Finding the right fertility clinic is a personal and very important decision. IVF is an emotionally charged journey so making sure you are comfortable with your clinic is essential.
With so many sources of information available, through Google, the NHS and people going through, or knowing someone going through the process, options can become overwhelming.
Here is what we suggest you do to simplify the process and feel confident in your choice.
Make a short list of clinics that meet your initial search criteria, geographical, recommended, whatever that looks like for you. Then have a look at the following areas to assist your assessment.
What is the clinic’s success rate?
Clinics should state their success rate on their website for both IUI and IVF, broken down by age, number of embryos transferred, etc. This is very important, so if there is no success rate on the website, make sure to ask for a report on their success rate. It should always be readily available to you.
Statistics can be overwhelming and the reports can sometimes be confusing. So pay attention specifically to live birth rates rather than the percentage of cycles that end in pregnancies.
How much does the treatment cost and what is included in the price?
Even though you might not want to rely on the price criteria when choosing the right clinic, it’s always good idea to know what are the costs upfront. This is important so that you don’t get surprised later with some unexpected costs.
Not all costs are advertised and not all costs are included in the original package – make sure you fully understand what is needed and what the costs are for the whole package. Specifically find out how many IVF cycles the package covers.
If you are unsuccessful on your first cycle, ask what the costs are after this to continue your IVF journey.
Some clinics offer 100% money back guarantee in the case that IVF doesn’t work. This can help you reduce the significance of the price and focus your attention on other aspects.
Do you have a good feeling?
In order for IVF to be successful you must feel comfortable around your fertility specialist and other staff in the clinic. It is important you understand what they are offering, how much access you have to them and whether you have a dedicated team.
The first impression is important and your initial feelings should not be ignored. Take a list of questions in advance too to make sure you cover everything you want to find out.
Some questions that you could ask include age limits for treatment, can they be reached after the working hours, diagnostic tests they plan to perform etc. Make sure to read our blog post about simplifying the questions to ask the clinic about your IVF treatment here for more information.
