# Looking for a clinic in Europe - how to choose?



## Lpatz (3 mo ago)

I'm currently exploring OE options, as well as donor embryos. I want to go abroad both for financial reasons, but also because they seem to have far bigger donor banks.

There are so many clinics, I'm struggling to narrow it down.
I'm looking at Spain, Czech, Greece (only because these come up in my searches often)

I hoping that somebody will have some info to help me narrow it down.
For instance
- has anyone had any experience using frozen DE vs frozen embryos or fresh DE? I've yet to find somewhere that has frozen eggs - is this not a thing?
- is there any big differences between screening/ anonymity regulations between countries?
- is there any difference between embryo matching process between countries? i.e. I am Celtic pale with dark hair and blue eyes - are any places more likely to be able to match to this sort of colouring? (not a deal-breaker, but would feed into the decision.)

Thank you!


----------



## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

Hi, from what I know clinics, even within a country, varies in their approach as to treatment and protocols. I remember I was prescribed taking drugs vaginally while official info says to take them orally. My doc explained their observations proved drugs performed better so they recommended that way. I also recommend asking clinics more detailed questions e.g. what is their success rate in treatment of patients of your age and diagnosis, how much time it will take and how much it will cost. Try to ask as many personalised questions as you can. Their info of e.g. 45% success rates will tell you nothing as they can get it in women aged max 30 and with no big issues. And they might not have experience, or limited one, in treatment of women who are 45+ and with poor ovarian reserve. Hope this helps. All the best.


----------



## Susie_22 (3 mo ago)

Hello.

I'm currently undergoing treatment at IVF Spain in Alicante and I'm finding it a much more relaxing and positive experience than what I had previously experienced here in the UK. I have an allocated patient care person who emails me to remind me what drugs to take and to check in on how I'm doing. I honestly feel very supported by the clinic and my consultant is lovely. I am doing this as a single woman and have been treated with respect by my doctor and the team there, no judgement just kindness and support. Also, this clinic was recommended by a friend of a friend who after 6 failed attempts in the UK got pregnant with her daughter there.

I can't answer your specific questions about donor eggs/ embryos but I have used a sperm donor and in Spain it is all completely anonymous. The sperm donor has my colouring/ height so there is more chance my baby will look like me. The donors are from all over Europe and for example the clinic won't match you with an olive skinned donor if you are fair skinned, or a blonde donor if you are dark haired.

Extra costs to consider are if you need any procedures (I had a polyp removed) and where you'll get your scans. I pay £60 per scan at my local baby scan place. The clinic have recommended hotels that you get a discounted rate with, the one I stay in is 15 mins walk from the clinic and its really nice. £40-£60 a night depending on the season. There's a tram into Alicante that takes ten mins and it feels like a safe city to walk about in by yourself.

It honestly has been so much easier this time emotionally and physically. However IVF is a rollercoaster and here's the things that I've found stressful because I have chosen to gone abroad:

I got my medication in a Spanish pharmacy so all the instructions are in Spanish. Google translate is handy.
I needed an intermusucular injection in my bum and my GP/ nurse at home refused to do it saying I needed to go to a fertility specialist. I really didn't want to go back to the local fertility clinic where I previously had a bad experience, hence going abroad this time - so my friend who is a paramedic came and did it for me. I was lucky I knew someone or that would have been another £150 for a private GP appointment. You could get an friend/partner to do it but it's an important part of the process, quite a big needle (wasn't sore though) and you need to mix the drug up so quite stressful for someone not used to injecting you!
I have chosen to tell very few people that I am having IVF so its been stressful for me to be lying about what I'm doing and where I'm going etc. I know its more keeping my own privacy than lying but its mentally exhausting! Thankfully I work remotely and my boss has had IVF so is fully supportive.
Not stressful but worth noting - one of the pharmacies asked me for photo ID to get the prescription. I'm not sure why as I hadn't needed it in other pharmacies but worth carrying it with you to save time.

Good luck!


----------



## MK7 (4 mo ago)

Hi, here's what I've learned while arranging to start in Athens soon with Serum. I echo the words above about being treated so much better abroad after bad experiences here!

Spain is anonymous and by law has to match you physically, their intro email to me said. 
Greece is anonymous but recent law changes mean you can use ID-release donors from clinics elsewhere and transport. Within EU is 1-3 days. *From UK, even if donor gametes originated outside of UK within EU, takes 3-5 mths of legal paperwork for committee approval (post-Brexit). 

Fertility counsellor sessions helped me a lot while I was deciding on clinics and digesting the mass of information about different countries' approaches and options, as did speaking to someone in DCN who kindly offered to call and who had been aboard. 

Good luck finding where you think feels right!


----------



## kimberley83 (2 mo ago)

Lpatz said:


> I'm currently exploring OE options, as well as donor embryos. I want to go abroad both for financial reasons, but also because they seem to have far bigger donor banks. There are so many clinics, I'm struggling to narrow it down. I'm looking at Spain, Czech, Greece (only because these come up in my searches often) I hoping that somebody will have some info to help me narrow it down. For instance - has anyone had any experience using frozen DE vs frozen embryos or fresh DE? I've yet to find somewhere that has frozen eggs - is this not a thing? - is there any big differences between screening/ anonymity regulations between countries? - is there any difference between embryo matching process between countries? i.e. I am Celtic pale with dark hair and blue eyes - are any places more likely to be able to match to this sort of colouring? (not a deal-breaker, but would feed into the decision.) Thank you!


 Hi, I used Fertility Port Prague for donor embryo transfer. My husband has black hair and blue green eyes and pale skin. We both sent pictures of ourselves to the clinic as well as what physical qualities we were hoping for in a donor, in our case we also specify blood type. We didn't last time. We had our first unsuccessful transfer Feb 2020 and only returned to Prague last month to try for a second time, which was successful. I would absolutely recommend this clinic, this time round has been so much more thorough. They started me on a mock plan, so all the drugs could be adjusted ahead of the real cycle. This was much less stressful, although obviously comes with additional costs for scans and drugs. The staff at the clinic all speak English, communication is generally through email and prescription are easiest through an online pharmacy. The downside of double donors in Prague is the limited medical history and the anonymity of the donor, but I believe this is the same in a lot of places. Good luck in what you decide.


----------



## Susie_22 (3 mo ago)

kimberley83 said:


> Hi, I used Fertility Port Prague for donor embryo transfer. My husband has black hair and blue green eyes and pale skin. We both sent pictures of ourselves to the clinic as well as what physical qualities we were hoping for in a donor, in our case we also specify blood type. We didn't last time. We had our first unsuccessful transfer Feb 2020 and only returned to Prague last month to try for a second time, which was successful. I would absolutely recommend this clinic, this time round has been so much more thorough. They started me on a mock plan, so all the drugs could be adjusted ahead of the real cycle. This was much less stressful, although obviously comes with additional costs for scans and drugs. The staff at the clinic all speak English, communication is generally through email and prescription are easiest through an online pharmacy. The downside of double donors in Prague is the limited medical history and the anonymity of the donor, but I believe this is the same in a lot of places. Good luck in what you decide.


Congratulations on your pregnancy! I too had a mock cycle in Spain and like you it feels much more thorough and reassuring. I feel like my clinic want me to be successful, where as in the UK I often felt like they were just taking my money.


----------



## JEAP (Aug 31, 2019)

I managed to have my daughter with using fresh DE at IVF Spain in Alicante.We tried before in the US with frozen with no success. The treatment between the US and Spain was night and day. We felt Spain really took the time to explain everything, walk us through the steps and provided post implantation support. I would use them again, but unfortunately, I have aged out and will need to go to Cyprus or Greece and transfer my frosties for another try. Best of luck!


----------



## Lpatz (3 mo ago)

miamiamo said:


> I also recommend asking clinics more detailed questions e.g. what is their success rate in treatment of patients of your age and diagnosis, how much time it will take and how much it will cost. Try to ask as many personalised questions as you can.


Thank you for this. When I did IVF in UK, I always felt a bit on the back foot with consultations - your reply has just prompted me to add a 'questions' tab to my spreadsheet


----------



## Lpatz (3 mo ago)

kimberley83 said:


> The downside of double donors in Prague is the limited medical history and the anonymity of the donor, but I believe this is the same in a lot of places. Good luck in what you decide.


Hi Kimberley - thank you for replying. By double donors, does that mean full embryo donation, or actually picking two donors and creating from there? I'm curious as to why the medical history is limited in this case.


----------



## Lpatz (3 mo ago)

JEAP said:


> I managed to have my daughter with using fresh DE at IVF Spain in Alicante.We tried before in the US with frozen with no success. The treatment between the US and Spain was night and day. We felt Spain really took the time to explain everything, walk us through the steps and provided post implantation support. I would use them again, but unfortunately, I have aged out and will need to go to Cyprus or Greece and transfer my frosties for another try. Best of luck!


Thanks for replying - IVF Spain is on my list, I'm happy to hear you had a good experience there. Good luck with the next country!


----------



## JCB2095 (Dec 29, 2021)

Hi. I’m currently reviewing a bunch of clinics in Europe too for DE. Happy to share lists and thoughts so far? There seem to be a bunch that use fresh and others that are frozen eg London Egg Bank. Most offer a free call so I’m currently doing that and updating my spreadsheet to compare them all.


----------



## C1a1re (4 mo ago)

Susie_22 said:


> Hello.
> 
> I'm currently undergoing treatment at IVF Spain in Alicante and I'm finding it a much more relaxing and positive experience than what I had previously experienced here in the UK. I have an allocated patient care person who emails me to remind me what drugs to take and to check in on how I'm doing. I honestly feel very supported by the clinic and my consultant is lovely. I am doing this as a single woman and have been treated with respect by my doctor and the team there, no judgement just kindness and support. Also, this clinic was recommended by a friend of a friend who after 6 failed attempts in the UK got pregnant with her daughter there.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your insight into IVF treatment abroad. Have you had to have many trips over?


----------



## Susie_22 (3 mo ago)

C1a1re said:


> Thank you for your insight into IVF treatment abroad. Have you had to have many trips over?


Hi, I had 3 trips in total. First one was for face to face meeting with consultant and tests, second trip was for a polyp removal which I could have had done in the UK but I wanted everything done by the same consultant because I trusted him, third trip was for egg collection and transfer. I got my BFP yesterday!

Honestly, even if it hadn't worked I would be happy to go back to this clinic again because they have taken such good care of me. The package I bought includes care up to 12 weeks and I have a dedicated patient care lady who messages me to remind me about medications, scans etc and she has been a massive support, especially as I'm single. 

Good luck x


----------



## C1a1re (4 mo ago)

Susie_22 said:


> Hi, I had 3 trips in total. First one was for face to face meeting with consultant and tests, second trip was for a polyp removal which I could have had done in the UK but I wanted everything done by the same consultant because I trusted him, third trip was for egg collection and transfer. I got my BFP yesterday!
> 
> Honestly, even if it hadn't worked I would be happy to go back to this clinic again because they have taken such good care of me. The package I bought includes care up to 12 weeks and I have a dedicated patient care lady who messages me to remind me about medications, scans etc and she has been a massive support, especially as I'm single.
> 
> Good luck x


That is super and massive congratulations 🎊. 
I have had embryo transfer yesterday, they were small and upgradable. As much as I am trying to remain positive, I am also being realistic. 
I've had 2 unsuccessful attempts with 0E and this is a donor. I need to think what my next step will be of not successful. 
Like yourself I am single and few people know. 
What company was it?xx


----------



## Susie_22 (3 mo ago)

C1a1re said:


> That is super and massive congratulations 🎊.
> I have had embryo transfer yesterday, they were small and upgradable. As much as I am trying to remain positive, I am also being realistic.
> I've had 2 unsuccessful attempts with 0E and this is a donor. I need to think what my next step will be of not successful.
> Like yourself I am single and few people know.
> What company was it?xx


Fingers, toes, eyes and legs crossed for you! I've private messaged you some links (I'm new to this site so hope that worked) clinic was IVF Spain in Alicante.

Get the comedies on, I cry laughed at Naked Gun the other day because its so stupid and goofy and exactly what you need to help take your mind of things. It's on Netflix. x


----------

