# Hey all, Advice needed... Clinics, Treatment etc..



## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Hey all,
My Wife and I are looking at starting treatment after October, Thats when i hit 30 and want to see it in with a bang , We are looking for clinics around Essex, London way.. We want a nice quiet place not so clinical. I suffer from PCSO, diagnosed when I was 23, I was in a heterosexual relationship and we went through IUI, i had ovarian drilling and clomid, metformin, after the 2nd IUI did not work we had a break, thats when i came out and stopped treatment, when i stopped treatment i stopped treatment for my PCSO, i have ignored it since then, no treatment and had around 6 periods since i was 23, and as i said before I'm 30 this year. 
And in all honesty i feel I was way to young to go through fertility treatment and i didn't take anything in.

So now a long time later I am Married to a wonderful, Lively beautiful Woman, who I Love more than I can explain. The subject of children has come up alot, and now i feel the time is right to start research, and to get myself in shape and start saving.

So after myself waffling on (sorry for that) We were wondering what clinics are around, I used the Essex fertility centre last time.

We are looking at My partner donating her Egg to me and going through the IVF cycle, with donor sperm, this is all new to me so don't know the best treatment.

Thanks in advance

Charlie and Becki xx


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## Strawbs78 (Jun 3, 2008)

We were signed up with LWC London Harley Street and whilst we chose a different route to get our pregnancy i.e. AI with KD we did do a medicated IUI at LWC and found them to be really great.. Our friends (f/f) have just had their son who was conceived at lwc london.

We still have swimmers in their freezer in case we decide to go back.. Good Luck!


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi Charlie & Becks


We also are at the LWC in Harley street, we have done IVF/ICSI for 3 cycles with them and now just done a fet with them also and am on the dreaded 2ww.  We went along to an open eve to get more info before we choose them but as they seem to be one of the clinics who deal with lots of F/F couples trying to concieve this was what swayed us and also there wasnt a wait for donor sperm.  We have always found them really good, sometimes it has been hard to get hold of them on phone but otherwise they have been very helpful and have been happy with our treatments.  HOpe you find a clinic that you guys like, I think there are quite a few of us on here who have used LWC.


Good luck


Maggie
xx


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## Candy76 (Feb 19, 2011)

Hi Charlie and Becki,

We don't live in that part of the contry, but as Maggie said, I would recommend to go to an opening evening (or a few), where you can meet as many of the staff as possible. Its good to have a chat to get your questions answered as well as to get a feeling for the people, whom you are so to speaking trusting with your future.
You may also choose a clinic depending on their success rates and depending on which services they offer and to which price. I am not sure if I got the wrong end of the stick, but I remember reading somewhere that a clinic charged a couple twice the IVF rate for putting one woman's eggs into her partners. To me this doesn't sound right.
Either way, see which other comments you get from people local to you. From our experience personal recommendations / comments have generally reflected the impression we got of clinics.

Best of luck on your journey!
Candy


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## charlruk (Oct 28, 2010)

We also used London Women's Clinic - and had no problems. We didn't look about or compare prices as our friends had gone there and found them good - so i don't know how they compare on price etc with other clinics.

We went to the Alternative Families Show last year and LWC are the headline sponsor - they had a stall and if you completed a quick form - you get your initial appointment with the Consultant for free - at the time that saved us just over £300 i think....obviously i'm not sure if they'll do that again this year - but worth a look. There were other clinics there as well but we didn't look at them as we'd already decided on LWC. The show this year on 17th September - we thought we'd go again as there are some really good seminars for both those trying to conceive and those lucky enough to have families.

http://www.alternativefamiliesshow.com

Good luck!
C & C

/links


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Hey, 

Thank you so much for all your replies. We looked at the alternative show and will most definately be going, I have an appt at my doctors next weekas he spoke about us possibly getting ivf on the NHS due to my infertility. So will look at that then.

If possible would you be able to Email roughly the prices you are looking at? for our treatment if you know. 

Is there still a clinic at Holly House? 

Sending Baby dust to you all.. 

Becki xx


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

I don't know whereabouts you are in Essex, but we used what was then Isis, now re-named Bourn Hall Colchester (after it was taken over by the same people that have Bourn Hall in Cambridge). You should be able to work out the location from the name!
We had very good experiences there in our relationships with the staff (bar one disastrously insensitive doctor - and the management dealt well with our complaint over him); it felt like a 2-way process in that they would actually listen to what we wanted to do, even if it wasn't exactly the course of treatment they would recommend (I was pretty well read on our form of treatment/tests etc.). However, this was all just before it became Bourn Hall, so I can't comment on how it is now. I know that Bourn Hall pretty much refuse to do unmedicated IUIs as they are so used to treating couples with fertility problems, rather than lesbian couples looking for access to donor sperm.

We actually used LWC in Harley Street when TTC #1, which resulted in our son. I was TTC in 2005/6, and the whole process was fine, just rather impersonal/felt like we were on a conveyor belt.

Regarding doing IVF with your partner's eggs, it shouldn't be as much as double the price for regular IVF with your own eggs. Only one of you is going through actual IVF (with the high associated drugs costs and egg collection under sedation); the other will need some drugs in order to synchronise cycles and prepare the womb linings, plus ultrasound scans (and of course embryo transfer), but the cost is not on the same level.

Hope that you have luck in getting IVF on the NHS, although do be aware that this would almost undoubtedly only be for you to use your own eggs, if you can secure the funding at all.

You can look for other clinics local to you on http://www.hfea.gov.uk/ 
There's a postcode finder on the home page.

/links


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Nisnat, 

We are in Southend, We not looking at doing IUI's, and anything we go for will be medicated as i suffer from PCOS, how are they with Lesbian couples? 
Whats the Wait like at Harley Street? i presume it to be a wait? 


Thanks for your advice 

Becki and Charlie xx


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

Charlie 'N' Bec said:


> how are they with Lesbian couples?
> 
> Becki and Charlie xx


Isis just treated us like any other couple, as far as we could tell. If anything, we perhaps got slightly more special/personal treatment for our novelty value! There was certainly no questioning of our validity as parents or as a couple; they were actually very supportive.


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Thank you NisNat.  
looking at going to a few open evenings, and i have a doctors appt tonight so we will see how things start rolling today. Thank you again 
Becki xx


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## charlruk (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi Becki and Charlie,

Returning to your question about waits at LWC - our only waits were for my cycle to start so we could start the drugs correctly - the joys of paying huge amounts of money for IVF i guess!

Good luck!
chelle
x


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## cutelittlepumpkin (Nov 1, 2007)

Hi charlie & becki

We are also in Southend! 

We used LWC as well as when we started they had a large sperm bank and no waiting! We have been going there for 8 years for treatment and after 6 years we were lucky enough to have our twin boys, we returned a year later and had our twin girls! 

It has changed a lot since we started (you went to the Cromwell Hospital for ivf!) but I think that if you go with a plan it works really well! We decided when we wanted treatment to start and just phoned them when it was right time and had our scan and picked up drugs!

We have a lot of friends that have had treatment there and have babies now thanks to them!

Best of luck with your treatment and hope you to have a positive outcome!

CLP


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## Hales :) (Mar 26, 2010)

My cousin (also in a f/f couple) is currently pregnant from unmedicated DIUI (3rd cycle) at LWC


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Hey guys, 

I had my doctors appt Tuesday, he seems on the ball so thats a good thing, he said to start me off he wants to investigate my infertility and get the bigger picture, as i have not had treatment since 2005. So im starting form scratch again, which id refreshing he then stated it would be easier to send through to PCT once my diagnosis has been examined and all tests are done .. so i feel more positive and looks like we may get our chances at IVF on NHS... so fingers crossed. 


Hales, Thank you for your replies... in the mean time i think we are going to go to a few open nights and lok form there and LWC is one of them 

CLP... WOW i love your story, I read your diary.. and always look at your tickers, in a few years i really hope we are like you and your DW. 


Wishing you all well 

becki xx


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## cutelittlepumpkin (Nov 1, 2007)

Thanks becki!

We've had lots of bad times and did think we would never have a baby and still can't quite believe we have got 4 wonderful children! 

Anything is possible! We plan to try for Number 5 next year as our embryos go out of date in 2012 & 2013 and can't face destroying them!

CLP


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

CLP... 5 are you completely mad! Well good luck, and i really hope we become as happy as you are with your football team  x

Becki xx


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## cutelittlepumpkin (Nov 1, 2007)

Hiya

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think I saw you guys a few days ago near the top of Southend High ST? I think you may have recognised the children (well the number of them anyhow) DW was pushing the "quadmobile"! If it was you and you see us again! Please feel free to say hi! I think it was Monday! 

I tried to PM you but it kept tell me it couldn't find member  

CLP


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi CLP, 

Sorry I was around the high street but i was probably in a world of my own.. lol. 
Im sure if we see you around and im sure we will, I will definately say hi... You cant miss me and My DW as we both have short spiky hair and covered in tattooos. 
The cliche lesbian couple im afraid ). 

For some reason my PM wont go through I will try to PM you now xx

xx


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## cutelittlepumpkin (Nov 1, 2007)

Hi

I got your PM, but it won't  let me reply ! 

CLP


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