# Low AMH several failed IVF cycles: Do we stay in UK or go abroad?!



## Sunflower131 (Oct 18, 2020)

Hi everyone! 

I’m new to FF. Just had a fourth cycle of IVF and again got no embryos to transfer. I’m very lucky to have a boy through our first IVF cycle where we got two decent embryos, although one didn’t take. My husband has had cancer treatment and I have a low AMH (7.3). The doctor has suggested egg donation as she thinks I have poor egg quality and that’s the reason our embryos aren’t making it to blast. On the last cycle I got 11 eggs, 6 were mature enough to inject and 3 fertilised. So I know I can produce enough eggs to try again but I would want to switch to a clinic that specialises in low ovarian reserve, are there any decent ones in the UK? I’ve looked at Lister website briefly but can’t see a price list! Also seem impressed with Instituto Bernabeu website, but bit wary about extra hassle of going abroad, what are people’s experiences of it?!

Thanks for reading and any suggestions welcome  😊


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## mouse80 (Feb 13, 2020)

Hello sunflower. 

Sorry to hear about your unsuccessful rounds. It’s such a difficult journey, especially with the current covid situation and a little one to look after too. 

I’m at the lister and have low AMH (5.6). I’ve had 6 rounds so far and many of these have been cancelled before egg collection due to poor response. So while I imagine it’s frustrating that you are producing eggs but not good quality blasts it’s good that you can get so many eggs and hopefully with the rig he protocol you could perhaps get fewer but good quality eggs.  I have found the lister ok. My consultant while quite clinical in his bedside manner is very efficient and I’ve been able to do back to back cycles with the focus on getting only a few but good quality eggs. This has worked when I have actually managed to get eggs (3 blasts out of 8 eggs over the 6 cycles). You are also able to email your consultant directly and they do respond quickly but generally the clinic is nurse led in the majority of the day to day care. The consultants do review scans and bloods and do change things if needed. I have considered changing clinics but I’m happy at the moment that the lister are treating me despite my low chances of success and haven’t pushed the idea of DE after an initial conversation when I said I was not ready for that. Their website doesn’t seem to be running at the moment which is why you can’t get the price list up. We use access fertility multi cycle packages which have been better value that buying direct from the clinic. I also have a little one who is 3 and with that and work I couldn’t realistically see how I could cycle abroad. 

Good luck and hope you get some helpful info on other clinics to make your choice.


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## Saltysea (Apr 8, 2019)

Hi Sunflower

I think you won't find a fertility clinic better than the Lister for your situation. I have a far lower AMH than yours and travel to the Lister from another European country because I really think they are that good at what they do. I work in the medical field and I really respect their ethos and their evidence-based approach. They try to keep their patients calm und unworried, they don't prescribe non-proven expensive add-ons, they don't make the experience feel like a boot camp and their doctors and embryologists are among the best in the world. I have had 4 cycles with them and been very happy with the results - they always got all the eggs out of the going number of follicles and a very high percentage made it to blast. They treat a very high percentage of 'poor-responders', believe in safety first, are honest with their patients chances and encourage single transfers and with all that still have some of the best success rates in the UK.
In view of Covid and the fact you live in the UK, I would highly recommend you save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and pick the brilliant clinic you have in your own country. Travelling is an absolute logistical and risky nightmare at the moment! We paid about 4500 GBP for the last IVF round, not including the meds, which are probably about 2000 GBP. Their website is down at the moment, usually it is filled with some really useful and informative information. 

Good Luck!


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## Sunflower131 (Oct 18, 2020)

Thank you both for your feedback 😊 I’ll email lister for more details tomorrow


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## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

Hi, I am sorry to know you are going through this. I have been happy with my clinic, although they are brilliant, they might not be the clinic of the first choice in your case. From what I know most IVF clinics abroad work normal, but travelling also includes other parties involved such as air lines that might change their plans any time. So, I agree with posters above it is safer to trust a clinic nearby if they meet your criteria. I would only recommend  digging deeper and asking the clinic about your chances considering low AMH and your age that is also a very important factor. Good luck


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## esheard (Oct 1, 2020)

Hi i am new here. Weve just had a failed ivf cycle. I have a loe amh of 7. We got 1 egg and it fertilised and they put it back in on day 2. They have said that i only have a 20% chance of pregnancy. Feeling like its never going to work.


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## Juliasw11 (Apr 8, 2019)

Other clinics to consider for low AMH would be create, CRGH and Evewell in London. X 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

@esheard I am sorry to know the treatment did not work out. Success rates depend on many reasons, also on patients' age. In case of some women 20% can be a huge success. You might also discuss with your doc combining your standard treatment with additional procedures to boost your chances, there are plenty of them available nowdays. Do not give up, do your own research, and you will find the solution that will work out for you. Fingers crossed.


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## Rio2016 (Aug 24, 2016)

My fourth round was at the Lister and my issue was also egg quality. They were lovely but ultimately I didn’t get pregnant on the three day transfer. From memory got a few eggs but didn’t result in a child. So decided to go down the egg donor route. Guess depends on time and money - if happy to keep trying and have the money do but I just decided I couldn’t try with my own eggs forever and all the experts said my eggs an issue. Obvs just my experience.

I felt I needed to try another clinic to know before the move to donor eggs but it was a £6k try and maybe delayed the donor egg process four months.

I don’t think the Lister was widely different from Guy’s bar the food and room after x


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## Sunflower131 (Oct 18, 2020)

Rio 2016 congratulations 😊 
I guess I feel the same, I want to try another clinic with my own eggs as they may be more specialised but after 3 failed cycles I don’t know whether to just accept it. My sister has offered for us to use her eggs which is very kind of her. 

Juliasw11, thanks for the list. There’s a Create about an hour from us which may be easier than getting to London so maybe I will enquire with them. 

Esheard, good luck, keeping fingers crossed for you! 20% is still a chance 😊

Thanks everyone.


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## Rio2016 (Aug 24, 2016)

That’s so kind of your sister - I’m not sure if my hospital does known donors but Lister might. 

Good luck with everything xxx


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## ShadyWheat (Sep 9, 2016)

Hi Sunflower, like Mouse we used the Lister as I also couldn't realistically travel abroad for cycling although it is expensive there. I was at a clinic that didn't specialise in DOR before and like you they told me I had poor egg quality after 3 failed cycles with using very high doses of stims. Once I switched to the Lister and a low stim protocol plus letrozole, aiming for less eggs but high quality - from 9 mature eggs over 2 cycles I got 7 embryos, which made 4 good blasts (although I never had a baby with them but we have one saved blast for sibling hopefully). I think Lister are quite realistic about your chances and I like their pregnancy calculator so they can tell you the stats for your particular AMH, age, history etc and they let you make the decision about whether you think you would like to continue. However towards the end of my experiences with them I found them getting increasingly busy and less personalised. I would recommend my consultant there, I think others have had very mixed experiences depending on which consultant they see, so I would recommend trying to request the consultant you would specifically like to see and waiting for an apt even if they are popular. Also have you read It starts with the egg by Rebecca Fett? I would definitely take some of the advice with a pinch of salt but I did see an improvement from taking high dose ubiquinol for a few months before my transfer which was also something my consultant endorsed (he was skeptical about a number of other supplements). Also Lister does consider known donors as my sister also kindly offered and at one stage we did go quite far down the road of investigating it - we got all her bloods done at Lister and saw the DE councellors, but she also has DOR (but not as bad as me!)

If you still want to consider at clinics abroad, maybe post on the low AMH thread, lots of the girls there have used Serum or Reprofit and may be able to tell you about their experiences.


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