# Experiences of treatment at London Women's Clinic, Cardiff



## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi everyone,
My partner and I are almost through our initial screening tests for intra partner egg sharing at LWC Cardiff.
Wondering how they have been for other people.    
We have had a mixed experience with some insensitive staff attitudes and poor admin.  We are feeling really anxious what they will be like during treatment.  As long as they know what they are doing in terms of the medical side of things we can cope with the rest. It is just making me lose confidence.  We are desperate to start our family and it would be good to know we are in safe hands.  I would be really grateful to hear how other people have found the clinic.      x


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## CLAIRE1969 (Jun 3, 2010)

HI Celtic Girl I think the silence to your query in itself speaks volumes.You can look at a number of posts comparing  peoples experiences at the various clinics in the area.
Good look with your journey wherever you end up going.


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## Zebbie( (May 23, 2010)

Hello there - I am a "clinic tart" having treatment in Spain and arranging scanning blood tests and other things I need in a few other clinics here.  

I have had some scanning and blood tests done in LWC Cardiff and some done in CRGMW who are much much nicer in every aspect and often less costly too. 

Zebbie


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi Ladies,
Thank you both so much for replying to me.  I was bit alarmed that nobody had anything to say.  Things are moving slowly for us with the LWC but we are not finding them easy to communicate with and I sometimes feel if I didn't keep calling we would never hear from them.  There are a few reasons why we need to stay with them for treatment but there have been a couple of incidents that have upset us.
thanks for taking the time to come back to me and good luck both with your baby making endeavours xx


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## Spenno (Aug 23, 2012)

Hi ladies, I am having treatment at LWC in Cardiff and it has been a bit hap hazard. Just starting my second cycle and hoping they are a bit more organised this time. I do have to say I find them very friendly and helpful if you ask questions...but you have to ask them rather than them giving you all the information you need. 

I found CRGW to be really clinical and not at all friendly so glad I'm there.

Good luck to everyone xxx


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi Spenno,
Good luck with your treatment.  It is very hap hazard for us too with the clinic.  The left hand doesn't seem to know what the right hand is doing! Hey ho we are at their mercy.  I just hope the embryologists are more professional then some of the other staff we have dealt with. 
x


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Hi,  my wife and I are having treatment at LWC and we've had no problems, they have all been lovely.  As far as the lack of information goes, I can see what yu mean, but I phone them all the time asking about stuff so maybe they just this I will call them if I have questions! They really have been lovely though, I've been in 5 or so times now for scans and trial embryo transfer, blood tests and injection lessons, so I've seen lots of different people  and they've all been great.  I'm sorry you've had a not so good experience.  Do you live in cardiff? I barely see anyone else in there so I was starting to think we were the only patients! Ha ha.  What stage are you at?


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi, 
Haha you are not the only patients, yes we live in Cardiff.  Things are moving along for us now and we have been matched. My partner is donating her eggs to me and anonymous recipient. We are both taking the pill at the moment which is making us both want to eat bread and chocolate continuously. We don't have a treatment plan yet but egg collection/ transfer should be end of April.  We are so excited but v nervous too. When is your egg collection? Really hope it all goes well for you both x


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Egg collection will hopefully be week commencing 4th march! Started stimms a few days ago. We're really excited! We wanted to do partner to partner egg transfer but DW was a bit nervous about it, so maybe well do it next time.


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

That is very exciting, how are you feeling on the stimulation drugs?


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Not to bad actually, only had 3rd one this morning, so I'm not expecting Ny symptoms quite yet.  I'm trying to drink a load of water and milk and will start with the hot water bottle on my belly tonight


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Glad you are feeling well, it is really nice to be in touch with someone just ahead of us in the treatment.  I'll keep everything crossed for you


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

thank you!  good luck to you too!


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## beckha (Feb 22, 2011)

Hello girls I have recently switched to LWC from CRGW as CRGW wanted £500 for screening bloods which we just couldn't afford, and LWC do it for free.

My initial impressions of LWC are better, I feel like they aren't trying to rip me off, all the staff were lovely and helpful, the atmosphere was nice too.

I guess everyone is different and choosing a fert clinic is a personal thing. Only prob I have had is receptionist giving one bit of information but it being wrong and reasking the nurse and they clarified, but that is is. Think the receptionist may be new.

I go for egg share counselling and my screening bloods on the 26th of March, hoping to start cycling in May/June all going well.

Did either of you wait long for a match?

xx


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm not egg sharing, so I don't know anything about matching to be honest!

Are you sure they do bloods for free? They wanted me to pay over 350 for mine, but I got them done for free at my GP, apart from my AMH test which cost £95 at LWC. I've also had to pay £43 each time I've had my oestradiol levels checked (twice) and I had to pay for hep b core and HIV test which was £63.

Are you paying for a package? Maybe bloods are included?

I really like the LWC, the only thing that's really ticked me off is that they only noticed 2 of my bloods were missing last Wednesday which meant if I didn't have the bloods done there and pay for them, I would potentially have to cancel treatment. (Couldn't guarantee my dr surgery would have them back in time).

Best of luck!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Beckha - We waited about a month from the time my partner got the last of her screening test results through, we are waiting for our treatment plan but egg collection should be about the 3rd week of April.  

ItsmeKatyLou - An exciting day for you! Delighted all has gone to plan for you so far. Fingers crossed for a BFP in 2 weeks


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Thank you! Positivity all the way!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Just took delivery of our medications, needles etc and treatment plans arrived yesterday.  We are absolutley bricking it but so excited.  Egg Collection planned for April 29th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Fantastic! Congratulations!!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

you got a BFP!!!!!              Congratulations!


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Yes I did!!!!  Thank you! Feels very surreal!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Hope all goes well now, you both must be over the moon.  As I'm going to carry DW's eggs we are both starting to down reg in the next week, me first.  Going in to the clinic later this week for our injections lesson.  Your good news is real inspiration for us.  Good luck! x


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Oh thank you!  You'll be fine with te injections, they really ont hurt a all! I quite miss oing mine! Best of luck and keep me updated!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

First injection is done! Bit the bullet and did it myself and as you said it wasn't so bad. Our baby feels a huge step closer tonight  hope all still going well for you


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Yay! Fantastic news! It's such a milestone when you start your injections, it like you're finally doing something to get this whole process started.  Keep me posted.

Al okay here, got an appt back in LWC cardiff on 15 April for our first scan, can't wait! This next few weeks are going to drag!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Second injection done   Felt much more confident this morning and found a better spot on my tummy. Had a much better appointment at the clinic yesterday too .This whole process is such a waiting game isn't it.  Just keep yourself busy and I'm sure the scan will be here in no time.


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

I hope so! Just 2 weeks and 2 more days! Glad you're finding the injections okay.  I got a huge bruise after my first one and thought they'd all be like that, thankfully not!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Good luck with your scan this week   hope all is still going well 
I am having my baseline scan on Thursday and hoping for very quiet ovaries


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm sure it'll be fine! You can start your stimms then! How exciting! 
I've got another week to go and it's draaaaaggggiiiing!


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

A whole other week, I thought it surely had to be this week for your scan.  Hope time is not dragging too much.  
It is my DW that will be stimming not me.  She is donating her eggs to me so we are both down regging right now and then they will prep my lining for transfer from this week and she will hopefully start stimming after her baseline scan next Tuesday. 
I guess we are sharing an IVF cycle really and hopefully after EC I can take over, bit like a relay race  

It's nice sharing the experience of the injections etc but hard that we are both a bit all over the place.  I'm so scared that it won't work.  Not sure how I will cope. I seem to have lost my positive thinking this week


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

If there's one thing I've learned it's positive thinking is the way forward! You have to believe that is
Ts going to happen.  Don't allow any negativity in! I did a lot of dancing on some of the other boards too


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

lol the dancing is great, I've tried really hard to keep positive.  My baseline scan has not gone to plan this morning though   There is a follicle on my left ovary so they have done an urgent blood test, results back later today.  Hopefully it's just fluid filled but if not I fear it will delay everything.  They wouldn't even talk me through what will happen if it is an active follicle as they said they didn't want to 'panic' me. So of course I am panicking.  As DW is donating eggs to me and anon recipient I am so worried that my stubborn body could hold everybody up.  

It is a tense wait now.  Am supposed to have fertility acupuncture this afternoon, wondering if there is any point or if it will just make the follicle go nuts.  This is such a rollercoaster.


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

That's strange, on my baseline scan I had 7 or 8 follicles that they counted and I was fine! Maybe mine were just little? But they did say I had mildly polycystic ovaries. Let me know when you hear back, I'm sure it'll be fine x


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi hope all is well and fingers crossed for your scan this week! All was fine with my blood test and I could start taking oestrogen tablets as planned. The follicle is a problem when you are an egg recipient because they don't want your body releasing an egg as they are preparing you to receive the embryo. 
DW has her baseline scan tomorrow and hopefully starting stimming! 
Back up the roller coaster !!


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

I've had a missed miscarriage.  Clinic were lovely with me, can't fault them, but I'm just gutted.


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## celticgirl (Oct 8, 2012)

I am so, so sorry to hear your very sad news.  You must be devastated.  Sending big cwtches to you both    
This journey is so cruel too often.  Take good care of one another.  xx


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

Thank you, I doubt I'll be back on these boards for a while, but I want to know how you get on, so please feel free to update me via personal message, it comes to my email inbox and I'd love to know how you're getting on x


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## beckha (Feb 22, 2011)

I am so sorry Katie Lou.

I went for my first egg share app then got pregnant naturally with another ectopic, finally picked myself up and now we've been accepted and just waiting for a match.

How long did you wait for a match?

x


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## Itsmekatielou (Dec 20, 2012)

I wasn't egg sharing. Thought about it, but didn't think id be able to do it. Good luck x


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## beckha (Feb 22, 2011)

Ahh ok. Fair enough. 

xx


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