The abc fertility blog

So you’re on a fertility journey! Guess what? Me too - and we’re not alone. Today, 1 in 7 couples in the UK struggle to conceive. For those going through primary or secondary infertility, or those seeking embryo adoption, sperm donation or surrogacy, IVF - or in vitro fertilisation - has helped millions of couples worldwide to have a baby.

Something that continues to fascinate me – especially so, given the unfiltered broadcasting of mine and Simon's fertility journey – is the number of people who assume that our difficulty conceiving is the result of an issue with me, the female.

The effects of our health – both physical and mental – on the outcome of IVF treatment has been heavily disputed within the IVF community for decades. For every woman who tells you her IVF was successful following a major health kick, there’s a woman who’ll tell you...

Undoubtedly, an IVF cycle is a challenging journey to navigate. Not only is it physically demanding, but your emotions are constantly changing; one minute full of worry, fear and uncertainty, and the next clinging onto excitement, luck and hope.

We’ve probably all heard the age-old quip that “trying to get pregnant is the fun part”, but for anyone who thinks they might be infertile, that’s sadly not always the case, as my husband and I found out on the journey to our son.

She’s a meme, a supermodel, a foodie and a hilariously candid breath of fresh air; she trolls politicians on Twitter; pulls pranks on her superstar husband and talks openly about everything from adult diapers to feminism; she’s one half of Instagram’s favourite couple AND she’s an IVF warrior.

During our first cycle of IVF, my husband and I were incredibly naïve. We didn’t realise that we were actually allowed to ask questions, raise concerns, or that we’d need to become our own advocates. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of seven questions to ask a private fertility clinic; questions I wish we’d asked before embarking upon our treatment.

After you have had your Initial Consultation and Scan, which explores your fertility, chances of success and treatment plan, you may decide that private IVF at abc ivf is the right choice for you. If this is the case, your next step will be to book a Treatment Consultation with a specialist Nurse Consultant. Here’s what you can expect from this appointment.

Deciding to start IVF treatment is a big step to take, but luckily the friendly healthcare professionals at abc ivf are onhand to provide you with support and guidance throughout your treatment journey.

The number of LGBTQ+ people becoming parents, or thinking about becoming parents, is increasing, as are the treatment options available to them - IVF being one of the most popular treatments for lesbian couples. Unfortunately, however, NHS funding for IVF has very strict criteria in the UK.

Imagine scheduling a catch-up with your boss, sitting them down in a meeting room and telling them – quite frankly – that you’d made the decision to have your coil removed. Imagine telling them that you and your partner had started practicing condom-free intercourse or that...

Infertility is currently known to affect 1 in 6 couples, in the UK. That’s 3.5million people living with heartache, grief and pain, desperately trying to conceive and carry a baby to term, either for a first child or a sibling. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises infertility as a disease and, as a society, we are becoming more aware of the anguish and distress it causes. However...

Taking the first step into in vitro fertilisation treatment (IVF) can be daunting. As with any new experience, understanding the process and milestones along the way, and knowing who will be there to support you, will help you to relax and make your journey smoother. This article offers guidance on how long private IVF takes from the first appointment, and the types of tests or procedures you will have during the different stages.

Just think back to the time you were in a sex education class, what do you remember? Whilst it may have covered the basics, we doubt you heard about how the female ovarian reserve or male anatomy change over time , the behaviours that impact fertility, fertility conditions, or any key fertility facts or statistics.

When you discover you or your partner are infertile and require IVF, the last thing you want to hear is that you may not be able to get access to fertility treatment with the NHS.

The average woman more than likely won’t have too much of a clue about her own fertility. It’s one of those topics, like anything else health-related, that until it starts to give you cause for concern, you’ve never given it much thought. Your period comes every month, you presume everything internally is working as it’s supposed to, and you go on with your life.

Deciding to have fertility treatment is by no-means an easy decision. There are many different types of fertility treatment available, and many things to consider.

Social media certainly has its flaws but it has also weirdly and wonderfully connected me to hundreds of like-minded individuals with whom I am united by one shared mission – a baby. I spent over a year trying to conceive before discovering the online community that existed at my very fingertips and this community, with its army of fertility warriors, became my biggest support network.

The Embryo Transfer procedure of an IVF cycle is one of the most exciting but also stressful parts of the entire journey. On one hand, you’re finished with the painful injections, the agonising wait to see how your embryos develop and most importantly, you’re almost at the end of the entire IVF process.

Prior to being diagnosed with infertility I must admit that I had no clue what a cycle of IVF involved. I knew a few couples who had been through it before but I had never felt the need or desire to know exactly what a cycle entailed. It sounds quite heartless when I say it now but I think, unless it’s something you are experiencing yourself, you don’t feel a necessity to find out all about it.

You are only eligible for IVF on the NHS if you meet certain criteria. If the criteria are not met, or you have ran out of funding, or you wish to avoid the waiting list, you may decide to seek treatment at a private clinic.

When I was first diagnosed with infertility I was coming to what I thought would be the end of a career break. The previous year I had decided to take some time off after a stressful job combined with planning my wedding and completing my Master’s degree meant that I had more or less burned out.

My husband and I investigated our fertility with the NHS and we now await our first round of IVF. We never even considered doing any of this privately for one simple reason - we can’t afford it.

If there’s one thing in life that I’ve become really accomplished at over the past few years, it’s putting a brave face on. It’s saying, “I’m fine”, when I’m not. It’s smiling when all I want to do is scream. Every so often the difficulty of doing this on a daily basis boils over, and I slowly but surely start to unravel.

After 1 year of trying to conceive "the old fashioned way" and another year of tests, dead ends and pill-popping detours, we are now firmly on the NHS IVF waiting list – which I'm told can be anywhere from a 6 month wait to a 3 year one.

For couples struggling to conceive, In vitro fertilisation (IVF) can provide the extra assistance needed in order to have a baby - and many millions of babies have been born as a result of this revolutionary treatment. However, it is common knowledge that the cost of fertility treatment can be a substantial financial commitment and an additional worry to couples at a challenging time.

For those who have never personally experienced infertility and IVF, the understanding of how it feels when a cycle ‘fails’, is largely impossible. The complex emotions involved, are not easily explainable and the pain you have endured to end with nothing; is difficult to imagine. Infertility blogger, Jessica Jones, shares her experience of IVF failure and how she managed to cope through it all.

Grief, devastation, heartbreak, guilt – infertility and IVF treatment has it all, usually on a never-ending carousel which can become a nightmare. You feel alone, like the only person going through this trauma and you’ve no idea how you’re going to survive or why your life has taken this unfair turn. How can a relationship withstand this level of distress?

One of the hardest parts of navigating through your infertility journey can be having to cope with other people’s pregnancies. Infertility blogger, Rachel Reid, shares her own experience and tips she's learnt along her journey.

This year, we have reached a remarkable milestone as we celebrate the 40th birthday of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). On the 25th July, 40 years ago, Louise Brown was born; the world’s first IVF baby.

When seeking IVF treatment through the NHS you could very well find yourself a victim of the ‘postcode lottery’. Find out what can you do to overcome this.

The questions to ask your fertility clinic to find out the real cost of your IVF treatment.

There is no lack of information around about fertility and IVF treatment, the difficulty is shifting through the available information to find something that's right for you. Here we uncover the IVF secret fertility clinics don't want you to know.

Since our doors opened nearly two months ago, we’ve seen the flood of media interest in our radical new approach to IVF treatment translate into a steady stream of women and couples coming through our doors. Here's why....

We understand that starting a family on your own is an exciting and slightly daunting time; at abc ivf we are dedicated to making your treatment journey as simple and straightforward as possible.

If you are in a female same sex relationship and are considering having a baby together, abc ivf can help.

The costs involved in IVF treatment can often be confusing and overwhelming. With most IVF clinics only advertising their 'base price' for treatment, we uncover and remove the hidden costs which can add thousands on to your treatment.

Ovarian reserve is the term used to describe how many eggs are left in a woman's ovaries. There are a few tests which can be carried out to determine what a woman's ovarian reserve is; here we describe some of the most common ones...

Due to high costs of IVF treatment in the UK, more couples are finding themselves venturing abroad for cheaper treatment. At abc ivf, we can offer you low cost IVF treatment, without the risks associated with treatment abroad.

The concept of abc ivf was born when Professor Geeta Nargund recognised an increasing need for affordable, fair and equal access to IVF treatment in the UK.

abc ivf have brought the innovative 'Shoebox IVF' technology to the UK and will be offering it to patients at the lowest cost per IVF cycle in the UK.

abc ivf has just opened its doors and it offers the lowest cost IVF treatment in the UK

Many people were left devastated when it was revealed this year that more than 13 areas of the UK have either cut down, or brought NHS IVF funding to a complete standstill.