# Newbie - Over 40 and need recommendations for IVF Clinics abroad



## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

Hello everyone
Myself (41) and DH (45) were referred to IVF by our GP pre-covid however the process did not commence and here we are in year 2022 and as per NICE guidelines we should be offered only 1 cycle of IVF on the NHS. 

We have decided to go for IVF Clinics in Spain or Greece as the success rates they give are much higher than in the UK. 

After researching online and platforms like Mumsnet and FertilityFriends, I have narrowed our choices down to 4 clinics below. 

*Instituto Bernabeu Madrid: Instituto Bernabeu
Clinica Tambre in Madrid: Assisted Reproduction in Madrid, Spain | Tambre Fertility Clinics
IVF Spain in Madrid or Alicante : Assisted Reproduction Clinics in Spain | IVF Life
New Life IVF in Thessaloniki Greece: IVF Greece | IVF Clinics Greece - Newlife IVF*

If anyone who has successfully completed their treatments with BFP  from one of the above clinics and with their own eggs (OE), please can you share your experience? Since it will be our first time IVF, we would like to try using my OE. I understand chances are low as I am over 40, however I would like to stay hopeful and give it a try for more than once. 

I am going to contact each of the clinics and update on what they advise accordingly. 

All the best 🍀


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## Lola2021 (Dec 25, 2020)

Hi, good luck to you on your journey. This might be a silly question but would you not try the cycle with NHS (if its free)? At least that way you could request your notes and then send them to the clinic abroad to show what was done previously, in case the protocol needs to be changed?


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## PDream1980 (Oct 21, 2021)

Lola2021 said:


> Hi, good luck to you on your journey. This might be a silly question but would you not try the cycle with NHS (if its free)? At least that way you could request your notes and then send them to the clinic abroad to show what was done previously, in case the protocol needs to be changed?


Waiting lists ? Could be a long wait to start . You could get on the nhs list and get on with private treatment and then use the nhs go when it becomes available . I would have done both but didn’t qualify for the nhs free round ,l


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## Lola2021 (Dec 25, 2020)

Ah right ok 😕


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## PDream1980 (Oct 21, 2021)

Lola2021 said:


> Ah right ok 😕


Ya , some people I’ve heard have waited two years and time wasn’t in their side so very sad . I wouldn’t mess about if you want a baby as the nhs isn’t quick in a lot of areas I don’t think


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## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

Lola2021 said:


> Hi, good luck to you on your journey. This might be a silly question but would you not try the cycle with NHS (if its free)? At least that way you could request your notes and then send them to the clinic abroad to show what was done previously, in case the protocol needs to be changed?



Thank you Lola2021 for your best wishes and reply. My GP is supporting me with doing the blood tests and has provided me with the notes and will support in what they can. I had a terrible experience doing HSG at the NHS during the initial testing (pre-covid time). One of my friends who went via NHS who was under 35 years old at that did not have any success on the first time. We are trying to save time, looking at our ages rather than the cost (although we will be relying partly on loan and partly on our savings). We may need additional tests like karyotype blood test and sperm DNA fragmentation which I heard are cheaper and also advanced in clinics abroad.


Best regards


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## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

PDream1980 said:


> Waiting lists ? Could be a long wait to start . You could get on the nhs list and get on with private treatment and then use the nhs go when it becomes available . I would have done both but didn’t qualify for the nhs free round ,l



I am anxious about the NHS waiting list surely, considering I had to wait long pre-Covid as well. I also had a terrible and unbearably painful experience doing the HSG test at that time via NHS. When I asked the Radiolist (I believe) for some medication to ease the process (my friend in the US was provided with some medication to prevent infection and also something to help with the pain before the procedure), I was harshly told unfortunately they do not provide anything and they decided not to continue and re-book the test. The whole process made me anxious tbh. I would have tried, however looking at the waiting list and low chances (due to our ages), we have decided to go abroad/privately.


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## PDream1980 (Oct 21, 2021)

HopefulforIVFJourney said:


> I am anxious about the NHS waiting list surely, considering I had to wait long pre-Covid as well. I also had a terrible and unbearably painful experience doing the HSG test at that time via NHS. When I asked the Radiolist (I believe) for some medication to ease the process (my friend in the US was provided with some medication to prevent infection and also something to help with the pain before the procedure), I was harshly told unfortunately they do not provide anything and they decided not to continue and re-book the test. The whole process made me anxious tbh. I would have tried, however looking at the waiting list and low chances (due to our ages), we have decided to go abroad/privately.


Yes @hopefulforivf …… it’s amazing how many people work in the caring profession who aren’t caring and quite harsh as you put it . I’ve found the process a little brutal at times.

where have you decided for going abroad? I will be going abroad for de once I wrap my head around it and if my own eggs fail in the uk which im a little Prepared for . Xo


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## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

PDream1980 said:


> Yes @hopefulforivf …… it’s amazing how many people work in the caring profession who aren’t caring and quite harsh as you put it . I’ve found the process a little brutal at times.
> 
> where have you decided for going abroad? I will be going abroad for de once I wrap my head around it and if my own eggs fail in the uk which im a little Prepared for . Xo



Working in the care industry myself, I felt that harsh tbh. However, its my journey and I cannot expect everyone to be supportive. I appreciate those who are supportive and can only be hopeful for the people we are going to come across once we start our actual IVF journey. 

*Instituto Bernabeu Madrid: Instituto Bernabeu
Clinica Tambre in Madrid: Assisted Reproduction in Madrid, Spain | Tambre Fertility Clinics
IVF Spain in Madrid or Alicante : Assisted Reproduction Clinics in Spain | IVF Life
New Life IVF in Thessaloniki Greece: IVF Greece | IVF Clinics Greece - Newlife IVF* 


I am looking at the above clinics, however need some advise from fellow FF members who have had any experience with any of these clinics OR going to try using their own eggs. 

Good luck with your treatment. I hope everything goes well for you.


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## Lola2021 (Dec 25, 2020)

We used IB in Alicante. They are probably not the cheapest but I found them good. There is a separate thread for most of the clinics abroad (under region/Spain) so plenty to read about. We flew over to Spain for 1 night and did our blood tests there and DH had defragmentation tests, FSH tests etc. We decided to go straight to DE as our chances of own egg were so low and we had previoulsy tried 2 cycles of ivf. We were luck that DE worked first time.
Wishing you success in whatever road you decide to take 🍀


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## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

Lola2021 said:


> We used IB in Alicante. They are probably not the cheapest but I found them good. There is a separate thread for most of the clinics abroad (under region/Spain) so plenty to read about. We flew over to Spain for 1 night and did our blood tests there and DH had defragmentation tests, FSH tests etc. We decided to go straight to DE as our chances of own egg were so low and we had previoulsy tried 2 cycles of ivf. We were luck that DE worked first time.
> Wishing you success in whatever road you decide to take 🍀



Thank you for your kind words. Good to know that it worked for you guys for the first time with IB. I have managed to find the thread for Spain thank you. When you said you flew to Spain for 1 night for the blood tests, was it on the Day 3 or Day 21 of your monthly cycle? My cycle is 24 days and therefore my blood tests were taken at my GP surgery on day 21 and I am going to one on Day 3. Will appreciate your reply.


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## Lola2021 (Dec 25, 2020)

If you are using your own eggs then it needs to be on day 3 and 21. But we used donor egg so it did not matter what day in the cycle the bloods were taken


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## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

Lola2021 said:


> If you are using your own eggs then it needs to be on day 3 and 21. But we used donor egg so it did not matter what day in the cycle the bloods were taken



Thank you Lola2021 for taking the time to reply. Best regards


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## Maeve88Troy (Aug 9, 2019)

HopefulforIVFJourney said:


> Hello everyone
> Myself (41) and DH (45) were referred to IVF by our GP pre-covid however the process did not commence and here we are in year 2022 and as per NICE guidelines we should be offered only 1 cycle of IVF on the NHS.
> 
> We have decided to go for IVF Clinics in Spain or Greece as the success rates they give are much higher than in the UK.
> ...



Hello, try Dunya IVF in Cyprus, we successfully had our Willow there. Let me know if you need help.


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## MommyKenny (Jul 9, 2019)

I went to Dunya IVF in Cyprus too, highly recommended, we both had egg and sperm donated and we have our baby boy!


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## BabyWanted! (Sep 6, 2019)

We went to Dunya IVF and had a sperm donor, it was nice made a vacation out of it too


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## HopefulforIVFJourney (6 mo ago)

Maeve88Troy said:


> Hello, try Dunya IVF in Cyprus, we successfully had our Willow there. Let me know if you need help.



Thank you @Maeve88Troy. Will surely ask you if we go for cyprus. We are looking at Spain currently.


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## Maeve88Troy (Aug 9, 2019)

HopefulforIVFJourney said:


> Thank you @Maeve88Troy. Will surely ask you if we go for cyprus. We are looking at Spain currently.


How is your search doing? Have you found a clinic in Spain you might go to?


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