success. OI with IUI has minimally increased success over natural ovulation

talk it over with your FS - tell them of your concerns in moving forward to IVF, and get their honest opinion on chances of success. if one gives 5%, on 25%, i'd be leaning towards the latter to be honest

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Beav,
We were referred to see Dr Smith by our Gyno in Penrith. He knew we didn't have health insurance and that Westmead Fertility was the best place to go, cost wise. I haven't had any experience with the other places so I don't know about differences but the experiences I've had with Westmead Fertility Clinic have all been good.. the nurses are lovely, available to answer questions 7 days a week, careful montioring of all treatment and I haven't any complaints at all.
I'm currently in my tww after my first ivf embryo transfer last week. Upfront cost was $1450 that includes everything, nothing else to pay along the way. After visiting medicare (we'd already reached our threshold from previous fertility treatments earlier on in the year) we've received a refund of $1085... so we're out of pocket $365.
I only realised how lucky we were finiancially to be going through Westmead Fertility Clinic after joining BB and realising the $$ some other girls unfortunately have to pay at their clinic.
I've heard of access, but haven't joined. The nurses at the clinic recommend it but I have found talking to others on BB really helpful. Access is another type of support network.

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I wish you all the best and keep fingers crossed for you! Tww meaning two waiting weeks? (sorry, I am still new with all the abbrev.'s, is there an index for them?)
I have searched a little here at BB, some comments sound brilliant about WFC and others are more critical. I will def. call them and hope they give general info. My disheartening experience is that I ring IVFs up and they want consultation app. straight awazy (to see a doctor is always about 300 $). BB is great to find out a lot! I guess for Medicare patients this is not so crucial.
Cheers Beav

that's great, than you! I wondered why so few are replying to such a complex topic ...
cheers beav

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hi beav

welcome to BB!

given your age, i would think it's unlikely that a FS would suggest ovulation induction with drugs or anything like that. the chances of success are reduced with use of OI as opposed to IVF, so i would think they'd want to have you moving forward to increase your chances of success. OI with IUI has minimally increased success over natural ovulation

talk it over with your FS - tell them of your concerns in moving forward to IVF, and get their honest opinion on chances of success. if one gives 5%, on 25%, i'd be leaning towards the latter to be honest

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The one FS (meaning Fertility Specialist, I assume?) from Sydney IVF suggested donor eggs straight away and we hadn't even considered that ... medically, all the test showed normal except thyroid unterfunction, but I am treated for that. Our plan was to try naturall with a naturopath for 6 months and then gradually step into OI, IUI and then IVF. I read your story (with tears in my eyes) and hope so much for your success! Did you see more than one FS? (sorry I might have missed this info somewhere). Yes, we definetely will seek the highest chances for conception.
cheers
beav

Beav,
Please don't take this post as being harsh or negative, I just want to give you my experience. Once you are over 38 your fertility drops OI and IUI only address a few issues with getting pregnant. they make sure you ovulate and make sure there are sperm present at the right time. IVF covers all bases ie. makes sure you ovulate, ensures sperm fertilises the egg, picks the embryo that looks them best to implant, makes sure your uterine lining is the best it can be and many clinics give you progesterone support during the two week wait to make sure you have not problems there. While IVF is expensive and invasive, it just does so much more than OI or IUI. It is fine to try all these out if people are up to their mid 30s but once you get to 40, there is more likelihood that your eggs won't fertilise without help or that your lining is not good and that your eggs quality is diminishing so the sooner you get to IVF the better. that has been my experience so I urge you to jump right into IVF but also understand it is a big decision so good luck.
forgot to say. If you are looking for price lists from clinics, best thing to do is to get someone on here to scan / send you a recent price list from a clinic. as you say, they won't give you a price list until you see a doctor and sign up for IVF so you could spend $500 before you even know what the IVF is going to cost!

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Beav,
It is fine to try all these out if people are up to their mid 30s but once you get to 40, there is more likelihood that your eggs won't fertilise without help or that your lining is not good and that your eggs quality is diminishing so the sooner you get to IVF the better. that has been my experience so I urge you to jump right into IVF but also understand it is a big decision so good luck.

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Hi

For what it's worth - I completely agree - that once you hit 40, it's wise to move right to ivf if you are ready for it. This is what my FS recommended (I asked, if she was me, what would she do)...and this is what was recommended to my over-40 friends in the US as well. good luck with the path you choose!

soeey beav - i was meaning if one option (iui for example) gave 5% chance of success, another (ivf) gave 25% chance, i'd go with ivf.

i'm pretty sure for over 40's the chances are much reduced from that though

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soeey beav - i was meaning if one option (iui for example) gave 5% chance of success, another (ivf) gave 25% chance, i'd go with ivf.

i'm pretty sure for over 40's the chances are much reduced from that though

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Yes, that is what the doctor has told us and why we considered natural fertility our better option. So far, however, we have tried without success and time is such an important factor for us. IVF sounded quite invasive, which is what made us sceptical along with the low success rates.
cheers beav

age alone is, unfortunately, not on your side. that in itself reduces your chances of success with any assisted conception technique.

i would be thinking that, any time you commit to trying naturally, you're reducing your chances of success as you're using up viable eggs without success. if you've been trying for more than six months, and have not had success, and don't have an obvious reason you're not pregnant (ie you're not ovulating) i would think moving into IVF is probably a good move. YES, it's invasive, YES it's expensive, and YES, there is no guarantee of success - but you're more likely to get pregnant by IVF if you start earlier rather than later. the longer you leave it, the more your chances of success will dwindle...

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the longer you leave it, the more your chances of success will dwindle...

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Sadly this is often the case. The positive part is you can try naturally between IVF cycles depending on how often you need or can do them. Using myself as an example, I never thought when I started trying at 36 that I would still be trying 4 years later. IVF can take time, and starting the earlier the better when you are over 35 can help. While IVF can feel invasive as medical people will know almost all there is to know about you, it really helps me to know I am doing something to help ourselves along. I have endometriosis which impedes our ability to conceive naturally but these days for me it is more of an age thing as my eggs are both old and damaged by the endo.

It does help IVF if you can still maintain a healthy lifestyle along, and some women doing IVF continue to seek alternative therapies. So a combination of the two can help.

Hi Beav, I have only just read your original thread today, I am also in my 40's (42 to be exact and turning 43 in November - so the clock is really ticking quite fast).

My FS (fertility specialist) has told us that at 42 you only have a 7% chance each cycle of falling pregnant without any help, ie IVF and this diminishes each year until I believe at age 45 it is about 1%. With IVF he could only guarantee us about a 15% chance of a positive outcome and in the same breath mentioned that the particular fertility clinic we go to has had no luck at all with pregnancy for over 43 age bracket - fantastic news that was.

We have just finished our 3rd IVF Cycle and it was another negative for us, with my AF arriving this morning. So I have no idea if we should or if I could even consider doing a 4th. All the sniffing and injecting and the hormonal ups and downs are just getting a little too much to handle.

I have also made an appointment to see a Naturopath just to see if I can get into a healthier more relaxed lifestyle which I am hoping just might help for the future.

However we are very lucky that at age 39 and after the very first IUI we conceived our DD, who is now 2 1/2 years old.

Hi Beav
You could also have a look at Fertility First at Hurstville Dr Ann Clark i have found they are cheaper than all the others they have a website as well i recommend having a look.

Mel

Hi MIndy
You could also have a look at Fertility First at Hurstville Dr Ann Clark i have found they are cheaper than all the others they have a website as well i recommend having a look.

thank you for your address. Interesting is, that in our case, not being with Medicare, they charge about the same as Syd IVF. So we are thinking ...

hi jodie
Thank you for your detailed facts, and yes, that's the % our FS gave us - we were quite low after hearing how little chance we would have even with IVF. Are you with SydIVF?
We found naturopathy very motivating and a lot less stressful than seeing medical doctors. Sadly, we didn't fall pregnant and got scared about time running out for us. It sounds as if IFVs have quite some side effects, or is this because you had some already? I wish you all the best and lucky you to have a bundle of joy!
cheers
beav
tried to reply to you several times but the link wouldnt work ...

Hi Beav,

We are with Concept in Perth and the % sucess rates still do get me and DH down, which is why we are not sure as to whether we should go for a try at #4 cycle.

On our very first IVF cycle, I hardly had any reactions to the drugs, just some bloating and that was about all. It was comparitively easy.
However this last cycle I think that I went through the full range of side effects from the Synarel and the Gonal F - headaches, mood swings, bloating, weariness, nausea, hot flushes. I guess that the drugs effect everyone and every cycle differently, so you just don't know. :doh:

But I guess by doing IVF,seeing a Naturopath and trying to maintain a healthy and relaxed lifestyle, you are doing just about whatever you can to acheive that much longed for baby.

I wish you and your DH every success in the world, let me know how you go :hug:

Well, it is hard to believe what has happened to us ...
first of all thanks for all the posts re ivf which have really helped us to search for the right doctor and centre. We chose Dr. Livingstone (and the first appointment is still in my diary!) and Sydney IVF.
HOWEVER, two days ago we got our official p-test result from our Gyn - :bfp:
well, and still cannot believe it. We have become pregnant naturally and still wonder about this happening now all the time. We hope very much that everything will go right and the baby is healthy. After reading so many heartbreaking stories of m/c and other sad events, we are ever so careful and take every little step by step.
So thank you again,
Beav