# wheatgrass/fsh/general advice for ivf abroad



## honeybeehoney (Aug 18, 2011)

hello
ive just started trying to get pregnant (literally only in the last 2 months) and wanted a bit of advice. im going to be 39 soon and  i decided to have an amh test to see how long ive got to wait, the test came back as 2.2 to my horror which indicated that i have no time to wait at all! ive since had a couple of blood tests done and they've also been disappointing. my first fsh test which was tested on day 6 came in at 31.4 but my second fsh test which was done on day 2 came in at 11.6. ive been taking wheatgrass powder everyday since the first test and also had a couple of acupuncture sessions. i presume the combination of wheatgrass, acupuncture and a blood test on a different day all played factors in the difference in results. i'll keep up with the acupuncture and wheatgrass. 
rather than wait a few months to 'see what happens' we've decided to jump feet first into ivf. since its so incredibly expensive in this country (over £7,000), we're going to have to go abroad. can anyone advise on countries/clinics they've been to and had success please? ive been looking at france, spain and barbados. they say the ivf alone is £3,500 but then there are other things to consider which bump up the price. our budget is approx £4,500 - £5,000 per ivf cycle. does this sound reasonable?


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## VEC (May 29, 2007)

honeybeehoney! FF is a lifeline for those seeking support, information and friendship whilst going through fertility issues. Fellow FF members are fantastic pressure valves when family, friends, doctors and partners often just don't "get" what you're going through. It has held my hand throughout treatment and I've made some great friends and gained a vast amount of knowledge, both of which are key factors in at least maintaining some level of sanity!

I'm sorry to hear you've been brought up short with your AMH levels, and with the FSH test. I know that FSH levels can vary from month to month, and that low AMH levels are not the be all and end all, so I'll post you some links and you can see what others in your situation have experienced. I am a great believer in diet and complementary medicine playing an important part in our ability to conceive (and if I'm wrong on that score, then in any event I think that they can also make us feel a little more in control of our misbehaving bodies which can't be bad). As for clinics overseas, there are pros and cons in going overseas, and I always say to those who haven't done IVF in the UK first to be VERY careful about which clinic you pick. I am happy with our clinic (Reprofit) but that is partly because I'd already had a couple of cycles in the UK before I went to them - if I'd had my first cycles at Reprofit, I think I would have felt utterly at sea, because a certain level of experience/understanding of the process is expected by a lot of clinics overseas. On FF there are a couple of countries that seem to be particularly popular for overseas treatment, and they appear to be Spain, Czech Republic and Greece (in particular Dr Penny at Serum). you'll be able to see more infromation on all these countries by looking at the Regional/International boards. The more popular the clinic, the higher the prices, generally, but that's only a rule of thumb.

If you look at Suitcase of Dreams' FAQs on donor egg treatment (http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=256679.0) that contains a lot of information for treatment abroad - apologies, it is aimed at those who are intending to use donor eggs, but I think it is useful for ANYONE intending to travel overseas for treatment. The first page of that link also contains prices for a whole range of clinics, and whilst these are prices for donor egg treatment, it gives you an idea of the range of prices so you can see which clinics are likely to fall within your budget. Oh and by the way, when you contact the clinics you're interested in, it is worth asking them if they do any packages - for example, a clinic may offer a package of three IVFs and if you're not pregnant by the end, you get a certain percentage refund.

I utterly understand your wish to get cracking, but if I were in your position I would probably try for at least six months before going down the IVF road. That's just my personal opinion though, and in fact it is what we did and as you'll see by the time we got around to IVF, my own eggs were too elderly to use, and so perhaps I am not in the best position to make that suggestion!

Have a look around the site, post wherever you like, and make yourself at home. Whatever your circumstances, there will be someone who is going through a similar situation and who can offer support and information.

I've added some links which you may find helpful:

*Poor Response/Treatment with low AMH/High FSH ~ *CLICK HERE 

*Questions for your first cycle consultation ~ (use the ones that apply) *CLICK HERE

*A Rough Guide To IVF ~ *CLICK HERE

(This is a breakdown of the procedure of IVF which is the same as ICSI up until the point of fertilization, With ICSI the embryologist injects one good sperm into one good egg, and repeats until all are used. So it gives them a helping hand, with IVF the eggs and sperm are left to fertilize by themselves)

*Waiting to start/TTC ~ *CLICK HERE

*Complementary, Holistic and Spiritual Approaches ~ *CLICK HERE 

You can also "meet" and chat with people in your local area through the *Location boards*. This is especially useful to find people who may be using the same clinic and or in the same PCT area.

*What Every New Member Needs to Know ~ *CLICK HERE

*Site Guidelines ~ *CLICK HERE

You can also chat live in our chat room. We have a newbie day in the chat room every Wednesday where you can meet one of our mods for support, meet other new members and get technical support with navigating the site and using all the functions available here. 
*Newbie chat ~ *CLICK HERE

Post here with any more questions, or on any other part of the site - there will be lovely people ready to offer friendship, hugs and support to keep you going through the ups and downs and you'll quickly feel at home.

Good luck, I hope you find the right clinic for you, but in the meantime, I hope you get pregnant and have no need of a clinic.      

Martha X


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## VEC (May 29, 2007)

Hi again

I just wanted to flag up this thread which I've just come across which you might find useful. Again, I'm sorry because it actually generates from a discussion about donor eggs (a lot of women go overseas for donor treatment), but it does add some points generally which I thought you might find helpful :http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=254378.0;topicseen

And another thread, which is Agate's description of own egg ivf at serum in Athens. http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=264535.0
x


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